Course descriptions for our seminars, special topics courses,  
and other non-regular catalog offerings  
for Fall 2009 are listed below.

Students looking for course descriptions for our regular catalog courses  
should consult the course listings in the PSU Bulletin,  
located on our website at www.history.pdx.edu/docs/catalog.pdf.


HST 199/399: Introduction to Judaism
TR  1200-1350
Prof. Meir
Judaism is a religion of ancient ties to a foundational text, a land, a people, and a way of life. It is also a world 
civilization that has undergone surprising changes in its more than 3,000 year history. In this course we will explore 
the religious beliefs and practices of Judaism, from its Biblical origins to the variety of its modern forms. No 
prerequisites.


HST 399: Modern Jewish History I
MW  1400-1550
Prof. Meir
Course description pending from instructor.


HST 399: Canada
MW  1400-1550
Prof. Fulton
A basic introduction to the history of Canada, a rising nation in global politics. Besides history, we will look at 
Canadian literature and films and have guest lecturers share their knowlege of Canada with us. All students are 
invited to join this course to learn more about our neighbor to the North.


HST 407/507: Seminar: Everyday Life in the Ottoman Middle East
T  1000-1300
Prof. Grehan
This seminar will examine everyday social and cultural life in the Ottoman Middle East, mostly in the 18th and 19th 
centuries. We will strip away stereotypes about the region to look more closely at the experiences of ordinary 
people in relation to work, family, identity, community, health, sex, religion, and leisure. Our readings will invite 
us to think about modernity as a historical process, and to identify the social and cultural transformations that slowly 
began to emerge from it.

Prerequisite: HST 300 or consent of the instructor. Students who have not completed HST 300 will be unable to 
register for this course via web registration.


HST 407/507: Seminar: Japan’s Place in World History
T  1730-2100
Prof. Ruoff
Course description pending from instructor.

Prerequisite: HST 300 or consent of the instructor. Students who have not completed HST 300 will be unable to 
register for this course via web registration.


HST 407/507: Seminar: Women and Work in Early Modern England
W  1000-1250
Prof. Litzenberger
Course description pending from instructor.

Prerequisite: HST 300 or consent of the instructor. Students who have not completed HST 300 will be unable to 
register for this course via web registration.


HST 407/507: Seminar: Mongol Empire
W  1400-1700
Prof. Walton
Focusing on the approximately two centuries when the Mongols dominated Eurasia, this seminar will first approach 
the study of the Mongol Empire as an example of a “steppe empire,” beginning with the ethnohistory of the Mongols 
and tracing their adaptation to sedentary rule from Russia to China. We will consider the pax Mongolica, “Mongolian 
peace,” in relation to culture, religion, and commerce along the Silk Roads and contact between Europe and Asia. 
We will make use of travelers’ and envoys’ accounts of their experiences in the Mongol Empire and translations of 
other primary sources as available. Students with background in European, Russian, Middle Eastern, Asian, or 
world history are encouraged to consider taking this seminar.

Prerequisite: HST 300 or consent of the instructor. Students who have not completed HST 300 will be unable to 
register for this course via web registration.



HST 429/529: Topics in U.S. Cultural History I: Populist Cultural Expression, 1890-1945
MWF  1015-1120
Prof. Horowitz
Course description pending from instructor.

Recommended prerequisite: upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.


HST 454/554: Topics in Medieval European History: The Holy Land Before the Crusades
TR  800-950
Prof. Ott
Course description pending from instructor.

Recommended prerequisite: upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.


HST 454/554: Topics in Medieval European History: History of Christianity to 1500
T  1730-2110
Prof. Litzenberger
Course description pending from instructor.

Recommended prerequisite: upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.


HST 497/597: Film and History: Modern Israel
R  1730-2110
Prof. Seidel
Course description pending from instructor.

Recommended prerequisite: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.
 
Department of History  
Spring 2009 Course Descriptions