Course Syllabus

HIST H 114 History of Western Civilization II, Section 23764                                           Dr. Thomas A. Mason

Syllabus of Course                                                                                                           Classroom: Cavanaugh Hall 215

Fall semester 2015                                                                                                                 E-mail: masonta@iupui.edu

Wednesdays, 6:00–8:40 PM                                                                                                 Office: Cavanaugh Hall 313-E

Office Hours: Wednesdays, 3:00–4:00 PM

Texts (which all students are required to purchase):

Kishlansky, Mark, Patrick Geary, and Patricia O’Brien. Civilization in the West, volume II: Since 1555.

                Penguin Academic Edition. New York: Pearson, 2010. Earlier editions are also acceptable.

Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings. Edited by Vincent Carretta.

                New York: Penguin Books, 2003. Also available as an e-book (Kindle, Nook, and iTunes).

Orwell, George. Homage to Catalonia. Introduction by Lionel Trilling. New York: Harvest Books, 1980. Also available as an e-book (Kindle, Nook, and iTunes). (Note that for the analytical essay due on December 2, you have the options of reading and reviewing this book or analyzing a work of art that you see at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. If you choose that latter option, you are not required to purchase the book.)

Course Description: This course is designed to instill an awareness of the origins and development of Western Civilization from the early modern period to the present.

Learning Objectives: The course implements and supports the IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning (http://academicaffairs.iupui.edu/PlansInitiatives/Plans/Principles-of-Undergraduate-Learning): core communication (moderate emphasis) and quantitative (minor emphasis) skills; critical thinking; integration and appreciation of knowledge; intellectual depth, breadth, and adaptiveness; understanding society and culture (major emphasis); and values and ethics.

Course requirements: You will write a descriptive essay (500–700 words) on Equiano and an analytical essay (750–1,000 words) on either Orwell or a work of art that you see at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. I post instruction sheets on Canvas, under the link to “Assignments,” for these essays, which are due on the dates listed below.

Quizzes and examinations: There will be a quiz (paragraph-length identifications), a mid-semester examination (essay and matching), and a final examination (essay and matching). These will cover the contents of the textbook, lectures, and books assigned for review. For the quizzes and examinations, I provide bluebooks and post review sheets on Canvas, under the link to “Resources,” folder “Review Sheets.”

Please note:

• You are welcome to take quizzes and examinations early (give me advance notice so I can have the quiz or examination made up early).
• You are welcome to turn in book reviews / essays early and to transmit them electronically through the “Assignments” link on Canvas before the due date.
• On the due date, book reviews / essays must be turned in in class, in person, and in hard copy / printout. Book reviews / essays, transmitted electronically through the “Assignments” link on Canvas on the due date, when the student is absent from class, will be considered late.
• No more than one late assignment (book review / essay) or makeup quiz / examination will be allowed to any student.
• After the due date, you may transmit a book review / essay electronically through the “Assignments” link on Canvas for full credit but subject to the abovementioned limit of one late assignment (book review / essay) or makeup quiz / examination per student.
• I encourage communication. When communicating with me, please use the regular university e-mail (masonta@iupui.edu), which is also linked to Canvas messages. Do not send messages through Oncourse, which I have not activated. Since Oncourse messages are not linked to the university e-mail, I will not receive them.

Weighting of course requirements for grade: Quiz (10%); book reviews (20% x 2 = 40%); examinations (25% x 2 = 50%).

Administrative Withdrawal: A basic requirement of this course is that you will participate in class and conscientiously complete writing and reading assignments. Keep in touch with me if you are unable to attend class or complete an assignment on time. I will take the roll of attendance, and if you miss more than half our class meetings within the first four weeks of the semester without contacting me, I will administratively withdraw you from this section. Our class meets once per week; thus if you miss more than two classes in the first four weeks, you may be withdrawn. Administrative withdrawal may have academic, financial, and financial aid implications. Administrative withdrawal will take place after the full refund period, and if you are administratively withdrawn from the course you will not be eligible for a tuition refund. If you have questions about the administrative withdrawal policy at any point during the semester, please contact me.

FLAGS System (Fostering Learning, Achievement, and Graduation Success): I will be using IU’s FLAGS System to provide real-time feedback on your performance in this course. Periodically throughout the semester I will be entering data on factors such as your class attendance, participation, and success with coursework, among other things. This information will provide feedback on how you are faring in the course and offer you suggestions on how you might be able to improve your performance. You will be able to access this information in the student center: OneStart > Student Services page > Student Center > My Academics and Grades > My Grades.

Students needing accommodations because of a disability will need to register with Adaptive Educational Services (AES) and complete the appropriate forms issued by AES before accommodations will be given. The AES office is located in Taylor Hall, UC 100. You can also reach the office by calling 274-3241. Visit http://aes.iupui.edu for more information.

Academic Integrity: You warrant and represent that in-class quizzes and examinations, and essays and book reviews prepared outside of class, are your own work. You warrant and represent that any words not within quotation marks are your own. Any variation from this standard becomes a false representation, which is an offense under the university-wide Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct at Indiana University (www.iu.edu/~code/code/index.shtml). Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class, and I will explain the correct way to acknowledge the words and ideas of others. If you have any questions on this or any other subjects, please ask!

 

HIST H 114 History of Western Civilization II, Section 23764                                      Dr. Thomas A. Mason

Schedule of Assignments:

Date                      Lecture topics (approximate)                                       Textbook (Kishlansky et al.) Chapter

August       26     Introduction. What is a civilization? Ancients and Moderns;

                                Legacies of ancient and medieval civilizations; Renaissance and Reformations

September   2     The French Wars of Religion, the Revolt of the Netherlands, and the Thirty Years’ War           14

                                Economy and Society in Early Modern Europe                                                                                         15

                        9     Absolutism and Resistance                                                                                                                              16

                                Quiz 1 (covers chapters 14–15)

                      16     The Scientific Revolution, Mercantilism, and Colonialism                                                                   17

                                The World of Olaudah Equiano

                     23     Descriptive essay (review of Equiano) due

                                Eighteenth-Century Geopolitics, Balance of Power, and State-Building                                           18

                     30     The Enlightenment                                                                                                                                           19

October         7     The French Revolution and Napoléon                                                                                                         20

                                The Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions                                                                                            21

                      14     Nationalism: Nineteenth-century Reform, Revolutions, and the Balance of Power                     22

                                Nationalism, Continued: Nineteenth-century Unification and State-Building                             23

                      21     Fin-de-siècle Europe                                                                                                                                          24

                                Mid-semester Examination (covers chapters 16–23)

                     28     Imperialism, Geopolitics, and the Balance of Power Redivivus                                                            25

November    4     The Great War                                                                                                                                                    26

                      11     Communism and Fascism; The World of George Orwell. Happy Veterans’ Day!                           27

                      14     Saturday, 12:00 NOON: Visit to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, 4000 Michigan Road.

Meet inside the main entrance. Please note that, for the Analytical Essay due on December 2, if you opt to read and review Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia, this visit is optional; if you opt to analyze a work of art, the visit is required.

                      18     World War II                                                                                                                                                        28

                      25     Thanksgiving recess. No class. Happy Thanksgiving!

December     2     Analytical Essay (review of Orwell or analysis of a work of art) due.

                                Wars Hot and Cold                                                                                                                                             29

                        9     The End of History?                                                                                                                                           30

                      16     Final Examination, 6:00–8:00 PM (covers chapters 24–30).

                                Please note that day and time (set by the University Registrar) of the exam are the same as our normal class schedule.

                                Location is our usual room, Cavanaugh Hall 215.

Remember:       “The past isn’t dead; it isn’t even past.”

                                —William Faulkner, Requiem for a Nun (1951)

                                “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.”

                                —L. P. Hartley, The Go-Between (1953)

                                “We contend, however, that war is nothing more than a continuation of politics with the mixing in of other means.”

                                —Carl von Clausewitz, On War (1832)

                                Reporter: “What do you think of western civilization?”

                                Mohandas Gandhi: “I think it would be a good idea.” (1931)

                                “Study history. Study history. In history are all the secrets of statecraft.”

                                —Winston Churchill, The Age of Revolution (1957)

                                “‘Who controls the past,’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.’”

                                —George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)

                                “Don’t confuse me with the facts. I’ve got a closed mind.”

                                —Earl F. Landgrebe, Indiana Congressman (1973)

                            Harvey ‘Big Daddy’ Pollitt: “There ain’t nothin’ more powerful than the odor of mendacity!”

                                —Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955)

                                “The supposed ‘clash of cultures’ is in reality nothing more than a manifestation of mutual ignorance.”

                                —The Aga Khan, Spirit & Life: Masterpieces of Islamic Art from the Aga Khan Museum Collection (2007)