Spring Quarter 2019

HIEA 171/271: Society and Culture in Premodern China (+)

Explores premodern Chinese society and culture through the reading and discussion of classics and masterpieces in history. Examines how values and ideas were represented in the texts and how they differed, developed, or shifted over time. Requirements will vary for undergraduate, MA, and PhD students. Graduate students are required to submit an additional paper. To enroll: Submit an EASY request via webreg

HIUS 180/280/ETHN 134. Immigration and Ethnicity in Modern American Society 

Comparative study of immigration and ethnic-group formation in the United States from 1880 to the present. Topics include immigrant adaptation, competing theories about the experiences of different ethnic groups, and the persistence of ethnic attachments in modern American society. To enroll: Submit an EASY request via webreg

HIUS 181/281. Topics in Twentieth Century United States History: In the Public Interest

Throughout twentieth century U.S. history, policymakers and citizens struggled to define and redefine which issues were best settled between private individuals or local interests and which issues were so invested in the public and national interest that the federal government should intervene. In this seminar, we will examine the shifting boundary between what constitutes a public and a private concern in twentieth century U.S. history.  Topics will include immigration policy, civil rights, the rise of the right, health care policy, and income and wealth inequality. To enroll: Submit an EASY request via webreg

Freshman Seminars:

Why Do Europeans Love and Hate America?:
"Americanization" and "McDonaldization" in Europe spark controversy and even violent protests. Many treat imports of American culture with disgust. Yet the US is also admired, even loved, and demand for American things remains strong. We will study key forms of and resistance to Americanization.

The Seven Deadly Sins:
The seminar explores the history of “the seven deadly sins" (gluttony, lust, anger, envy, greed, sloth, and pride). We will learn how the “Seven Deadly Sins” have emerged against the background of earlier notions of sin. We will also look closely into each one of those “deadly sins,” considering why and how it came to be viewed as a sin and how it resonates in the world in which we live.

Biology and Society:
This course explores selected contemporary issues in biology, ethics and society in their historical context. Among the subjects addressed: genetic engineering, genetically modified foods and organisms, patenting life, pharmaceutical, the control and use of human genetic information, and more.