Were the Renaissance and Reformation something new and modern, or a continuation of medieval trends? Topics include the Black Death, Europe as a persecuting society, the emergence of humanism, the fragmentation of religious unity across Europe, Witch Trials, the intersection of politics and science, and the beginnings of the Age of Exploration and European Imperialism.

Japan from the Tokugawa period to its occupation by the United States and the “economic miracle.” Elite politics and political economy, the arrival of European imperialists, the Meiji Restoration, Japanese imperialism and war, cultural transformation and conflict within Japanese society.

Topics course.: This course examines the history of education in China with a focus on the 17th–20th centuries. Students examine the theories, institutions, politics and texts (in translation) that formed systems of education. We examine how these components worked to produce and circulate ideals of what it meant to be Chinese in different moments in time. We discuss the implications of the history of education to other developments in Chinese history, particularly with reference to groups considered marginal in Chinese culture.

This course examines the history of China, primarily from the 18th century until today. The course covers topics ranging from the expansion of the Qing, the transition from empire to nation, and economic development and environmental disasters in the PRC. The readings and lectures establish a framework of critical analysis for issues of both historical and contemporary importance.

Topics course.: This course analyses the development of gender discourses and the lived experiences of women throughout the history of the region. The topics covered include the politics of marriage, divorce and reproduction; women’s political and economic participation; questions of masculinity; sexuality; the impact of Islamist movements; power dynamics within households; and historical questions around the female body. It provides an introduction to the main themes and offers a nuanced historical understanding of approaches to the study of gender in the region.

The history of the Romans and other Mediterranean peoples from the first to the early fifth centuries A.D. With Emperor Augustus, the traditional Republican form of rule was reshaped to accommodate the personal rule of an Emperor that governed a multiethnic empire of 50 million successfully for several centuries. Imperial Rome represents the paradigmatic classical empire that many later empires sought to emulate. We trace how this complex imperial society evolved to meet different challenges.

Students in this class engage in detailed studies of the formation of carbonate sediments and rocks through participation in a required 7–10 day field trip to one of the modern tropical carbonate-producing environments (such as the Bahamas) during January interterm, followed by semester-long research projects based on the data and specimens collected in the field. Students present their results at Celebrating Collaborations in April. Class discussion topics include the history of carbonate rocks from the Precambrian to the present. Prerequisite: GEO 232 and/or 231. Enrollment limited to 8.

This project-based course examines the geochemical reactions between water and the natural system. Water and soil samples collected from a weekend field trip serve as the basis for understanding principles of pH, alkalinity, equilibrium thermodynamics, mineral solubility, soil chemistry, redox reactions, acid rain and acid mine drainage. The laboratory emphasizes wet-chemistry analytical techniques. Participants prepare regular reports based on laboratory analyses, building to a final analysis of the project study area. One weekend field trip.

The study of landforms and their significance in terms of the processes that form them. Selected reference is made to examples in the New England region and the classic landforms of the world. During the first part of the semester laboratories involve learning to use geographic information system (GIS) software to analyze landforms. During the second part of the semester laboratories include field trips to examine landforms in the local area. Prerequisite: 101, or 102, or 108 or FYS 103.

The study and interpretation of rock structures, with emphasis on the mechanics of deformation, behavior of rock materials, methods of analysis and relationship to plate tectonics. Laboratories before spring break involve computer-based analysis of the map patterns of geologic structures and the mechanics of their formation. After spring break, weekly field trips during the lab period connect local examples of structures to New England tectonics. Prerequisite: 101 and 102, or 108, or FYS 103, or 102 with any other GEO 100-level course. Recommended: MTH 111 or equivalent.