History

This course introduces students to the history of the world from 1900 to the present. It focuses on the idea of modernity, following four major themes that help explain the making of the modern world: war and empire; the material world; politics and revolution; and societies and cultures. It also reflects on what it means to think globally about the past. A series of chronologically organized lectures and seminars addresses significant events, topics, and concepts relating to the history of Britain, Europe, and other world regions. 

This course focuses on a statistical approach of Japanese history. Upon completion of the course, students will have improved their critical understanding of using statistical methods in historical analysis; information extraction from primary historical sources, as well as analysis of historical data with the use of a computer.

The course focuses on the changes which occurred in urban communities in connections with the birth of universities that drew students from a broad geographical territory and employed a plurality of masters. The course discusses topics including: the meaning of urban communities through the transformations that have taken place over time; comparative view between Italian and European cities through specific examples; how to make use of satellite images of urban settlements to identify the phases of their development from Ancient times to the present day; and recognize the reasons for the formation of the cultural identity of Europe and the connective tissue of which cities are an important part.

Many novices in the historical study of the Cold War tend to draw a simplistic picture about it. For example, the Cold War was an international political process of US-Soviet strategic and ideological confrontations which never reached a third world war. But this widely shared image is not at all appropriate to properly depict the highly complex historical reality of the Cold War. In order to comprehend the complexity, this course analyzes the multiple actors and issues which determined the process of Cold War world politics. This includes not only the global superpowers, but the roles played by their allies, Third World countries, and even transnational actors such as NGOs. The course also sheds more analytical light upon interplay of manifold issue areas such as strategy, economic interdependence, societal changes and so forth.  In short, this course explores Cold War history from a global perspective.

The so-called “Marshall Plan” was only a four-year-program, and yet, it looms large in public memory, especially in Western Europe. This is not a coincidence: The influence that the US government had on the reconstruction of Western Europe after World War II came not only in the form of financial investments or material aid. The European Recovery Program (ERP) has also been considered ‘the largest single propaganda operation… ever seen in peacetime’ (Ellwood 2010, 113). This seminar is centered around questions like: What is the image that the US wanted to project during the Marshall Plan years, and why? What did these images, of the US, of Europe, and of the other, look like and how were they perceived? The seminar will be divided into two parts. Part I provides a historical and conceptual frame: It examines the motives behind Marshall Plan ‘aid' and traces the image of the US as ‘a benevolent nation’ (McCrisken and Pepper 2005, 89). Further, it introduces students to historical debates and perceptions of Americanization, and contrasts different conceptualizations of influence, ranging from cultural imperialism to ‘cultural transfer’ (Gienow-Hecht (2000), ‘Westernization’ (Nehring 2004), or ‘soft power’ (Nye 2004). Part II of the seminar will be dedicated to the actual (graphic) images that the US produced during the Marshall Plan years, especially propaganda films. Building on concepts and methods developed in the field of Visual Culture, students will learn to “read” images as primary sources and interpret them within the historical frame of the early Cold War.

In the year 600, Christianity was the dominant religion of both the Middle East and Europe. By the year 750, this had all changed. Instead, Islam was the main religion in the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of southern Europe. So began relations and interactions between the two religions that would last throughout the medieval period, and up to today, see periods of both intense, fanatical, violence and close scientific and political collaboration. This course explores the history of relations between members of the two religions over the period of 900 years, from the rise of Islam in the early seventh century to the final defeat of the Muslims of Spain in 1492. It examines perceptions between the two sides in writings produced in a variety of languages, cultures, times and places. In so doing, the course will instruct not only the relations during the medieval period but will also uncover the roots of many of the tensions in the world today.

Studying history does not mean merely memorizing historical trivia or accumulating knowledge as an intellectual competition. It means gaining an understanding of the past by learning how to scrutinize historical documents.

This course explores the Edo period, Japan’s early modern era. Many cultural and social phenomena emerged during this period and remain relevant today. At the same time, many aspects of early modern Japan, including its politics, society, and people's values and behaviors, are profoundly different from those of the modern era. This course examines a selection of sources to gain an understanding of Edo-period Japan. In addition, it also discusses recent scholarly trends in the field of early modern Japanese history.

This course aims to provide an introductory and comprehensive view of the history of diplomatic and cultural relations between Japan and the World in the latter half of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. A basic knowledge of Japanese history is desirable, but no previous knowledge of this subject will be assumed. A small amount of reading will be expected each week.
 

Students are expected to attend the classes, to participate in discussions, to submit short assignments from time to time, to choose a research project of their own choosing and hand in a semester-end paper of about 2,500 (～ 3,000) words by the end of the semester. (The number of words excludes notes and bibliography, and the paper should be written in a formal style, with reference notes and a list of bibliography.)
 

Although optional, students are also encouraged to make a brief presentation during the semester. (Further details will be announced in class.)

This course aims to discuss the meaning of food and meals in various social situations. Based on a cultural analytical perspective, this course focuses on what and how we eat, how different products are incorporated into or excluded from daily meal practices, as well as how food habits are constantly influenced by new circumstances. The course also includes discussions on a variety of defining factors concerning food culture such as production and processes, trade and economy, migration, and housing. Based on traditions, both new and old, the cultural and social significance of food is discussed in different contexts: in everyday life and in festivities, at home, and in public. The historical development of food traditions and innovations, as well as contemporary change and possible future scenarios, are studied. A central perspective of this course is that food culture is a process that is constantly changing.

This course focuses on the political evolution of the US. The pre-eminence of the US in world affairs suggests that knowledge of the evolution of American society and its culture is crucial to understanding American motivations and actions. In tracing how Americans have, from 1776, resolved issues and debates regarding the role of the federal government, racial and economic justice, gender roles, and political participation, budget and resource allocation and environmental concerns, students will gain insight into the historical processes which have shaped the US. By the end of the semester, students would have the necessary perspectives and contexts to assess and interpret American cultural, social and economic developments, as well as the continuing dialogue that Americans have about the nature of their society and democracy. This course is designed for students throughout NUS with an interest in American history.