History (HIST)
Nationalism and nation states; patterns of diplomacy; origins, conduct, and settlement of World War I; Russian Revolution; fate of democracy; rise of totalitarianism; World War II and the Holocaust.
Examines how the U.S., its values, and its institutions came to be. Colonization, "Indian" relations, slavery, the American Revolution and the Constitution are studied in the context of the colonial world, including Latin America. Controversial issues and the challenge of discovery are stressed.
Traces America's transformation from agrarian republic to Industrial Empire. Stresses impact of industrialization on all aspects of life, the nature of slavery, the failures of "Reconstruction", and the western and urban frontiers. Explores the adventures that made America a great power.
Traces how America attained economic and military power and what it did with that power at home and abroad. Discusses the World Wars, the Great Depression, the limits of the "welfare state," the movement for Black equality, and the transformations of the 1960's.
Explores the historical roots of contemporary issues. Topics vary by semester but always include the Cold War and America's international position, tensions over immigration and racial integration, and the historic roots of changes in popular culture and daily life.
A historical analysis of contemporary globalization in trade, technology, labor, and culture. The course includes a comparative analysis of the world's leading economies (e.g. Great Britain, Germany, United States, and Japan), and considers their varied responses to industrial revolutions in the past two centuries.
Students gain an understanding of the history and culture of Greece, Rome, and ancient Palestine. Walk a mile in someone else's sandals while tracing the early foundations of Western culture. Using disciplined analysis and creative interpretation to reconstruct aspects of ancient civilizations, students are challenged to escape their own personal and cultural perspectives.
Basic institutions of the contemporary city studied in their historical context, using Chicago as a case study. Political machines, social and political reform traditions, planning agencies, ethnic neighborhoods, organized crime and many other urban institutions.
A study of the people, places, demographics, institutions, politics, culture, and national context of the federal Prohibition (of alcohol) era in Chicago. Students will learn not only about historical events and personages but also consider the interplay of various social, political and economic factors which made the Prohibition era within Chicago unique.
Development of LGBTQ narratives, cultures and organizations within Chicago with reference to their historical context. Students will learn not only about leaders and significant developments within Chicago LGBTQ history but also learn about local, national, and international developments which aided in formation and development of sexual orientations and gender identities.
What is digital labor? Since the mid-twentieth century, labor forces have radically changed in relation to new digital, electronic computing technologies. Perhaps the clearest example of this change is the evolution of computer programming as a respected and highly paid profession. But those who work directly with computers are not the only ones affected. As computing systems have steadily reorganized aspects of society, the idea of what counts as labor has changed. This course introduces students to historical and contemporary issues in the history of technology to explain how our national and global work forces are shaped by digital, electronic technology. We will look at everything from World War II electronic codebreaking to present-day struggles over net neutrality. We will also look at the "hidden labor" behind our digital technologies, from hardware's origins in African mines and Chinese factories to the strenuous manual and psychological labor hidden in the back-ends of many of our favorite online services. Throughout, students will learn how seemingly unrelated changes share a common history. The course will include several guest lecturers from academia and industry. Students will be asked to write papers, do multimedia projects, and engage with their classmates in group projects.
This course introduces students to the history of video gaming while providing instruction in scholarly practice with an emphasis on research and writing. Topics include the technical and cultural history of the video games, academic writing, and humanities research methods.
An investigation into a topic of current or enduring interest in history, which will be announced by the instructor when the course is scheduled.
Consent of department. For advanced students.
