ENROLL

Paul Petzschmann

It has become commonplace to say that Europe is in crisis--yet what does that mean? It is difficult to overestimate the importance of crises considering that the European Union played a large part in overcoming Europe’s “Long Civil War” between 1914 and 1945. The collective decision-making processes created by European treaties are often credited with bringing peace and prosperity to Europe. Yet they have also instituted idiosyncrasies, asymmetries and inequities that stand in the way of solving the continent’s most pressing problems. We will examine decision-making processes in the European Union and the much-debated “democratic deficit” of its institutions. These debates about the foundations of the Union will be rounded off by an overview and brief history of Euroscepticism. The course will include a discussion of a number of case studies that confront member states of the European Union across the board: the reconstruction of the welfare state, immigration and the refugee crisis, and the rise of the far right. 

David Tompkins

Culminates in a final oral presentation that will allow concentrators to synthesize and reflect upon their diverse European studies, including on-campus and off-campus classwork, internships, and cross-cultural experiences.

Jennifer L Schaefer

This course examines music and movement in Atlantic World history and introduces methods from the digital humanities. It analyzes how hybrid cultural practices began in the period of colonization and the transatlantic slave system. It considers how these practices influenced national identities during the nineteenth century and continued to cross between the Americas, Africa, and Europe in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The course addresses broad themes including immigration, race, class, nationalism, and transnational exchange. A digital humanities approach enables the course to ask and answer new questions about these topics. No previous experience with digital humanities is required.

Kristin Bloomer

How can we best understand the role of religion in the world today, and how should we interpret the meaning of religious traditions -- their texts and practices -- in history and culture? This class takes an exciting tour through selected themes and puzzles related to the fascinating and diverse expressions of religion throughout the world. From politics and pop culture, to religious philosophies and spiritual practices, to rituals, scriptures, gender, religious authority, and more, students will explore how these issues emerge in a variety of religions, places, and historical moments in the U.S. and across the globe.