Philip Whalen

Philip Whalen is a Professor of History at Coastal Carolina University's College of Humanities, specializing in Modern and Contemporary Europe with particular expertise in French history. His academic career focuses on the cultural politics of conflict and memory, regional economic development, and heritage production in France and Northern Ireland.

Dr. Whalen holds a Ph.D. in History from UC Santa Cruz. His teaching encompasses Peace and Conflict Studies, War and Geopolitical Strategy, Modern and Contemporary Europe, and the Holocaust.

His research centers on the cultural politics of conflict and memory in contemporary France and Northern Ireland, with special attention to regional economic development and heritage production. Whalen's scholarship demonstrates a consistent focus on Burgundy, terroir, and the intersection of geography, history, and cultural identity. He examines how regions like Burgundy construct and market their identities through wine, gastronomy, and tourism.

Whalen's publications reveal a clear trajectory from studies of French intellectual history to more focused work on Burgundian regional identity, terroir, and cultural memory. His research shows a progression from examining individual historians like Gaston Roupnel to analyzing broader cultural phenomena like carnival traditions, wine marketing, and tourist itineraries in Burgundy.

Dr. Whalen actively advises the Peace and Conflict Studies Program and the War and Society and the Military Science minors. His interdisciplinary approach connects historical scholarship with contemporary issues of conflict resolution and geopolitical strategy.