ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2016-2017
149
HI 283 Modern China (1)
An introduction to Chinese history from the Manchu conquest in the seventeenth century
to the People’s Republic. Emphasis is on the changing social, economic, and political
structure of Chinese society and how the Chinese explained to themselves the changes
taking place in their society.
HI 284 Modern Japan (1)
An introduction to Japanese history from the emergence of military rule in the thirteenth
century to the post-World War II democratic experience. Emphasis is on the changing
social, economic, and political structure of Japanese society and how the Japanese
explained to themselves the changes taking place in their society.
HI 287 Western Images of Asia (1)
A multimedia exploration of Western attitudes about the “orient.” Through scholarly and
fictional texts and a careful viewing of visual arts, this course analyzes the development
of Western attitudes toward the “east,” beginning with medieval explorers and
concluding with our present concerns with the Japanese and Chinese. Prerequisite: at
least sophomore standing.
HI 288 Remembering World War II: The War in Asia and the Pacific (1)
How World War II in Asia and the Pacific is remembered in several countries, including
China, Japan, Korea, and the United States. Using a variety of literary (novels, poetry,
and memoirs), artistic (film and painting), and architectural (monuments, memorials, and
museums) evidence, we explore the legacy and memories of World War II in these
various countries, consider some of the many issues related to self-representation and
historical memory, and examine how different cultures with widely divergent pasts and
traditions come to shape memory and guilt.
HI 289 Remembering World War II: The War in Europe and the Holocaust (1)
How World War II in Europe and the Holocaust are remembered in several countries.
Using a variety of literary (novels, poetry and memoirs), artistic (film and painting), and
architectural (monuments, memorials, and museums) evidence, we explore the legacy
and memories of World War II in these various countries, consider some of the many
issues related to self-representation and historical memory, and examine how different
cultures with widely divergent pasts and traditions come to shape memory and guilt.
Countries to be studied are chosen from among the following: Germany, France, Poland,
Russia/Soviet Union, and the United States.
HI 293, 393, 493 Independent Study in History (½ or 1)
Directed study for advanced students in the major. Coursework will include directed
readings and inquiry into selected historical problems and areas. Specific guidelines
concerning independent study projects appear in the “Exploration Term and Contract
Learning” section of this catalog.
HI 298, 398, 498 Teaching Experience in History (½ or 1)
A teaching experience course. Upon invitation, qualified students may register for this