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Academic Year 2003/2004

Text and Context: Readings in Modern Europe
HIST 114 FA
Crosslistings:
COL 114

This seminar is designed to familiarize students with the use of primary documents as historical sources. We will explore a wide variety of "texts" (literature, philosophy, art, film) from 20th century Europe and then contextualize them by placing them in their specific milieu. Case studies could include texts such as a short story from Ian Fleming's JAMES BOND series in the context of post World War Two Europe or Picasso's GUERNICA in the context of the Spanish Civil War. What can such artifacts tell us about the time and place in which they were produced? What can they tell us about the authors who produced them? Do our "readings" of these texts say more about the time when they were produced or the times in which we read them?

MAJOR READINGS

Authors to be read may include (but will not be limited to): Theodor Adorno, Henri Bergson, Frantz Fanon, Michel Foucault, Ian Flemming, Sigmund Freud, Stephen Kern, Milan Kundera, Primo Levy, Czeslaw Milosz, Erich Maria Remarque, Art Spiegelman.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Class attendance and active participation are essential to pass this course.

At least one class presentation

Two short papers and one research paper.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Only COL majors will be allowed to take this course on a credit/unsatisfactory basis. All others must take this course for a letter grade.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS HIST    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-19-2004

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