The course spans several academic disciplines from history to political science to literature and class sessions will be supplemented by occasional films, guest lectures, and other special events. This course is organized as a colloquium. Class sessions will therefore be discussion-intensive, and the success of the course will depend in large part on the willingness of participants to come to class prepared. The proposed title of the paper and a brief summary of around 100 words should be submitted to the course instructor by the fourth week of classes. See the below for deadlines.
Essays are interpretive pieces that address conceptual questions raised by the readings.
While relying on sources beyond the required and recommended list, an essay does not aim primarily at uncovering new facts about the world, but rather at offering and supporting a novel interpretation of key events or ideas. An appropriate length for essays is around 15-20 pages. Research papers rely more heavily on presenting interesting empirical data, with careful attention to sources. Research papers should demonstrate a good knowledge of the secondary literature on the chosen subject and must address a clear research question, which should be stated explicitly near the beginning of the text. An appropriate length for research papers is around 20-25 pages.