History & Political Science

An examination of the multiple global narratives that comprise human development and interaction prior to 1500 with primary focus on early human activity, the development of complex societies, classical and post-classical ages, and expansion of post-classical cross-cultural involvement. FILA general education: history.

An examination of the multiple global narratives that comprise human development and interaction since 1500 with primary focus on the origins of global interdependence, the ages of revolution, industry, and empire, and the twentieth century. FILA general education: history.

Introduces global/world history and explores the human experience from the Late Stone Age (upper Paleolithic) to the present. Survey course with introductions to the historian's craft of research and the use of primary source documents that asks students to wrestle with an array of major questions. Themes include global encounters, civilizations, religion, mobilities, trade, empires, conflicts, and daily life. FILA general education: history.

Examines political, economic, and cultural trends in world history over the course of the twentieth century with emphasis on the interconnectivity of world peoples and places. Major themes include trade, ideology, conflict, culture and globalization. FILA general education: history.

Examines the history of the Pacific Ocean world from around 1500 to the present. While surveying the histories of key societies in the Asia-Pacific region, the course also examines the intricate connections in this diverse world. Major themes include cultural encounters, trade, migration, empires, and conflicts. FILA general education: history.

Examines the rise and fall of an Atlantic World system that tied Europe, Africa and the Americas into a web of cultural, political and economic interdependence. Major themes include different models of New World exploration, colonization by European colonial powers, missionary activities and religious migrations, the ramifications of New World slavery, encounters and conflicts between native and colonial peoples, and the development of nation states in the Western Hemisphere. FILA general education: history.

Examines political, economic, cultural and religious trends in the greater Middle East from the birth of Islam in the seventh century to the present day. Major themes include the origins of Islam and the rise of Islamic empires and cultures, the development of an early modern polity under the Ottomans, European imperialism, and the influence of nationalism(s), resources conflicts and religious revival in the 20th and early 21st centuries. FILA general education: history.

Studies the experience of the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War, causes of the war, campaigns of 1862 and 1864, and the home front, including the burning, conscientious objectors, slavery, and shortages. Examines a variety of large trends, including race, gender, and religion. Trips to area battlefields, monuments and museums will be an integral part of the course and students will be required to integrate these experiential elements with the in-class lecture, discussions, and assignments. FILA general education: experiential learning.

Examines the foundations, nature, and impact of the Second World War in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Emphasizes the role of ideology, including fascism, communism, militarism, imperialism, and colonial nationalism in shaping the experiences of both western and non-western powers in these regions from the late 1930s to 1945. FILA general education: global dynamics.

Examines remembrance as it takes shape in monuments, memorials, and museums. Students will critically engage with conceptions, conversations, and controversies around memory at the intersection of history, memory studies, public/ digital history, and museum studies. Students use documents, images, and scholarship to explore different sites, traveling to monuments, memorials, and museums. Students will integrate their experiences and thoughts by critically reflecting on memorial landscapes. FILA general education: world cultures and experiential learning.

Course covers the development of Western Europe from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance with emphasis on the ideas, individuals and events that shaped the period. Topics include daily life for the masses, evolution of political and religious thought, consolidation of state and religious authority, cultural shifts and the rise of a persecuting society, and medieval warfare. FILA general education: world cultures.

Examines the cultural, political, and historical context of great power diplomacy from the Treaty of Westphalia (1648) to the present through a series of case studies of major diplomatic events and processes.

This course examines the character and leadership of the Virginia Dynasty-Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe-four of the nation's first five presidents. Topics include policy decisions, personality, race, and slavery. Trips to presidential homes will be an integral part of the course, and students will be required to reflect on these experiential elements with the in-class lecture, discussions, and assignments. FILA General Education: experiential learning.

This interdisciplinary travel course examines the history and culture of Canada, through its First Nations peoples, European colonization, and Confederation. As well as the core travel component, it is composed of an on-campus series of classes, in which students will learn about Canada's communities, political structures, current policy issues, and Canada's contribution to global politics. While traveling abroad, students will interact with Canadian citizens and guides, with a view to synthesize and apply what was learned in the classroom to what they encounter in the world. Emphasis will be on a variety of texts (including primary founding documents, historical analysis, documentaries, film, literature, visual arts), as well as discussions centered on major turning points in Canadian history and contextualizing contemporary tendencies within a longer historical view.

A travel course that offers a firsthand examination of the cultural, political, and religious legacies of three separate empires - the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, and the British Raj - in contemporary India. While expediting the vast array of Indian cultures in general, students will explore a number of past and current political and religion centers and examine the role of competing imperial frameworks in shaping the simultaneous unities and divisions in modern India. The course will focus on Northern India, including Delhi, Agra, the Great Indian Desert (Thar) in Rajasthan, British "hill stations" in the Himalayas, and the Hindu holy city of Hardwar on the River Ganges. FILA general education: global dynamics. Offered alternate years.

This interdisciplinary travel course (World Languages and Cultures/History) examines the history and diverse cultural memory of the First and Second World Wars in Britain, France, and Belgium. While gaining firsthand experience of contemporary culture and society in theses western European nations, the class will focus on specific sites of memory and history of these conflicts, including London, Paris, Normandy, the Somme, Verdun, and southern Belgium. Studying both literature and historical documents, students will gain an intimate knowledge of the landscapes, experiences, and legacies of the world wars within the discreet cultural contexts of Britain, France, and Belgium. FILA general education: world cultures. (Cross-listed as FREN-307)

Surveys developments in European history from the arrival in the New World to the eve of the French Revolution to equip students to make comparisons to contemporary life. Major topics include Europeans' interactions with peoples and cultures outside Europe, the Reformation, the development of both limited and absolutist governments, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment. FILA general education: world cultures. Offered alternate years.

This course is an introduction to the history and experiences of immigrants in the United States. The class will provide an introduction to major developments in the history of US immigration, historicize contemporary debates, and develop comparative understandings of immigrant experiences. In this class, we will examine the domestic and international context of migration, migrants' encounters with American society, policy responses, and the significance of immigration in American culture.

FILA general education: global dynamics

Social and political structures of the Church, issues in theology and ethics. A survey of the history of the Church from the Apostolic Age to the present time. FILA general education: World Cultures. Offered on demand. (Cross-listed as REL-317)

This course is an interdisciplinary survey of African American experiences designed to introduce students to major themes in African American history. Topics include African origins, the Middle Passage and the Transatlantic slave trade, antebellum African American cultures, and Reconstruction-era politics. The second half of the course focuses on twentieth century migrations as well as cultural, political, and social movements such as Pan-Africanism, the Harlem Renaissance, the Long Civil Rights, Black Power, and Black Feminist movements. FILA general education: world cultures. Offered alternate years.

Surveys developments in European history from the French Revolution to the present day. Major topics include the French Revolution and Napoleonic Europe, industrialization, the rise of new ideologies and systems of thought, the new Imperialism, the World Wars and the Holocaust, rise and fall of communism, and the place of Europe in the world in the early 21st century. FILA general education: world cultures. Offered alternate years.

Examines political, economic, and culture trends in British history from the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688 to the present day. Modern Britain stands as one of the cornerstones of the contemporary world, and its politics and culture influenced global society in countless way, ranging from soccer to modern environmentalism to constitutional law. The course focuses on several major themes, including the role of religion, finance, and industry, the royal family, sport, and, most important of all, "social class," in building British society. Students will acquire a basic understanding of the major driving forces of modern British history and the ways that they compare and interrelate with Europe, the United State, and the world. FILA general education: world cultures. Offered alternate years.

Examines political, economic, and culture trends in British history from the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688 to the present day. Modern Britain stands as one of the cornerstones of the contemporary world, and its politics and culture influenced global society in countless way, ranging from soccer to modern environmentalism to constitutional law. The course focuses on several major themes, including the role of religion, finance, and industry, the royal family, sport, and, most important of all, "social class," in building British society. Flory Honors students will acquire a basic understanding of the major driving forces of modern British history and the ways that they compare and interrelate with Europe, the United States, and the world while studying at Oxford. FILA general education: world culture and experiential learning.

A study of major themes, questions, events, and problems in global history chosen by the instructor. May be taken more than once provided different topics are covered. FILA General Education: world cultures.

Explores women's histories in Asia. Stresses the construction of gender norms and their evolution over time and encourages comparison of women's lives and experiences across various cultural contexts in Asia. Topics include women's political rights and participation, women's education and literacy, women's sexuality and reproduction, and women's work. FILA general education: global dynamics. Offered alternate years.

Examines the history of American Indians from pre-contact civilizations and cultures to the present. It demonstrates the diversity of individual, tribal, national, and pan-Indian experiences in the context of culture, society, religion, economics, politics, and law. Students investigate a variety of sources including scholarly and popular non-fictional and fictional writings, images, songs, and films. FILA general education: world cultures. Offered alternate years.

Examines the history of western intervention, imperialism, and "nation building" in Central Asia and Afghanistan from the initial periods of Russian and British expansion into the region in the early eighteenth century to the American and NATO intervention in Afghanistan in the twenty-first century. Major themes include cultural and political interaction between local societies and the British, Russians, Soviets and Americans. FILA general education: world cultures. Offered alternate years.

Surveys the history of Modern Africa from the era of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to the present and places special emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa. It approaches the history of the continent through consideration of the nature and impact of European intrusion into African societies and African responses to European imperialism. Moreover, the course examines how independent African nations have addressed the legacies of their history and the challenges independence has posed for African nations. Special topics include Apartheid, the struggle against segregation, African women, feminism, development, and the difficulty in creating viable democracies and stable economies in the late twentieth-century. FILA general education: world cultures.

Survey of American religious history with a focus on origins and diversity. Major topics include Puritanism, Revivalism, Mormonism, Methodism, African-American religion, fundamentalism, Catholicism, and Judaism and religion during the cold war. Offered alternate years. (Cross-listed as REL-365)

This course explores the history of genocide. Examines origins of and paths to genocide, including dynamics tied to imperialism, race, and nationalism; also investigates the conception of the word 'genocide' and the development of critical genocide studies as a field of inquiry. Specific case studies that occurred in modern history as well as broader themes give students the opportunity to wrestle with and compare historical dynamics, historiographical discussions, and theoretical conceptions. FILA general education: world cultures. Offered alternate years.

A study of major themes, questions, events, and problems in European history chosen by the instructor. The course will include the examination of primary documents and/or artifacts and explore the implications of the theme on the cultures, economics, and social systems of the region. Examples include the Greeks and the Romans, the Crusades, the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and others. FILA general education: world cultures.

Examines key events in the relations among Japan, China, and the United States since the mid-19th century, exploring not only diplomatic and political but also cultural relations among the three societies. Topics include migration, WWI, internationalism of the 1920s, WWII, Chinese Civil War, and Cold War. By exploring Asian and American experiences of these key events from international and transnational perspectives, nationalistic narratives that are prevalent in all societies will be challenged. FILA general education: world cultures.

Designed to prepare history students for entry into the job market, or further study at the graduate level. Meets once a week and addresses issues of relevance to the application of history to the profession. Topics of relevance to postgraduates, including graduate school entry (exams, applications, etc.), interview preparation, resume writing, certifications, and such will be discussed. Students will prepare a career portfolio, individually designed to meet their specific needs, in which professional and graduate school application materials will be collected. The portfolio will be fully assessed at the end of the semester.

A survey of the history of China since around 1600. While chronologically surveying political, economic, social, and cultural changes that took place in Ming and Qing China, Republic of China, and the People's Republic of China, the course explores key themes including revolutions, projects of building a modern nation-state, wars, gender, and family. Offered alternate years.

This course surveys the history of women in the U.S. We will examine the role of race, class, and sexuality in shaping citizenship, identities, and communities. Students will work with a range of primary and secondary sources to consider how studying women's and gender history shapes our understanding of the United States.

Examines the history of Japan in the early modern and modern times. While chronologically surveying political, economic, social, and cultural changes, the course explores key themes including projects of building a modern nation-state and empire and of rebuilding the society after World War II, and the roles played by gender, family, and nationalism in those projects.

Explores the American Civil War primarily through great books, supplemented by lectures, films, and a field trip. Topics include causes of the conflict, gender, nationalism, religion, Reconstruction, memory, military history, and, especially, race, all as interpreted by modern scholarship. Offered alternate years.

Provides an opportunity for a student to gain field experience in an area related to the student's program of study or career goals. The learning objectives for internships include connecting academic knowledge and problem-solving processes to experiences and problems in professional settings. Supervision of an intern is provided by an appropriate faculty member and by a site supervisor of the agency or business in which the student is an intern. A student who wishes to engage in an internship must consult with the appropriate faculty member at least eight weeks in advance of the start of the term in which the internship is to be completed. A description of the internship, signed by the student and the faculty sponsor, must be filed with the director of internships by the first day of the semester prior to the start of the internship. Approval of each application for an internship is made by the director of internships based upon approved policies and guidelines. Internships are graded on an S or U basis. Students must complete 120 hours of internship-related work as well as weekly journal entries and a final reflective paper completed in accordance with approved requirements. A student may enroll in an internship program for 3 credits per semester, and internship credit may be earned in subsequent semesters subject to the limitations that no more than two internships may be pursued in any one agency or business and a maximum of 9 credits in internships may be applied toward graduation. FILA general education: experiential learning.

An introduction to the idea, the reality, and the practice of democracy in political systems throughout the world.  Considers the concept of democracy in the history of political thought, the spread of democratic forms of governance, and the challenges facing democracies in the present and future. FILA general education: global dynamics.

Interdisciplinary exploration of the power and dynamics of human similarities and differences on a global scale. Covers globalization from the perspective of identity and difference, and provides opportunities to question contemporary assumptions, values and patterns of behavior with the goal of making global interactions more constructive ad more peaceful. FILA general education: global dynamics. 

Introduction to American politics, covering the development of American democracy, relations between the states and the federal government, elections, the role of the media, the three branches of national government, and current public policy. FILA general education: social sciences.

A comprehensive introduction to the process of developing, implementing and evaluating public policy. Covers the policy process in both theoretical and practical terms including the structure of institutions, decisions made throughout the process, and consequences of decision-making or non-decision-making. Areas of public policy addressed include criminal justice policy, regulatory policy, and healthcare advocacy and policy. FILA general education: social sciences.

Changing conceptions of freedom and virtue in ancient Greece to contemporary political philosophy. Students analyze popular films to illustrate and critique philosophical theories. General Education: philosophy or religion and ethical reasoning.

Introduces students to the world as a site of political activity. Examines institutions and processes on a global scale. Topics include sovereignty, power, globalization, war, multilateral institutions, the environment, trade, development, poverty and a variety of current events. FILA general education: global dynamics.

Introduces the diversity of political structures, processes, cultures, ideologies and change (revolution, democratization, etc.), as manifested in multiple national political systems in the global community. Introduces the application of social science methods to political phenomena. Considers the outcomes of political systems for human well-being. FILA general education: global dynamics.

Introduces students to the research on and application of lie detection and the political art of lying. Topics include learning to detect lies, application of lies, and determine shades of truth. Lie detection is twofold - learning to detect lies of suspects and knowing how to detect truths of individuals in all areas of life. The work in the class will include analyzing micro-facial expressions, body language, and how society defines lying in different settings. Application of the techniques will include political leaders, countries, cultural differences, and lying with data for political purposes. FILA general education: social sciences.

Reviews the role of aesthetics in the history of political philosophy to understand aesthetics as an alternative foundation for politics. Readings include canonical figures in the history of philosophy, such as Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, Dewey and Arendt. Emphasis on developing aesthetic judgment as a key capacity of citizenship. FILA general education: ethical reasoning. Offered alternate years.

Examines the growth and influence of international organizations in the 20th and 21st centuries with specific reference to the United Nations-its structures, issue areas, and relevance in the global political arena.

Comparative analysis of contemporary Latin American politics and governments. Considers political and economic themes, noting especially the challenges of democracy, development and inequality. Examines the region's relationship with the rest of the world, including the United States. FILA general education: world cultures.

Examines the political and economic relationship of the lower-income, developing countries of Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania--the Global South--with the higher-income countries of the Global North, and explores the comparative political dynamics of the developing world. Engages the concepts of development, governance, diversity, and inequality. FILA general education: global dynamics.

Explores the role of women in American and global politics in order to understand the role of identity, institutions and social movements in democracy. Topics include women's influence on the development of the modern American welfare state, feminism, public policy issues of special importance to women, and social movement strategies. Offered alternate years.

Examines the nature of conflict and the concepts, institutions related to the building and maintenance of peace and security in the contemporary era. Offered every other year.

History, structures, issues and politics of the United Nations, and a consideration of the organization's role in world politics. This course may include travel to New York City or Washington DC. FILA general education: global dynamics. Offered alternate years.

A travel course in which students travel to a site of recent political and social changes to explore the causes, dynamics and implications of revolutionary change. FILA general Education: global dynamics and experiential learning.

This course is an in-depth analysis to the topic of Political Psychology. The course will combine knowledge from Political Science and Psychology and help students to broaden their political and psychological knowledge. Topics will include the purpose of political psychology, individuals, identity, groups, nations, and the interactions between each of these.

Examination of the development of US Supreme court decisions in the areas of federalism and the powers of the three branches of the federal government. Topics include judicial review, the war powers of the President, substantive due process, government takings, and the commerce clause. Offered alternate years.

Examination of the development of US Supreme Court decisions in the areas of civil rights and civil liberties. Topics include first amendment rights to freedom of speech, press, and assembly, due process rights, and rights to equal protection. This course also considers the First Amendment as a site for interfaith dialogue. Offered alternate years.

Examines the continuity and changes in the contexts, structures, processes, actors and issues of U.S. foreign policy in the 20th and 21st centuries. Offered alternate years.

This course takes a surveying view of the political, social and economic consequences of population movement phenomena focusing on two central elements: Migration and Identity Politics. In an effort to accommodate the broad theme, the course will view population movement phenomena from the perspectives of immigrants, host and origin nations, as well as global state and non-state actors. FILA general education: global dynamics.

An examination of conceptions of human rights, the global discourse around human rights, and efforts to protect those rights. Topics include why governments violate the rights of their citizens, the role of human rights activism in shaping global public discourse and affecting the practices of governments, international human rights law, and the human rights dimensions of foreign policy. FILA general Education: global dynamics and ethical reasoning.

Major themes, questions, problems and events in global politics as chosen by the instructor. Students will engage in written and public discourse concerning topics that are global in scope and important to understanding politics in the twenty-first century. FILA general education: global dynamics.

Examination of the most pressing domestic issues confronting American society in the 21st century and the institutions and legal regimes developed to administer public policy. Topics include health care, education, criminal justice, social welfare policies, immigration, environmental issues, organizational theory, bureaucratic management and budgeting. Emphasizes active learning with simulations, debates, and engagement with public policy and public administration professionals. Offered alternate years.

Examination of the development and implementation of public policy with an emphasis on understanding change in policy regimes over time and the variety of regulatory mechanisms. Students research public policy on a topic of their choosing such as agriculture, social welfare, health care or environment. Offered alternate years.

Examination of the origins and development of contemporary notions of freedom, democracy and equality from Nietzsche to contemporary political philosophy. Topics include liberalism, libertarianism and post-modern political thought. FILA general education: philosophy or religion and ethical reasoning. Offered alternate years.

Reviews major theories on the nature of law and legal systems, including the issues of authority, justice, rights, legitimacy, morality, legal interpretation, liberty, punishment and judicial ethics that concern them. Topics include natural law, legal positivism, legal realism, political liberalism, interpretive theories, and critical legal theory. FILA general education: philosophy or religion and ethical reasoning. Offered alternate years.

The development of American political thought from the Puritans to Abraham Lincoln. Topics include the debates leading to the American Revolution, the importance of liberal and republican thought on the Founding, Federalist and Anti-Federalism arguments over the Constitution, Hamiltonian and Jeffersonian visions of nationalism, Transcendentalism, and the debates over state's rights and slavery that led to the American Civil War. FILA general education: philosophy or religion and ethical reasoning. Offered alternate years.

This course will focus on how public opinion is formed, used and expressed in politics. Considering a broad range of topics that Americans think about, this class will examine public opinion and how it impacts politics and public policy. Understanding how political beliefs and opinions shape behavior is essential to understanding how American public policy works, how any why people engage in social and political behaviors, and the power of people to change their political environment.

Examination of how Congress, the Presidency, and interest groups work together to make federal public policy. Topics include the legislative process, interest group activities, and the role of the presidency in the development of the federal administrative state. Students research policymaking on a topic of their choosing. Offered alternate years.

Explores the nature and relevance of international law in historical and contemporary contexts. Considers issue areas ranging from armed conflict to the global environment.  FILA general education:  writing intensive. Offered alternate years.

Political implications of global economic relations, including such topics as the politics of trade, monetary relations, financial crises, development, global systems of production and consumption and multinational corporations. FILA general education: global dynamics and writing intensive. Offered alternate years.

Provides an opportunity for a student to gain field experience in an area related to the student's program of study or career goals. The learning objectives for internships include connecting academic knowledge and problem-solving processes to experiences and problems in professional settings. Supervision of an intern is provided by an appropriate faculty member and by a site supervisor of the agency or business in which the student is an intern. A student who wishes to engage in an internship must consult with the appropriate faculty member at least eight weeks in advance of the start of the term in which the internship is to be completed. A description of the internship, signed by the student and the faculty sponsor, must be filed with the director of internships by the first day of the semester prior to the start of the internship. Approval of each application for an internship is made by the director of internships based upon approved policies and guidelines. Internships are graded on an S or U basis. Students must complete 120 hours of internship-related work as well as weekly journal entries and a final reflective paper completed in accordance with approved requirements. A student may enroll in an internship program for 3 credits per semester, and internship credit may be earned in subsequent semesters subject to the limitations that no more than two internships may be pursued in any one agency or business and a maximum of 9 credits in internships may be applied toward graduation. FILA general education: experiential learning.