Topics on the West and the Modern World

Course Description

Transnational themes in modern continental European history explored in a world context, such as: Emigration and Immigration; Nation States and National Identities; History of "Development"; European Expansion and Colonial Empires. Notes: May be repeated for credit when topic of study changes.

Syllabus

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

MAC, Critical Thinking and Inquiry (CTI) in the Humanities and Fine Arts Competencies:

  • Critically analyze claims, arguments, artifacts or information.
  • Construct coherent, evidence-based arguments.

History Department Student Learning Outcomes:

  • Analyze historical duration, succession, and change in terms of human agency and larger systems or structures in a wide variety of places and periods. [Historical Comprehension]
  • Use historical thinking to contextualize and analyze primary and secondary sources representing different points of view. [Historical Analysis]

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure Percentage/Points
Exam 1 20%
Exam 2 20%
Essay Assignment 1 20%
Essay Assignment 2 20%
Reading Quizzes 10%
Participation 10%

Grading Scale

Percentage Letter Grade
93-100A
90-92.9A-
87-89.9B+
83-86.9B
80-82.9B-
77-79.9C+
73-76.9C
70-72.9C-
67-69.9D+
63-66.9D
60-62.9D-
0-59.9F

Attendance/Participation:

Participation grades will be based on class discussions of the course reading assignments and will comprise 10% of the final grade.

Attendance is not a graded component of this course.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

  • Hochschild, Adam. King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Boston; New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999.
  • Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994.

Scholarly Perspectives

This course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.