Maymester 2011 Courses
HISTORY DEPARTMENT ADVANCED COURSES MAYMESTER 2011
The SFA History Department will offer the following advanced courses during Maymester 2011. For more information about individual courses, see the instructor.
All 300 and 400 level courses have a prerequisite of 6 hours of history.
HIS 312 THE HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN FAMILY, Dr. Tebbe, M-F 9:00-12:15, F-477
Many today use the words “traditional family values” as if the meaning and structure of the family are unchanging. Actually, both have a long and fascinating history, and have undergone radical transformations throughout time. In this class we will investigate the history of the family in Europe from the late medieval period to the present, with a particular focus on the Reformation and the nineteenth century. We will look at major changes in the institution of marriage and the contours and definition of childhood, as well as the ways that the idea of the family has been used politically and intellectually. In this regard, we will focus on the family policies promulgated by Nazi Germany and Communist regimes in Eastern Europe. Along the way we will touch on important issues that intersect with the history of the family, such as nationalism, memory, gender, and sexuality.
HIS 335 HISTORY OF TEXAS, Dr. Sosebee, M-F 12:00-3:15, F-480
The course is designed as a comprehensive survey course in Texas history beginning with pre-Columbian contact and continuing until the contemporary era. Because the course covers such an expansive timeframe, a number of topics will only be cursorily covered in class lectures, making it essential that students supplement their understanding of course content with readings in the textbooks. The primary focus of the course will be the various political, social, and cultural themes that have played key roles in the development of Texas and Texans, and the emphasized themes will be the ones the instructor feels most essential in gaining an understanding of Texas in a historical perspective. Course themes will include the exploration of the differences between the “Texas myth” and historical reality, the diverse cultural legacies of the state, the place of Texas in the American South, and the role of economic boom-and-bust cycles in shaping the state. Because this is an upper-level history course, a key element of the course will be the growth of critical thinking among the students concerning the examination of historical themes and paradigms. Students will also be asked to read three historical monographs outside of class and be able to provide a critical analysis of each work within the constraints of an essay quiz.
Meets a requirement for those seeking teacher certification in social studies for grades 4-8