Hobart and William Smith Colleges

European Studies

Program Faculty
Michael Tinkler, Art, Coordinator
Scott Brophy, Philosophy
James Capreedy, Classics
Rob Carson, English and Creative Writing
Jodi Dean, Political Science
David Galloway, Russian Area Studies
Matthew Kadane, History
Eric Klaus, German Area Studies
Christopher Lemelin, Russian Area Studies
Courtney Wells, French and Francophone Studies
Kristen Welsh, Russian Area Studies
Sarah Whitten, History

Mission Statement

European Studies provides students with a systematic introduction to European culture, a critique of European mythology and origins from several perspectives, and coherent concentrations at the major and minor level. It is an appropriate field for those interested in international politics, global economies, literature, and the fine and performing arts.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the historical and cultural developments of Europe from the Ancient World to the present day, and assess the cultural, historical, and aesthetic contexts that have influenced the development of these traditions.
• Develop a nuanced understanding of the diversity of European cultures and societies, including their languages, religions, arts, and values, and critically evaluate the impact of globalization on these communities.
• Develop skills in close reading, critical analysis, and interdisciplinary awareness of issues facing European cultures over time.
• Engage in interdisciplinary research and creative projects that explore the intersections of literature, art, and history in Europe, and develop innovative approaches to understanding the cultural and intellectual diversity of the region.
• Develop effective communication skills in written and oral formats, using appropriate evidence, argumentation, and documentation to articulate ideas and perspectives about Europe to diverse audiences.

Offerings

The program offers an interdisciplinary minor. Students develop a concentrations, a list of three connected courses, in consultation with a program advisor. Students are encouraged to make connections between this program and courses offered in other departments. Example concentrations are: Europe in Antiquity, Medieval Europe, Early Modern Europe, Gender Systems, Political Culture in Modern Europe. Students pursue a European language through the elementary level.

Study in Europe is recommended (though not required) for all European Studies students and can satisfy most requirements for a minor.

Global Education Programs in Europe

Aix-en-Provence, France
Bath, England
Berlin, Germany (IES Berlin or Norwich University Art/Architecture)
Brussels, Belgium
Budapest, Hungary
Chichester, England
Copenhagen, Denmark
Edinburgh, Scotland
Freiburg, Germany
Galway, Ireland
Grenoble, France
Leipzig, Germany
Lisbon, Portugal
London, England
Maastricht, Netherlands
Norwich, England
Prague, Czech Republic
Rennes, France
Rome, Italy
Seville, Spain
Tuebingen, Germany

European Studies Minor

interdisciplinary, 7 courses
Requirements:
EUST 101 or 102 (HIST 101 or 103 may be substituted in consultation with an advisor); one European Studies theory course; one course in the history of the European fine or performing arts (art history, dance history, film history, music history); one semester of a European language (French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, Russian, Spanish) at a level appropriate to the student; three additional courses focused on a single theme in European Studies. All courses must be passed with a grade of C- or higher. Credit/no credit courses cannot be counted toward the minor, including language classes taken in programs abroad.

European Studies Courses

In general, courses from any department that focus on European history, literature, art, economics, politics, society, or institutions may count toward European Studies requirements. Thus, for instance, courses on the British novel, on ancient Greek philosophy, or on the Russian economy could count for European Studies, as could courses that analyze trans-European phenomena such as the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, or the European Union. A European Studies advisor may be consulted on whether a particular course counts or not.

Theory Courses
The following is a non-exhaustive, representative list of courses that meet the requirement for a European Studies theory course.

ANTH 205 Race, Class and Ethnicity 
ANTH 218 “It Belongs in a Museum”
BIDS 200 Dialogues in Critical Social Studies 
ECON 212 Environmental Economics
ECON 230 History of Economic Thought
ECON 305 Political Economy
ECON 310 Economics and Gender
HIST 176 Western Civilization and Its Discontents 
POL 160 Introduction to Political Theory
POL 265 Modern Political Theory
REL 239 Nihilism East and West
SOC 300 Classical Sociological Theory

Fine and Performing Arts
The following is a non-exhaustive, representative list of courses that meet the requirement for a European studies course in fine and performing arts.
ARTH 223 The Poetry of Color: Painting in Venice (1470-1600)
ARTH 230 The Age of Michelangelo
ARTH 240 European Painting in the 19th Century
ARTH 250 Modern Art 1900-1960
ARTH 270 Early Medieval Art
ARTH 332/432 Roman Art and Politics 
ARTH 333 Art since 1960
DAN 210 Dance History I
DAN 212 Dance History II
FRN 254 French Film
MUS 202 History of Western Art Music: Medieval/Renaissance
MUS 204 History of Western Art Music: Romantic Modern
MUS 210 Remixing Music History
RUSE 204 Russian Film

Concentration Requirements in European Studies

Three courses must be organized around a particular theme that should be chosen in consultation with a European Studies advisor. Students are encouraged to pursue genuinely transnational studies or studies of European institutions and ideas across time. But if a student wishes to concentrate on a particular European society, or a particular period in European history, such concentrations can be accommodated. Concentrations ought to be as multidisciplinary as possible. Within the five courses that make up the concentration, students are required to select courses from at least three different departments.

Sample Concentrations
The following are examples of the kinds of concentrations students might pursue:

Political Culture in Modern Europe:
ARTH 308 Western Art and Censorship
FRNE 395 Society and Culture of the Ancient Regime
POL 265 Modern Political Theory

Medieval Europe:
ARTH 218 Gothic Art & Architecture
ENG 231 Comparative Medieval Literature
HIST 209 History of Medieval Women

Course Descriptions

EUST 101 Foundations of European Studies I: Antiquity to the Renaissance  Arising from the conjunction, over time, of ancient Mediterranean peoples with other indigenous groups, the set of cultures known as "European" continues to influence us. Drawing on art, history, literature, music, and philosophy from Greece Roman antiquity to the Renaissance, this course explores, both historically and critically, some of the core ideas which characterize these European cultures. Offered Fall.