Spring 2016 History Courses Explained
HI 226: Topics in the History and Politics of Gender
T 6:00-9:00 pm – TBA
An introduction to the history of gender relations in America, including a discussion of feminist theories, gender in contemporary culture, and the politics of
gender.
HI 229: Museums, Myths and Memories
M/W 4:20-5:50 pm – Dr. Brett Palfreyman
The purpose of this course is to examine the relationship between museums, historic sites, professionally trained and public historians, curators, marketing
executives, high-profiled donors and communities. Students will be required to visit and analyze exhibits at several local museums or historic sites.
HI 231: The Sixties: Protest/Reform (D)
W/F 9:40-11:10 am – Dr. Brett Palfreyman
This course examines one of the twentieth century’s most tumultuous decades. Looking at the “Sixties” broadly – from the late 1950s until the end of the
Vietnam War in 1975 – this course will cover the Cold War, the space race, the Civil Rights Movements, women’s liberation, gay rights, counterculture, the
anti-war movement, environmentalism, and more.
HI 242-ILC: Modern African History (I)
M/W 2:40-4:10 pm – Dr. Ousmane Traore
This course provides an overview of the political, economic, and social history of Africa with a view towards understanding the challenges which have
developed in creating the image of Africa and its peoples.
HI 248: African American History I, 1619-1865 (D)
T/R 9:40-11:10 am – Dr. Rita Reynolds
This course provides and introduction to the early history of Africans and African descendents in North America. Using historical scholarship film, nineteenthcentury slave narratives, and other primary documents, we will consider the momentous transformations in African American history from enslavement to
emancipation.
HI264: Islam in the World (I)
M/W 9:40-11:10 am – Dr. Ousmane Traore
This course examines the theme of Islamic communities beyond the central Islamic lands. By exploring the multiple processes of trade, migration, conversion,
and political expansion that have led to the growth of the world’s fastest-growing religious community, this class introduces students to the concept of the
“Islamic Diaspora”.
HI 315-01: American Social History I
T/R 1:00-2:30 pm – Dr. Rita Reynolds
The development of American society from a pre-capitalist colony to the Civil War. Class, race, sex, and ethnic relations provide the framework within which
socioeconomic change will be studied.
HI 347 Global Cities: – T/R
11:20 am-12:50 pm – Dr. Ousmane Traore
This course attempts to understand the way in which global cities accommodate the flow of citizens from different cultures and continents. This course
attempts to recapture the city space through the lens of cinema and literary texts.
Special Topics Courses
This semester we are offering four special topics courses. Two of them are ILC’s. All of these are considered separate courses and there is no limit as to how many
special topics courses a student may take.
HI 291-01: Environmental History of New York City
M/W 11:20 am-12:50 pm – Dr. Brett Palfreyman
Explore how New York City has been shaped by the distinctive set of natural, geographical, and biological features that surround us. This course will
demonstrate that “city” and “environment” are not antithetical terms, but rather that New York’s past and future are inseparably tied to the place we live.
HI 291-02: The Presidency and Social Movements (1932-Present)
M – 6:00-9:00 pm – Dr. Michael Koncewicz
From FDR and the labor movement to Obama and the Tea Party, US Presidents have dealt with a wide range of social movements from both the right and the
left. This course will encourage students to connect political history with social history, and will focus on several case studies that highlight the dynamic
relationship between the American presidency and movements that called for change.
HI291-ILC Section TH: The Psychology of Racial Prejudice and the Role it Played in the Civil Rights Movement (D)
W– 4:20-7:20—Dr. Reynolds and Dr. McNair
This honors ILC will examine the key events, figures, philosophies, tactics, and consequences of the modern civil rights movement in the United States from a
historical perspective and explore the psychological and social meaning of racial prejudice and the role it played in the denial of rights to African Americans in
the Jim Crow South from Reconstruction to 1970s.
HI 291-ILC Section TT: Holocaust Drama on Stage and in Media
F – 11:30 am-2:30 pm – Dr. Lori Weintrob
This course explores how have the atrocities of the Holocaust and its long-term consequences been represented on stage and screen. The ILC will involve
elements of script analysis and public performance.
Note: This Guide is intended to supplement the Course Schedule issued by the Registrar’s Office. The course descriptions will help students who are majoring (or minoring) in History in planning their schedules. We
also encourage students who are considering a major or minor in this field to consult these course descriptions. The requirements for majors and minors in the History Department are explained in the Wagner
College Catalog. Students can also the History Department on the 2nd Floor in Parker Hall for more information.