History Courses

HISTORY 503

Engendered History

This seminar will examine specific topics in the history of gender throughout the period known loosely as the modern world. The course is designed to clarify the process through which ideas of gender evolved and the ways in which masculinity and femininity have been constructed and experienced in a global context. The seminar will also examine group interactions across lines of race, class, ethnicity, region, and religion and the influence of groups striving to assert their own identities on ideas of gender.

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HISTORY 504

Late Medieval Europe

An inquiry into a period of Europe's past in which beliefs, attitudes and institutions, molded in the previous centuries, were consolidated into shapes that mark modern European[and North American] culture. The outlines of the modern state and of the modern family will be examined. It is also an examination of late medieval civilization for indications of decline and rebirth. The course looks for signs of struggle between forces of tradition and of innovation, and between idealism and material or corporeal realities.

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HISTORY 506

War, Peace and Society

History 506 will survey the changing nature of and approaches to war and its effect on society from the Middle Ages to the present including an examination of various visions and proposals for peace. The course will include an assessment of relatively recent armed conflict in Africa, Central Europe and the Middle East, exploring the causes of contemporary conflict and some of its distinctive characteristics. We will also evaluate the effectiveness of various strategies for preventing, abating, and terminating current forms of conflict.

Some of the questions we will discuss are: Why do states go to war? How do they create a lasting peace? What role does morality play in foreign policy? What is our obligation to just peace or just war?

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HISTORY 507

Renaissance Europe

HIST 507 is a graduate-level course designed to survey a historical period in greater depth while introducing students to related primary and secondary sources. Students will be familiarized with major themes, events, and issues of interpretation in the history of European history from approximately the mid-fourteenth through to the sixteenth century. Particular attention will be paid to the “rebirth” of ancient Greek and Roman culture that began in the Italian commercial and educational centres of Milan, Florence, Venice and Rome. This course will examine the social, intellectual, artistic, political and economic history of the Renaissance as it developed in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe. These and other topics will be explored through close readings of primary sources. Students will also consider various methodological and theoretical approaches that have influenced the way that modern historians have analyzed and explained this period in European history.

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HISTORY 508

Reformation Europe

The course examines the nature of religious reform in the sixteenth century. Religious ideas will be the starting point for an examination of economic conditions, the existing social structure, the family, and the state. The course examines how ideas were communicated to and received by the common people. It also examines displays of intolerance and tolerance, coercion and power, and relations between government and society and between women and men.

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HISTORY 509

Early Modern Europe: 1600-1789

An examination of developments and events from 1600 to 1800 including religious wars, the witch craze, growth of absolutism and political rights, enlightened despots, movements within the church and the culture of the enlightenment. In addition wealth and poverty, social hierarchies, popular customs and culture, marriage, the family and gender will be examined.

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HISTORY 510

History in Practice

An analysis of the practice of history in the public sphere including the ways in which communities, regions, nations, and others entities collect, manage, create, present and understand their histories, pasts, and stories. How forms of historical consciousness show themselves in archives, museums, films, monuments, anniversaries, government policies, genealogy, etc. Practical application of historical skills and tools through communication with public historians, visits to local historic sites, and relevant assignments and experiential learning. Students will gain valuable experiences and knowledge related to a variety of areas where public history is practiced and be exposed to career opportunities in history.

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HISTORY 512

Science & Technology in Global Perspective

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HISTORY 515

Science and Religion from Copernicus to Creation Science

During the current term, History 515 will examine the engagement of science and religion in western culture over the past five centuries. In 1896 Andrew Dickson White published his famous History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom, a work that helped establish the belief that science and religion were irreconcilable domains. This course examines the validity of that claim from the Copernican revolution in the sixteenth century to the rise of the modern Creation Science movement, and aims to place the relationship between science and faith in a mature historical, scientific and theological context

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HISTORY 521

Family, Gender and Power

This course examines the historical development of the family beginning with the ancient world up to 1600. A central inquiry will be the formation of families and households, as well the impact of religion on gender and family roles. The course will also explore the use of power and coercion in the organization of family. It will include an inquiry into contemporary gender theory but concentrate on the lives and ideas of actual persons insofar as the historical record reveals them.

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HISTORY 522

History of the Family after 1600

This course examines the historical development of the family beginning from 1600 to the Twenty First Century.A central inquiry will be the formation of families and households, as well the impact of religion on gender and family roles.The course will also explore the use of power and coercion in the organization of family.It will include an inquiry into contemporary gender theory but concentrate on the lives and ideas of actual persons insofar as the historical record reveals them.

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HISTORY 524

19th Century Europe

HIST 524 is a graduate-level course designed to survey a historical period in greater depth while introducing students to related primary and secondary sources. Students will be familiarized with major themes, events, and issues of interpretation in the history of European history during the nineteenth century from the French Revolution to the onset of the Great War. It explores key movements and themes in political, intellectual, gender,and socio-economic history through lectures, discussion groups, and the close readings of primary and secondary sources. Students will also consider various methodological and theoretical approaches that have influenced the way that modern historians have analyzed and explained this period in European history.

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HISTORY 532

Issues in BC History

This course will explore issues in the history of British Columbia from its earliest beginnings to the early 2000's. In particular, the course will explore the province's move from regionalism, to provincialism, to internationalism by examining many of the social, cultural, political and economic forces of change that shape the "West Beyond the West" in Canada. The lectures, readings and discussions will focus on specific aspects of B.C.'s history that particularly enlighten us about the character of the region, its unique place in Canadian history, and how these events have shaped the province today.

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HISTORY 537

Canada and War in the 20th Century

History 537 will survey the changing social, political and cultural impact of war on Canada in the twentieth century. The course will be divided into four sections – World War One, World War Two, the Cold War, and post-Cold War. In each section we will examine Canadian responses to war and warfare and the impact of those responses in shaping Canadian politics (both domestic and foreign policy), society, and culture. Topics to be covered will include defence, security and Canadian nationalism; the role of imperialism and continentalism in influencing Canadian identity and Canadian foreign policy; Canada as a ‘middle power’ and the shift to Canada as a ‘no power’; war and the changing role of women in Canadian society; and, the creation of Canadian military myths.

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HISTORY 538

History of Religion in Canada

Canada is sometimes regarded as a more secular version of its American neighbor. Henry Alline, the late eighteenth-century Nova Scotian revivalist, would not have agreed, for he believed that while Old and New England were engaged in a 'most inhuman war,' a great redeemer nation was emerging in his corner of British North America. This course examines 's rich Christian heritage from the first European encounters with aboriginal peoples to contemporary times, with particular emphasis on the relationship between Christianity and the broad socio-political and intellectual history of the nation.

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HISTORY 540

Issues in First Nations - Canadian Relations

This course will examine the history of First Nations in from pre-contact with Newcomers through to the present time.Broad economic, social and political themes that intersect with the history of 's original peoples will be covered including early encounters, fur trade economy, governmental policy, Christianity and culture, education, reservations and land claims.It will survey the major eras -- assimilation, protection, civilisation, marginalisation, and integration -- by specifically highlighting the observations and experiences of First Nations in Canada.

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HISTORY 543

Medieval Europe 500-1250

An inquiry into the origins of European civilization.It examines what features from the ancient world survived the fall of Roman culture and the nature of the native Germanic and Slavic traditions. It looks at the way Christianity was received and altered. It looks at political, social, gender, and economic relationships and at the struggle between spiritual ideals on the one hand and traditional attitudes and material realities on the other.

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HISTORY 547

History of Religion in the U.S.

Writing in the 1830s Alex de Tocqueville noted the profound influence religion upon the American populace, arguing that ‘there are some who profess Christian dogmas because they believe them and others who do so because they are afraid to look as though they did not believe in them.So Christianity reigns without obstacles, by universal consent... .’[1]Even though (or perhaps because?) de Tocqueville was a citizen of , he was regarded by his contemporaries as one of the most insightful observers of the American character.At times, his comments continue to ring true, particularly with regard to the centrality of religious faith to the American experience.While not intended to be exhaustive, this course examines representative episodes in the history of religion in the , albeit largely in its Christian (and Protestant) form.

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HISTORY 548

History of Religion in Canada

Canada is sometimes regarded as a more secular version of its American neighbor. Henry Alline, the late eighteenth-century Nova Scotian revivalist, would not have agreed, for he believed that while Old and New England were engaged in a 'most inhuman war,' a great redeemer nation was emerging in his corner of British North America. This course examines Canada's rich Christian heritage from the first European encounters with aboriginal peoples to contemporary times, with particular emphasis on the relationship between Christianity and the broad socio-political and intellectual history of the nation.

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HISTORY 561

A study of the history of the Christian Church from the turn of the first century to the eve of the 16th century Reformation with attention to the persons, events, and issues involved in the major developments of Christianity.

 

HISTORY 581

Arab Middle East in the 20th Century

This course examines some the major themes in the history of the Arab Middle East since the break up of the Ottoman Empire following World War I.  Primary emphasis will be on the role played by issues of identity in the development of national structures in the Arab East (Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States).  Major themes will include the nature of Islamic community, the structure and legacy of Ottoman rule, the post-Ottoman settlement and the impact of colonial rule, the emergence of nationalist politics and the growth of the contemporary Arab state system, oil and the politics of family rule in the Gulf States, and the relationship between religion and politics.

HISTORY 590

Canada and War in the 20th Century

History 590 will survey the changing social, political and cultural impact of war on Canada in the twentieth century. The course will be divided into four sections – World War One, World War Two, the Cold War, and post-Cold War. In each section we will examine Canadian responses to war and warfare and the impact of those responses in shaping Canadian politics (both domestic and foreign policy), society, and culture. Topics to be covered will include defence, security and Canadian nationalism; the role of imperialism and continentalism in influencing Canadian identity and Canadian foreign policy; Canada as a ‘middle power’ and the shift to Canada as a ‘no power’; war and the changing role of women in Canadian society; and, the creation of Canadian military myths.

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HISTORY 592

Sugar, Slaves & Silver

This lecture/seminar course examines the Atlantic world during an era of immense global change that has shaped the world we live in today.  The dramatic European navigations of the fifteenth century brought four continents and three races into interaction where there had been little or no communication before.  Since the mid-fifteenth century, the Atlantic has been a corridor for fundamental exchanges of peoples, crops, technology and ideas. This course explores the origin and development of the Atlantic world.  Topics include early maritime explorations, the destruction and reconfiguration of indigenous societies, the labour migrations of Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans, slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the growth of mercantile capitalism and the establishment of an Atlantic economy, the maturation of Euro-American colonial societies and their struggles for autonomy and national independence.

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HISTORY 600

CORE SEMINAR - History, Culture and Interpretation

This course is designed to explore history as a discipline and a form of knowledge. It will examine the process and the structure of how human societies have interpreted, ordered and used historical inquiry. Major theoretical/philosophical traditions and their historians will be analyzed. Special attention will be paid to modern rational history with its focus on the notion of progress and the challenges brought about by the claims of post-modern interpretation-based history with its emphasis on language, race, ethnicity, gender and environment. Furthermore, we will explore history’s impact on other disciplines including philosophy, literary criticism, biology, physics and religious studies. The course will combine weekly readings with selected guest lectures that will explore the ways in which history is understood in History and in other disciplines.

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HISTORY 606

History of the Family

This course examines the historical development of the family beginning with the ancient world up to 1600. A central inquiry will be the formation of families and households, as well the impact of religion on gender and family roles. The course will also explore the use of power and coercion in the organization of family. It will include an inquiry into contemporary gender theory but concentrate on the lives and ideas of actual persons insofar as the historical record reveals them.

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HISTORY 607

Special Topics - De/colonizing Gender in African History

History 607 will survey the changing nature of and approaches to the study of gender in African history. The course will include an assessment of historians’ views of the idea of gender as both an imported western notion and an indigenous African concept. We will evaluate the effectiveness of various historiographical and methodological strategies for studying gender as an integral and integrated part of Africa’s past.

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HISTORY 607

Special Topics - History of the Metis in Canada

This Directed Study explores the history of the Metis people in Canada over the past four centuries. More specifically, this course will aim:

  • To provide an overview of the origins and development of the Metis in Canada as a distinct people;
  • To develop awareness of historical challenges in Canada that are unique to Metis and aboriginal peoples;
  • To explore and critique historical interpretations regarding the Metis;
  • To develop skills of research, critical analysis and writing appropriate to a graduate-level standard.

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HISTORY 607

Medieval Warfare

This course will examine the social, economic, and political history of warfare from the fall of the Roman Empire to the fifteenth century. Several themes are emphasized: 1) the impact of technological developments in weaponry, fortifications, and armor on the conduct of war and society; 2) the influence of the Christian Church on warfare; 3) the relationship between social stratification and the conduct of war; and 4) the social consequences and economic costs of warfare.

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HISTORY 607

Introduction to Patristics Study

An introduction to the world and thought of the early Church fathers, roughly defined as churchmen who were active from the age of Clement of Rome (ca. 96 CE) to Augustine of Hippo (d. 430). Attention will be paid to the historical and liturgical context within which the fathers lived and ministered. The student will have the opportunity to focus on one father, or theological issue of his choice with the responsibility of fitting that father or issue into the wider context of his setting.

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HISTORY 607

Nations-Canadians in BC

This course is designed to expose the student to the historical context of many of the specific challenges facing the Aboriginal people living within British Columbia today. A broad historical basis for understanding many of the social issues facing First Nations today such sovereignty, conflicts over aboriginal rights and title, education, health and sexuality will be explored. A research project that combines the historical context of the Heiltsuk First Nation with specific emphasis on their traditional sexual mores and practices will be used to inform the on-going development of a sex education program that is being implemented into their communities.

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HISTORY 607

History of Arian Theology

An overview of the history of Arianism with a view toward discerning its influence in the early medieval age.

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HISTORY 607

History of the Celtic Church

This Directed Study explores the history of the Celtic Church between 400 and 1200 C.E. More specifically, this course will aim:

  • To provide an overview of the introduction of Christianity into Celtic lands, including Patrick's mission and the ‘Golden Age' of monastic expansion in Ireland;
  • To examine Celtic Christian culture and spiritual reform movements before the Viking invasions;
  • To explore developments in the Celtic Church between the Viking invasion and the arrival of the Normans in the 12th century;
  • To examine Celtic influences in the evangelization of Western Europe;
  • To explore and critique historical interpretations regarding the Celtic Church;
  • To develop skills of research, critical analysis and writing appropriate to a graduate-level standard.

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HISTORY 608

Topics in American History

HISTORY 610

Research Design/Bibliography Seminar

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HISTORY 611/612

Thesis

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HISTORY 613

Major Essay

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HISTORY 619

The Renaissance Mind

This graduate seminar will examine the period of transition and turmoil in European history from approximately
1350 to 1550 known as the Renaissance. As the cultural synthesis of the high middle ages was crumbling, poets,
philosophers, artists, architects, theologians and statesmen in search of a fresh model for society rejected the late
medieval scholastic worldview and embraced a new educational programme, the studia humanitatis, based on a reevaluation
and revival of classical culture. This transition affected not only literature, the arts, the sciences, religion,
and government, but virtually every other sphere of human activity. Therefore, this course, while providing an indepth,
interdisciplinary introduction to the key topics of humanism, religion, political theory, and changes in high
culture, will also investigate the issues of gender, economic development, and social history in general during this
period. We will also assess different methodological approaches to the study of the Renaissance.