HIST 395 - Advanced Seminar

Credits: 3 Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing, or 15 credits in history, or consent of the instructor. Prerequisites may vary by topic. A seminar offered from time to time depending on student interest and staff availability, in a selected topic or problem in history. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

Winter 2021, HIST 395A-01: Advanced Seminar: The Devil in the Western World (3). Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing, and instructor consent. The devil is one of the most recognizable figures in Europe and America, appearing in religion, art, popular culture, and even political rhetoric. This course explores how understandings of the devil and his role in the cosmos have changed from late antiquity to the present. Together, we ask why the devil became (and remains) such an influential part of the Western tradition. Topics covered include the biblical origins of Satan, medieval demonology, the impact of the Reformation and Enlightenment, cases of possession and witchcraft, depictions of the devil in literature and film, the devil and conspiracy theories, and modern discussions about the nature of evil. (HU) Brock.

Fall 2020, HIST 395A-01: Advanced Seminar: Dictatorship, Democratization, and Human Rights in Latin America (3). This course explores the military dictatorships that dominated Latin American politics from the 1960s to the 1980s. We will first study the rise of bureaucratic authoritarianism in light of 1) the social, political, and economic changes underway across the region, and 2) the geopolitical context of the Cold War. Using case studies from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay we will then examine how these governments evoked national security and employed spectacular forms of violence to repress dissent. Finally, we examine the difficult transition to democracy once the dictatorships fell, analyzing such topics as human rights, memory, and impunity. Counts toward the LACS minor. (HU) Gildner. FDR: HU