Modern
H421 (24239)/ H521 (15478)
Professor: Didier
Gondola Office
Hours: MW:
Time: MW: 9:30-10:45A Email:
gondola@iupui.edu
Nota bene: This syllabus and other course materials can
be found on the web page (http://oncourse.iu.edu)
and on the homepage of the Department of History. To get to the History Department homepage:
from http://www.iupui.edu click on
ACADEMICS; then SCHOOLS; then IU SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS; then RELATED PAGES;
then DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY; then COURSES and CLASS MATERIALS, then H421-H521.
History
421/521 is dual course offered to undergraduate (H421) and graduate students
(H521). Graduate students who wish to
take this course for graduate credit may not take H421 but rather H521. One of the most important issues in modern
African history is the extent of the colonial impact on African societies. Was colonization a major rupture or a
parenthesis? Have African communities
managed to preserve some of their precolonial traditions in spite of the
colonial episode? Are African societies still influenced by the colonial
legacy? And, to begin with, was
Nota Bene: There are no make-ups and no extra-credit assignments
in this class. Assignments must be turned in on the day they are due. Any late assignment will not be graded. This policy will be strictly enforced.
A. Regular class attendance and
participation in class discussions (10%).
Students will be asked to relate their questions and comments to the
assigned readings in order to facilitate productive discussion and engagement
of the course materials.
B. “Why Were Africans Enslaved?”
Project (10%) 3-4 pages — Due September
22
C. Mid-Term Exam (20%) — October 13.
D. Book Report of Things Fall Apart (10%) 3-4 pages — Due November 8.
E. “Biography of a Country” Project (10%) 3-4
pages — Due November 22
F. Final Paper, 5-7 double-spaced
pages (20%) — Due December 1.
G. Final Exam (20%) includes
only topics covered since midterm — December
13.
All
required readings for the course are available at the bookstore and I suggest
you purchase all the recommended books.
Additional texts and articles we will discuss in class will be posted on
Oncourse. I
strongly recommend that you read them 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.
Bill Freund. The Making of Contemporary
David Northrup. The Atlantic
Slave Trade
Chinua Achebe. Things
Fall Apart
·
·
The Africans (Ali Mazrui, 1985)
·
·
Africans in
·
Women with Open Eyes (1993)
·
The Amistad Revolt. All we Want is to be Free (1995)
·
·
·
Family Across the Sea (1993)
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 reflexion 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…
F. 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
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. Discusing 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.
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.
1. Cheating
“A Student must not submit substantial portions of the same academic work
for credit or honors more than once without permission of the instructor to
whom the work is being submitted.” This
is one among many forms of cheating. For
more details, please refer to the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities,
and Conducts.
2. 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 is
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.
August 25:
Why Study
30: The
Hegel, Geographical Basis of World History*
Curtin,
The Africans’ ‘Place in Nature’*
September 1:
Freund
1 & 2
6: LABOR DAY (NO CLASSES)
September 8: What Is Slavery?
Lovejoy,
African and Slavery*
13: Did Slavery Exist in
Manning,
Why Africans? The Rise of the Slave Trade to 1700*
Northrup, Part II: The Slave Trade Within
15:
Did Europeans come to
Northrup, Part I: Why Were Africans Enslaved?
Freund
3
20:
Is the all Thing about Sugar?
22:
The Making of Slaves: European &
African Involvement
In
the Atlantic Slave Trade
Northrup, Part III: The Middle Passage
“Why Were Africans Enslaved?” Project Due
Discussion: Who Was
Responsible for Slavery?
September 27: To What Extent did The Slave Trade Affect
African Societies?
Discussion: Black Holocaust?
Northrup, Part IV: Effects in
29:
Abolition
Northrup, Part VI: Abolition
October 4:
Amistad:
The Real Story
Black
Holocaust: Laying Claims to Sorrows Beyond Words*
Discussion: Should Reparations be
Paid for Slavery?
Northrup, Part V: Effects in
11: Video:
Family Across the Sea (Gullah People)
13: MIDTERM EXAMINATION
October 18:
From Slave Trade to Legitimate
Commerce
Freund
4
20:
The Scramble for Africa &
European Conquest
Freund
5
October 25:
African Resistance
27: Video:
November 1:
Freund
8
3: Discussion: What is Colonization?
Freund
6
8: Colonial
Changes
Things Fall Apart Book Report Due
Freund
7
10:
Discussion: Achebe, Things Fall Apart
15: The Era of Decolonization
Freund
9
17: The Rise of Nationalism & Independence
“Biography of a Country” Project Due
22: Development Issues in
Video: The Curse of
Rodney:
Colonialism as a System For Underdeveloping
Freund
10
24: THANKSGIVING BREAK (NO CLASSES)
November 29: Ethnic Conflict: Understanding the Rwandan
Genocide
Newbury:
Understanding Genocide*
December 1:
Video: Facing the Truth with Bill Moyers
Freund
11
Final Paper Due
6:
Video: The Africans: A Clash of Cultures
8:
Discussion: Towards Recolonization?
Freund
12
Pfaff:
Mazrui: Recolonize
December 13: Final Examination