Get introduced to general trends in global history
You will study two handbooks on Medieval and Early Modern History, an introduction to Dutch history, and specific sources and literature on transatlantic and colonial history. Finally, you will learn more about historical methods in Oral History & Biography.
Often, the perception of the Netherlands at home and abroad is ridden with stereotypes. It is a country of cheese, herring and coffeeshops. Canals, clogs, windmills and a very liberal attitude to life choices are also elements in this imagery. The struggle against water is yet another recurring theme in the way the Dutch are perceived and see themselves. In this course, you will study the last 500 years of Dutch history and discover the connections with current times.
This course is also offered in period 4 and 5, with course code L_GCBAALG004
The long-distance covered by humanity has resulted in the world we are in today. Throughout the past, people and movements have worked towards offering the world a different face. Without the close study of that past, much of the present world cannot be understood. This course presents a concise overview of the major episodes in European cultural history, from Classical Antiquity and the Middle Ages to early modern, modern and contemporary history, thereby highlighting the links with art and culture.
The history of emotions is a booming field of interest amongst historians. During this course you explore how emotional cultures were shaped by the increasingly complex societies of urbanizing Europe in the early modern period.
Why are some parts of the world richer than others? This course reviews the history of global inequality and theories of what caused it We will discuss the role of climate and technology, colonialism and imperialism, the Industrial Revolution, institutions and culture, decolonisation, the Cold War and development aid.
Some historians insist a historian comes to know the past by literally rethinking the ideas of historic figures. Therefore, all history becomes the history of thought (Flynn 1974). Although, social sciences investigate phenomena through methods/methodologies and fieldwork that yield empirical evidence. In other words, social scientists look at phenomena by following perceptions, while historians look through them by rethinking what was perceived. This course, as a skill-learning course, introduces students to ethnography, its interdisciplinary use, and how ethnography can be included in historians' toolboxes.
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