Hist 102 The Evolution of Western Ideas and Institutions from the 17th Century
Summer 2014 - Session I
History 102
Tues/Thurs 9:00-12:20
Writing Intensive
Instructor: Dr. Ulle Holt
Email: Ulle.Holt@gmail.com
Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 1:00-2:30 and by appointment
EVOLUTION OF WESTERN IDEAS AND INSTITUTIONS SINCE 1648
This course will provide an analytical overview of the major intellectual, political, cultural, and social developments of the past three centuries that have fundamentally shaped the contemporary world. For example, students will examine the philosophy of the Enlightenment and how it led to democratic political changes in the 19th century; the cultural shift from Romanticism to Modernism; the impact of industrialization on gender and social order; the rise of Communism and Fascism; the roles of WW I and WW II in changing the European landscape and geopolitical structure of the world. In the process, students will not only learn what changes occurred, but also when and why they did.
This course satisfies the historical knowledge area of the core curriculum. In addition, this course meets the core course value criterion by promoting an understanding of the evolution of Western concepts of social justice.
History is a discipline which requires analysis and expository writing. Thus, the writing intensive aspect of this course is designed both to improve general writing skills and to develop one’s ability to “do” history. Through engagement with controversial subjects and conflicting interpretations across primary sources and secondary texts, you will further develop your abilities to read, think, and write critically and to recognize and question the political implications of historical writing and research. More important, you will learn how to take the leap from being able to talk about an event or idea, to think about what you really want to say, and then being able to put your thoughts and ideas into coherent sentences.
REQUIRED TEXTS
McKay, Hill, & Buckler, A History of Western Society, Vol. C (tenth edition)
Koestler, Arthur, Darkness at Noon or Ginzburg, Eugenia Semyonovna, Journey into the Whirlwind
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Regular attendance and class participation are expected.
Be prepared to discuss daily reading assignments.
Three short response papers (1-2 pages)
One long paper (6-8 pages) on either the Ginzburg or Koestler book
Several in-class written exercises
Mid-term and Final exams
On site visits to cultural sites and Jewish Ghetto
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
Week 1
May 20: Introduction and Setting the Stage: Europe—The Center of the World?
Readings in McKay
Class writing exercise
The French Revolution: Impact and Aftermath
Reading in McKay
Documents to be announced
Mary 22: The Legacy of Napoleon; Culture and Ideology in the Age of Romanticism
Class Discussion of the British Industrial Revolution
Readings in McKay
Documents to be announced
Week 2
May 27: Restoration, Reform, and Revolution: 1815-1848
Class Discussion Conservatism, Liberalism, Nationalism in the 19th Century
Readings in McKay
Documents to be announced
*First Response Paper Due
May 29: Mass Culture and Imperial Expansion/ Urbanization and Reform in the Victorian Age
Readings in McKay
Documents to be announced
Week 3
June 3: Europe on the Eve of the Great War, The Guns of August, and
The Russian Revolution
Readings in McKay
*Second Response paper due
June 5*Mid-term
The Lost Generation, The Age of Anxiety, Modernism
Readings in McKay
Documents to be announced
Week 4
June 10: The Rise of Fascism and National Socialism; Appeasement and Aggregation; The Spanish Civil War; The View from the Gulag
Readings in McKay
*Third response paper due
June 12: Total War: World War II, The Holocaust, Displacement Camps, The Iron Curtain descends
Readings from McKay
Documents to be announced
Week 5
June 17: Visit to Jewish Ghetto
Class review and Class Presentations
June 19: *Final Exam and Final Paper Due
