History-Social Science Education (B.A., B.S.)

A survey of United States history beginning with precontact cultures, examining the varied colonial and native cultures, and tracing the political, economic, social, and cultural development of the United States, and concluding with Reconstruction. No P/F.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

Effective Fall 2018 this course counts toward the Innovation thread. Students who took the course previously may count the course toward the Democracy thread.

A survey of United States history beginning with post-Civil War Reconstruction period, tracing economic, social and cultural development to the present, emphasizing the emergence of a dominantly urban-industrial society, multiple civil rights movements, the expanded role of government in the lives of individuals, and the increasing involvement of the United States in the world. No P/F.
(Normally offered each spring semester.)

An in-depth study of one time frame across world cultures. The course is designed to introduce students to the uniqueness and interconnectedness of cultures in the global community. Historical dimensions of today's ethical and political concerns will be examined in order to foster responsible world citizenship. Course topics change regularly and may include a global survey of the twentieth century or the history of indigenous nations leading up to the Age of European Exploration. (Normally offered each semester.)

'Who are you?' This question confronts everyone at some point in life. How you answer it is culturally determined, based on how you perceive the connection between yourself and the world you inhabit. In this course we will investigate how the understanding of the self has developed in Western culture, beginning with Ancient Near Eastern religious traditions and the philosophical discourse of Ancient Greece, and looking at how this understanding has evolved and changed over time. Particular attention will be focused on the challenge to traditional notions of the self that emerged with the development with modern psychological and sociological models of the self. No P/F.

(Normally offered each spring semester.)

One of the distinctive features of Western culture involves the interaction of religion and reason as a basis for understanding. From the Ancient World up to modern times, systems of understanding have rooted themselves in both divine revelation and rational inquiry. This course will explore the origins of such perspectives, and trace their development and interaction from antiquity to the present. The course will focus on reading and evaluating texts which exemplify these modes of thinking from mythologies of the Ancient Near East, to Greek and Roman philosophical writings up to modern debates concerning the sufficiency of religion or science as a basis for understanding. This course may be counted toward fulfillment of the Science and Religion thread, and as a Writing Instructive course. No P/F.

(Normally offered each fall semester.)

An overview of American Indian history from precontact to the present. It will explore numerous themes including cultural diversity, initial contact with Europeans, the different styles of interactions (Spanish/English/French), accommodation and dispossession, the U.S. treaty process, concentration, wardship, education, land allotment, termination and relocation, and modern American Indian issues. Utilizing assigned readings, discussion, and some short films, this class will eradicate misconceptions about American Indians and therefore help to eliminate the roots of discrimination and prejudice against the original Americans. No P/F.
(Normally offered each spring semester.)

The course introduces students to basic theoretical approaches to understanding the past. Special emphasis is placed on research methods, resources, and the composition of a research essay. This course is designed for majors and students interested in the theories and techniques used by historians. Course topics change yearly and include subjects such as the study of chattel slavery in the United States through the words and remembrances of enslaved people from 1600 to 1877 and the relationship between collective memories of the past and the development of identity at the national, local, and individual level.
This course will meet with HIST 3800A/HIST 3800B.

This course explores the History of Nebraska topically, covering such issues as American Indians, overland trails, expansionism, town founding, railroads, political development, and the dust bowl era; as well as the environment, gender history, and other topics of interest to students who enroll. This course will have field experiences.
HIST 4650 meets with HIST 3650. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4650.
Prerequisite(s): HIST 1010/HIST 1010FYW Topics in United States History to 1877 or HIST 1020/HIST 1020FYW United States Society and Culture Since 1877.
(Normally offered each spring semester.)

An examination of the Latin American experience with different topics at each offering.  Such topics will include: contact period, transnationalism, indigenismo, the colonial era, agrarian movements, social revolutions, neocolonialism, interamerican relations, narcoterrorism and trafficking, for example. This course will be offered on a regular basis, and students could retake the course as the topics shift. No P/F.

This course will investigate the influence of disease on historical development, and look at the issues involved in the historical study of disease in the past. Themes will include the following: early human settlement and disease, disease as an agent of change, the emergence of new diseases and patterns of pandemics, and changes in diseases over time. We will also consider how the historical record might inform our understanding of the threat of emergent diseases today.

This course introduces students to major topics in the history of East Asia. Rather than a century-by-century narrative covering prehistory to the present, the course emphasizes the theme of inter-regional relations. Students learn about traditions such as Confucianism and Buddhism that provided a foundation for the development of centralized, Sinicized states in East Asia, as well as the cultural, economic, and political aspects of the tribute system that structured inter-regional relations throughout the pre-modern period. The second half of the semester picks up the theme of inter-regional relations in the modern period by examining the continuing impact of twentieth-century warfare on the Chinese, the Koreans, and the Japanese. Our sources include a combination of secondary scholarship by leading experts on East Asian history as well as primary historical and literary sources. This also counts as an elective for the Modern Language Studies major.

An overview of key themes in early modern and modern Japanese history with an emphasis on the period between the seventeenth and twenty-first centuries. The course concentrates on themes of change and continuity in Japan's political systems, social and economic institutions, and cultural forms. Specific themes include changing notions of samurai identity, the rise of the modern nation-state, imperialism and inter-regional relations, postwar prosperity and Japan's "Lost Decade." Our sources include a combination of secondary scholarship by leading experts on Japanese history as well as primary historical and literary sources. This also counts as an elective for the Modern Language Studies major.

In this course we will survey the historical factors that have shaped China's emergence as one of the dominant players on the global stage in the twenty-first century. We begin by exploring the history of the last imperial dynasty. Emphasis is placed on the historical diversity of Chinese society. After learning about the combination of domestic and external challenges that undermined the last dynasty and led to the overthrow of the imperial system, we look at the impact of the world wars, the civil war between the Nationalists and the Communists, and the establishment of the People's Republic. The course concludes with a section on the transition to "market socialism" and the legacy of the 1989 Tiananmen demonstrations. Our sources include a combination of secondary scholarship by leading experts on Chinese history as well as primary historical and literary sources. This also counts as an elective for the Modern Language Studies major.

See HIST 4700 Revolutions in Latin America.

A study of the causes, course, and outcomes of several 20th century social revolutions in Latin America. The course will use a comparative perspective, paying particular attention to the transformations that accompanied each stage of revolution. This also counts as an elective for the Modern Language Studies major. HIST 4700 meets with HIST 3700. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4700.

Prerequisite(s): HIST 1010 Topics in United States History to 1877, HIST 1110 World Civilizations, HIST 2110 Introduction to Latin America, or instructor permission.

See HIST 4840 Meiji - The Making of Modern Japan.

The Meiji period in Japan lasted from 1868 to 1912. Over that period of roughly four decades, Japan embarked on an ambitious program of Western-style modernization that left no aspect of the nation untouched. It was a period of rapid economic growth and industrialization that allowed Japan to challenge the Western powers and create its own empire in East Asia by the early twentieth century, but the accompanying social, political, and economic transformations were as dislocating for many Japanese as they were empowering. In this seminar, we will read widely in the political, social, and cultural history of the Meiji period to develop an understanding of the period's powerful shaping influence on the course Japan took in the twentieth century. In addition to secondary scholarship by leading authorities on the Meiji period, we will read works of literature and view several films that illuminate the complexities and tensions within Meiji society. HIST-4840 meets with HIST 3840. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4840.

See HIST 4850 Twilight of the Samurai: Early Modern Japan.

The word samurai derives from the verb saburau, meaning "to serve." Whom did Japan's samurai warriors serve, and what made their "services" necessary in the first place? How did samurai become the dominant political figures during Japan's Middle Ages? After the Tokugawa shogunate succeeded in pacifying Japan in the early seventeenth century, how did a social group whose elite status derived from their role as warriors adapt-or fail to adapt-to a long period of peace? These are some of the questions we will seek to answer through our discussion of primary sources and secondary scholarship on Japan's samurai warriors. We will focus on the early modern period, but the seminar provides an overview of the historical development of the samurai dating back to their origins in the tenth century. Once we arrive in the Tokugawa period, we will also take a broader look at a changing Japanese social structure in which commoners-and merchants in particular-began to overtake the samurai. At the end of the semester, we will consider the ideological development of bushid, or the "Way of the Warrior," as an invented tradition that played an important role during Japan's transformation into a modern nation-state. This also counts as an elective for the Modern Language Studies major. HIST 4850 Twilight of the Samurai: Early Modern Japan meets with HIST 3850. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4850.

See HIST 4860 Japanese Popular Culture, Past and Present.

In this course we will be investigating the cultural history of history of Japan in the early modern and modern periods, with an emphasis on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Specifically, we will focus on “popular culture,” a term whose multiple (and conflicting) connotations we will consider throughout the semester. Our exploration of “popular culture” will extend to aspects of everyday life (or “lifestyles”) as well as works of art, literature, music, and film. Together we will examine a variety of texts, musical genres, comics, and films (both live action and animation), always attempting to interpret them in the context of historical change. This will be a rigorous and intellectually challenging course, but it is also meant to provide an enjoyable overview of Japan’s rich cultural heritage.
HIST 4860 meets with HIST 3860. The content of the courses are the same EXCEPT students enrolled in 3860 write analytical essays and give presentations, while students enrolled in 4860 concentrate on writing a research paper in lieu of the essays and presentations.

See HIST 4030 Founding of the Americas.

A study of the “pioneers” of the Americas (e.g., indigenous, Spanish, French, and Russian) who all came to the continent to explore, negotiate the land and relationships with others they encountered. A mix of narrative and primary document history, the class will discover the true story of the settlement of the Americas.
Hist 4030 meets with HIST 3030. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4030.

See HIST 4220 The Ancient World.

An examination of the political, social, and intellectual worlds of ancient Greece and Rome. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the seminal contributions of antiquity to the Western tradition. The course will concentrate on the setting and content of Greek culture from the age of Homer to the rise of the Macedonian Empire, and the development of Rome from city republic to empire.
HIST-4220 meets with HIST 3220. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in HIST-4220.
Prerequisite(s): HIST 2170 Body, Mind, Spirit: The Understanding of the Self in Western Culture, HIST 2180 Science and Religion in Western Tradition, or instructor permission.

See HIST 4230 The Middle Ages.

Prerequisite(s): HIST 1110 World Civilizations, HIST 2170 Body, Mind, Spirit: The Understanding of the Self in Western Culture, or HIST 2180 Science and Religion in Western Tradition.

A survey of European culture and society from the fall of the Roman Empire to the advent of the Renaissance. The course will focus on the creative religious, political, and social movements of this period, and their influence on the development of the West. Among the subjects covered: the Germanic tribes, the Carolingian Empire, the Church in the High Middle Ages, the culture of the High Middle Ages, the growth of centralized monarchy, the Crusades, and the evolution of the social order in the Middle Ages.
HIST 4230 meets with HIST 3230. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4230.
Prerequisite(s): HIST 1110 World Civilizations, HIST 2170 Body, Mind, Spirit: The Understanding of the Self in Western Culture, or HIST 2180 Science and Religion in Western Tradition.

See HIST 4280 Heresy, Conflict, and Violence.

This course looks at the regulation of belief by political and ecclesiastical authorities in medieval and Early Modern Europe, and how such regulation defined and criminalized heresy, nurtured political and social conflict, and justified the use of violence in shaping religious belief and practice. During the High and Later Middle Ages, the medieval Catholic Church developed institutions to pursue, try, and convict deviant religious of heresy. This feature of medieval religion shaped the subsequent development of Western Christianity over the next four hundred years. This course considers the reasons for the emergence of this persecuting dimension of Christian religiosity, and its consequences during the era from 1200-1700.  Among the themes focused upon are the Cather movement and its suppression, the development of the Inquisition, the heretical revolts of late thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, as well as the Protestant Reformation and the witch hunts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.  
HIST-4280 meets with HIST 3280. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in HIST-4280.
Prerequisite(s): HIST 2170 Body, Mind, Spirit: The Understanding of the Self in Western Culture or HIST 2180 Science and Religion in Western Tradition, or by instructor permission.

See HIST 4350 Nazi Germany.

Prerequisite(s): HIST 1110 World Civilizations, HIST 2170 Body, Mind, Spirit: The Understanding of the Self in Western Culture, or HIST 2180 Science and Religion in Western Tradition, or permission of the instructor.

An examination of Germany in the twentieth century focusing on the rise of Adolph Hitler, the weakness of the Weimar government, the institutions of the Nazi regime, and the events of World War II and the Holocaust. This also counts as an elective for the Modern Language Studies major.
HIST 4350 meets with HIST 3350. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4350.
Prerequisite(s): HIST 1110 World Civilizations, HIST 2170 Body, Mind, Spirit: The Understanding of the Self in Western Culture, or HIST 2180 Science and Religion in Western Tradition, or permission of the instructor.

An introduction to human biological evolution, prehistoric cultural development and nature, and linguistics.
(Normally offered alternate years)

This course is an introduction to using the sociological perspective as a method of social inquiry. Students explore such basic concepts as culture, socialization, social structure, social interaction, and social change. They study and apply the theories and research methodologies used to investigate human social interaction. These concepts are applied to social topics such as race, class, gender, family, crime, population, environment, and others.
(Normally offered each semester.)

See SOC 2330 Race Relations and Minority Groups.

This course uses sociological perspectives to examine the causes and consequences of a society stratified by racial-ethinic diversity. It looks at the way historical decisions made by the dominant group have impacted the current situation for majority-minority relations in the U.S.A structural assessment of current social relations is emphasized although individual prejudice and discrimination is examined. Concepts such as white-privilege, immigration, and institutional discrimination are investigated. The requirements of the 2330 course are the same as the 1330 course EXCEPT that students in the higher course number complete a 20 hour service-learning component which fulfills an exploratory experiential learning requirement of the Archway Curriculum.
(Normally offered each semester.)

An examination of the macroeconomic theories, problems, and policies of the U.S. economy. Topics include supply and demand, a description of the main sectors of the economy, and the role of government in stabilizing the economy with monetary and fiscal policies.
(Normally offered each semester.)

An examination of the microeconomic theories, problems, and policies of the U.S. economy. Topics include the theory of the firm, market structures, and current economic issues such as income distribution, antitrust policy, poverty, the farm problem, and international trade.
Prerequisite(s): ECON 1530 Macroeconomic Principles strongly recommended.
(Normally offered each semester.)

A course that introduces modern geography and examines spatial relationships among such physical phenomena as climate, topography, soils, and vegetation.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

A course that examines the spatial relationships of such phenomena as population, economic activity, and societal groups.
(Normally offered each spring semester.)

This course will examine the context, processes, institutions, and outcomes of the U.S. political system. Through writing, building, social science skills,and examining democratic principle, this course will introduce students to basic concepts and theories central to the study of political science. A special focus will be placed on the concept of civic engagement, and the importance of citizen participation to a robust democracy.

The emphasis of this class is understanding the way that the U.S. government and politics implements concepts and theories of democracy. This course will examine the context, processes, institutions, and outcomes of the U.S. political system. Through writing, building social science skills, and examining democratic principle, this course will introduce students to basic concepts and theories central to the study of political science. Students will engage in multiple forms of developing strong first year academic writing skills over the course of this class.

Racial politics is one of the most important, contested, and complicated issues in American society today. This course provides an introduction to the topic of minority politics. We will study the way that Black and Latino/a writers and thinkers understand the intersection of race and politics. We will explore the way that race is socially constructed, interrogate concepts of ideology, identity, and intersectionality, and examine the relationship between institutions and racism. At the end of the class, I hope you will have an appreciation for the complexity of racial politics in America. 

The Introduction to Psychological Science course will engage students in a learner-centered approach to the science of behavior and mental processes by synthesizing these areas of psychology: Scientific Inquiry, Biopsychology, Development, and Learning, Sociocultural Context, Individual Variations, and Applications of Psychological Science.
(Normally offered every fall and spring semester.)

Designed for middle and secondary education students working toward certification in one of the following social science fields: economics, general social studies, history, political science, psychology, and sociology. No P/F.
Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into the Teacher Education Program or permission of the department chair.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

This is a course taken as part of the signature work done by students at the end of their degree program: the senior thesis, internship, or student teaching in History. As part of the course, students will connect their previous learning in the Archway Curriculum, both in their liberal arts and History majors, with the signature work with which they are engaged as seniors. As part of the course, they will explore through their Archway Curriculum e-Portfolio (ACeP) their earlier work, connect the skills and ideas of that earlier work to their current signature work, engage in discourse with other students about themes relevant to their work, and prepare for the next stage of their career beyond college.
Pre or corequisite(s): HIST 3650/HIST 4650 Topics in Nebraska History or HIST 4970 History Internship or HIST 4980 Introduction to Senior Thesis and permission of department chair. 

Students work with one or more regular teachers in a secondary school. They attend the student teaching seminar and conference with their college supervisor as directed.
Prerequisite(s): Completion of preliminary student teaching requirements or approval of the department chair.

A capstone course that meets biweekly for two hours to focus on two areas: first, to provide a structured and safe environment to dialogue about student teaching successes and concerns; and second, invited speakers, students and the instructor will discuss topics most pertinent to student teaching, how to obtain a teaching position, and critical issues for the beginning teacher. Topics include educational law, morals and ethics, student/teacher/parent rights and responsibilites, establishing and maintaining positive communication with the staff and community, as well as interviewing and job search skills.
Corequisite(s): Student teaching or permission of the department chair.
(Normally offered each semester.)