Perspectives: World 1800 to Present
Fall 2011- Monday & Wed. 10:30- 11:45 H109 (13215)
Instructor: Amal Cavender Office: CA 313- B
Office Hours: MW: 12:00‐1:00
Email:
Phone: 274‐3811
Course Description
This course is a survey of World history from 1800 up to the present. The objective ofthis course is to acquaint students with different world societies, patterns, and eventsthrough the “Three Cs” approach stressing Change, Comparison and Connection. Theteaching format is primarily lecture although slide presentations, and video displayingwill be incorporated. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in classdiscussions and to ask questions about the materials covered.
Course Requirements
A. Regular class attendance and class participation (10%).
B. 4 quizzes (10%)- the lowest grade will be dropped.
C. One in-class exam. The mid-term exam (20%) includesmaterials (readings, lectures, and discussions) covered from the beginning of thesemester.
D. One Final exam (35%), includes all materials (readings, lectures, and discussions) covered from the beginning of the semester.
E. One Collaborative paper (25%). The idea behind this assignment is to create asynergy among a group of students (preferably three students) who are expected towork 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 ofthe paper. The paper should be 5- 6 pages double-spaced, typewritten (preferably using a word processing program). Students who wish to opt out of the collaborativepaper and write their own individual paper instead will be required to submit a 3-4page paper. Topics will be posted on Oncourse shortly after the beginning of thesemester. Papers should be submitted in both electronic (via Oncourse) and paperform. Papers that are turned in without being stapled and numbered will incur agrade cut. IMPORTANT: 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.
Book
Robert W. Strayer. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History. Volume 2: Since 1500
[available at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore in the StudentCenter. 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..
Class Attendance
Students are required to attend class on a regular basis. They should come to class ontime and keep any scheduled assignment. My attendance policy is clear and will bestrictly enforced. Because emergencies occur in everybody’s life you’re allowed to missclass twice during the semester without providing any justification. Please do not call oremail to inform me of your first and second absence. Missing class five times afterexhausting your two allowances will cost you an F for class participation. Missing classsix times will be an automatic F for the class. If for extraordinary reasons you anticipatebeing unable to meet a deadline, I strongly suggest that you make an appointment withme beforehand (not after the fact) to discuss your particular situation. .
Class Participation
The classroom is an environment of learning par Excelence. Not only do students learnfrom the instructor and by their own critical analysis of the material but they also learnfrom fellow students. It is, of course, an intimate and ever‐changing space wherestudents are constantly asked to share opinions and critically analyze the issues as theyare being presented by the instructor and fellow students. Participation in classdiscussions 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 severalways to get prepared for class discussions. Here are some tips on how students canenrich discussion of the course materials: (1) Spend time before each class preparing fordiscussion by making notes in your texts or on a separate sheet of paper pertaining tospecific passages from the readings that you want to discuss. (2) During classdiscussions, when raising a question or point about the assigned readings, make specificreferences to texts, authors and page numbers in question. (3) Listen carefully to aninterlocutor’s question and position before responding and making your own comment.
Try not to make assumptions about your interlocutor’s intentions or motivations basedon his/her gender or origin. Never hesitate to ask your interlocutor to clarify or restateher/his position.
Paper Grading Policy
I believe that a grade is less a reward for or a penalty against the student’s intelligencethan a reflection of the student’s proficiency to write clearly and persuasively a paper ona given topic. Organization and pertinence of ideas, as well as grammar and clarity, areamong some the chief criteria I use in grading a paper. With this in mind I give thefollowing grades:
A means that the paper is written with grace and clarity. The student has
demonstrated mastery in writing clearly and organizing ideas methodically on a given
topic. Ideas are not randomly thrown here and there but are complementary andcohesive elements of a well‐organized paper.
B is above average. Ideas flow well. Grammatical errors are minimal.
C is for an average paper that complies with the topic assigned or chosen. Thestudent has done just what I asked for. Grammar is fair and content is intelligible.
D is for a paper written with a level of grammatical errors that sometimes hindersthe comprehension. Ideas exist but are arranged without a clear logic. Some of them areobscure and unintelligible. Sentences are confusing…
Fis for a paper quickly and poorly written, with incomplete sentences, and often offsubject. This grade signifies an unacceptable performance in writing a specificassignment. Usually the content can hardly be grasped because of a lack of clarity andorganization.
Here is my grading chart:
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
A- 89-92 B- 77-80 C- 65-68 D- 53-56
F 0-52
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 themost convincing case for your argument. Think carefully and thoroughly about theevidence you will use to support your position. Always anticipate opposing critiquesof your position and opposing arguments. Try to answer or address opposingpositions as you present your own position. This will demonstrate that you areaware of alternative viewpoints and that you are capable of proposing anddefending a thesis.
4. Your paper should not be a first‐draft presentation and organization of yourthoughts. Give yourself ample time to read the assigned materials and to consultappropriate sources before making final decisions about your thesis statement andthe supporting evidence, which will provide structure for your argument andconclusion. For example, you might begin writing your final paper by making verystrong statements about a point you aim at defending. However, in consulting theworks of scholars in the field, you may see the need to modify your original thesis, oryou may be compelled to abandon it altogether. This is to be expected in scholarlyresearch and writing. You should not feel reluctant to change your argument if yourreasons 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 writeyour paper. Never hesitate to ask reference librarians for help in trying to locatescholarly sources. Never hesitate to ask me for extra help in thinking through yourideas for the paper. Discussing a topic before researching and writing can help youthink 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 Iyou think they might clarify your demonstration. A bibliography should alwaysfigure at the end of your paper. Double-spacing is a requirement. Please, stapleyour 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 proofreading help rid your paper of any grammatical errors and typosthat can make its content less comprehensible and appealing, but it also helps toconsider re-wording a sentence or improving an existing idea. Proofreading canmake a difference in your grade.
Pla.gia.rize\vb-rized; -rizing 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 ∼:1 : 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 Meriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, 1997, p. 888.
We’ve entered an age where the amount of information generated and the technologyavailable to retrieve it have made it easier for anybody to takewords and ideasbelonging to somebody else, without the author’s permission, without reference to theauthorship, and by passing them as his or her own. This is unacceptable, especially inthe academic environment where copyright laws are supposed to be known andrespected 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 andas such are subject to copyright laws, we should always remember the Golden Rule.
(Also refer to the IndianaUniversity Bulletin: School of Liberal Arts)IUPUI has also a unique agreement with “Turnitin.com” that allows faculty to runelectronic papers submitted by students through this document search utility. I have a zero tolerance policy for plagiarism and will (1) give a grade “0” to any plagiarizedassignment and (2) report the student to the Dean of Student Affairs Office.
Civility Statement
The classroom is a learning community in which we all need to collaborate in order tomeet our goals. We can only create a positive learning environment through positivespeech and positive behavior. Rude, sarcastic, obscene, disrespectful, insensitivespeech and behavior will negatively impact the classroom learning community andimpede the process of learning. Positive speech and behavior create and nurture a safelearning environment where the instructor and the students respect one another andfreely share knowledge. All students enrolled in this course have a responsibility tocreate and maintain a safe and positive environment conducive to learning andintellectual growth. A learning‐friendly and safe environment is one that is free ofdistractions, engages and nurtures all participants in the learning process, does notinhibit, frustrate, demean or dehumanize any individual or group. Students who userude and inflammatory language, who distract other students, who engage ininappropriate behavior, and thus obstruct the learning process, will be asked to leave asa first preventive step.
Examples of uncivil classroom behaviors:
Tardiness
Leaving class early
Packing before dismissal time
Eating
Chewing gum
Sleeping
Vulgarity
Sarcastic remarks or gestures
Insensitive comments concerning race, ethnicity, or gender
Interrupting other students or instructor
Not listening to other students
Private conversations unrelated to the class
Not paying attention
Use of computer for purposes not related to the class
Cell phone and pager disruptions
Reading materials (e.g. newspapers) unrelated to class
Cheating on exams or quizzes
Demanding make‐up exams, extensions, grade changes or special favors
Inappropriate emails to instructor or other students
Examples of civil classroom behaviors:
Arrive on time and remain for the duration of the class
Refrain from conducting private conversations in class
Use appropriate language
Show respect to instructor and other students
Listen effectively and respond thoughtfully and sensitively
Come to class prepared
The IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning
The Principles of Undergraduate Learning are the essential ingredients of theundergraduate educational experience at IndianaUniversityPurdueUniversity
Indianapolis. These principles form a conceptual framework for all students’ generaleducation 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 astudent’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 necessaryfor all IUPUI students to succeed.
[Outcomes:] This set of skills is demonstrated, respectively, by the ability (a) to expressideas 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 groupsettings, (d) to solve problems that are quantitative in nature, and (e) to make efficientuse of information resources and technology for personal and professional needs.
Critical Thinking
[Definition:] The ability of students to analyze carefully and logically information andideas from multiple perspectives.
[Outcomes:] This skill is demonstrated by the ability of students (a) to analyze complexissues and make informed decisions, (b) to synthesize information in order to arrive atreasoned conclusions, (c) to evaluate the logic, validity, and relevance of data, (d) tosolve challenging problems, and (e) to use knowledge and understanding in order togenerate 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, Breath, 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 substantialknowledge and understanding of at least one field of study; (b) intellectual breadth isdemonstrated by the ability to compare and contrast approaches to knowledge indifferent disciplines; (c) adaptiveness is demonstrated by the ability to modify one’sapproach to an issue or problem based on the contexts and requirements of particularsituations.
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
United States and internationally.
[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 theirpersonal and public lives and to foresee the consequences of these choices; and (b) torecognize the importance of aesthetics in their personal lives and to society.
Week 1. Introduction: Why World History?
August20 Introduction
August22Empires and Encounters 1450- 1750
Week 2. Chapter 15: Global Commerce, 1450‐1750
August27World Since 1800
August29 The Triangular Trade
Week 3-4. Chapter 16: Religion and Science, 1450-1750
September3 Labor Day Holiday (no classes)
September 5 Science and the Dawn of a New World
September 10 Film/discussion: Newton’s Dark Secret
September 12 Islam’s New Frontier
Quiz#1
Week 5. Chapter 17: Atlantic Revolutions and TheirEchoes, 1750-1914
September 17 American, French, and Haitian Revolutions in Comparison
September 19 The Impact of Revolutions
September 24 Film/Discussion: The Guillotine
Week 6. Chapter 18: Revolutions of Industrialization, 1750-1914
September26 Why Did Europe Industrialize Before China?
October 1The Industrial Revolution and the Promotion of New Ideas
Quiz#2
Week 7-8: Chapter 19: Internal Troubles, External Threats:China, the Ottoman Empire, and Japan, 1800-1914
October 3 The Sick Man of Europe: Ottoman Decline
October 8 Meiji Japan 1868-1912
October 10China 1800-1914
October 15-16 Fall Break
Week 9: Chapter 20: Colonial Encounters, 1750-1914
October 17 The Scramble for Africa
Quiz#3
Week 10: Chapter 21: The Collapse and Recovery ofEurope, 1914-1970s
October 22Dark Continent: Europe’s Twentieth Century
October 24 Film/ Discussion: Memory of the Camps
Week 11-12: Chapter 22: The Rise and Fall of WorldCommunism, 1917-Present
October 29 The Cold War: The World Divided, The Fall of the Berlin Wall
October 31MIDTERM
Week 13: Chapter 23: Independence and Development in the Global South, 1914-Present
November 5 Film/Discussion: Capital Sins
November 7 Apartheid in South Africa
November 12 Gandhi and Independence in India
November 14Film/Discussion: The Battle of Algier
Week 15: Chapter 24: Accelerating Global Interaction,Since 1945
November 19 What is Globalization?
Quiz#4
November 21-25THANKSGIVING BREAK
November 26Film/Discussion: Life and Debt
November 28 Clash of Civilizations
Final Paper Due
Week 16: Conclusion
December 3 A Brave New World?
Film: Hans Rosling’s 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes
December 5 Review
1