4:00 pm-6:40 pm Thursdays Cavanaugh 215
The Nature of History
This course
will likely change your understanding of what history really is and hopefully
lead you to a deeper understanding and appreciation of history. “The Nature of History” is an introductory
exploration of the meaning, philosophy, and study of history. It examines the emergence of historical
awareness, the writing of history, the evolution of the historical profession,
the creation of specialized areas of historical study, how history affects our
society and culture, and the applications and relevance of history for the
present. It will introduce students to
the methods of and problems associated with “doing history,” the philosophy of
history, the different interpretations of the past, and the uses—and misuses—of
history in American society. The course,
a regular offering of the History Department, is required for the Museum
Studies Certificate and also by the School of Education for those pursuing
secondary education degrees with a social studies concentration. You will find that the class includes
individuals with various interests and experiences, which should contribute to
some interesting conversations during the semester.
Through
your participation in this course and its assortment of readings, discussions,
and exercises, I hope that you will begin to look at history differently,
realize the richness and complexity of studying the past, and ultimately come
to appreciate history as a useful discipline and a worthwhile profession. Among the many goals that I have for the
class, there are two that stand out: (1)
to demonstrate that history is not simply the memorization and
recitation of names, dates, and important events—as teachers have taught it in
our schools—but, rather the interpretation and explanation of the past,
which may change and be revised over time; and (2) that the study of history is
not meaningless, but that it is relevant and useful to our present and
future understanding of who we are as people, societies, and cultures.
Texts
James
W. Davidson & Mark H. Lytle, After the Fact: The Art of Historical
Detection
Warren
Leon and Roy Rosenzweig, eds, History Museums in the United States
Edward
Linenthal, History Wars: The Enola Gay and Other Battles for the American
Past
*Some readings are posted on ERROL,
which is accessible through the IUPUI Library website.
*Other items may be distributed or
posted on Oncourse as appropriate.
Office Location and Hours I
am sharing an office in Cavanaugh 503P so I will not be there all of the
time. I will make a point of being there
before class (around 3:00 pm) and will remain afterwards as needed. If I am not in the office, you may leave
messages with the History Department secretary on the 5th floor.
Telephone (317) 274-3811 – this is the
departmental secretary; I do not have a phone.
E-mail dvanders@iupui.edu or use the Oncourse email – I encourage you to contact
me via email – I will be checking it regularly.
Course Requirements and Expectations. This class will examine a
variety of topics and issues associated with the study and practice of
history. I strongly recommend
that you complete the assigned readings prior to each class in order to help
you understand the lectures and participate in class discussions. While I enjoy lecturing, I would prefer that
this class be more of an ongoing dialogue about the issues at hand. Therefore, I encourage you to ask questions
(a key part of being a historian), offer substantive and fact-based opinions,
and contribute items that you have read or heard about. In other words, this class is also what you
make of it.
Course
Objectives. The study of history is
often misunderstood. People generally
believe that history is simply the memorization of names, dates, and important
events. This course is designed to expose
students to the usefulness of history and historical studies by helping them
learn to: (1) examine, assess, and understand the past and its relevance for
contemporary society; (2) understand the role of historians and history in
society; (3) analyze information and ideas that represent multiple perspectives;
(4) assess and critique historical writings and sources; (5) develop
well-reasoned and well-supported positions on historical questions; (6) express
one’s opinions in a logical and factually supported manner; and (7) think
historically.
The course objectives
relate to the Department of History’s “Principles of Undergraduate Learning,”
which may be found at www.iupui.edu/~history/ugprinciples.html These
principles will help the student to understand and appreciate American history
more fully and to improve critical thinking and communication skills, which are
essential to one’s academic studies and future career, as well as for personal
growth and development, regardless of one’s area of specialization.
Oncourse. Oncourse is an electronic means of extending the
classroom to the Web environment. The
syllabus and all assignments are posted on Oncourse, and I use it regularly to
communicate with the class. Visit the
site at: https://original-oncourse.iu.edu,
log in with your IUPUI username and password, and proceed to the H217
site. If you have not used Oncourse
before, I strongly encourage you to visit the site immediately and use the
online tutorial since I will be using Oncourse to post assignment and
announcements. It is your
responsibility to check Oncourse on a regular basis.
ERROL. ERROL
is an electronic course reserve system through the University Library. Additional readings used later in the course
are accessible at that site, either as a pdf file or a link to an electronic
journal.
ERROL instructions: Log on to www.ulib.iupui.edu,
go to Course Work, then click on ERROL, and click on Electronic
Course Reserves. Either select by
department (History) or instructor (Vanderstel). Click to login to HIST
H217. When prompted, your password
is HISTH217. You now have access
to the other articles for class. NOTE: Please note that the Library may remove some
readings for copyright reasons. If this
occurs, I will attempt to post the readings on Oncourse.
Grades. Course
grades will be based upon the following:
1.
Written exercises 50 %
2.
Midterm exam 20 %
3. Final exam 20 %
4.
Class Participation 10 %
Grading is on a straight scale--90 & above, A; 80-89,
B; etc., with +/- being 3 points above/below the grade cutoff.
Written Assignments. Throughout the semester, each student
will complete several written assignments (approximately 5-6) that address
different questions, research methods, and approaches associated with the study
of history. I will post assignments on
Oncourse or distribute them in class with specific instructions and
deadlines.
Work must be submitted in a neat,
legible, typed form. Make sure that
you save and backup your work AND retain a hard copy of your work for your
files. I am not responsible for lost
work due to computer or printer failure.
Assignments may be submitted
electronically as a Word attachment (not in the body of an email) or as
a hard copy. They must be submitted by
the designated due date. Those submitted
after that date will be subject to a 5% (one-half grade) reduction for
each week, or portion thereof, late.
Exams. The
midterm and final exams will consist of essays that focus on the readings,
lectures, and class discussions. They
must be taken on the assigned day.
Make-up exams will be given only if arrangements are made at least three
(3) days in advance of the regularly designated time; allowances will be
made for extreme emergencies.
Attendance. Attendance is required
for class. Due to federal financial aid policies, the
University requires that I report students who are not attending class;
thus, non-attendance could indeed affect your financial standing. Therefore, I expect you to attend class regularly--because you enjoy the subject, are
enthused by the study of history, or maybe because you think I'm a great
professor! If you miss class, it is your
responsibility to secure notes and/or assignments from someone. I should note
that your attendance and participation (or lack thereof) in class may indeed
affect borderline grades at the end of the semester.
**If,
during the semester, you find yourself having difficulties with the class or
facing personal problems that affect your work and participation in the class,
please see me immediately. I would
prefer to work with you or encourage you to drop the class rather than
issue a failing grade for your non-participation and non-attendance.
Ethics. As
an institution of higher education, the University maintains strict guidelines
for proper academic behavior. Cheating,
plagiarism, and other forms of intellectual dishonesty will not be tolerated
and will be handled in the manner prescribed by Indiana University (IUPUI
Codes of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct), and may result in
a failing grade for the work and/or the course.
Copying and using other student’s work under your name, copying from
other sources and passing the work as one’s own, and using uncited (or cut and
paste) materials from electronic sources (i.e. Internet) are some examples of
intellectual dishonesty.
Cheating is dishonesty of any kind with respect to
examinations, course assignments, alteration of records, or illegal possession
of examinations. It is the
responsibility of the student not only to abstain from cheating, but, in
addition, to avoid the appearance of cheating and to guard against making it
possible for others to cheat.
[IU
Bulletin, 1998-2000, p. 20]
Plagiarism is the offering of the work of someone else
as one's own. Honesty requires that any
ideas of materials taken from another source for either written or oral use
must be fully acknowledged. The language
or ideas taken from another may range from isolated formulas, sentences or
paragraphs to entire articles copied from books, periodicals, speeches, or the
writings of other students. . . . Any student who fails to give credit for
ideas or materials taken from another source is guilty of plagiarism.
[IU
Bulletin, 1998-2000, p. 20]
For more details,
see the IUPUI Codes of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and
Conduct at
http://registrar.iupui.edu/misconduct.html
Over
the years, I have had some unfortunate experiences with students who think they
can fool the professor by passing off someone else’s work as their own. The University has provided numerous
resources to the faculty to help them check students’ work for academic dishonesty. Be assured that this is serious business and
that cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class. Violators will have to deal with the
disciplinary process established by the University.
Cell phones and pagers: In order to maintain a proper learning
environment and appropriate classroom decorum, all cell phones and pagers are
to be turned off prior to the beginning of class. Interruptions by these devices during the
class are cause for immediate dismissal from the classroom for that period.
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*
Schedule of Classes: This is a proposed
outline of topics that we will address in class along with the required
readings; it is subject to changes and adjustments as the semester proceeds. I intend to remain flexible with the schedule
in order to devote appropriate time to the treatment of the many different
subjects, hence the last class day designated as “catch-up day.” To stay ahead, I recommend that you follow
the schedule of readings. If we spend
more time on a subject, I will make appropriate adjustments in the schedule and
notify you of them. If you have
particular issues that you would like discussed in class, please let me know
and I will see if we can fit them into our schedule. If other materials become available for the
class, I will either post them to Oncourse or distribute them in class.
NOTE: Reading assignments for After the Fact
are based upon the 5th edition.
January 12 Course
Introduction - review syllabus and course expectations.
What is History and Why Study It? -- general perceptions and
understandings of what history is and the value of studying it.
January 19 The
Philosophy and Meaning of History: Developing A Sense of “Historical
Mindedness”
Readings: After the Fact, Prologue; Peter N.
Stearns, “Why Study History? http://www.historians.org/pubs/Free/WhyStudyHistory.htm
Historiography
and the Writing of History
Readings: After the Fact, Ch. 5
January 26 “Doing History": Sources,
Evidence, and Research Methods
Readings:
After the Fact, Chs. 1, 3
February 2 Emergence of the Historical
Profession
Readings: http://www.historians.org/info/AHA_History/index.htm
Fields of Historical Study and Applications of
History
February 9 “Remaking American History”: New Fields of
Historical Study
Readings: Degler, “Remaking
American History” (ERROL);
After the Fact, Ch. 2;
Readings: After the Fact, Chs. 6, 7 ; Swierenga,
“American History and the Quantitative Method” (ERROL)
February 16 Museums: Origins and Purposes
Readings: History
Museums, Chs. 1-2, 4; Schlereth, “Causing Conflict, Doing Violence” (ERROL)
February 23 Museums: Living History Museums
Readings: History Museums, Chs. 3, 5, 6; Hurt,
“Agricultural Museums;” Anderson, “Living History: Simulating Everyday Life;”
Schlebecker, “Social Functions of Living Historical Farms,” (ERROL)
Readings: History Museums, Chs. 8-11
March 9 Museums: Material Culture
Readings: After the Fact, Ch. 4; History
Museums, Ch. 12
March 16 SPRING
BREAK – NO CLASS
March 23 Public
History: Oral History and Historic
Preservation
Readings: After the Fact, Ch. 8; Howe,
“Historian in Historic Preservation;” (ERROL)
March 30 Public
History: Monuments and Memorials—How Do We Commemorate and Memorialize the Past;
History and the Movies (?)
Readings: History Museums, Ch. 6; After the
Fact, Ch. 16
HISTORY IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN CULTURE
April 6 Teaching History in Contemporary Society: Textbooks,
Standards, and Teacher Preparation
April 13 The
Abuse and Misuse of History
Readings: Linenthal, History Wars; History Museums,
Ch. 7;
April 20 The
Abuse and Misuse of History
Lipstadt, “Canaries
in the Mine: Holocaust Denial;” Graham, “Who Owns American History?” (ERROL)
April 27 Catch-up Day – we will
use this day for a continuation of our course discussions
May 4 Final
Exam
*Please note that ALL assignments must be
submitted to me by the end of the last week of classes prior to the final
exam.
1-2006