These are classes I'm scheduled to teach in the future. See Current Courses to see what I am teaching this semester, my Syllabi page for a list of all the classes that I teach, and Teaching Experience for a list organized chronlogically.
Spring 2009
- Introduction to Latin American History (HIST 140)
- This course surveys the history of Latin America from Christopher Columbus to Hugo Chavez. We will examine a variety of issues including economics, democracy, racism, class structures, gender, ethnicity, human rights, globalization, and popular movements. Rather than analyzing Latin America from a North American point of view, we will examine how Latin Americans view themselves and how their culture, economics, and politics have developed in different directions than the United States and Europe.
- Latin American Revolutions (HIST 391)
- This course will present a critical comparative analysis of twentieth-century revolutionary theories and movements in Latin America, focusing on the countries of Haiti, Mexico, Bolivia, Guatemala, Cuba, Chile, and Nicaragua. What were the socio-political conditions in each of these countries that led to a revolutionary situation? What were the differing responses to those conditions? What did these revolutions seek to accomplish? What were the outcomes of these revolutionary changes? In addressing these issues, we will emphasize the themes of nationalism, state formation, imperialism, agrarian reform, leadership strategies, and citizenship. The goal of this class is to acquire a more complex understanding of the nature of exploitation and oppression in Latin America and the continuing struggles for social justice.
- Latin American History at the Movies (HIST 368)
- How has the popular cinema industry portrayed Latin American History? What can we learn from these depictions? In this class we will watch and analyze films from the United States and Latin America which grapple with various events and issues in Latin America. Through these films, we will both critically analyze historical developments in Latin America as well as the assumptions and biases which go into the making of a film on Latin America. Through this process, we will develop a deeper appreciation for the complexities which embody Latin American and the problems which the region faces.
Fall 2009
- Introduction to Latin American History (HIST 140)
- This course surveys the history of Latin America from Christopher Columbus to Hugo Chavez. We will examine a variety of issues including economics, democracy, racism, class structures, gender, ethnicity, human rights, globalization, and popular movements. Rather than analyzing Latin America from a North American point of view, we will examine how Latin Americans view themselves and how their culture, economics, and politics have developed in different directions than the United States and Europe.
- Andean History (HIST 390)
- This course presents a cultural and political history of the Andean Region of South America. Focusing primarily on the area currently covered by the countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, we will examine unique historical developments in this part of the world. The themes we will analyze include the influence of geography on early Andean civilizations, the cultural impact of conquest, land and labor systems, popular resistance movements, revolutions, military governments, neoliberalism, and the politicization of ethnic identities.
- Senior Seminar in History (HIST 400)
- Senior Seminar is the capstone experience for all history majors at Truman State University. It is the course that caps off everything that you have learned. Combining and building on the knowledge in historiography and skills in research you have acquired so far, it culminates in a major research paper that is subject to rigorous academic standards. Passing the course proves that you have earned your degree in history. You are on the one hand to demonstrate an awareness of the intricacies of doing history and being a historian and on the other hand to apply that awareness in your research paper.
Spring 2010
- Introduction to Latin American History (HIST 140)
- This course surveys the history of Latin America from Christopher Columbus to Hugo Chavez. We will examine a variety of issues including economics, democracy, racism, class structures, gender, ethnicity, human rights, globalization, and popular movements. Rather than analyzing Latin America from a North American point of view, we will examine how Latin Americans view themselves and how their culture, economics, and politics have developed in different directions than the United States and Europe.
- Women in Latin American History (HIST 369)
- This course assesses the continuities and changes in the lives of Latin American women through the lens of gender. We will examine concepts that have structured Latin American beliefs about gender including of honor and shame, and machismo and marianismo, and examine issues of gender relations, sexuality, and political involvement. How do beliefs about gender and gender roles relate to social structures including race, class and political structures, and how have these beliefs changed over time? By the end of the course students should have a clearer understanding of how gender influences historical change and historical continuity in Latin America.
- Latin American History at the Movies (HIST 368)
- How has the popular cinema industry portrayed Latin American History? What can we learn from these depictions? In this class we will watch and analyze films from the United States and Latin America which grapple with various events and issues in Latin America. Through these films, we will both critically analyze historical developments in Latin America as well as the assumptions and biases which go into the making of a film on Latin America. Through this process, we will develop a deeper appreciation for the complexities which embody Latin American and the problems which the region faces.