Schutts, Jeff R.

Education and Credentials

PhD (Georgetown University)
MA (Boise State University)
BA (Boston University)

Jeff Schutts brings a uniquely multifaceted world view into his classrooms. A graduate of Boston University (International Relations BA with distinction, 1986) and Georgetown University (MA in German and European Studies, 1997, & PhD in History, 2003), his academic training has been complemented by a rich variety of life experiences. These include service as a U.S. Army officer, activism in support of the international peace movement, involvement in the production of documentary films, and his own transnational status as an immigrant Canadian-in-training. This interest in cultural transfer and cross-disciplinarity is manifested in his PhD dissertation and current book project, Refreshing the Fatherland: The History of Coca-Cola in Germany, 1929-1961, a study of Americanization and Nazi consumer culture that reflects a historian's discipline in evaluating sources, the sensitivities of cultural theorists and the bottom-line pragmatism of political economists. Schutts' other scholarly interests include the function of militarism in modern societies (with research projects that investigate dissent within military ranks) and the role of popular historical films in shaping contemporary understanding of the past. Since moving to Vancouver in 1999, he has taught at Western Washington University, Kwantlen University College, the University of British Columbia, and Simon Fraser University, as well as his regular slate of courses in World and European History at Douglas College.