Time Schedule:
George K Behlmer
HIST 388
Seattle Campus
Introduction to the discipline of history for new or prospective majors. Emphasizes the basic skills of reading, analysis, and communication (both verbal and written) that are central to the historian' s craft. Each seminar discusses a different subject or problem.
Class description
This course will be taught by George Behlmer and Bruce Hevly.
THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT
This course, meant to be a small reading and discussion seminar, will focus on an Anglo-American cultural phenomenon known as the "Arts and Crafts Movement." In part a reaction against the shoddy, mass-produced objects of the Industrial Revolution, this movement stressed the importance of skilled craftsmanship, the use of "authentic" materials, and simplicity of design. Beyond its important awsthetic vision, however, the Arts and Crafts Movement re-imagined the connections between how humans live and what they owe the natural world. This seminar will concentrate on architecture, furniture, and interior design to pursue a comparative history of the movement in Britain and the United States between roughly 1870 and 1920. The required reading will range widely from a utopian novel (William Morris's News From Nowhere) to essays on "craftsman" houses in Seattle. Two or three short papers will form the core of the graded assignment.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
No prerequisites.
Class assignments and grading
Class assignments and grading will be outlined in the course syllabus.
