Perspectives:
World to 1800
H108 (24180)
Professor Didier Gondola Office
Hours: MW:
MW: 1:00-2:15P Email: gondola@iupui.edu
Please read this syllabus carefully and refer to it as often as necessary
Nota
bene: This syllabus and other course materials can
be found on the web page (http://www.oncourse.iu.edu) and on the homepage of
the History Department. To get to the
History Department homepage: from http://www.iupui.edu
click on ACADEMICS; then SCHOOLS/DEPARTMENTS; then HISTORY; then SCHEDULE OF
CLASSES; then H108.
Course Description
This course is
a survey of World history from circa 1300 to 1800. Students who enroll in this course should
have a background in the knowledge of World Civilizations from the origins to
circa 1300. The objective of this course
is to acquaint students with different cultures, not exclusively Western cultures,
considered from their indigenous perspective as well as in the global
context. The format of teaching is
primarily lecture although slide presentations and video displaying will be
incorporated.
A. Regular class attendance and
class participation (10%).
B. One Page Primary Source Responses
(20%).
C. Two in class exams (there
will be no final exam). The midterm exam
(20%) includes materials (readings, lectures, and discussions) covered from the
beginning of the semester. The second
exam (20%) includes materials covered since the previous one.
D. One Collaborative paper
(30%). The idea behind this assignment is to create a synergy among a group of
students (preferably three students) who are expected to work in a
collaborative way to produce a well researched and skillfully crafted paper. The
contribution of each student should be clearly mentioned on the first page of
the paper. Topics will be distributed in class.
The paper should be 10-15 pages double-spaced, typewritten (preferably
using a word-processing program). Papers that are turned in without being
stapled and numbered will incur a grade cut. Nota Bene: There are no make-ups in this class and
assignments must be turned in on the day they are due. Any late assignment will not be graded. This policy will be strictly enforced.
Schedule of Exams and Paper
Midterm:
October 13.
Term
exam: December 13.
Paper:
due on December 1.
Books [available
at the University Bookstore. Each
student should purchase and read according to the schedule dates the books
required]
All
required readings for the course are available at the bookstore and I suggest
you purchase all the recommended books.
I strongly recommend that you read the sections assigned at least twice
before coming to class. Make notes in your texts or on a separate sheet of
paper and highlight or underline the specific passages you want to discuss.
Bulliet/Crossley/Hendrick/Hirsch/Johnson/Northrup. The
Earth and Its Peoples. A Global History. From 1200 to 1870, Third Edition.
Andrea/Overfield, The Human Record. Sources of Global History. Volume II:
Since 1500, Fifth Edition.
The
classroom is an environment of learning par
excellence. Not only do students
learn from the instructor and by their own critical analysis of the material
but they also learn from fellow students.
It is, of course, an intimate and ever-changing space where students are
constantly asked to share opinions and critically analyze the issues as they
are being presented by the instructor and fellow students. Participation in class discussions is
instrumental in the student’s ability to analyze and assimilate information. Do not feel shy to ask a question, raise an
issue or interject a thought. There are
several ways to get prepared for class discussions. Here are some tips on how students can enrich
discussion of the course materials: (1) Spend time before each class preparing
for discussion by making notes in your texts or on a separate sheet of paper
pertaining to specific passages from the readings that you want to discuss. (2)
During class discussions, when raising a question or point about the assigned
readings, make specific references to texts, authors and page numbers in
question. (3) Listen carefully to an interlocutor’s question and position
before responding and making your own comment. Try not to make assumptions
about your interlocutor’s intentions or motivations based on his/her gender or
origin. Never hesitate to ask your
interlocutor to clarify or restate her/his position.
I
believe that a grade is less a reward for or a penalty against the student’s
intelligence than a reflection of the student’s proficiency to write clearly
and persuasively a paper on a given topic.
Organization and pertinence of ideas, as well as grammar and clarity,
are among some the chief criteria I use in grading a paper. With this in mind I give the following
grades:
D is for a paper written with a
level of grammatical errors that sometimes hinders the comprehension. Ideas
exist but are arranged without a clear logic. Some of them are obscure and
unintelligible. Sentences are confusing…
E is for a paper quickly and
poorly written, with incomplete sentences, and often off-subject. This grade
signifies an unacceptable performance in writing a specific assignment. Usually the content can hardly be grasped
because of a lack of clarity and organization.
Letters
Numbers Letters Numbers Letters Numbers Letters Numbers
A+ 97-100 B+ 85-88 C+ 73-76 D+ 61-64
A 93-96
B 81-84 C 69-72 D 57-60
F 52
Here are some writing tips:
1. “Have something to say, and
say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret of style” (Matthew
Arnold).
2. “The great enemy of clear
language is insincerity” (George Orwell).
3. When writing a paper, do not
make unsupported assertions. Try to
present the most convincing case for your argument. Think carefully and thoroughly about the
evidence you will use to support your position.
Always anticipate opposing critiques of your position and opposing
arguments. Try to answer or address opposing positions as you present your own
position. This will demonstrate that you
are aware of alternative viewpoints and that you are capable of proposing and
defending a thesis.
4. Your paper should not be a
first-draft presentation and organization of your thoughts. Give yourself ample time to read the assigned
materials and to consult appropriate sources before making final decisions
about your thesis statement and the supporting evidence, which will provide
structure for your argument and conclusion.
For example, you might begin writing your final paper by making very
strong statements about a point you aim at defending. However, in consulting the works of scholars
in the field, you may see the need to modify your original thesis, or you may
be compelled to abandon it altogether.
This is to be expected in scholarly research and writing. You should not feel reluctant to change your
argument if your reasons for changing it are more convincing than your original
reasons for posing it.
5. Please take advantage of all
the resources available to you when planning to write your paper. Never hesitate to ask reference librarians
for help in trying to locate scholarly sources.
Never hesitate to ask me for extra help in thinking through your ideas
for the paper. Discussing a topic before researching and writing can help you
think of new ideas and new approaches and sources. It can also save time.
6. Always use page numbering
and a 12 inch-font. Do not hesitate to use footnotes I you think they might
clarify your demonstration. A
bibliography should always figure at the end of your paper. Double-spacing is a requirement. Please, staple your paper; do not join pages
with a paper clip.
7. Last but not least, always
proofread your paper before you hand it in to be graded. Not only does
proofread help rid your paper of any grammatical errors and typos that can make
its content less comprehensible and appealing, but it also helps to consider
re-wording a sentence or improving an existing idea. Proofreading can make a
difference in your grade.
pla.gia.rize \vb
–rized; -riz.ing vt [plagiary] (1716)
: to steal and
pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own
: use (a
created production) without crediting the source ~ vi
: to
commit
literary theft: present as new and original an idea or product
derived from
an existing source — pla.gia.riz.er n
—
From the Merriam Webster’s Collegiate
Dictionary, Tenth Edition, 1997, p. 888.
We’ve entered
an age where the amount of information generated and the technology available
to retrieve it have made it easier for anybody to take verbatim words and ideas belonging to somebody else, without the
author’s permission, without reference to the authorship, and by passing them
as his or her own. This is unacceptable,
especially in the academic environment where copyright laws are supposed to be
known and respected by all. Please
always abide by the following rules:
a.
Never
use and idea that you have borrowed, without referring to the authorship.
b.
Figures,
when not your own, should always be referenced.
c.
There
is nothing wrong in inserting quotes in your work, but always give the source
(author, work, date and place of publication, publisher and page number)
While it’s
hard for some of us to assimilate that words and ideas are also property and as
such are subject to copyright laws, we should always remember the Golden
Rule.
(Also
refer to the Indiana University Bulletin, 1998-2000: School of Liberal Arts,
p. 20-21)
The
classroom is a learning community in which we all need to collaborate in order
to meet our goals. We can only create a positive learning environment through
positive speech and positive behavior.
Rude, sarcastic, obscene, disrespectful, insensitive speech and behavior
will negatively impact the classroom learning community and impede the process
of learning. Positive speech and
behavior create and nurture a safe learning environment where the instructor
and the students respect one another and freely share knowledge. All students enrolled in this course have a
responsibility to create and maintain a safe and positive environment conducive
to learning and intellectual growth. A
learning-friendly and safe environment is one that is free of distractions,
engages and nurtures all participants in the learning process, does not
inhibit, frustrate, demean or dehumanize any individual or group. Students who
use rude and inflammatory language, who distract other students, who engage in
inappropriate behavior, and thus obstruct the learning process, will be asked
to leave as a first preventive step.
Examples of uncivil classroom behaviors:
L
Tardiness
L
Leaving
class early
L
Packing
before dismissal time
L
Eating
L
Chewing
gum
L
Sleeping
L
Vulgarity
L
Sarcastic
remarks or gestures
L
Insensitive
comments concerning race, ethnicity, or gender
L
Interrupting
other students or instructor
L
Not
listening to other students
L
Private
conversations unrelated to the class
L
Not
paying attention
L
Use
of computer for purposes not related to the class
L
Cell
phone and pager disruptions
L
Reading
materials (e.g. newspapers) unrelated to class
L
Cheating
on exams or quizzes
L
Demanding
make-up exams, extensions, grade changes or special favors
L
Inappropriate
emails to instructor or other students
Examples of Civil behaviors:
J
Arrive
on time and remain for the duration of the class
J
Refrain
from conducting private conversations in class
J
Use
appropriate language
J
Show
respect to instructor and other students
J
Listen
effectively and respond thoughtfully and sensitively
J
Come
to class prepared
The Principles of Undergraduate Learning
are the essential ingredients of the undergraduate educational experience at
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. These principles form a
conceptual framework for all students’ general education but necessarily
permeate the curriculum in the major field of study as well. More specific
expectations for IUPUI’s graduates are determined by the faculty in a student’s
major field of study. Together, these expectations speak to what graduates of
IUPUI will know and what they will be able to do upon completion of their
degree.
Core Communication and Quantitative Skills
[Definition:] The ability of students to
write, read, speak and listen, perform quantitative analysis, and use
information resources and technology--the foundation skills necessary for all
IUPUI students to succeed.
[Outcomes:] This set of skills is
demonstrated, respectively, by the ability (a) to express ideas and facts to
others effectively in a variety of written formats, (b) to comprehend,
interpret, and analyze texts, (c) to communicate orally in one-on-one and group
settings, (d) to solve problems that are quantitative in nature, and (e) to
make efficient use of information resources and technology for personal and
professional needs.
Critical Thinking
[Definition:] The ability of students to
analyze carefully and logically information and ideas from multiple
perspectives.
[Outcomes:] This skill is demonstrated by
the ability of students (a) to analyze complex issues and make informed
decisions, (b) to synthesize information in order to arrive at reasoned
conclusions, (c) to evaluate the logic, validity, and relevance of data, (d) to
solve challenging problems, and (e) to use knowledge and understanding in order
to generate and explore new questions.
Integration and Application of Knowledge
[Definition:] The ability of students to
use information and concepts from studies in multiple disciplines in their
intellectual, professional, and community lives.
[Outcomes:] This skill is demonstrated by
the ability of students to apply knowledge (a) to enhance their personal lives,
(b) to meet professional standards and competencies, and (c) to further the
goals of society.
Intellectual Depth, Breadth, and Adaptiveness
[Definition:] The ability of students to
examine and organize disciplinary ways of knowing and to apply them to specific
issues and problems.
[Outcomes:] (a) Intellectual depth
describes the demonstration of substantial knowledge and understanding of at
least one field of study; (b) intellectual breadth is demonstrated by the
ability to compare and contrast approaches to knowledge in different
disciplines; (c) adaptiveness is demonstrated by the ability to modify one’s
approach to an issue or problem based on the contexts and requirements of
particular situations.
Understanding Society and Culture
[Definition:] The ability of students to
recognize their own cultural traditions and to understand and appreciate the
diversity of the human experience, both within the
[Outcomes:] This skill is demonstrated by
the ability (a) to compare and contrast the range of diversity and universality
in human history, societies, and ways of life; (b) to analyze and understand
the interconnectedness of global and local concerns; and (c) to operate with
civility in a complex social world.
Values and Ethics
[Definition:] The ability of students to
make judgments with respect to individual conduct, citizenship, and aesthetics.
[Outcomes:]
A sense of values and ethics is demonstrated by the ability of students (a) to
make informed and principled choices regarding conflicting situations in their
personal and public lives and to foresee the consequences of these choices; and
(b) to recognize the importance of aesthetics in their personal lives and to
society.
1
August 25: Introduction: Why World History?
2
August 30: The Rise of
September 1: Early
Prologue: Primary Sources and how to
Read Them (Andrea/Overfield P1-P18)
The
Video: Conquistadors
3
September 6: LABOR DAY (NO
CLASSES)
September 8: The Mongol Expansion
4
September 13: The Empire of
Video: Basil Davidson’s Africa
September 15: Historical
Encounter: Kongo and
Why
5
September 20: The Protestant
Revolution
A
Protestant View of Christianity (Andrea/Overfield, 72-76)
September 22: The Legacies of the Reformations
Week 7-8. Chapter 19: The Diversity of American
Colonial Societies, 1530-1770
6
September 27: Colonial Economies
and Societies in
Land
and Labor in
September 29: Colonial
Video: The Tribe that Time Forgot
7
October 4: Race, Class,
and Gender in the
Week 8-9. Chapter 20: The Atlantic System in
October
6: The Atlantic Slave Trade
Video: The Amistad
Letters
to the King of
8
October 11:
Video: Africans in
October
13: Midterm Examination
9
October 18: The History and
Political Economy of Islam
October 20: The Expansion of Islam
Video: Islam: Empire of Faith
10
October 25: The
Video: Islam: Empire of Faith
A European Diplomat’s
Impressions of Suleiman I (Andrea/Overfield, 43-47)
Women and Islamic Law in
the
October 27:
The Mughal Empire
A
Self-Porttrait of Jahangir (Andrea/Overfield, 52-56)
Week
11-12. Chapter 22:
11
November 1: The Rise of
Russian
and the West in the Eighteenth Century (Andrea/Overfield, 173-181)
November 3:
12
November 8: The Civil Service
Examinations in
“Doing
Good” in Seventeenth-Century
November 10:
Common
Sense Teachings for Japanese Children (Andrea/Overfield, 15-18)
Social
and Economic Changes in Tokugawa
Week 13-14. Chapter 23: Revolutionary Changes
in the Atlantic World, 1750-1850
13
November 15: The Roots of the
French Revolution
November 17: The French Revolution
The Principles of the French
Revolution (Andrea/Overfield, 188-194)
Video: The Guillotine
14
November 22: The Haitian
Revolution
Video:
Burn!
November 24: THANKSGIVING BREAK (NO CLASSES)
15
November 29: The Impact of the
Haitian Revolution on the Atlantic World
Week
15-16. Chapter 24: The Early Industrial Revolution, 1760-1851
16
December 1: Why did the Revolution
take place in
Middle Class and Working
Class in Industrial
December 3: The impact of the Industrial Revolution
PAPER DUE
17
December 8: Conclusion
18
December 13: Term Examination
_______________________________________________
NOTES: