Topics in North American History (HIST*6290) | College of Arts

Topics in North American History (HIST*6290)

Code and section: HIST*6290*01

Term: Fall 2026

Details

Course Synopsis:

Calendar description: Depending on the expertise of the instructor, this course may concentrate on either the United States or Canada, or it may concentrate on an historical theme or themes common to the larger continent.

Instructor description: F26 theme - Racialization and Animality
In the first half of the course, we will examine how racial ideologies and practices in the United States since the eighteenth century have been constructed and justified through ideas about animality. Students will consider how the classification of certain human groups as “animal-like” shaped legal systems, colonial governance, labour regimes, scientific knowledge, and cultural expression. We will also explore how nonhuman animals were materially impacted by and symbolically implicated in racial projects. 

In the second half of the semester, using the tools and insights developed earlier in the course, you will research and write about a topic related to the history of racialization and/or animalization in a context crucial to your own thesis or Major Research Paper (MRP) research.

Method of Delivery: 

online seminar via Teams

Methods of Evaluation and Weights:

  • Class participation: 10%
  • Class presentations (3 @ 15% + 5% + 10%): 30% 
  • Short Thematic Essay: 20% 
  • Research essay: 40% 

Required Textbooks:

T.B.A.
(Students will be able to access required readings in various ways, including interlibrary loan, as inexpensive Kindle books to read on a laptop, through new and used booksellers, or online through the UofG library. Remaining course readings will be available on the course’s UofG Courselink site.)

 

*Please note: This is a preliminary web course description only. The department reserves the right to change without notice any information in this description. The final, binding course outline will be distributed in the first class of the semester.

**Please login to WebAdvisor, once the course schedule goes live, for instructor and room information.

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