Girls with Barbies, East Harlem / Camilo Jose Vergara, Library of Congress
Scholars and students working in this field combine deep knowledge of the history of one world region or nation within the broader context of the world in the twentieth century. Through international, comparative, and transnational historical approaches, we explore the spread of technologies, ideas, and practices across political borders. This field also grapples with the issues that marked the century, such as warfare and diplomacy, migration, trade and economic relations, gender and sexuality, race and the environment.
The study of gender and sexuality is embedded within all areas of historical inquiry. Our faculty explore the myriad ways that ideas about of manhood and womanhood and sexual relationships and identities have shaped, and been shaped by, societies.
The history of drugs and alcohol is more than tracing the development or consumption of mind-altering substances, but the story of how society and culture has shaped, and been shaped by, the use, misuse, and control of such substances.
The history of fascism goes well beyond the rise of Adolf Hitler, encompassing the history of a political thought in modern Europe. Our department is a leading force in understanding the transnational and international forces at work during this tumultuous period.
The Department of History is at the forefront of the burgeoning field of disability history. This field explores the history of how societies and cultures have understood disability as well as the lived experiences of disabled people.