INDIANA UNIVERSITY at INDIANAPOLIS
Department of History
PROFESSOR
Office: CA 243B
Office Hours: T Th 1:00-2:30pm & by appointment
Tel. (317) 278-9022
E-mail: sstoffer@iupui.edu
TEXTS
McKay, Hill, & Buckler, A History of Western Society—Since 1300 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003)
Wiesner, Ruff, & Wheeler, Discovering the Western Past: A Look at the Evidence, Vol. II (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004)
Equiano, Equiano's Travels: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African, ed. Paul Edwards (London: Heinemann, 1996)
Mill, On Liberty (London: Penguin, 1985)—optional
Klein, All But My Life (Hill & Wang, 1995)
COURSE GOALS
H114 is designed to introduce you to the history of Western Civilization from the early modern era to the present day—an era of human endeavor vitally important to the contours of our daily lives, whether we realize it or not. The course will make use of lectures, textbook/source readings, films, and your own independent analysis of these materials to construct a historical view of the people and forces that have shaped our world. In doing so, it endeavors to sharpen your ability to think critically about the things you read, watch, hear, and subsequently discuss with your teacher and fellow students—an important skill which you will use throughout the rest of your life. The course is thus dedicated to helping you develop skills consistent with the Principles of Undergraduate Learning, as detailed at www.iupui.edu/~history/principlesundergradlearning.htm.
COURSE POLICIES and
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Policies
As a university student, you are an heir to the traditions and expectations of higher education dating back to the Middle Ages. You are entering into a unique relationship with your professor, not always easily defined. As both apprentice and partner, student and teacher, much is expected of you in this course by way of actively learning about the modern world. Class lectures, readings, assignments, films, and discussions are all meant to facilitate that learning process, but the crucial task of integrating the available knowledge into a coherent view of history ultimately resides with you. As your professor, it is my duty to help you reach that goal, and also, of course, to evaluate your level of success in this endeavor.
In accordance with departmental and university guidelines, regular attendance is mandatory for this course. Furthermore, because of the scheduling circumstances of this particular section (Saturdays only), missing any more than one day of class will result in the lowering of your course grade by 2%. Absences may be excused for medical or other dire personal reasons, but written documentation explaining the situation is required. It is possible to make up the first exam or receive a short extension on the paper, provided there is a good reason (usually medical) that the regular date or deadline was missed; otherwise, late work will be penalized at a rate of a quarter-grade per day.
You are hereby reminded that plagiarism (i.e., failing to give proper credit to sources of information and ideas, particularly in the paper) or cheating, if discovered, will beget disciplinary action consistent with the guidelines set forth by the university. For further details, consult the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct at www.hoosiers.iupui.edu/studcode.
Exams
There will be two examinations, each worth 30% of the course grade. The first will be a take-home exam, which will in essence amount to a 5- to 6-page response to a broad, overarching question regarding the first half of the course. The second, a traditional in-class affair, will be comprised of a mixture of short-answer identification items and extended essay questions. Additional details will be provided as the semester progresses, and a review sheet will be distributed the week before the final.
Paper
There is one required writing assignment for the course. Worth 10% of the course grade, this paper will consist of your historical-minded response to the film, “The Return of Martin Guerre.” Specifically, in about 3 double-spaced pages, you should identify what you consider to be the most significant aspects of early modern life, paying particular attention to family relationships, social structure, political hierarchy, religion, the position of women, and/or the overall world-view of the people of this era (at least, as portrayed in this particular film). Illustrate your argument with references to specific scenes and/or characters (a list of which will be made available). The discussion the week following the viewing of the film should help to jump-start your own analysis. Expert knowledge is not expected; rather, drawing on the context provided by the lectures, textbook, and class discussion, you should be able to formulate some basic conclusions regarding the film’s merit. The essay will be due in class on January 31st. One important tip: if you would like help polishing your writing style, the best resource on campus is the University Writing Center, staffed by dedicated faculty ready to offer assistance: CA 427, tel. 274-2049, http://www.iupui.edu/~writectr/.
Project / Paper
GROUP PROJECT OPTION: For this portion of the course grade, small groups (formed either of their own accord or by lot) will take up the challenge of actively “doing” history (or at least editing it). Specifically, each group will adopt one of the chapters to be discussed from Discovering the Western Past (either by general consent or, if contested, by lot) and ask the question, “What’s missing?” That is, “What one additional item would best round out the chapter, making it more representative of the age it purports to reflect?” You should envision yourself as a member of an editorial board, looking for ways to improve the quality of the book and its resonance with college readers. The best approach will be to think in terms of finding a “cultural artifact” that embodies a certain aspect of the era in question. Suffice it to say that the definition of “cultural artifact” is broad, and could include such diverse items as a book, play, song, work of art, film, letter, fairy tale, piece of technology, building, piece of clothing—the more creative the better. (Live performances would be especially welcome.) Each group will need to do some general research on the chapter’s time period, decide on a suitable artifact, and then justify in some detail why it deserves to be included in Discovering the Western Past. Ultimately each group will submit its artifact to the class in a presentation of about 15-20 minutes during the scheduled discussion of the chapter. Group-specific chatrooms will be set up on the OnCourse website to facilitate planning. While no formal paper will be required at the end, each group will need to submit two detailed written reports:
1. An initial 1- to 2-page, single-spaced proposal featuring the following information: the chapter under consideration; group members’ names; the chosen artifact; the potential resources to be used in gathering background information on it; and the specific roles of group members in bringing the project to fruition. Note that while the internet can provide a handy starting point (and in some cases a good deal of useful information), it cannot be the main resource for the project. Scholarly books, academic journal articles, and other such reliable sources should provide the lion’s share of information for the project. The helpful staff at the University Library will be able to point you in the right direction. Due February 14th.
2.
A detailed outline of the group’s class presentation, along with a
finalized list of sources. Additional
supporting documentation may also be submitted if the group so wishes. Due at the time of the presentation
(February 14th-April 24th, depending on the
chapter).
Consultation with the professor during office hours or via e-mail is advised and encouraged (though it would be best for each group to select one point-person to handle this correspondence). The presentation is worth 15% of the course grade; each student’s evaluation will be based on a combination of the presentation’s overall merit with an internal audit of fellow group members’ contributions.
INDEPENDENT PAPER OPTION: Those who prefer to work independently may
write a 6- to 7-page essay (likewise worth 15% of the student’s course grade)
comparing and contrasting the experiences of Olaudah Equiano (Equiano’s
Travels) and Gerda Weissman
Klein (All But My Life), with focused attention directed toward their
perspectives on human suffering. Due
April 10th.
Participation
The level of participation in class discussions of Discovering the Western Past, “The Return of Martin Guerre,” Equiano’s Travels, and All But My Life, along with the quality of responses to the occasional extemporaneous question about the day’s assigned textbook readings will account for 15% of your overall grade. (Specifically, each general class discussion will be worth 10 points, with attendance counting for 5, and the rest assigned according to the frequency and quality of contributions.) So be sure to read the material on time, and if you have questions, by all means, ask them. Those students who simply cannot bring themselves to speak in public may (with the professor’s consent) write a 2-page paper on the scheduled chapter, book, or film instead, due on the day of the relevant discussion. Keep in mind, however, that those taking advantage of this alternative are nevertheless expected to attend class discussions.
Extra Credit
There is one extra credit opportunity, with the potential of adding up to 3% to a student’s overall course grade. Those interested will read John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty (available in the bookstore) and compare and contrast his concepts of liberty and freedom with those espoused by Alexis de Tocqueville (as presented in Chapter 7 of Discovering the Western Past). What core issues unite these thinkers? On what points do they diverge? What accounts for such continuity or discontinuity? The essay should be approximately five double-spaced pages in length, and will be due on March 27th.
Thus, your grade will stem from the following composite: Exam I 30%
Exam II 30%
“Martin Guerre” Response 10%
Project or Paper 15%
Participation 15%
TOTAL 100%
[Extra Credit Option 3%]
“If we do only what is required of us, we are
slaves. The moment we do more, we are
free.” — Cicero
January 10 Orientation
FILM: “The Return of Martin Guerre”
January 17 Introductions
Peasants
Tell Tales
TEXT: McKay 14
DISC: “The
Return of Martin Guerre”
January 24 Long
Centuries
TEXT: McKay 15
January 31 Long Centuries
(cont.)
A Look Inside
TEXT: McKay 18
“Martin
Guerre” Response Paper Due
February 7 The Bounds of
Reason
TEXT: McKay 19-20
DISC: Equiano’s
Travels
February 14 A
Revolutionary Age
TEXT: McKay 16, 21
DISC: Wiesner
2
February 21 Industrialization
and the Cost of Progress
TEXT: McKay 22-23
DISC: Wiesner
6 (all) & 7 (Marx only)
February 28 MIDTERM EXAM
Dreams
of America
TEXT: McKay 26
March 6 The Glory
and Folly of Empire
TEXT: McKay 24-25
DISC: Wiesner
9
March 13 Suicide in
the Trenches: WWI
TEXT: McKay 27
March 20 SPRING BREAK
March 27 Women
on the March
DISC: Wiesner
10
The Search for Answers in an Age of Anxiety
TEXT: McKay 28
Extra Credit Paper Due
April 3 The
Search for Answers in an Age of Anxiety (cont.)
TEXT: McKay 29
DISC: Wiesner
12
April 10 To
Destroy a World and Rebuild It: WW II and the Postwar Era
TEXT: McKay 30
Independent Paper Due
April 17 Can There
Be Laughter After Auschwitz? The Holocaust
DISC: Klein, All But My Life
April 24 Whither
the World?
TEXT: McKay 31
DISC: Wiesner
15
May 1 FINAL EXAM
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!