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HIST 2322 The Development of World Civilization
Course
Description The course will cover the
rise and fall of great world civilizations in the modern era, from approximately
1500 to the present. World History in
the curriculum of American universities increasingly serves as an alternative to
historical narratives which have privileged the European and American
experience. The scope of this
course is necessarily large—the history of the world from the dawn of human
activity to the beginnings of the modern era.
Of necessity then this course must be narrowed theoretically,
thematically, and geographically without destroying the continuity and
complexity of this history. In
addition, the scope of world history provides a useful body of information for
comparative analysis, study of the
role of culture on the individual, and opportunities to explore change through
time in a variety of civilizational contexts. Furthermore, history, as it is
taught and learned, is being constructed now.
The meaning of the past is contested in the present. You make your own
past, telling and retelling stories about the past which explain your world.
In this course, then, we will pay close attention
not only to the “stuff” of world
history but to the uses that history serves in our present.
Through discussion and writing this course will therefore explore
carefully how histories are constructed, how evidence is handled, and the
different meanings attached to evidence. REQUIRED TEXTS
COURSE GOALS 1. Students will be able to describe how quantitative and qualitative changes in global interactions, technological innovation, political organization, and cultural development have contributed to the construction of the modern world. 2. Students will be able to identify significant continuities and breaks in the periodization of the modern era and be able to suggest causes for these critical moments. 3. Students will be able to draw effective comparisons of the differential impact of significant historical, social, political, economic, cultural and global forces on different parts of the modern world system. 4. Students will analyze and interpret documentary and other primary data, developing the skills necessary constructing effective historical arguments and interpretations. 5. Students will become familiar with the key theoretical and intellectual foundations underpinning the study of world history. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Essay # 1: Family History Writing Assignment: One of the objectives of this class is to develop the analytical skills of interpreting documents, developing a coherent thesis, or interpretive argument, from that evidence, and fashioning a written position supporting that thesis which draws effectively on primary evidence. To that end, one of the writing assignments for this course will be an essay developed from the Wiesner text, which require you to make comparisons of the pre-industrial household by using the evidence provided in three chapters of the Wiesner reader. Essay # 2 Book Review A second aim of the course is to encourage students to read outside the text, and to be exposed to some of the central arguments and writers of the emerging field of world history. It is also important for students to develop the habit of analyzing the work of scholars in the field of history and understanding how they fashion arguments from the evidence. To demonstrate both of these objectives, students will be asked to write one analytical book review of a monograph chosen by the student, in concert with the instructor, from the texts listed above in the World Civilization Reading List. See the Course Calendar for due dates. For assistance in writing a book review, see the Writing an Analytical Book Review.
To assess knowledge and comprehension of the subject matter students will take (3) three exams. Each exam will be combine objective questions, short answer identification questions and one or two longer essays. Each exam will be worth 100 points. Each exam covers only the lectures, discussions, and readings assigned before the exam. See Course Schedule for Exam Dates. A study guide will be provided for the exams at least a week before the exam, but your preparation should be ongoing. There will be no make-ups for exams, unless prior approval of the professor has been asked for, either in person or by phone, and granted by the professor. Not all excuses are equal.
Students will during this course develop their skills in analyzing and interpreting primary sources relevant to central questions in World History. They will demonstrate this primarily through a series of exercises conducted in class (in most cases) called document based exercises. Each exercise will be worth 50 points for a total of 150 for the course. The students will be expected to have carefully read the reading assignment upon which the exercise is based prior to the class date. These are not tests or reading quizzes, however.
Attendance is expected. Each class period will be critical to the overall narrative of the course and to each student's success. Examinations will require the successful student to incorporate information from lectures as well as assigned texts so absences will undermine one's chances for success. Attendance will be taken periodically and will contribute to the overall grade. In addition, when discussions are assigned, students will be evaluated on their involvement and understanding of the assigned readings. Do not be absent on discussion dates if at all possible. Come prepared to analyze and explore the central questions and the evidence introduced in the assigned reading. FINAL GRADES
Semester Grades
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Students with disabilities, including learning disabilities, who wish to request accommodations in this class, should notify the Services for Students with Disabilities Office (S.S.D.) early in the semester so that the appropriate arrangements may be made. In accordance with federal law, a student requesting accommodations must provide documentation of his/her disability to the S.S.D. assistant coordinator. For more information, call (361) 593-3024 or visit Life Services and Wellness, Room 125 POLICY ON PLAGIARISM AND/OR ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT Since the value of an academic degree depends on the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student maintain a high standard of individual honor in scholastic work. Academic misconduct is submitting, as one's own work, material that is not one's own. The following constitutes examples of violations for which students are subject to disciplinary action. This list is not designed to be all inclusive.
University policy on academic misconduct states that when the evidence is indisputable, the usual sanction is a grade of F on the particular paper or test, or grade of F for the entire course and dismissal from the class. In this course, the latter sanction will follow. For the university policy in its entirety, see the following: UNIVERSITY POLICY ON ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT NONACADEMIC MISCONDUCT The
university respects the rights of instructors to teach and students to learn.
Maintenance of these rights requires campus conditions that do not impede their
exercise. Campus behavior that interferes with either (1) the instructor's
ability to conduct the class (2) the inability of other students to profit from
the instructional program, or (3) with the rights of others will not be
tolerated. For the adjudication process and student rights in such cases
see page 23, section 100 of the Student Handbook. UNIVERSITY
POLICY ON NONACADEMIC MISCONDUCT |
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