Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne

Department of History

HIST H114-04/05 Syllabus, Fall 2007

Course Title

Western Civilization Since 1500

Meeting Times & Locations

H114-04: Tues & Thurs, 12.00 – 1.15 pm, Kettler Hall 245.

H114-05: Tues & Thurs, 4.30 – 5.45 pm, Kettler Hall 245.

Lecturer Contact Details[1]

Dr Carl P. Watts

CM 203, Tel.: 260-481-6694, E-mail: wattsc@ipfw.edu

Office Hours: Tues & Thurs, 10.30 – 11.30 am & 2.00 – 2.45 pm

Aims

This course has three broad aims. First, it aims to introduce students to the nature of history as a discipline. Second, it aims to develop transferable academic skills that students should find valuable in other learning environments. Third, it aims to introduce students to the concept of Western Civilization, and to outline and assess the significance of key developments in the history of Western Civilization since 1500.[2]

Objectives (Learning Outcomes)[3]

Students will be able to demonstrate in writing, appropriate to a 100-level course:

· Awareness of the nature of the discipline of history, including concepts such as historiography, causation, continuity and change.

· Basic ability to interrogate primary and secondary historical sources.

· Competence in composition, including appropriate structure, use of objective language and relevant terminology, and systematic referencing using footnotes.

· Ability to analyse the concept of Western Civilization and to recognize the historiographical variations of Western Civilization.

· A balanced view of the significance of Western Civilization, i.e. one that recognizes the impact of the West on the wider world but also acknowledges objections to a Western-oriented approach.

· Knowledge and understanding of the major political, economic, military, social, and cultural developments in Western Civilization since the Renaissance.

Teaching Methodology

Instruction will be implemented through:

· WebCT, which will contain most of the relevant materials for this course. You must therefore be able to use WebCT and willing to access it regularly.

· Lecture, structured around the reading assignments based on the course text. Lectures will also incorporate visual resources (Powerpoint, DVD and Video) as appropriate.

· Class discussion of additional reading exercises and assignments.

· Peer review of assignment drafts.

· Written and oral feedback on assignments.

· Individual instruction during office hours, as requested or required.

Assessment[4]

· Two assignments of equal weighting (2 x 30%), which will take the form of three questions based on extracts from primary and/or secondary sources. Answers to each assignment should be about 1,500 words in total. You will be given specific oral and written instructions for completing these assignments. A third (optional) assignment will be offered to students whose performance on the first two assignments is unsatisfactory.

· Four closed book class tests of equal weighting (4 x 10%). These will take the form of short answer questions (usually requiring responses of a couple of sentences) based on the content of the course reading and class lectures. One of the tests will take place during exam week but will not be cumulative. You will be given more specific guidance about the content and structure of these tests nearer the time that you are due to sit them.

Resources

Required reading: Marvin Perry, Western Civilization: A Brief History. Volume II: From the 1400s (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 5^th edn 2005), ISBN: 0-618-37033-1 [Purchase from Follett’s Bookstore or online at www.abebooks.com]

Recommended reading: Norman Davies, Europe: A History (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996), Call No. D57.D28 [Book on Course Reserve]

You will receive:

A reading exercise for each section of the course. The questions in these reading exercises will form the basis of class lectures and discussions.

Supplemental materials, such as extracts from primary and secondary sources, which will be supplied as photocopies or posted on WebCT. These will be used for class discussions and assignments.

Written guidance for each assignment, including the required reading additional to the course text. Items will be placed on E-Reserve and/or Course Reserve and these additional materials must be used for the assignments.

Structure

Weeks 1 & 2 Beginning 20 & 27 August

Themes: (i) Course administration; (ii) Introduction to Western Civilization.

Reading:

Perry, Introduction: ‘The Foundations of Western Civilization’, pp. xix-xxix
Davies, Introduction, especially pp. 19-31. [Access through ReservesEXpress at http://www.lib.ipfw.edu/629.0.html ]

Weeks 3 - 6 Beginning 3, 10, 17 & 24 September

Theme: The Rise of Modernity: From the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, c.1350-1789.

Reading:

Perry, Chapters 8-10.
Davies, Chapters 7 & 8.

First assignment will be discussed and submission date set during this period.

First test will be set during this period.

Weeks 7 - 10 Beginning 1, 8, 15, & 22 October [No class Tuesday 9 October]

Theme: The Modern West: Progress and Breakdown, 1789-1914

Reading:

· Perry, Chapters 11-17.

· Davies, Chapters 9 & 10.

Second test will be set during this period.

Weeks 11 - 14 Beginning 29 October, 5, 12, & 19 November [No class Thursday 22 November]

Theme: Western Civilization in Crisis: World Wars and Totalitarianism, 1914-1945

Reading:

· Perry, Chapters 18-20.

· Davies, Chapter 11.

Second assignment will be discussed and submission date set during this period.

Third test will be set during this period.

Weeks 15 & 16 Beginning 26 November & 3 December

Theme: The West and the Contemporary World, 1945-Present

Reading:

Perry, Chapter 21.
Davies, Chapter 12.

Week 17 Beginning 10 December

Fourth test will take place on Tuesday 11 December at 1.00 pm (H114-04) and Thursday 13 December at 4.00 pm (H114-05).

COURSE EXPECTATIONS

You are expected to take responsibility for your learning, which means you should engage the intellectual challenge offered by the course, invest sufficient time in your studies outside class, attend and participate actively in class, and be prepared to ask questions.

(a) Engage the intellectual challenges involved in this course.

This course involves quite a lot of written work. You will be required to write at least 3,000 words in your own time as well as taking four exams in class. You must be prepared to give the assignments your best effort and want to improve your writing skills.

The course is historiographical, so you must be willing to do all the specified reading and incorporate the differing opinions of many historians in relation to each part of the course, especially in your written work.

(b) Invest six hours per week in private study.

You must complete the reading assignments before you come to class in order that you can follow the content of the lectures and participate in class discussions.

Prepare assignments gradually and do not leave them until the last possible moment. You will be given additional help if you need it, but you cannot expect a sympathetic response if you turn up just before an assignment is due.

You will obviously miss important material if you are not in class. If you do have a valid reason for being unable to attend class then please see me during office hours for a summary of what you missed.

Ensure that you take notes during class, which should build on the notes that you have already taken before class. You should produce a clear set of integrated word-processed notes for each section of the course, and organize them in a file specifically for this course.[5]

Participate in class discussions. The discussions, which are mandatory, provide you with an opportunity to exchange ideas and check your understanding of sources in conjunction with other students before discussing them with me.

(d) Ask questions if you do not understand (or want more information).

You should expect to have questions because the course covers five hundred years of Western history, about which an enormous amount has been written. Expect to obtain a reasonable rather than a total understanding of Western Civilization. Remember that the course is only one semester long, which obviously limits what can be accomplished.

Questions will be welcomed at any time. The chances are that if you think something is not clear then other students will be thinking exactly the same thing, so you should never let anything slip by if you think it is a significant barrier to your learning.

If you feel hopelessly lost and need additional help then this will gladly be provided during office hours. Also, if you feel that you are not sufficiently challenged by the content of the classes, or think that what you have read is at variance with what has been taught, then you are welcome to discuss this during office hours.

Dr Carl P. Watts

August 2007

[1] Please note that I live in Mason, Michigan and will commute to Fort Wayne only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I will be able to answer simple questions by e-mail, but if you require help or advice on more complex issues please see me during office hours.

[2] See the course descriptor at http://www.ipfw.edu/hist/courses/descriptions.shtml for some of the prescribed course content.

[3] See General Education Goals listed at http://www.ipfw.edu/academics/courses/undergraduate/gened/, which this course is intended to satisfy.

[4] See document on ‘Course Assessment’, which provides further details on submission, grading criteria, mark allocations, grade boundaries, general advice on completing assignments, important information regarding assessment policies, and sample test questions.

[5] See document entitled ‘Advice on Effective Reading’.