HIST1822 · History

Core Topics: Europe from the Outside In

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

The story of how Europe emerged as a cultural-political entity is inextricably intertwined with the groups of people it feared, persecuted, and ridiculed. In this course, we will examine the history of Europe from the perspective of Jews, women, Muslims, heretics, the poor and disabled before moving to peoples encountered during European exploration. In so doing we will investigate the deep roots of contemporary hate and prejudice and ask uncomfortable questions about the basis of Western society. Students will learn to work with primary source documents and to question dominant narratives about Western civilization.