History of World Civilizations--Spring
2004
HIS 102-24
Dr. Brad Austin
Tuesday/Thursday 2:30-3:45 (Sullivan Building 206)
Introduction
We live in an increasingly interdependent and interconnected world today,
and this course is designed to introduce students to the factors and decisions
that helped build this “global village.” Unlike other history classes
you may take, this course will not focus entirely on the nation-state.
Likewise, rather than focusing on regions or empires as independent agents,
we will study them to see how they have related to the themes of globalization
and the creation of the “modern” world. This involves an examination
of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. We will also consider how factors
other than human agency have helped create the world in which we live.
It will be a busy term.
In this course, we will focus on building the following skills and competencies.
The class should help you:
1. Hone your ability to think critically
about historical issues and how people interpret those issues;
2. Sharpen your ability to communicate
your thoughts and arguments in writing and in speech;
3. Develop skills essential to analyzing
historical data and reaching informed conclusions based upon that data;
4. Obtain a basic factual knowledge of this historical
period, the general chronology of events, and the importance of past actions,
events, and ideas to the creation of the modern world.
Contact Information
Office Hours: My office is in the Sullivan Building, room 106B.
I will be happy to meet with you during my office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays,
11:30-1:00, and Tuesdays, 4:00-6:00. I am also available to meet with
students by appointment at other times.
Phone: Work 978-542-7143 (SSC ext. 7143)
Mobile 978-985-3501 (Please use only in case of emergencies)
Email: brad.austin@salemstate.edu
Class Website: I have created a course website for this
class. You can find general course information (syllabus, reading
assignments, office hours) under my personal page at http://www.salemstate.edu/~baustin/courses--home.html.
This page will also provide directions on how to enroll in the course’s Blackboard.com
site for access to lecture outlines and other course documents.
Required Readings
Make no mistake, this course demands a great deal of reading, writing, and
thinking.
Although we will examine other primary sources during class, most of our
readings will come from these books:
· Bulliet, Crossley, Headrick, Hirsch, Johnson,
and Northrup, The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History, vol. II,
Brief, Second edition.
· Wiesner, Wheeler, Doeringer, and Page, Discovering
the Global Past: A Look at the Evidence, vol. II, Second Edition.
· Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart.
Assignments
Classroom Participation
15%
Quizzes
10%
Mid-term Exam
25%
Final Exam
25%
Achebe Comparison Paper
25%
OR
Peabody Essex Museum Paper
12.5%
and Contemporary News Papers
12.5% .
100%
Classroom Participation: Although this is primarily a lecture
class, it cannot succeed without active student participation. You
will learn more (while enhancing your communication and analytical skills)
if you participate in class discussions, and your classmates will benefit
from your insights. You should make every effort to attend each class
session, and I will often take attendance in order to reward those who attend
regularly. Class participation is worth 10 percent of the final course
grade.
Quizzes: Throughout the quarter we will have 5 random quizzes,
but only 4 will count toward the final grade. Together, these quizzes
will account for 10 percent of the course grade. Since the quizzes
are random, it is not possible to make up quizzes.
Exams: Students will take two exams in this class. The mid-term
exam will cover approximately the first half of the course material and will
constitute 25 percent of the final course grade. The final exam will
include some comprehensive sections, but it will focus on material covered
since the mid-term. The final is worth 25 percent of the course grades.
These examinations will include four sections: an identification
section, a map section, a short essay section, and a longer essay section.
A guide to the grading of essays and exams appears at the end of this syllabus.
Paper Assignments:
OPTION A: Achebe Paper: Students will write one brief
(4-6 pages) paper during the course of the semester comparing Achebe’s views
of “civilization” relate to the opinions expressed in a collection of primary
sources. I will distribute a writing guide to explain this project
in more detail early in the semester. Students must submit a copy of
their outline with the final draft. This paper is worth 25 percent
of the final course grade. Again, students should refer to the grading
guide at the end of this syllabus.
OR
OPTION B:
Peabody Essex Museum Assignment: Students should use one of the ten
passes to the Peabody Essex Museum available in the Salem State library to
visit the museum located in downtown Salem. (Salem residents can get in for
free, without the passes). They should explore at least two of the
galleries, taking notes on the materials displayed and their explanations.
Students should then write a 3-4 page paper explaining how these collections
relate to themes we have discussed in class. This paper is worth 12.5 percent
of the final course grade. Again, students should refer to the grading
guide at the end of this syllabus.
AND
Contemporary News Paper: Students should read American and foreign
news acounts of a recent event and write a 3-4 page paper comparing the coverage
and also explaining how events and themes we have discussed in class relate
to the contemporary event. The class web site will include links to
important newspapers’ web sites. This paper is worth 12.5 percent of the
final course grade. Again, students should refer to the grading guide
at the end of this syllabus.
____________________________________
Make-Up Policy: If for any family or medical reason you
find it absolutely necessary to miss a due date, you must contact me before
the due date and have my consent to your absence if you wish to submit your
work later. Without granting such permission, I will not accept late work.
Equal Access Statement
Salem State College is committed to providing equal access to the educational
experience for all students in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act and to providing all reasonable
academic accommodations, aids, and adjustments. Any student who has
a documented disability requiring an accommodation, aid, or adjustment should
speak with the instructor immediately. Students with Disabilities who
have not previously done so should provide documentation to and schedule
and appointment with the Office of Students with Disabilities and obtain
appropriate services.
Academic Honesty
“Salem State College assumes that all students come to the College with serious
educational intent and expects them to be mature, responsible individuals
who will exhibit high standards of honesty and personal conduct in their
academic life. All forms of academic dishonesty are considered to be
serious offences against the College community. The College will apply
sanctions when student conduct interferes with the College’s primary responsibility
of ensuring its educational objectives.” (From the Salem State College
Catalog 2002-2004, p. 293. Students should consult pages 294-295 of
the catalog for further details on Academic Integrity Regulations and in
particular, the College’s definition of Academic Dishonesty).
Week 1(Jan. 20 & 22) Introduction to Course and Syllabus;
Concepts and Framework of World History; the World in the 1400s
Buy Books
Week 2(Jan. 27 & 29) China and the Ottoman Empire
Bulliet, 405-412, 431-437;Weisner, chapter 5
Week 3(Feb. 3 & 5) The Creation of an Atlantic World
Bulliet, Chapter 15Weisner, Chapter 2 Handouts on “Newcomers: the Flow of
Peoples”
Week 4(Feb. 10 & 12) Columbian Exchange, Mercantilism,
and Global Slave Trade Bulliet, Chapters 17;“Why Enslave
Africans” articles
Week 5(Feb. 17 & 19) Intellectual and Political Revolutions
Bulliet, 376-380, Chapter 20
Week 6(Feb. 24 & 26) Political and Economic Revolutions
Bulliet, 444-471Achebe, Part One
Week 7(March 2 & 4) Social and Political Consequences
of the Industrial Revolution Bulliet, 471-480Achebe,
Part TwoOption B: 1st Paper Due—March 2nd
Week 8(March 9 & 11) The Ottoman Empire’s Response
EXAM on March 11th
Week 9(No Class-Spring Break) NO CLASS
Get Some Rest
Week 10(March 23 & 25) Expanding Industrialization,
New Imperialism, and the Great War Bulliet, Chapters 23
and 24
Week 11 (March 30 & April 1) World War I and the Russian
Revolution Bulliet, 545-552, 556-561Achebe Paper Due,
April 1st
Week 12(April 6 & 8) Great Depression and the Rise
of Dictators Bulliet, 563-572Weisner, Chapter 11
Week 13(April 13 & 15) World War II and the Beginning
of the Cold War Bulliet, 573-581Weisner, Chapter 11
Week 14(April 20 & 22) Decolonization, the Cold War,
and Unrest in the Middle East Bulliet, Chapters 27 and
28Weisner, chapter 13
Week 15(April 27 & 29) Islamic Revolutions, and the
End of the Cold War Bulliet, Chapter 29Option B: 2nd Paper
Due, April 29th
Week 16(May 4) The Modern World: Life in the 21st Century
Bulliet, Chapter 30Weisner, Chapter 15