Monthly Archives: July 2011

The Fall of the Faculty

Posted on July 15, 2011 by briansandberg

What is the biggest problem in American universities? According to Benjamin Ginsberg, a Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, it is the growth of university administration. Ginsberg describes this growth as “administrative blight,” which has come at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Education Policy, Humanities Education | 1 Comment

Genealogist Challenges DAR

Posted on July 15, 2011 by briansandberg

Amateur genealogist Wayne Bates is challenging the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) over the rejection of his relative’s application for recognition of their ancestor as a veteran of the Continental Army during the American War of Independence. Wayne Bates … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival Research, Comparative Revolutions | Leave a comment

Mediterraneans Abandon Diet

Posted on July 14, 2011 by briansandberg

For decades, nutritionists have celebrated the concept of the “Mediterranean Diet,” touted for its focus on vegetables, fish, and minimal meat. Historians and anthropologists have long considered the concept problematic, since actual diets vary widely across Mediterranean societies. Whatever the … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and Cuisine History, French History, Italian History, Mediterranean World | Leave a comment

US-France Women’s World Cup Match

Posted on July 14, 2011 by briansandberg

French historian Laurent Dubois commented on the US-France Women’s World Cup match yesterday. Dubois is a historian of the French Revolution in the Caribbean, but he recently published a book on soccer and politics in France. Dubois’s comments on the … Continue reading →

Posted in French History | Leave a comment

KUT’s Texas Music History

Posted on July 12, 2011 by briansandberg

University of Texas at Austin’s KUT radio station has created a streaming mix of Texas music history that is worth checking out. Texas music history is much more diverse than most people realize. NPR has the story and the mix … Continue reading →

Posted in Music History | Leave a comment

Berlusconi’s Bad Week

Posted on July 9, 2011 by briansandberg

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is having a bad week. Berlusconi announced earlier this week that he would not run for re-election, although some observers see this simply as a political maneuver. Now, Berlusconi’s company Fininvest has lost a legal … Continue reading →

Posted in European Union, Italian History | Leave a comment

Medieval Manuscript Stolen from Santiago de Compostela

Posted on July 7, 2011 by briansandberg

The Codex Calixtinus, a twelfth-century manuscript account of the transportation of Saint James’s body, was stolen from Santiago de Compostela this week. Someone broke into the cathedral archive’s safe and took the manuscript. The loss of the manuscript, which is … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival Research, European History, History in the Media | Leave a comment

Libyan Women Prepare for Combat

Posted on July 1, 2011 by briansandberg

Women have long participated in warfare, despite assumptions that war has been a predominantly masculine activity. Some Libyan women are now preparing for combat to support Qaddafi’s regime. Civil conflicts, such as the Libyan war, often present possibilities for women … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Gender and Warfare, War, Culture, and Society, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Case Against DSK May Collapse

Posted on July 1, 2011 by briansandberg

The case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn now appears close to collapse, after prosecutors discovered serious credibility problems with the testimony of the housekeeper who accused him of sexual assault.  The New York Times reports on the developments in the case and … Continue reading →

Posted in European Union, French History, Human Rights, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment