Upper Level History Offerings
Spring 2008
Class and Professor
HIS 211 – Women in the Western World - (Dr. K. Dierenfield)
TR 11:30-12:45 pm & 1:00-2:15 pm
Comparative history of women in Europe, Britain, and America from Renaissance to present. Deals with changing role of women in society, politics, and the economy and on development of feminism as intellectual
and political force. (AS IV) (ICD)
HIS 230 – Holocaust in Historical Perspective - (Dr. Jones)
TR 10:30-11:20 am & 11:30-12:20 pm
A historical survey of the Holocaust that places Nazi Germany’s campaign to exterminate European Jewry during World War II(1939-45) in a broader historical context by tracing the history of anti-Semitism from its origins in late antiquity to the emergence of racial anti-Semitism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries (AS IV)
HIS 308/CLS 308/RST 308 Pagans and Christians – (Dr. Banchich) MWF 8:30-9:20 am
Religious thought and action from the 3rd through 8th centuries A.D. The idea of the holy; manifestations of the sacred; body, soul, cosmos; Christianity and classical culture; Neo-Platonism. (AS VI)
HIS 314 – Utopia in US His & Lit – (Dr. McCarthy) MW 2:30-3:45 pm
Have you ever thought about living in a co-op or intentional community? How would you organize the ideal community? The search for utopia is a recurring theme in history and literature, and it was particularly prevalent in the nineteenth century. This course will explore various historical and fictional designs for perfecting society. We will read utopian fiction, learn about the authors and their times, and compare them to experimental communities in American history, with particular attention to the influences of religion, socialism, and feminism.
HIS 316 – Reformation Europe – (Dr. Clark) MW 4:00-5:15 pm
The Reformation from Luther to the 30 Years War.
HIS 338 – The British Empire – (Dr. Gibert) MWF 10:30-11:20 am
The growth and character of the British Empire from 17th century through the 20th. Emphasis on social, cultural and political impact of colonization and decolonization in such regions as India, Africa, the Caribbean and Australia.
HIS 347 - The History of Marxism – (Dr. Jones) TR 1:00-2:15 pm
History of Marxism as an intellectual tradition, with emphasis on writings of Marx and Lenin, from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. (Area V)
HIS 368 Native American History – (Dr. Burich) R 6:00-8:45 pm
History of Native Americans from Pre-Colonial era to the present day.
HIS 370 Murder & Madness in Modern America – (Dr. B. Dierenfield) TR 11:30-12:45 pm
Considers why American society has long had the highest murder rate in the industrialized world. Different kinds of infamous murders of the 20th century will be dissected, including assassinations, serial killings, spree killings, contract killings (Mafia), thrill killings, killings by “insane” people, and garden variety domestic murders. We will also examine the lives of individual murderers and the ways in which they have been punished (or not), such as the death penalty in its various forms. Attention will be paid to the ways in which Americans have been preoccupied by this heinous crime in popular culture, e.g., crime TV shows, novels, and films.
HIS 381 – History of Buffalo – (Dr. Sharrow) TR 10:00-11:15 am
Development of Buffalo as a city through its 150-year history. Emphasis on social and cultural aspects of Buffalo’s history.
HIS 393 - The Making of Modern Africa – (Dr. Devereux) TR 10:00-11:15 am
Development of modern Africa from the diverse societies of precolonial Africa through the impact of imperialism to an examination of the problems facing modern African states.
HIS 399 - History of US Foreign Relations – (Dr. DeLaPedraja) MWF 9:30-10:20 am
Overview of U.S. Foreign Relations from the Revolutionary War to the Gulf War. Emphasis on the imperial period since 1898. Particular attention to Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
HIS 401 Seminar: Introduction to Historical Research - (Dr. Valone) R 2:30-5:00 pm
Methods of historical research and criticism, including consideration of basic bibliographical and reference works, note-taking, and evaluation of sources. Research paper required. Prerequisite: History honors students and others with permission of chair.
HIS 410 Senior Honors Colloquium - (Dr. Jones) TBA
Reading course organized around central theme that varies from semester to
semester. Deals with American and European history and occasionally with
history of Third World. Satisfies requirement for graduation with departmental
honors in history. Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor or Department Chair
HIS 498 – Internship TBA
Internships are currently available with a United States congressman or
senator, the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site Foundation, the Buffalo
and Erie County Historical Society. Prerequisite: Consent of the Instructor and
permission of the Chair.
HIS 499 – Independent Study TBA
Offers the opportunity to conduct a program of independent readings and/or
research on a topic of the student’s choice under the supervision of a member
of the History Department. Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor and permission
of the Chair.
The following courses in the All-College Honors Program may be taken by History majors with the consent of the instructor and Dr. Bruce Dierenfield, director of the All-College Honors Program.
HON 256 Individual and Community – (Dr. Clark) MW 2:30-3:45 pm
The changing role of family, church, neighborhood and other sources of authority in modern society.
HON 394 Imperialism and Decolonization – (Dr. Devereux) MW 2:30-3:45 pm
A study and critique of the theories and causes of Western imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the nature and character of the empires created, and the responses to western imperialism leading to decolonization after 1945.
HON 415C – Senior Seminar – Great Books and Films in Modern America
(Dr. B. Dierenfield) T 2:30-5:00 pm