History

Cuba, the "Pearl of the Antilles" had long been the heartpiece of imperial aspirations. One of the last Spanish colonies after the revolutions in South and Central America, it played a defining role in Spanish imperial identity. Meanwhile in the US, intellectuals had argued all throughout the 19th century that the island was a natural extension to the Nation, and should be conquered as a logical conclusion to the Monroe Doctrine. When after the war of 1898 the island came into American hands, Spain fell into a deep crisis of identity. The United States though took its first steps into the arena of colonial world politics, in turn becoming an empire. All the while, the Cuban’s desire for independence became a mere footnote in the aftermath. The colonial and imperial struggles had another dimension to them: Gender. A common propaganda theme in the US depicted the Spaniards as raping Cuba. While Theodore Roosevelt and his "Rough Riders" came to define the ideal American masculinity after the war, Spaniards questioned if they were still manly enough to belong to the club of civilized European nations. This seminar will follow three objectives: First, understanding the importance of Cuba to Spain and the United States before the war of 1898, as well as the events leading up to the war. Second, comparing the ascent of the American Empire with the decline of the Spanish Empire. Third, introducing the analytical category of gender as a tool to understanding geopolitical conflicts in the age of colonialism.

Since the formation of the Earth 4.5 billion years ago, no era has witnessed so much environmental change as the past five hundred years, merely a moment in the history of our planet. Industrialization, capitalism, and the insatiable need for more and more "things" has unleashed uncontrollable destructive forces. This course focuses on a number of key developments to consider two related questions. First, how have humans altered the Earth's systems - climate, atmosphere, ecosystems, oceans, and landscape? Second, what are the implications of these changes for human society and the relationship between humans and the other species that inhabit this planet? The coverage begins in the late 15th century with the Columbian Exchange of diseases, crops, ideas, animals, and people between the Old World and the New World in 1492. It then investigates a number of critical issues relating to land use and the production of food, the exploitative relationships between humans and other species and the impact of industrial capitalism, urbanization and the use of fossil fuels as the main source of energy. The final section of the course focuses on the post-1945 world, exploring consumer capitalism, the development of the environmental movement in the 1960s and 1970s, and concludes with an assessment of the current climate crisis.

This course covers the role of revolutions in shaping history. From the Cold War, to the “new world order” following the end of the Cold War, to the present day, the course considers how and why revolutions happen, what constitutes a revolution, and how revolutions achieve (or fail to achieve) social and political reform.

This course focuses on the political aspects of Hollywood cinema by questioning the links that exist between the production of films and the ideological structures hidden behind the images. It discusses how genre cinema appears to be a "dream factory" whose specific economic organization is accompanied by ideological and political schemes that should be identified in the perspective of political and cultural studies. The course demonstrates how much cinema contributes to the diffusion of the traditional values of the American Dream and how the big studios manage to find a balance between submission to the commercial constraints imposed by the market, simplification of political phenomena (whether situational or systemic), and artistic research.

This course examines the “pre-modern period” of Japan from its origins in the Jomon Period through to the end of the 16th century. It focuses on the emergence of the imperial state, court rulership, and the rise of the warrior class. Though dominated by the rulership, religions, and lifestyles of courtiers and warriors, this course also explores the cultural context within which elites, commoners, and those in between lived and prospered. The approach is thus primarily socio-cultural, aiming to enhance the student’ understanding not only of the Japan of the past, but also of the present. By the end of the course, students will be familiar with the most important aspects of the classical Heian age, the dual (or tripartite) polity of Kamakura, the warrior rule of the Muromachi era, and the subsequent era of civil warfare.

This course examines politics revolving around historical issues. What is national history? Why can it be a source of political conflict? What is needed to reconcile historical disputes? These questions are explored through the examination of Asian and European cases. 

This course examines modern Korean literature, history, culture, and society of the 20th and early 21st century. 

The course provides an overview over the history of racism from antiquity to the postwar era. It addresses the relationship with different historical developments like colonialism, slavery, race science, eugenics, segregation and genocide. The course discusses the exemplary developments in different European and non-European societies. While the perspective of the victims of racist discrimination is addressed frequently, the course also focuses on the logic of such discrimination. For this, various related issues are raised, like anti-black racism, antisemitism, hatred against Sinti and Roma etc.

This course discusses the origins and structure of contemporary society based on the method of social history, comprehensively examining the dynamics of society, considering not only its economy, but also its politics, culture, and other various aspects. The course addresses education, media, cities, families, social movements, etc.

This course aims to trace certain aspects of postwar Japan, particularly the planning and reconstruction of cities damaged during the Second World War, taking comparisons with Great Britain into account.

This course provides an overview of the history and major issues in Korea-US relations. The first half of the course deals with the late nineteenth century up to the 1980`s. The second half discusses various contemporary issues related to the two countries, including security, trade, Korean nationalism, immigration, North Korea`s nuclear program, and territorial disputes, among many others. Topics include security, trade, Korean nationalism, immigration, North Korea`s nuclear program, and territorial disputes, among others.