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HI 101
Western Civilization: Ancient to Early Modern Times
The social history of Western Europe from 476 AD to 1700. Topics
include the life of the medieval peasant, women and witchcraft accusation,
the Black Death and its societal repercussions, the Protestant Reformation
and Catholic response, and a day in the life of King Louis XIV.
Fall.
HI 102
Western Civilization in Modern Times
The social history of Western Europe from 1700 to 1945. Topics included
the lives of the French
and English working poor (tenements, disease), the Communist Manifesto
and Marxism, Romanticism and Victor Hugo, the nineteenth-century
Germans—Nietzsche, Treitschke, Wahner—and the rise of
Hitler. Spring.
HI/AH 106
Understanding History
Understanding History will focus on how historians and art historians
approach the various dimensions of historical events, cultural phenomena,
and artifacts. We will look at the forces that shape history, including
religion, social customs, cultural mores, invention, politics, economics,
and natural phenomena. The course will explore different approaches
to understanding history and will apply those approaches to an analysis
of an historical event or era. In 2004, students will study the
Salem, Massachusetts Witchcraft Trials of 1692, and the cultures
that produced it. Future topics will be selected based on their
relationship to a variety of historical and cultural moments. Course
activities include work with primary sources including diaries and
legal documents, and field trips to the Museum of Fine Arts and
to other relevant historic sites in and around Boston. Fall.
HI 111
United States History I
Examines significant events, movements, and personalities of American
national development from 1763 to the Civil War. Emphasis on the
relationship between socioeconomic factors and political change.
Introduction to the method of historical inquiry by the examination
of evidence, the analysis of facts, the development of a narrative
and interpretation. Fall.
HI 112
United States History II
Examines significant events, movements, and personalities in American
history from 1865 to the present. The goal is to broaden understanding
of the methods that historians use and the questions they ask, using
the subject of American history. Spring.
HI 115
World History
This course will identify and explore the development of distinct
civilizations in a global context from 1500 C.E. to 20th c. Our
analysis will focus on two principal themes: (1) the evolution of
leading civilizations and (2) the frameworks for contact among these
different civilizations. The first theme will identify major stages
in the development of dominant civilizations: an Islamic civilization
in the medieval period and a largely Christian European civilization
in the later, early modern period. The second theme will emphasize
major stages in the interaction between and among different peoples
and societies around the globe. As we move through history, we will
consider topics like the following: the comparative roles of men
and women in the major world religions, how women have participated
in various societies and economies, cultural contact and processes
of assimilation and dominance, and the concept of a global community.
This course also invites students to examine world history at close
range by relying on a variety of primary source materials, both
textual and visual. In this way, students are exposed to the analytical
process that is a large part of the historian's craft. Students
are encouraged to draw their own well-reasoned conclusions from
these materials. Spring.
HI 201
Cultural History of Greece and Rome
Greek and Roman culture and institutions have influenced many nations
for more than 2,000 years. The study of these ancient civilizations
through readings and primary sources will allow students to answer
a variety of questions such as: What was the meaning of citizenship?
Why were strong ancient women maligned? Why did the Roman Empire
decline and fall? This course enables students to reflect on various
moral, feminist, and ethical issues that still have relevance for
contemporary life.
HI 207
Myths, Misconceptions, and Historical Reality
Reviews commonly held myths and misconceptions about America’s
past, measuring them against the best and most recent historical
scholarship. Considers such topics as: Columbus: hero or villain?
Slavery: profitable or time on the cross? Native Americans: savages
or nature’s children? Students become better informed about
some of America’s most enduring debates about its past and
people, while becoming familiar with the historian’s craft.
HI 208
Topics in Modern History
In-depth exploration of a topic in modern comparative history, using
a variety of the methods historians employ to understand complex
issues. This semester’s topic is the history of the Great Depression
(1929–1941). Explores the causes and consequences of this major
economic crisis in Europe, the US, and in other countries, and focuses
on the Depression’s impact on selected individuals, families,
communities, and nations. Uses reading, films, slides, oral history
interviews, lectures, and field trips to historic sites.
HI 209
The Immigrant Experience
Diaries, memoirs, letters, autobiographies, and histories of immigrants
reveal their precarious position in the United States. Expected
to aspire to the “American Dream” of success and happiness,
immigrants are often denied access to the means for achieving it.
Special attention is given to the experience of first-generation
immigrants, and through a community service component, students
tutor and interview immigrants who are studying English at Pine
Manor College. Spring 2004, and in alternate years.
HI 210
Voices from the Past: Oral History
Studies the collection, interpretation, analysis, and use of oral
history as a means to reconstruct the past. Oral history is approached
as a component of a larger, interdisciplinary approach to understanding
the past. Examines related disciplines such as oral tradition, folklore,
anthropology, and gerontology. Oral history in combination with
other media is considered. The class conceptualizes, plans, designs,
and completes an oral history project.
HI 215
Recent United States History
Traces the development and impact of domestic and foreign policies
from World War II to the present, focusing on the Cold War, McCarthyism,
the rise of the “imperial presidency,” and the burgeoning
black, ethnic, and women’s movements, and an analysis of Vietnam
and its aftermath.
HI 221
African-American History
This course examines the experiences of peoples of African descent
in the United States from the colonial era to the present. We will
focus on a series of moments including the following: African cultures,
Western European conquest of Africa and the global slave trade,
the experience of African slaves throughout the Americas and the
development of distinctive slave cultures, the role of slavery in
the political, economic and social climate of the U.S., construction
of an African American identity, abolition and political status,
the urban experience, the Harlem Renaissance and the development
of distinctively African American styles of religion, music, art,
and literature, political activism and the Civil Rights Movement,
African American and Afro-Caribbean experiences in contemporary
America. Fall 2004 and in alternate years.
IDS 229
Children’s Literature of the United States: A Mirror of American
Society
Introduces principles of literary analysis and traces changing social
attitudes through the study of American children’s literature.
Students focus on both historical context and literary analysis
of assigned texts, with particular attention paid to issues of gender,
class, and race. Includes material from the Puritan age to contemporary
writing, with an emphasis on works of the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries. Spring 2004, and every third year.
Prerequisite: Any history or literature course or permission.
HI 241
Europe in the Renaissance and Reformation
This study focuses on European people, ideas, institutions, and
events between 1300 and 1648. It considers such topics as humanism,
religious reform, religious and dynastic wars, absolutism, and the
emergence of balance-of-power politics.
HI 243
Topics in Nineteenth-Century European History: Roots of Modern Conflict
Modern forces such as romanticism, realism, socialism, and imperialism
shaped the century between Napoleon and World War I. This course
examines how those forces combined with intense nationalism to create
internecine and transnational conflict.
HI 251
Women in European History
The story of Western European women, including the ancient Greek
vs. Roman women and their liberation efforts, Eve as role model
for the “sinful” woman, woman-as-witch, Hildegard of Bingen,
and Christine de Pisane, the working vs. bourgeois woman of the
nineteenth century, and the suffragists. Fall 2003.
HI 252
Women in American History
The story of American women, including the plantation “mistress,”
the Puritan ordinary vs. “disorderly” woman, pioneer women
and the overland journey, the treatment of slave women, the nineteenth-century
industrial working vs. bourgeois woman, and the suffragists. Spring
2004.
IDS 270
Culture, Consumption, and Identity
Focuses on the analysis of physical objects as they reflect and
shape the values of society and the way we view our world. Objects
are examined within the context of their function, appearance, and
effectiveness from a host of different perspectives. Topics covered
include: objects and artifacts in everyday life; what is cultural
criticism; what is material culture; what is popular culture; the
significance of fashion; advertisements and icons; malls and values.
Fall 2004, and in alternate years.
HI 283
Third World Civilizations Since
World War II
Explores historical developments in the less developed world. Major
emphasis is on the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and
the Caribbean. Examines national currents and the continuing search
for political, economic, and cultural sovereignty, based on interpretations
from sociocultural, political, gender, and economic perspectives.
Explores American media portrayal and interpretations of Third World
development. Assesses the issue of history as a tool for understanding
contemporary Third World issues and conditions, and the extent to
which mass media use the past to increase our understanding of the
present.
HI 310
The City in America: Hope or Despair?
America from a rural, agrarian society into an urban, industrial
culture. Consideration of the transformation, including such topics
as social mobility, the frontier city, political bossism, and suburbs
from the colonial to the modern period. Special emphasis on changing
perceptions of the city. Fall 2003.
Prerequisite: HI 111, 112, or permission.
HI 350
Topics in Comparative History
This course, taught by an historian, examines several topics such
as slavery, revolution, and the creation of the nation state in
two or three societies during a common era. An objective of this
course is to have the student see the connection among these societies
during a common time period, even though they may be widely separated
geographically and culturally. Participants study original source
materials as well as secondary materials. Spring 2005.
Prerequisite: HC 101 for majors and one history course for nonmajors.
HI 391
Maritime History of New England
The sea has shaped New England. This course surveys the sea’s
legacy, from the earliest Indian fishery to the shipbuilding and
commerce of today. Course themes include historical, political,
and economic developments, with particular attention to insights
gleaned from shipwrecks, time capsules of discrete moments from
New England’s past. Classes include museum visits, a field
session at a marine archeology site, and guest lectures on current
research projects. Pine Manor College. Spring.
Prerequisite: One course each in American History and in the
Social Sciences, or permission.
Courses offered selectively:
HI 205 Words That Shaped America: Key Documents in American History
HI 220 African History
HI 225 Italian-American Cinema
HI 270 Modern Britain
HI/HU 231 Reflecting on Contemporary Events
IDS 110 Boston Pioneers and Politicians: Fashioning the Myth and
Reality of Boston
AH 101
Introduction to Art History
This course is a thematic study of art produced in global cultures
from antiquity to the present day. Emphasis is placed on exploring
the relationship between art and its historical and cultural background,
with close attention to art as a means of human expression. Fall.
HI/AH 106
Understanding History
Understanding History will focus on how historians and art historians
approach the various dimensions of historical events, cultural phenomena,
and artifacts. We will look at the forces that shape history, including
religion, social customs, cultural mores, invention, politics, economics,
and natural phenomena. The course will explore different approaches
to understanding history and will apply those approaches to an analysis
of an historical event or era. In 2004, students will study the
Salem, Massachusetts Witchcraft Trials of 1692, and the cultures
that produced it. Future topics will be selected based on their
relationship to a variety of historical and cultural moments. Course
activities include work with primary sources including diaries and
legal documents, and field trips to the Museum of Fine Arts and
to other relevant historic sites in and around Boston. Fall.
IDS 123
Number, Ratio, and Pattern in Nature, the Arts, and Society
In this interdisciplinary course, the student examines the connections
between the underlying scientific principles of number, ratio, and
pattern in nature and how humans have employed them in a variety
of ways. This course bridges the study of number, ratio, and pattern
with the functional and symbolic numerical relationships underlying
art, architecture, music, philosophy, religion, and science.
Fall 2003, and in alternate years.
AH 210
Italian Renaissance Art
In this course, we investigate the Italian Renaissance from its
origins through the late sixteenth century. Emphasis is placed on
artists’ styles, the structure of patronage, philosophical,
and political thought within humanism, and the role of symbolism.
Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael
are some of the artists covered. Spring 2004, and in alternate years.
AH 213
Studies in African and African-American Art
Concentrates on the study of African and African-American art and
their cultural settings. Classes focus on the reception and modification
in the western hemisphere of African visual culture and philosophical
traditions, e.g., in the United States, Cuba, Haiti, Brazil, and
Trinidad. Lectures and discussions are supplemented by group and
individual trips to Boston-area museums, including the Museum of
the National Center of Afro-American Artists. Spring 2004, and
in alternate years.
AH 221
Northern Renaissance Painting
Relates the evolution of humanism to the development of fifteenth-
and sixteenth-century painting in northern Europe. Study of such
important artists as Jan van Eyck, Bosch, Dürer, and Bruegel
reveals not only individual stylistic qualities, but also the emergence
of broader cultural trends. Spring 2004.
AH 230
Baroque and Eighteenth-Century Art
The style and historical context of art and architecture during
the Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical periods are examined. Connections
are made between the art and architecture and the philosophical,
political, and scientific developments throughout this period. Artists
such as Bernini, Rembrandt, Watteau, Kauffmann, and David are studied.
Spring 2005, and in alternate years.
AH 233
Latin American Art
This course is a survey of Latin American Art from the nineteenth
century to the present, with primary focus on the twentieth century.
Painting, sculpture, and related objects from a variety of visual
cultures throughout Central and South America are studied. These
works, along with objects from popular culture, are examined within
the social, political, and economic context of Latin America. Ethnic,
gender, and class relations form an important part of this study.
Connections between visual culture and music and literature are
also explored in this course. Spring 2005 and in alternate years.
AH 240
History of Interiors
The development of interior design and decoration from classical
times, through the Renaissance, to the present, with an emphasis
on America. Examines stylistic characteristics of each period in
context of political, social, and cultural concerns. Investigates
technological innovations in design, as well as influential designers
and architects. Spring 2003, and in alternate years. Fall 2003,
and in alternate years.
AH 251
Nineteenth-Century Art
Explores nineteenth-century revolutions in art from the Romantic
reaction to Classicism, Realism, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism.
This continuous search for new styles is viewed in context with
political, social, and cultural concerns. Spring 2004.
IDS 270
Culture, Consumption, and Identity
Focuses on the analysis of physical objects as they reflect and
shape the values of society and the way we view our world. Objects
are examined within the context of their function, appearance, and
effectiveness from a host of different perspectives. Topics covered
include: objects and artifacts in everyday life; what is cultural
criticism; what is material culture; what is popular culture; the
significance of fashion; advertisements and icons; malls and values.
Fall 2004, and in alternate years.
AH 280
History and Style of Furniture
Covers the development and use of furniture from the time of the
ancients to the individual cabinetmakers of Europe and America and
into the twentieth century. Resources include period rooms at the
Museum of Fine Arts, the Gardner Museum, and local historic houses,
including PMC’s Ferry Administration Building. Fall 2004,
and in alternate years.
AH 303
Gender, Myth, and Power in Greek and Roman Art
Course is a thematic and comparative study of the art and architecture
of ancient Greece and Rome. Focus is placed on comparing issues
of gender, mythology, and political power as expressed in Greek
and Roman visual cultures. Spring 2004, and in alternate years.
Prerequisite: AH 101 or permission.
AH 344
American Architecture
Investigates the development of American architecture and its European
influences from the Colonial period to the present. Close study
of architectural interiors reveals how space was designed, decorated,
and used. Illustrates how changing styles reflected the political,
social, and cultural pressures of the time. Fall 2003, and in
alternate years. Prerequisite: AH 101 or permission.
AH 365
Modern and Post-Modern Art
Course is a study of twentieth- and early twenty-first century painting
and sculpture. Focus is placed on the development of artistic styles
and individual artists’ careers, e.g., Picasso, Matisse, and
Judy Chicago. Modernism and Post-Modernism are examined and compared
with one another as cultural phenomena. Spring 2005, and in alternate
years.
Prerequisite: AH 101 or permission.
AH 373
Art Exhibition Seminar
Provides students with the opportunity to organize, mount, and publicize
a real exhibition in the Hess Gallery. Working with artists in the
Boston area, students take an active role in choosing the exhibition’s
theme and works of art. They also write a catalog and plan an opening
as the final project for the course. Fall 2004, and in alternate
years. Prerequisite: AH 101 or permission.
IDS 390
The City of Boston
This interdisciplinary course focuses on the cultural, social, political,
and economic forces that have shaped the history, urban planning,
and architecture of Boston. Boston provides a rich topic in which
students can apply their understanding of race and ethnicity, cultural
history, and the history of art and architecture. The disciplines
of History, Art History, Sociology, and Political Science are the
primary lenses through which Boston is studied. This course will
examine how Boston’s past continues to impact and inform its
present. Field trips to various sites throughout Boston form an
important dimension of this course. Spring 2005 and in alternate
years.
Prerequisites: HI/AH 106, or HI 111, or HI 112, or AH 101, or
SPS 101 or permission of the instructor.
Courses offered selectively:
AH 201 The World of the Ancient Greeks
AH 217 The English Country House:
Art, Architecture, and the Decorative Arts
AH 247 Taking Their Place: A History of American Women Artists
AH 270 The Art of China
AH 271 The Art of Japan
AH 284 Exploring the Professional World of Museums
AH 285 History of Textile Design
AH 287 Introduction to Textile Analysis
AH 310 Medieval Art in Europe: 300–1300
AH 345 American Painting and SculptureIDS 210 Impressionist Art
in the French Cultural Context
IDS 335 French Symbolist Poets and Post-Impressionist Artists: The
Spirit of Modernity
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