Courses Taught
Course Offerings for 2021-2022
HIST 2913: The Historical Roots of Contemporary Canada
Winter Term
Tues & Thurs 11:30-12:50
This course provides students with a brief narrative framework of Canadian history but focuses primarily on exploring the historical dimensions of many of the most pressing issues facing Canada today. It does so by exploring a series of thematic questions along the following lines: What was Confederation and why should we care? How has colonialism shaped Canada’s development? How has anti-Black racism structured Canadian society? When, how, and why did Canada develop a welfare state? Why are Canadians so frequently obsessed with the United States? When and how did Canada become a consumer society? And how have battles over gender equality reshaped Canada’s political and social landscape? Overall, the course aims to provide you with basic contextual information so that you can better understand why Canada is the way that it is and – ideally – how you can make it better.
HIST 3863: Modern Tourism in World History
Winter Term
Tues & Thurs 8:30-9:50
This course explores the global impact of modern tourism by focusing on a number of key questions: How, when, and why did tourism emerge? What motivates tourists to travel? Why do local communities embrace tourism? And how are the benefits and costs of this industry distributed? Planned case studies include: Beaches, Zoos, Theme Parks, Museums, Ecotourism, Shopping, Gambling, and Sex Tourism. Our approach will be broadly comparative as we aim to understand how and why tourism has emerged as a major social, cultural, and economic force in different parts of the world and what this means for both tourists and host communities.
HIST 3993: Topics in Global History [Disney and World History]
Winter Term
Tues & Thurs 2:30-3:50
This year the theme of HIST 3993: Topics in Global History will be “Disney and World History.” Focusing primarily upon Disney’s theme parks and films, the course will explore issues of representation, selectivity, and appropriation, and a wide range of topics including colonialism, gender, race, class, urban utopias, educational initiatives, and Orientalism. Planned case studies include It’s a Small World, Pocahontas, Mulan, Aladdin, The Lion King, The Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Jungle Cruise, Muppets, Star Wars, and Hamilton: An American Musical. Whether you’re a Disney fan or are deeply suspicious of the “House of Mouse” the course will provide you with a deeper understanding of one of the world’s most powerful entertainment companies and – more generally – of the complex, controversial, and contested relationship between history and entertainment.
Regular Course Offerings
HIST 3993: Topics in Global History (Disney and World History)
HIST 4826: Popular Culture and Postcolonial Legacies in Canada, Australia and New Zealand
HIST 3863: Modern Tourism in World History
HIST 3763: Modern Sport in World History
HIST 2913: The Historical Roots of Contemporary Canada
HIST 2003: Exploring History