The Study and Writing of History: Total Institutions: Prisons, Camps, and Ghettos

History Major Standing.This course introduces majors to the practice of history through intensive research and writing. We explore how individuals experienced total institutions closed environments with power dynamics between inmates and guards. We will learn how people experienced, represented, and made meaning of life under conditions of confinement and control in repressive environments such as prisons, concentration camps, cities under occupation, along with other closed spaces (boarding schools, cruise ships). Introductory readings focus on Europe and the US, but students may conduct research on other global regions. The course culminates in an independent research project and 20-page paper based on original research.