HIST 101: World Civilizations
Spring 2010
RAND 118
M-F 11-11:50
Dr. Roxanne Easley
LL 100-I
963-1877; easleyr@cwu.edu
Office Hrs: M-H 10-11
COURSE SYLLABUS
From the birth of river valley civilizations to the eve of the modern era, the cultural regions of the world transformed their societies from simple subsistence bands to elaborate surplus-producing regions capable of supporting large and diverse populations. The emergence of the city enabled significant changes in political, military, social, and economic structures. Organized governments, efficient militaries, and economic specialization became the hallmarks of civilization, across the globe.
Substantial innovations came about in the intellectual and cultural realms as well, marked foremost by the great world religions and philosophies:
Judaism, Christianity Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Greek rationalism, and
Confucianism. But by AD 1000, most of these great civilizations were in decline. Tensions with nomadic peoples and the unmistakable signs of internal decay led to the establishment of new structures. New empires, built on the ruins of the old, continued to view their predecessors as political, cultural, and social models. Now, however, they reached out to other parts of the world. This contact enriched some peoples, devastated others, and left yet others relatively insulated, to develop mainly from within. However diverse and splendorous the individual cultures of the world remained, the post-classical period introduced the process of cultural syncretism, by which every cultural region reshaped and redefined the ideas of others, assimilating and domesticating these elements for use in a different environment. It was an uneasy but dynamic and defining era in human history.
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Draw connections between the past and contemporary events and problems in discussion, written assignments
Critically analyze primary and secondary sources in journals
Organize and present ideas clearly in writing and speaking, in exams, journals, presentations
REQUIRED TEXTS:
(available at CWU bookstore and Jerrol's):
1. Duiker et al., The Essential World History
2. Andrea et al., The Human Record , vol. 1 (6 th ed.)
3. After assignment to a discussion section, purchase ONE of the following:
Narayan, ed., The Ramayana
Tedlock, ed., Popol Vuh
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SPECIAL NEEDS:
Students who have special needs or disabilities that may affect their ability to access information or material presented in this course are encouraged to contact me or the office of Disability Support Services at (509) 963-2171 for additional disability-related educational accommodations.
THE WRITING CENTER:
Writing Consultants offer free, one-on-one sessions to all CWU students, of all disciplines and levels. Students can brainstorm ideas, find research, and revise their drafts for organization, citation style, and grammar, learning how to edit their own papers. You can drop in or make an appointment for an in-person session or request a live, interactive, online session. There are three campus locations: Hertz 103, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday; Library Fishbowl, 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday; and SURC
273, 6 to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Please call 963-1296/1270. Also available are grammar handouts and other writing resources at www.cwu.edu/~writingcenter.
LATE POLICY :
Late assignments will adversely affect the attendance and participation percentage of the course grade. No late assignment will be accepted after the assignment is graded and returned to the rest of the class, except by my special permission.
PLAGIARISM POLICY:
Using others’ words and ideas without proper attribution will result in automatic course failure and full prosecution according to University procedure.
COURSE ASSESSMENT:
30% Primary Source Analyses
20% Midterm
25% Final
10% Regional Account Term Paper
15% Discussion
COURSE REQUIREMENTS :
Attendance, Preparation, and Participation: You will attend the course lectures Monday through Thursday. Given the complexities of our topic and the relatively short period of time to cover them, daily attendance is
assumed.
On Fridays, you will meet with your assigned teaching assistant for discussion (TAs and locations TBA). Preparation for and participation in all discussion sections are absolutely essential. Attendance will be noted, and you may be assessed by quizzes and short writing assignments. More than four unexcused absences from the discussion section will result in automatic failure for the course.
Reading: The study of history requires frequent and considerable reading.
In a ten-week course it is crucial that you stay on top of the assigned reading schedule. You will be responsible for reading assigned portions of our course texts fully, thoughtfully, and on time.
Examinations. There will be two in-class, closed-book exams, both of which will combine essays and identifications. You will receive study sheets a week ahead of time from which questions and terms will be chosen.
See course calendar for dates.
Primary Source Analyses:
NOTE that a primary source is a work that was written or created at a time that is contemporary or nearly contemporary with the period or subject being studied (a secondary source, by contrast, is one that is written about the subject but is written after the time contemporary with it).
Ask yourself: Did this author personally experience the events or conditions that he/she is describing? If so, the work is a primary source. The Andrea documents and the regional accounts are all primary. Duiker is secondary, as are my lectures and Andrea’s document introductions.
Preparation : Read all of the assigned primary documents in the Andrea text, taking notes and recording your questions (you will write about some
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of the documents, and discuss others in class). Use Andrea’s introductions, your Duiker text, and class lectures for context.
Writing: With the boldface study question on the course calendar in mind, write a three-to four- page essay (double spaced, 12 pt. font, one-inch margins) analyzing the assigned primary source documents (from Andrea).
Our job is to "get inside the authors' heads"--to understand what larger historical themes the sources reflect. Do not concern yourself with whether or not you personally agree with the sources, but with the reasons the authors had for believing in what they were writing. Always consider the time and conditions in which the sources were written, so as not to unfairly judge them by present-day standards.
Each essay must consist of an introduction, a thesis statement, document summaries, an analysis, and a conclusion. See the attached "Primary
Source Analysis Evaluation Checklist" for details on each of these elements. We will discuss them at length in class.
Use a formal, clear writing style, and proofread your entries for errors in grammar or spelling.
Submission.
You must submit three of the five primary source analysis essays on time (due dates as announced in class) to receive full credit for the primary source analysis assignment, so be sure to keep on top of the reading and writing schedule. If you would like extra credit, you may choose to do more than three of the assigned analyses (but only after you’ve completed the required three!). The extra grade will be averaged into the total primary source analysis grade.
The overall primary source analysis grade is based on progress. For this reason, submit ALL previous analyses together with the current essay.
Regional Account Analysis:
Regional primary sources afford the historian one of the best means of understanding the daily life and thoughts of individuals in history. They also allow us to assess the impact that "big events" had on the experience of individuals. Regional evidence engages the imagination and empathy of the reader in a way that no textbook or "big picture" study can do.
Your job is to read one of the two assigned regional accounts for the course
(based on your discussion section). This is another form of primary source analysis, but here the thesis is up to you .
Paper ground rules:
1. The paper should be four to five pages in length (typed, double-spaced, with 12 pt. font and 1-inch margins).
2. The paper must be turned in on the day scheduled for the group presentation.
3. The paper must include: an introduction ; a historical thesis statement ; a brief (one paragraph!) summary of the book; an analysis of the ways in which the book reflects a historical theme or themes raised in class
(with appropriate quotations and page citations from the book); and a conclusion. Use the following questions to help you develop the thesis.
You may also consult the “Primary Source Analysis Assessment Checklist.”
Outside research is not required, and not recommended.
4. The majority of the paper should be historical analysis , not a "book report,” a literary critique, or a statement of personal likes and dislikes.
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Questions you may want to consider (all or some):
1. What does the account suggest about the social structure of the culture it portrays? Is there a class hierarchy? Do you get a sense of family or gender structures?
2. What does the account reveal about political structures and events? Who exercises political power? Are military structures evident? Can you date the work to a particular reign or era, and on the basis of what evidence?
3. What does the account indicate about regional religious or intellectual currents? Is there a "moral" to the story that historical peoples would have understood? Is the work itself written in a particular style or genre?
4. What does the account suggest about daily life in the region? What do the characters eat, drink, wear, and live in? How do they make a living?
5. Finally, how does the account reflect the unique historical development of the region? Remember to specifically draw on your text and lectures for context.
TENTATIVE COURSE CALENDAR
WEEK 1: 3/29 – 4/2
READ: Course Syllabus, Andrea P1-P15. Study the Primary Source
Analysis Checklist.
Course Introduction: What is History?
PRACTICE PSA: What factors contributed to Calicut’s prosperity, and why were Europeans interested in gaining access to it?
WEEK 2: 4/5 – 4/9
READ: Duiker, chap. 1; Andrea, docs. 1-4, Multiple Voices I (pp. 35-38)
The First Civilizations: Mesopotamia and Egypt
PSA 1: Using Andrea docs. 1-4 and Multiple Voices I (pp. 35-38), compare Mesopotamian and Egyptian perceptions of life and death.
How were political authority and justice in each case shaped to fit these perceptions? How did each social structure reflect these perceptions?
WEEK 3: 3/12 – 3/16
READ: Duiker, chaps. 1 and 2; Andrea, docs. 9, 13-16
Israel and the Levant
Ancient India
PSA 2: Using Andrea docs. 9 and 13 to 16, how do you define the central beliefs of Brahminical Hinduism? How ought a Hindu to lead a good life? What elements of Hinduism did Buddhists challenge?
WEEK 4: 3/19 – 3/23
READ: Duiker, chaps. 3, 10; Andrea, docs. 5, 19, 20, 21
Ancient and Classical China
PSA 3: Using Andrea docs. 19-21, define and compare the intellectual systems of Daoism, Confucianism, and Legalism. Are there shared concepts? How should one appropriately live his life according to each? What made each appealing, and to whom?
WEEK 5: 4/26 – 4/30
READ: Duiker, chaps. 4, 5; Andrea docs. 22-25
Classical Europeans
MIDTERM EXAM
WEEK 6: 5/3 – 5/7
READ: Duiker, chap. 6; Andrea, docs. 22-25, Multiple Voices II (pp. 113-
115)
Classical Europeans
The “New” World
WEEK 7: 5/10 – 5/14
READ: Duiker, chap. 7; Andrea, docs. 45-48
The Rise of Islam
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PSA 4: Using Andrea docs. 45 to 48, what were Islam’s values, practices, and attributes? What was Islam’s relationship to Judaism and Christianity? What did “jihad,” or holy struggle, mean in its broadest context?
WEEK 8: 5/17 – 5/21
READ: Duiker, chap. 8; Andrea, 71-73
Early Civilizations in Africa
PSA 5: Using Andrea docs. 71-73, how did Islam and Christianity penetrate sub-Saharan Africa? In what ways did they merge and/or clash with indigenous cultural traditions? Why might a monarch have chosen to convert to either religion? What did each religion have to offer?
WEEK 9: 5/24 – 5/28
READ: Duiker, chaps. 9 and 11; Andrea, docs. 52-54
Asian Expansion: Japan
REGIONAL ACCOUNT PAPERS DUE
WEEK 10: 6/1 – 6/4
READ: Duiker, chap. 12 ; Andrea docs. 64, 66, 67, 69, 70
Latin Christendom and Its Rivals
Review Session
FINAL EXAMINATION, WEDNESDAY, 6/9, 8-10 AM.
CHART OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE IN HISTORY
8. EVENTS. Journalism.
7. INDIVIDUALS. Biography.
6. CULTURE. Philosophy, theology, science, art, law, custom
5. INSTITUTIONS. Formal economy, political systems, military, education, organized church.
4. DIFFERENTIATION. Gender, age, class, kinship, ethnicity.
3. MEANS. Work, family, sex, violence, enforcement, religion.
2. NEEDS. Food, shelter, reproduction, physical safety, affection.
1. ENVIRONMENT. Abundance and scarcity, constancy of weather, size of community.
History: Interpretation of the accumulated experience of the human species, based on the surviving evidence.
"Only a part of what was observed in the past was remembered by those who observed it; only a part of what was remembered was recorded; only a part of what was recorded has survived; only a part of what has survived has come to historians’ attention; only a part of what has come to their attention is credible; only a part of what is credible has been grasped; and only a part of what has been grasped can be expounded upon or narrated by historians."--Historian Louis Gottschalk
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