- Early Icelandic and Norse history, based on the sagas and the extensive contacts between the Norse and pretty much everyone else in the entire western Eurasian world.
- Central Asian history, particularly all of the contacts between Buddhist and Islamic groups and cultures over the centuries in what is now the -stans (i.e. Kazakhstan, Tajikstan, etc.)
- The independence movements of nineteenth-century Latin America.
- The cultures of Pacific sailors over the last few centuries, particularly in the points of contact between the sailors of different regions or nations.
- The cult of the Assassins under Hassan I Sabbah in what is now northern Iran in the tenth century.
- History of ninjas. I've never figured out why my (two) friends who do Japanese history won't take this up.
- The intellectual history of free market ideology in the US.
Here are some I could still do eventually:
- The history of atheism in eighteenth-century France.
- A cultural history of casual violence before and after the French Revolution.
- Why Super Mario Bros. 3 is the best video game.
I hate Tuesdays. Stupid 6:00pm discussion section.
On an unrelated note: I have been producing superhuman amounts of mucous. I'm serious. I took an ungodly amount of pseudophedrine today, washed down with a few pints of black coffee, and it just barely cut the misery.
8 comments:
why would you ever want to spend extra time with #1? Of all the books we read in that seminar, the one about Icelandic law/sagas was the one I hated the most - course, that could also be because it was the only one that I read cover to cover. But I stand by my opinion! It was DULL.
Now, carnivals in 16th century Europe.... wait a sec. I already did that. Nevermind. :)
What about the history of tattoed bunnies in Central Asia taking part in 19th century Latin American independence movements? Kind of a melding of interests.
I'm trying to figure out why I had a nearly visceral reaction to the idea of studying the intellectual history of free market ideology in the US... I think it has something to do with my occasional tendency to rant about the distinction between anyone being able to make it to the top and *everyone* being able to make it to the top, along with feeling that a lot can be summarized by the idea that the enlightenment of enlightened self interest has been extinguished.
In any case, fie on Tuesdays.
No-one studies ninjas because there are no records. They strike… and then fade into the night…
I vote for Mario 3. I bet no one has yet covered that.
For real though, teaching world history was mostly a blast b/c those kids could pick research topics and the better kids actually produced papers worth reading, purely out of fascination. I had a good one about the Kashmir conflict and a couple on fairly obscure places and peoples (at least to our general media knowledge), like tribes in South America and drug wars, and histories of Burma/Myanmar and Malaysia. And don't even get me started with what hasn't been covered in India. It's too bad no one is interested in hiring someone on those subjects or like hiring someone who could read a bunch of stuff in different fields and produce something besides dry and boring economic or political world histories that no one actually wants to read.
Good job, brain trust! Keep the ideas coming.
Every time someone comments in my blog, an angel busts a sweet dance move.
Speaking of dance moves, one of the kids recently brought this to my attention:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg
I sympathize with the sinus issues, the docs are having some minimal success with me. I do get to attend a lecture on Vikings today for my Medieval subfield in reference to your unrequited desire to study Norse history. Maybe you can listen to Norweigan black metal as a limited substitute.
Post a Comment