The Importance of studying history.
What Is History? It is the knowledge of and study of the past. It is a form of collective memory. History is the story of who we are, where we come from, and can potentially reveal where we are headed. History provides a larger context for living. We are lodged firmly in the present, and the problems that we face can seem unprecedented, and sometimes even insurmountable, but people in the past have faced situations not too dissimilar from what we face today. History is a crucial subject to any society.
Studying history in a college level course will help you develop informational literacy and research skills and a greater sense of personal and social responsibility in a variety of contexts. You will read and respond to secondary texts written by professional historians as well as explore primary sources created in the historical eras you are studying. Historians utilize many primary sources of potential information and insight into the past, including written documents such as letters, memoirs, and official documents, but also oral interviews and non-written sources such as photographs, political cartoons, art, and even some physical artifacts. Studying history will help you develop lifelong practices such as critical thinking, historical empathy, and historical thinking, and these will in turn, help you in more ways than you can imagine.
Faculty
Dr. David A. Sicko, Assistant Professor of History
David.sicko@sfcc.edu
Dr. Sicko joined the Social Science and Humanities faculty at SFCC in 2013, having come from the Four Corners where he taught history at Diné College. Before coming to New Mexico, he was an Assistant Professor at Mississippi State University, Meridian Campus, and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Florida State University. His Ph.D. is in American history, and he has specialized in Early America, Native American history, and Borderlands history.
Steve Martinez, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, History
Phone: 505-428-1516
steve.martinez4@sfcc.edu
Dr. Martinez comes to SFCC with a background in Spanish Borderlands and New Mexico history. He was a visiting professor in the Chicano Studies/History Departments at the University of New Mexico between 1997-2004. His research and writing background is centered on New Mexico’s Territorial Period. Dr. Martinez also teaches history courses at Central New Mexico College. His research collaborations include the University of New Mexico’s Center for Regional Studies at Zimmerman Library and the New Mexico State Engineers Office.
Courses Offered:
History courses regularly offered at SFCC. Note that the Introduction to World Humanities courses are also taught by the same faculty and are therefore listed here.
HIST 1110. United States History I
[Previously offered as: HIST 161] An introduction to the history of the United States from the pre-colonial period to the immediate aftermath of the Civil War. The elements of this course are designed to inform students on the major events and trends that are essential in the understanding of the development of the United States within the context of world societies.
HIST 1120. United States History II
[Previously offered as: HIST 162] An introduction to the history of the United States from reconstruction to the present. The elements of this course are designed to inform students on the major events and trends that are essential in the understanding of the development of the United States within the context of world societies.
HIST 1150. Western Civilization I
[Previously offered as: HIST 111] A chronological treatment of the history of the western world from ancient times to the early modern era. The elements of this course are designed to inform students on the major events and trends that are essential in the understanding of the development of western civilization within the context of world societies. Selective attention will be given to “non-western” civilizations which impact and influence the development of “western” civilization.
HIST 1160. Western Civilization II
[Previously offered as: HIST 112] A chronological treatment of the history of the western world from the early modern era to the present. The elements of this course are designed to inform students on the major events and trends that are essential in the understanding of the development of western civilization within the context of world societies. Selective attention will be given to “non-western” civilizations which impact and influence the development of “western” civilization.
HIST 2110. Survey of New Mexico History
[Previously offered as: HIST 260] An introduction to the history of New Mexico from the preColumbian times to the present day. The elements of this course are designed to inform students on the major events and trends that are essential in the understanding of the development of New Mexico within the context of the Americas.
HIST 2120. Survey of Mexican American History
[Previously offered as: HIST 265] A survey of the history of the Mexican community in the United States with a greater emphasis on 20th century to the present. The elements of this course are designed to inform students of the major events and trends that are essential to understanding of the history of Mexican Americans.
HIST 2130 Survey of Native American History
[Previously offered as: HIST 252] A survey of the history of Native American History from pre-colonial times until the present. This course will explore the cultural diversity of the Native Americans. The elements of this course are designed to inform students on the major events and trends that are essential in the understanding of the history of Native Americans.
HUMN 1110. Introduction of World Humanities I
[Previously offered as: HUMS 211] An interdisciplinary introduction to the cultural contributions and expressions in ancient world civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, emphasizing artistic expression, philosophical thought, and religious practices in these civilizations, as well as historical, scientific, and technological developments.
HUMN 2110. Introduction to World Humanities II
[Previously offered as: HUMS 212] This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to the interrelationships of cultural contributions and values during the Renaissance, Baroque, Enlightenment, Romantic, and Modern eras in Europe as well as those during the same time periods in China, Japan, Africa, other parts of the Middle East, and Latin America. The course will emphasize artistic expression, philosophical thought, and religious practices in these regions, as well as historical and technological developments.
