15

CLASS OF 2011: FIELDS OF STUDY AND REQUIREMENTS

Overview of Requirements for Class of 2011

Concentrators in History and Literature choose from the following fields of study:

America
Latin America
Modern Europe
Postcolonial Studies
Early Modern Europe
Medieval Europe

Every History and Literature concentrator must complete 14 half-courses in his or her field of study:
5 half-courses of tutorial (one of HL97 and two each of HL98 and HL99)
1 half-course that meets the foreign literature requirement
8 half-courses that meet field requirements (described under each field below)

Each of the fields offers substantial opportunities to construct a highly individualized plan of study, and for this reason, students are asked to reflect on the broader themes and questions that
inform their choice of courses. At the end of the sophomore year, students are required to submit to the Co-Chairs of the Committee on Instruction the Plan of Concentration and the Sophomore Statement, a paragraph describing the purposes and goals of their plan of study. All plans must demonstrate coverage of the field and coherence. See the section on “Developing a Coherent Plan of Study” in this handbook.

AMERICA (1607 to the present)
Study of the field of America gives students the opportunity to examine history and literature from first settlement (1607) to the present. The new field requirements are designed to promote comparative work within the field by emphasizing America’s relationship with its neighbors and former colonies, or by investigating cultural exchanges among diverse populations within the United States. Students interested in transatlantic or hemispheric comparisons may take courses to expand their knowledge in these areas. Students are encouraged to integrate their foreign literature and non-U.S. history courses into plans of study that balance breadth and depth of coverage while providing overall coherence.

Students' plans of concentration, designed in consultation with their tutors, should be reasonably balanced between history and literature and must include the following:

One half-course in the literature of a foreign language, with reading assignments in the original language. The course must be listed in the courses that fulfill the foreign literature requirement and the grade must be a B- or higher. This requirement must be completed by the end of the junior year. Students fulfilling the foreign literature requirement with a language citation may request permission from the Assistant Director of Studies to complete the requirement in the fall of senior year. However, students should be aware that in the event that they do not receive an honors grade (B- or higher) in the course to be counted for concentration credit, they may not be able to graduate on time.

Eight (8) half-courses, of which:

• Two (one history and one literature) must be in the period 1607-1800;

• Two (one history and one literature) must be in the period from 1800-1900.

In addition to these period requirements, a student’s eight half-courses must include:

• One half-course lecture or survey in history that substantially covers at least one century.

• At least one half-course in history that emphasizes the relationship between America and its neighbors, or current territories and former colonies, or examines multi-lingual/multi-cultural populations within America.

• One half-course lecture or survey in literature that substantially covers at least one century.

• At least one half-course in literature that emphasizes the relationship between America and its neighbors, or current territories and former colonies, or examines multi-lingual/multi-cultural populations within America.

Please note that a particular course can fulfill more than one of the above requirements. For example, a student might take a 19th-century literature course that is a survey, but which also addresses the relationship between America and its neighbors. In this case, the student will have met three requirements with one course. With careful planning, a student may design a plan of study that allows him or her more elective courses in the America field.

Students who are interested in developing expertise in the comparative study of America and another national field in Europe ("transatlantic studies") or in Latin America ("hemispheric studies") may allocate two of their eight half-courses to courses in history and literature that meet these interests. In their Sophomore Statement, submitted at the end of the sophomore year, students who choose this option must explain the relevance of these courses within their plan of study. Students with broader comparative interests may consider adding a secondary field in English (British literature), History, Romance Languages and Literature, German, or Slavic to supplement their study of America.

SAMPLE PLANS in AMERICA

LATIN AMERICA (1492 to the present)
Students in the Latin America field will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of conquest and colonization; colonial institutions; indigenous societies and their interaction with Europeans; literary documents, principally crónicas and poetry, of the contact period; independence movements of the nineteenth century; novels, expository prose and poetry of this period of national self-definition; and a general historical and literary knowledge of the twentieth century.
Students should be in the process of acquiring a reading knowledge of Spanish during the sophomore year. Knowledge of Portuguese is not required except for those students specializing in Brazil.

Students' plans of concentration, designed in consultation with their advisors, must demonstrate coverage of the field and coherence. The student's program should be balanced between history and literature and must ordinarily include the following:

One half-course in the literature of a foreign language relevant to the student’s studies, with reading assignments in the original language. The course must be listed in the courses that fulfill the foreign literature requirement and the grade must be a B- or higher. This requirement must be completed by the end of the junior year. Students fulfilling the foreign literature requirement with a language citation may request permission from the Assistant Director of Studies to complete the requirement in the fall of senior year. However, students should be aware that in the event that they do not receive an honors grade (B- or higher) in the course to be counted for concentration credit, they may not be able to graduate on time.

Eight (8) half-courses, of which:

• Two (one history and one literature) must be in the period before 1800;

• Two (one history and one literature) must be in the period from 1800-1900.

In addition to these period requirements, a student’s eight half-courses must include:

• One half-course lecture or survey in history that substantially covers at least one century.

• At least one half-course in history that emphasizes the relationship between countries within Latin America, or between Latin America and the U.S. or Europe, or examines multi-lingual/multi-cultural populations within Latin America.

• One half-course lecture or survey in literature that substantially covers at least one century.

• At least one half-course in literature that emphasizes the relationship between countries within Latin America, or between Latin America and the U.S. or Europe, or examines multi-lingual/multi-cultural populations within Latin America.

Please note that a particular course can fulfill more than one of the above requirements. For example, a student might take a 19th-century literature course that is a survey, but which also addresses the relationship between countries within Latin America. In this case, the student will have met three requirements with one course. With careful planning, a student may design a plan of study that allows him or her more elective courses in the Latin America field.

Students who are interested in developing expertise in the comparative study of Latin America and the U.S. ("hemispheric studies") or Latin America and a European country ("transatlantic studies") may allocate two of their eight half-courses to courses in history and literature that meet these interests. In their Sophomore Statement, submitted at the end of the sophomore year, students who choose this option must explain the relevance of these courses within their plan of study. Students with broader comparative interests may consider adding a secondary field in English, History, Romance Languages and Literature, German, or Slavic to supplement their study of Latin America.

SAMPLE PLANS in LATIN AMERICA

POSTCOLONIAL STUDIES
The postcolonial studies field enables regional specializations in areas of the world that have experienced colonialism. At the same time, it provides students with the conceptual tools to explore cultural intersections that go beyond national and territorial boundaries. The field draws upon the growing body of literary and historical texts that have specific regional provenances but embody visions of the transnational exchange of ideas, practices, and peoples. It allows students to connect the experiences of colonization to contemporary problems of globalization through the study of such themes and issues as the emergence of national and ethnic literatures, discourses of migration and diaspora, movements of labor and capital, the rights and representations of minorities, and the negotiation of cultural differences.

Students design a plan of concentration in consultation with their advisors that focuses on a particular region of postcolonial interest. Possible regions include but are not limited to Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. In their Sophomore Statement, submitted at the end of the sophomore year, students must declare their primary and secondary regions of focus and detail the purposes and goals of their plan of concentration.

Plans of concentration should be reasonably balanced between history and literature and must include the following:

Eight (8) half-courses, of which:

• One must focus primarily on the period before 1750;

• One must focus on the period between 1750 and 1900.

In addition to these period requirements, a student’s eight half-courses must include:

• One half course in literature that considers materials from a comparative and specifically postcolonial perspective. Possible courses: English 166x: The Postcolonial Classic, English 167p: Postcolonial Narratives, or by petition a reasonable substitute.

• One half course on the history of the colonial and postcolonial world that considers materials from a comparative or transregional perspective. Possible courses: History 1895: The Indian Ocean in Comparative Perspective, History 1916: British Colonial Violence in the 20th Century, or by petition a reasonable substitute.

• Three half courses directly related to the student’s primary region of focus, two of which must cover different eras as determined in consultation with the student’s tutor and the COI Co-Chair. These courses must be chosen from the list of courses that count for concentration credit in the Postcolonial field. Together these courses should offer a sense of temporal continuity and change in the student’s chosen region of focus.

• One half course related to a second region of focus. This course must be chosen from the list of courses that count for concentration credit in the Postcolonial field.

• Of the two required concentration half courses remaining, students may choose any combination of the following:

A) courses that count for concentration credit in the Postcolonial field; or

B) courses not necessarily related to postcolonial questions but that treat the history and/or literature of either the primary or secondary region of focus and/or its metropole.

Please note that a particular course can fulfill one of the above requirements as well as a period requirement. For example, a student might take a history course that focuses on the period before 1750, which will also work as a course related to the student’s primary region of focus.

SAMPLE PLANS in POSTCOLONIAL STUDIES

MODERN EUROPE (1750 to the present)
The Modern Europe field enables students to concentrate on the interaction between modern European nation states from 1750 to the present. While the field recognizes the individuality of national cultures, it is inherently comparative. Students learn to analyze and to interpret literary and historical texts from specific regional or national provenances, but they also learn to examine the vibrant transnational exchanges of ideas, practices, and peoples that constitute modern European culture and society. The field allows students to connect nation-states to trans-European trends and events, including the French Revolution, European colonialism, the October Revolution, the two World Wars, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the creation of the European Union. It introduces them to the study of such themes and issues as the consolidation and standardization of national languages, the emergence of national and ethnic literatures, the development of certain literary genres and literary criticism, the rise of "modern" aesthetics in art and philosophy, transnational emigration and immigration, movements of labor and capital, the rights and representations of minorities, and the negotiation and representation of ethnic and cultural difference.

Students' plans of concentration, designed in consultation with their advisors, will identify a particular nation or geographic region as the primary focus. Possible nations include, but are not limited to: Britain, France, Germany, and Russia; possible regions within Modern Europe include, but are not limited to, Central and Eastern Europe.

In their Sophomore Statement, submitted at the end of the sophomore year, students must declare their primary focus within the Modern Europe field and detail the purposes and goals of their plan of concentration. Plans must demonstrate coverage of the field and coherence. Plans of concentration should be reasonably balanced between history and literature and must contain the following:

One half-course in European literature that considers materials from a comparative and specifically European perspective. Students should choose a course that fits the goals of their plan of concentration.

Seven (7) half-courses directly related to the student's primary focus within the Modern Europe field, including the following:

• One half-course lecture or survey in history that substantially covers at least one century.

• At least one half-course in history that emphasizes the relationship between the primary focus and its neighbors, current and former colonies, or multi-lingual/multi-cultural national populations.

• At least one half-course in literature that emphasizes the relationship between the primary focus and its neighbors, current and former colonies, or multi-lingual/multi-cultural national populations

Students who are interested in developing expertise in the comparative study of their primary focus and another national field in Europe may allocate two of their seven half-courses to courses in history and literature that meet these interests. In their Sophomore Statement, submitted at the end of the sophomore year, students must demonstrate the coherence of a plan of study that includes these courses. Students with broader comparative interests are encouraged to consider adding electives (above the 14 half-courses required) in the second national field and/or adding a secondary field in Romance Languages and Literature, German, or Slavic to supplement their study of Modern Europe.

SAMPLE PLANS in MODERN EUROPE

EARLY MODERN EUROPE (1300-1750)
In this large and rich field, attention is given chiefly, but not exclusively, to two or three national traditions selected at the end of the sophomore year in consultation with the student's tutor. As with the Modern Europe field, the Europe 1300-1750 field recognizes the individuality of national cultures while emphasizing an inherently comparative focus. Students learn to analyze and to interpret literary and historical texts from specific regional or national provenances, but they also learn to examine the vibrant transnational exchanges of ideas, practices, and peoples that constitute early modern European culture and society.

Possible themes of study might include the Italian and Northern Renaissance; the rise of vernacular literatures and the shift from manuscript to print culture; humanism and individualism; the development of urban institutions and civic identity; voyages of discovery and the colonial experience; intellectual and cultural exchanges between the Old World and the New; Reformation and Counter-Reformation; the Scientific Revolution; changing concepts of gender, family, sex, and marriage; nation formation and court society; and the secular philosophical movement widely known as the Enlightenment.

In their Sophomore Statement, submitted at the end of the sophomore year, students must declare their primary focus within the Early Modern Europe (1300-1750) field and detail the purposes and goals of their plan of concentration. Students' programs of study may be based either entirely in Europe or may include a component related to the European colonies in Africa, Asia, and/or the Americas. All students will also be expected to acquire reading knowledge of a foreign language – Latin, French, Italian, Spanish, or German – relevant to their plans of study.

Plans of concentration should be reasonably balanced between history and literature and must contain the following:

Eight (8) half-courses, including the following:

• Four half-courses (two in history and two in literature) directly related to the student's primary national focus within the Early Modern Europe (1300-1750) field.

• Two half-courses (one in history and one in literature) related to a second national focus or emphasizing the relationship between the primary focus and its neighbors, colonies, or multi-lingual/multi-cultural national populations.

• Of the two required concentration half-courses remaining, students may select any of the courses that count for the Early Modern Europe (1300-1750) field. In conversation with their tutor, students should choose courses that will contribute to the overall coherence of their plan of study.

Students with broader comparative interests may consider adding a secondary field in English, History, History of Art and Architecture, Romance Languages and Literature, German, or Slavic to supplement their study of Europe 1300-1750.
SAMPLE PLAN in EARLY MODERN EUROPE (1300-1750)

MEDIEVAL EUROPE (ca. 400 to 1500)
The study of Europe, ca. 400 to 1500. Students study themes such as the papacy, the Crusades, heresy, monasticism, and millenarianism; the rise of universities and the growth of towns; the transition from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages; the “waning of the Middle Ages” and the birth of modernity; medieval art and architecture; feudalism and the rise of the nation state; plagues and perceptions of the body; Renaissance; the interplay of Latin and vernacular cultures; oral and written cultures; popular piety and anti-Semitism; Arthurian literature, troubadours, and courtly love; epic and romance; etc.

Attention is given chiefly, but not exclusively, to one broad geographic region within Europe: the British Isles, continental Western Europe, and Scandinavia are the most typical regional choices, though other regional delineations may be selected in consultation with the Director of Studies. Concentrators in the Middle Ages field must attain a reading knowledge of one relevant language. Latin is strongly encouraged, either in fulfillment of this language requirement or in addition. A comparative and/or cross-regional history lecture course (such as History 10a or History 1101) and an equivalent introductory course in literature (such as English 10a) are also strongly recommended early in students’ programs.

In their Sophomore Statement, submitted at the end of the sophomore year, students must declare their primary focus within the Medieval Europe field and detail the purposes and goals of their plan of concentration.

Plans must demonstrate coverage of the field and coherence. Plans of concentration should be reasonably balanced between history and literature and must contain the following:

Eight (8) half-courses, including the following:

• Two half-courses (one history and one literature) related to the student’s primary region of interest, and which emphasize the period before 1000.

• Two half-courses (one history and one literature) related to the student’s primary region of interest, and which emphasize the period after 1000.

• Two half-courses (one history and one literature) related to a second region of interest.

• Of the two required concentration half-courses remaining, students may select any of the courses that count for the Medieval Europe field. In conversation with their tutor, students should choose courses that will contribute to the overall coherence of their plan of study.

SAMPLE PLAN in MEDIEVAL EUROPE