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DESCRIPTION
History 100 is the first part of a two-semester survey course on the history of world civilizations. This sequence extends from pre-history and the origins of civilization to the global encounter of societies (15th-17th centuries) during the age of expansion. This course is designed to offer the student a broad overview of civilization over both time and space.
This study of civilization is inclusive in that it focuses on the many intangible and material dimensions of human activity, among which are: laws, wars, political events, farms, industries, monetary systems, trade routes, scientific discoveries, technological advances, diets, families, cultural expressions, roads, and ways of communication. This course does not concentrate on the memorization of facts, dates and events, but it does help students to understand the process and content of civilization, to at once witness the changes that people have undergone and the traditions that they have maintained. (3 semester hours). No prerequisites.
Some of the World Civilization faculty are offering this course (partly or in full) in a web-based (Blackboard) format that will require basic computer literacy and regular access to a computer. When you enroll in a section with this format, you agree to take the course on these terms. Please check with your instructor to determine the situation in your section.
OBJECTIVES
From this course you should be inspired with a sense of the beauty and complexity of the universe, and you should feel more at home in any environment. You should have a solid understanding of the patterns of world civilization and some awareness of their relationship to today's world. Further, you will find that studying civilization encourages critical thinking by:
1. highlighting a variety of perceptions that people have held through the
ages,
2. showing the options that individuals have used historically in making decisions
and solving problems,
3. providing information for wiser inferences and judgments,
4. focusing on standards of evidence and verification in learning,
5. stressing the study of relationships in time and space that are important
for sound reasoning, and
6. illustrating with examples the roles of process, comparison and causation
in history.
As a result of your participation in this course, you will be able to:
1. reconstruct patterns of sequence and duration as they relate to historical
narrative,
2. critically read and identify the central issues in specific historical
writings and the
important issues and problems of the past,
3. read historical narratives imaginatively and objectively,
4. understand how different historical perspectives collect and analyze data,
5. distinguish between historical facts and interpretations,
6. analyze the roles of cause-and-effect and multiple causation in history,
7. explore the impact of the past on the present,
8. explain the roles of historical continuity and change,
9. integrate the various spheres of human activity in history (social, political,
scientific/technological, economic and cultural) as they have affected global
developments.
This course serves as a foundation for numerous programs in the social sciences, humanities, arts and education. Careers in government, diplomacy, military service, education, administration, law, journalism, library science and social work, among many others, derive rich benefits from the study of civilization.
EXPECTATIONS
History of World Civilization is a reading course with a lecture and discussion (and web-based) format. You are responsible for reading carefully the assigned pages and completing other assignments prior to their consideration in class. This will facilitate comprehension of the lectures, discussions, and in-class activities; besides, your instructor will not simply repeat the text, and not all the assigned readings can be adequately covered in class. The lectures are merely an enhancement of part of the readings plus themes and materials found elsewhere; they are not a substitute for the assigned readings. Should you have difficulty mastering the subject matter, it is important to seek assistance from your instructor as soon as you detect this difficulty. This can be done in or out of class. Feel encouraged to ask questions as they occur to you. Remember, we are here to help you learn!
TEXT
Our primary text is William Duiker and Jackson Spielvogel, The Essential World History, vol. I.
Specific and current bibliographies are available at the end of each chapter of the text, and additional reading suggestions can be obtained from your instructor. You are encouraged to regularly read newspapers and magazines and to follow the relevant civilization-oriented programs that are frequently on TV (especially The Learning Channel, A and E, PBS, Discovery and History channels). This will render History of World Civilizations a vital and exciting episode in your college career.
Since an understanding of the history of civilization is impossible without a sense of mankind's geographical dimensions and relationships, students are expected to make full use of the various maps and visual aids in the text and online.
TESTING
Each instructor will designate the testing procedures for his/her class. Final exams times are listed inside the last page of the Schedule Book. However, graduating seniors must inform the instructor of their status and make arrangements to take the exam early. Also, your instructor adheres to the University Catalog's procedures in the event of a missed final examination. The rule states that "if a student misses a final examination because of an emergency, he/she should notify the instructor within 48 hours after the examination was scheduled." (p. 31) In addition, the student needs to get an excuse from the Dean of Students; credible documentation in writing must be shown in order to get such an excuse. If the student does not follow the Catalog procedures to the letter, then the student will receive a zero/F for the exam grade, which will be factored into the final grade for the course.
Make-up exams will be given only at the instructor's discretion! Any situation clearly beyond a student's control that causes or will cause him/her to miss an exam or other assignment should be reported to the instructor at the earliest possible time.
Also, incomplete grades are not automatic and generally will not be given! In exceptional cases, they will be given at the instructor's discretion and because of critical circumstances. It is expected that all work be completed as assigned.
Reporting final grades over the telephone, facsimile, or internet, or posting them in a public space, violates the Federal Privacy Act of 1974 and will not be done by your instructor.
The grading system that we shall use is the following:
GRADING SYSTEM:
A = Exceptional (94-100) B- = Good (80-83) D+=Needs Improvement (67-69)
A- = Excellent (90-93) C+ = Above Average (77-79) D = Passing (64-66)
B+ = Superior (87-89) C = Average (74-76) D-= Barely Passing (60-63)
B = Very Good (84-86) C-= Below Average (70-73) F = Failure (59 and below)
CLASS CONDUCT
ATTENDANCE
(excused or unexcused) - Since class attendance and participation are important
in the learning process, excessive absences may result, at the instructor's
discretion, in grade reduction or even a failing grade. Determination of absences
will be based on regular class meetings as scheduled by the Registrar and
Vice President for Academic Affairs. Excessive absences means 20% or more
scheduled class meetings in a given semester. This translates to nine meetings
on a MWF schedule, six meetings on a TR or MW schedule, or three meetings
on a weekly, three-hour per meeting schedule. Also, attendance for the entire
class period is expected unless prior arrangements have been made with the
instructor. (Students are responsible for becoming familiar with the rules
of attendance and the standards of academic and personal conduct as set forth
in the University Catalog and Student Handbook).
ACADEMIC HONESTY - The History faculty will adhere to the University Catalog guidelines as quoted below. Violations of these standards will result in grade reduction or a failing grade plus a recommendation for University discipline.
"Academic or academically related misconduct" includes, but is not
limited to, unauthorized collaboration or use of external information during
examinations; plagiarizing or representing another's ideas as one's own; furnishing
false academic information to the University; falsely obtaining, distributing,
using or receiving test materials; obtaining or gaining unauthorized access
to examinations or academic research materials; soliciting or offering unauthorized
academic information or materials; improperly altering or inducing another
to improperly alter any academic record; or engaging in any conduct which
is intended or reasonably likely to confer upon one's self or another an unfair
advantage or unfair benefit respecting an academic or academic matter.
DISRUPTIONS - Noise and other disruptions are unacceptable and may result in a student's removal from class. This includes noises from beepers, watch alarms and cellular telephones. They should be turned off prior to your entering the classroom.
CHILDREN AND BABIES - Each instructor will announce his/her policy regarding the presence of children and babies in class, but in general underage and unregistered individuals should not be present during exams.
Special Needs Students - Any student with documented and certified special needs regarding ability to participate successfully in this course should inform your instructor of these circumstances at the beginning of the course so that a reasonable accommodation can be made.
TOPICS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
This is the History 100 course outline for all sections, and all students are responsible for these assignments. Additional sources may be assigned in writing at the discretion of your instructor. The topics and themes under each heading are not exhaustive, but are only suggestions on which you might focus reading. You are responsible for the entire assignment which should be studied carefully in preparation for in-class discussion.
Your instructor retains the right to make modifications or revisions to this
syllabus or course calendar, and these will be announced in a timely manner.
They will not substantially increase your workload and will inconvenience
you minimally.
First Week: Introduction to the Study of Civilization (Library reserve: Fields,
chs 1 & 3; Duiker, pp. xxx-xxxi)
-Concepts and methodologies in the study of civilization
-Approaches to the study of civilization: roles of archaeology, economics,
geography, history, religion, etc.
-Theories about the civilizational process
-Elements of civilization and culture; definitions of culture and subcultures
-Records and primary sources
Themes:
1. the elements and developments characteristic of all civilizations (ancestor
worship, class stratification, political authority, gender distinctions, slavery,
etc.)
2. the impact of geography on the emergence of civilization
3. the relationship between nomadic and sedentary agricultural societies
Second Week: Pre-Historic Origins (Fields, ch 2; Duiker, pp. 1-6))
-Theories about the origin of human beings
-Hominid backgrounds
-Paleolithic Age; Neanderthals, Cro-Magnons
-Migration from Africa; racial adaptations
-End of the ice ages and its effect on the environment
-Neolithic revolution
Themes:
1. the characteristics of early hominid stages
2. the transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic ages
Third Week: Emergence of Civilizations (Duiker, pp. 6-25)
-Origins of riverine societies
-Geography and the role of the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, Indus, Yellow rivers
-Myth and the preoccupation with the eternal
-Dynastic traditions and city-states
-Movement toward monotheism
-Age of Empires: Babylonian, Assyrian, Hittite, Persian
-Emergence of writing, literature and legal codes
-Mathematics, astrology and the wheel
-From bronze to iron
-Traders and intermediaries: Hebrews, Phoenicians
Fourth Week: Early Africa (Duiker, ch. 8)
-Geographical and regional diversity
-Bantu migrations; spread of agriculture and iron-working
-Trade networks and social structures
-Kush and Axum
Themes:
1. development of cultures in sub-Saharan Africa
2. the impact of agriculture, iron technology and the Bantu migrations on
African society
Fifth Week: Early India (Duiker, ch. 2)
-Indus Valley city-states
-Aryan invasions and Dravidic traditions
-Vedic religion and the caste system in India
-From Brahmanism to Buddhism
-Mauryan and Gupta ages
-Development of Persian culture
Themes:
1. the emergence of Indus River civilization
2. the impact of the Aryan invasions
3. the development and nature of Brahmin-Hindu society
4. patterns of unity/disunity in Indian political history
5. the role of Buddhism in early India
6. impact of early India on Asian culture
Sixth Week: China (Duiker, ch. 3)
-From Yellow River societies to the Shang Dynasty
-Ancestor Worship and the family in China
-Taoism and the ethical Schools
-Unification of China under the Qin
-Culture and expansion under the Han
Themes:
1. the political and cultural foundations of Chinese civilization from the
Shang to the Han dynasties
2. the role of the Schools in Chinese thought and culture
3. the elements of China's classical era (Tang-Song dynasties)
4. the challenge of Buddhism to Confucian-Daoist society
5. the sinification of Korea, Japan and Vietnam
6. the general impact of China on Asian culture
Seventh Week: Classical Greece (Duiker, ch. 4)
-Minoan-Mycenaean background
-Concept and evolution of the polis: Athens vs. Sparta
-Birth of secular and critical thinking in the West
-Tragedy and Hellenic culture
-Philosophy from the pre-Socratics to Aristotle
-Alexander and the Hellenization of the Near East
Themes:
1. Athenian accomplishments in philosophy, art and drama during the 6th-5th
centuries B.C.E.
2. the Spartan example of a warrior society
3. the Hellenization of the wider Mediterranean world
Eighth Week: Republican and Imperial Rome (Duiker, ch. 5; pp. 118-123)
-Etruscan background of Rome
-Law, social struggle and the making of an Empire
-Slavery and the military
-The Augustan Age
-Emergence of Christianity
-Diocletian and Constantine: Decline of Rome
Themes:
1. the influence of Etruscan and Greek culture on Rome
2. the factors favoring the rise and fall of Rome as a republic and as an
empire
3. the origin and spread of Christianity through Mediterranean civilization
and beyond
4. the impact of Christianity and Germanic society on the Roman empire
5. the legacy of the Roman empire to its successors
Ninth Week: World of Islam (Fields, ch 12; Guide)
-Arabian Society
-Muhammad's message: the Quran
-Expansion of Islam: Umayyads and Abbasids
-Pan-Islamic society
-The syncretic culture of Islam
Themes:
1. the message of the Prophet
2. the influence of pre-Islamic society on the development of Islam
3. the impact of Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties on the development of Islam
4. the spread of Islamic culture to Asia and Africa
Tenth Week: Classical Africa (Duiker, ch 8)
-State formation: Ghana, Mali, Songhay
-Swahili city-states
-Spread of Christianity and Islam to Africa
Themes:
1. the rise of Sudanic states in West and East Africa
2. the impact of Islam on western Africa
3. the development of international trade between Africa and the world
Eleventh Week: The Americas (Duiker, ch 6)
-Migrations from Asia
-Crop cultivation: maize, manioc and potatoes
-Mesoamerican cultures: Olmecs, Mayans, Toltecs, Aztecs
-Andean cultures: Chavin, Moche, Inca
Themes:
1. the migration of humans to the Americas and the development of early agricultural
societies
2. the principles of social, political and economic organization in the Americas
3. the development of imperial, theocratic societies in the Andes and in Mesoamerica
Twelfth Week: Asia in Transition (Duiker, chs. 9, 10)
-Tang-Song golden age in China
Buddhism in China and the East
Mongol invasions and conquest
-Chinese influence on Korea, Japan, Vietnam
-India, the Guptas and afterwards
Themes:
1. the impact of Mongol society on Eurasia
2. the establishment of a Buddhist world in Asia
3. the golden ages of China and India
Thirteenth Week: Heirs of Rome (Duiker, ch.12)
-End of the ancient world
-Germanic migrations
-Byzantium and its influences
-Rise of early Russia
-Early Christian society in the West
-Feudalism and manorialism
-Crusades and the Reconquista in Spain
-Changing agriculture and urbanization
-Role of commerce
-"The Waning of the Middle Ages"
Themes:
1. development of a common hybrid Christian culture by the year 1000
2. reasons for the different cultural and political patterns of Eastern and
Western Europe
3. the role of Byzantine empire in creating and distinctive East European
civilization
4. the economic and political factors contributing to the emergence of Europe
(ca. 1000- 1500)
5. Iberian culture: conflict and exchange among Muslims, Christians and Jews
6. motivations behind early Western explorations and colonizations
Fourteenth Week: Europe and the World in the 15th-16th Centuries (Duiker,
ch.13, pp. 304-309)
-Age of the Renaissance
-The Reformation
-Beginnings of Western expansion
-Emergence of a global economy
-The role of gun powder and firearms and the printing press
Themes:
1. the expansion of Western society and creation of a world system
2. the reaction of non-Western societies to the European outreach
3. humanism and schism within Christianity
Supplemental Syllabus
Lecturer: Charles H. Ford, Ph.D. Office: BMH, C-154
Office Hours: MWF, 9-10:30 a.m.; M, 3-4 p.m.; F, 3-3:30 p.m.; T, 9:30-11 a.m.;
R, 9:30-10 a.m.
E-Mail Address: chford7@mail.com
Office #s: 823-8865, 823-8828
Fax: 823-2512
ATTENDANCE -Since class attendance and participation are important in the
learning process, over five (excused and/or unexcused) absences will result,
at the lecturer's discretion, in grade reduction or, after ten absences, in
a failing grade for the course.
Thus if a student misses ten or more classes, then that student receives a
failing grade for the course, regardless of his/her performance on tests and
papers. Determination of absences will be based on regular class meetings
as scheduled by the Registrar and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Also, attendance for the entire class period is expected unless prior arrangements
have been made with the lecturer. Students who arrive late and/or leave early
will be considered absent. Students are responsible for becoming familiar
with the rules of attendance and the standards of academic and personal conduct
as set forth in the University Catalog and Student Handbook. On the other
hand, informed participation in class (asking good questions, answering the
lecturer's questions) will enhance your final grade.
ASSIGNMENTS -Topics and weekly reading assignments are listed in the common syllabus. Follow that schedule. A weekly reading assignment should be completed before the first lecture in which the class will discuss that reading assignment. Two papers are also assigned. The first paper (assigned during the third week of class) will critique an up-to-date article written by a professional historian. Using their best prose, students will critique (summarize as well as analyze) this recent professional research. To write this paper will require only the assigned readings. This paper should be no longer than four pages (typed and double-spaced). Failure to turn in this paper may ultimately result in a failing grade for that paper. Finally, a longer paper is assigned. This longer paper will assess the life and works of an important leader discussed in class. For this project, paper topics will be assigned during the sixth week of class, and the paper itself will be due during the last week of class. This paper should be no longer than eight pages (typed and double-spaced). No handwritten papers will be accepted as the final draft of any paper assignment. No extra-credit assignments will be factored into the final grade.
EXAMINATIONS -This course offers six tests. These tests will consist of essay
questions. These exams will occur after the following topics: the Neolithic
Revolutions, early Africa, Han China, the Roman Empire, the Islamic world,
and Renaissance Europe.
With the exception of the final exam's date (which is set by the administration
and is listed in the University's Schedule Book), these test times are tentative
and may change at the lecturer's discretion. Attend class to find out about
any possible changes. The midterm will consist of essay questions and will
emphasize material covered since the last examination. The final will be an
essay test that emphasizes material covered since the last examination. All
of these essay exams may include short response, identification, and/or document
analysis sections. For all examinations, please bring one or two blank, "blue"
books from the University bookstore as well as a blue or black ink pen.
MAKEUP EXAMS - Makeup exams will be given only at the lecturer's discretion. Any situation clearly beyond a student's control which causes or will cause him/her to miss an exam or other assignment should be reported to the lecturer at the earliest possible time.
GRADING- I grade according to the following percentages:
Four Regular Exams: 10% each
Midterm Exam: 10%
Final Exam: 10%
Papers: 10% each
Class Attendance & Participation: 20%
INCOMPLETES- I do not give an Incomplete final grade for a 100-level survey class under any circumstances. Uncompleted work becomes a zero/F to be factored in the final grade as outlined above. It is expected that all work be completed as assigned.
ACADEMIC HONESTY- The History and Geography faculty (including myself) adhere to the University's guidelines concerning plagiarism and cheating. Violations of these standards will result in grade reduction and/or a failing grade plus a recommendation for University discipline. In particular, copying from an electronic website without appropriate attribution is as serious a violation as lifting passages from a book without citing it. Citations for this course should be in the Modern Language Association format for everyone taking the course who is not a history major. For history majors, citations for this course should be in the University of Chicago/Turabian style, the more detailed form used by professional historians. Your instructor will acquaint you with the various relevant styles of citation immediately before the assignment of the first paper. If your citations fail to conform to the appropriate style for your major, then your paper grades will be reduced accordingly.
FILMS: In order to supplement lecture/discussion topics, your instructor
will show documentaries exploring some of those topics in depth. You are expected
to pay close attention to these films and to take notes during these films.
Details and arguments from the films may be the subject of essay questions
on your exams. Your instructor may show excerpts from (and/or the entire narrative
of) the following films:
India and the Infinite: The Soul of a People (1979, 1997)
Secret Heart of Asia: Buddha on the Silk Road (1998)
The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization, Volumes 1 & 2 (2000)
Hail Caesar, Volume 1: The Life of Julius Caesar (2000)
Hail Caesar, Volume 6: The Life of Justinian (2000)
Islam: Empire of Faith, Volumes 1 & 2 (2000)
Attend class in order to find out the exact day of the showing of these films
and/or excerpts of these films.
TAPE RECORDING OF CLASS: In order for students to take better notes from lectures, discussions, and/or films, your instructor welcomes the use of tape recorders to supplement handwritten and/or typed notes. Nevertheless, tape recording should not be a substitute for attendance or engagement; a student must be present during the entire class period in order to be able to record excerpts of the class and/or the entire session. Abuse of tape recording privileges will result in such privileges being taken away from that student and/or students.
COMPUTER LITERACY: This course assumes that students have e-mail addresses and that they have access to (and are familiar with using) word processing programs such as Microsoft Word and/or Corel Word Perfect. Course announcements may be disseminated electronically; questions about assignments may be efficiently handled through e-mail. In addition, this course assumes that students have access to (and are familiar with using) Internet websites, which your instructor may point out in order to supplement required printed assignments.
INSTRUCTOR'S WEBSITE: The electronic address of your instructor's very own
professional website, which contains his syllabi and curriculum vitae, is:
http://oocities.com/drcford
This website, currently under construction, will be updated with current course
outlines and announcements by the end of the first week of class. Consult
it frequently for any changes to and/or deletions from the course syllabi.
SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS: Any student with documented and certified special needs should inform your instructor of these special needs during the first two weeks of the class. Once informed of these special needs, your instructor will make any reasonable accommodation in order to foster the success of any student with documented and certified special needs. In general, disabled (whether physically, mentally and/or academically challenged) students should contact Ms. Beverly B. Harris at the Disabled Student Services Office, Room 309, Godwin Student Center, (757) 823-8173.
POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS TO SYLLABI: Your instructor, Charles H. Ford, retains the right to change or to revise both the general and supplemental syllabi at his discretion. Attend class in order to be aware of any syllabi changes.