College of Arts and Sciences Department of History

Northern Arizona University Spring 2001


Sanjam Ahluwalia

Office: LA 232 Class Meetings: MWF 11.30-12.20

Phone # : 3-8709 Teaching Assistant: Matthew Thomas

Office Hours: MWF 12.30-1.30 Course Prerequisites: None

E-mail: Sanjam.Ahluwalia@nau.edu


HIS 102: The Making of the Modern World
 

IMPORTANT: Please look at the "Northern Arizona University Policy Statements" and the "Classroom Management Statement" at the back of this documentbefore reading the syllabus.
 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course traces the evolution of the world from a constellation of relatively isolated regions in 1500 to global interdependence of the present-day. The emphasis in the course will be on tracing the emergence of the interdependence between world regions--an interaction that was stimulated by the European invasions and colonizations and sustained by the contributions of the non-western regions. Together these forces shaped the modern world. In analyzing and understanding global histories as inter-connected, we will pay close attention to the social, cultural, political, economic, demographic, and ecological implications of this history. Class lectures and readings will stress upon issues of diversity, power imbalances, and the interactive workings of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and national variables. Though primarily a course in global history, it will draw upon materials and pedagogical approaches from other disciplines, such as feminist studies, anthropology, literature, political science, and art. 
 

THEMATIC FOCI: The readings and class lectures will emphasize the importance of valuing diversity of human experiences. Students will be urged to pay close attention to how variables of gender, race, ethnicity, class, religion, community, and nation shaped historical understandings in different parts of the globe. We will pay close attention to technological developments and their varied impact in history, and again our focus will be to map how technology impacted different social groups and societies in the past. Looking at global interactions across time and space, this course will also examine how environmental consciousness shaped human interactions with their natural world.
 

DISTRIBUTION BLOCK: Cultural Understanding.
 

ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Critical Reading and Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Effective Writing, and Oral Communication. 

COURSE OBJECTIVES: The course will promote understanding of different cultures as they have developed in global, political, social, cultural, economic, and environmental contexts. It will provide the opportunity for students to study historical development of local and regional societies, and to cross disciplinary and geographical boundaries to appreciate an increasingly interdependent and multi-cultural world. This pedagogical approach will emphasize the interconnectedness and uniqueness of all peoples. It will elucidate the contributions of culturally diverse groups to the formation of the modern world, while highlighting their achievements. The course's potential is exemplary for instilling the skills and values of world citizenship and for relating to people different from oneself. 
 

COURSE STRUCTURE: This is the second course in a two semester sequence on World History at NAU. These courses are intended to be large surveys that break down into smaller discussion sections through the strategic use of teaching assistants. Both courses also build upon common themes of (1) the globalization process; and (2) cultural change . The general format of the course will be: interactive lectures, audio-visual materials, intensive reading and writing, and small group discussions. 
 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

You are expected to engage with weekly readings carefully and critically and participate actively in class discussions, 15% of your course grade will depend upon class discussion of various films and readings. This class will also require use of internet resources. 

Informal Writing: You will be expected to write short critical responses to works of fiction, primary documents, and films. 

Map Quiz: There will be 2 map quizzes in class, you will be asked to identify specific places on an outline map from a list of places handed out in class ahead of time. 

Mid-Term Exam: There will be an in-class mid-term exam. The format of which will be discussed in class.

Final Exam: In-class final exam will consist of essay questions drawn from a list handed out in class two weeks prior to the exam. 
 

COURSE GRADES

Grades for the course will be calculated in the following way:

Class Discussion 15%; Informal writing 25%; Map Quiz 15%; Mid-term Exam 20%; Final Exam 25%.
 

TOTAL FOR COURSE 100%

The grading scale for the course will be as follows: 

90%+ = A; 80 - 89%= B; 70-79%= C; 60-69%= D; below 60%= F.
 

ASSIGNED TEXTS

Howard Spodek, The World's History: Volume II-Since 1100. (REQUIRED)
 

Raymond Hylton, Documents Set: The World History: Volume II. (REQUIRED)
 

Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative and other Writings. (REQUIRED)
 

Gerald A. Danzer, World History: An Atlas and Study Guide. (RECOMMENDED)

A set of REQUIRED readings available on the World Wide Web (WWW). 
 

If necessary I may put REQUIRED or other RECOMMENDED readings on reserve at the Cline 

library. 
 

COURSE POLICIES

ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE IN CLASS.
 

PLEASE NOTE: I do not give extensions, incompletes, or make-up exams, except in cases allowed for by University Policy. 
 

Plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in any of the assignments, and will result in failing the course. Please consult the section on "Academic Integrity" in the NAU Policy Statements appended to this syllabus for further details. IT IS THE STUDENTS' RESPONSIBILITY TO FAMILIARIZE HERSELF/HIMSELF WITH THESE MATTERS AS DEFINED BY THE UNIVERSITY. 
 

ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY

While I will not take regular roll, frequent and repeated absence and/or lack of punctuality could effect your grade. As pointed out above 15% of your class grade will depend on participation in the various class discussions assigned in the syllabus. Whatever your reasons for arriving late or missing a class, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to arrange to meet or call a classmate and find out what happened in that class. 
 

COURSE SCHEDULE: SUBJECT TO MODIFICATION 
 

January 17: Introduction.
 

January 19: Why World History? Dominant themes to be covered in the course. Start readingThe Interesting Narrative

Reading: Spodek, "Introduction," PP: 1-16. 
 

FORGING A GLOBAL WORLD

January 22-24: Changing World in 1500: Trade, Politics, and Society

January 22: Class Lecture.

January 24: Class Discussion of primary documents. 

Readings: Spodek, "Chapter 12: Channels of Communication," PP: 372-408. 

Documents Set, "Chapter 12," PP: 205-218.
 

January 29: Trade Routes and World Trade-1500-1776.

Readings: Spodek, "Chapter 13: The Unification of World Trade," PP: 409-443.
 

January 31 & February 2: Demography and Migration-1500-1770s.

January 31: Class Lecture.

February 2: Class Discussion of Primary documents and Chapter. First In class Map Quiz. 

Readings: Spodek, "Chapter 14: Demography and Migration," PP: 444-474. 

Documents Set, PP 244-246; 250-254.
 

February 5: Class Discussion of The Interesting Narrative.
 

REVOLUTIONS: POLITICS & SOCIETY, INDUSTRY AND EMPIRE

February 7-14: Political Revolutions in Europe and the Americas: 1688-1850.

February 7: English Revolution --1688.

February 9:American Revolution -- 1775-1783.

February 12: French Revolution -- 1789-1799. 

February 14: Revolt in Haiti -- 1791.

Readings: Spodek, "Chapter 15: Western Revolutions and their Export," PP: 478-507. 

Documents Set, PP 255-264.
 

FEBRUARY 12: PAPER DUE ON INTERESTING NARRATIVE.
 

February 16: MID-TERM EXAM!! PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING BLUE BOOKS!!
 

February: 19-21 End of Colonialism in Latin America

Readings: Spodek, "Chapter 15," PP: 509-516.

Documents Set, PP. 264-268
 

February: 23 Comparative analysis and importance of the revolutions - Class Discussion.
 

February 26-28: Industrial Revolution-1740-1914.

February 26: Britain and Europe.

February 28: Impact on the world outside Europe: India, China and Africa.

Readings: Spodek, "Chapter 16: The Industrial Revolution," PP: 517-556. 

Documents Set, PP: 278-286.

Marx, Communist Manifesto. Available on line.

Please make a print out from the following site:http://csf.colorado.edu/psn/marx/Archive/1848-CM/
 

March 2- Class discussion of Communist Manifesto.
 

March 5-9: SPRING BREAK!!
 

March 12: PAPER DUE ONCommunist Manifesto.
 

March 12-16: Social Revolutions - 1830-1914

March 12: Gender Politics.

March 14-16: Film Doll House.

Readings: Spodek, "Chapter 17: Social Revolutions," PP: 557-575. 

Documents Set, Chapter 17, PP 288-291, 306-311. 
 

March 16-19: Class discussion of Doll House , Second Map Quiz.
 

NATIONALISMS AND IMPERIALISM: TOWARDS A POST-COLONIAL WORLD

March 21: Politics of Nationalisms - 1830-1914.

Readings: Spodek, "Chapter 17: Social Revolutions," PP: 575-593. 
 

March 23-30: Technologies of Destruction: 1914-2000.

March 23: World War I.

March 26: World War II.

March 28-30: Film and discussion.

Readings: Spodek, "Chapter 18: Technologies of Mass Production and Destruction," PP: 594-639; Documents Set, PP: 312-325. 
 

April 2-9 Russia and Japan 1914-2000.

April 2-4: Russia.

April 4-9: Japan.

Readings: Spodek, "Chapter 19: Soviet Union and Japan," PP 640-676. 

Documents Set, PP: 339-349; 354-362.
 

April 11-18: India and China 1914-2000.

April 11: India. 

April 13 & 16: China.

April 18: Class Discussion-Gandhi and Mao.

Readings: Spodek "Chapter 20: China and India," PP 677-712. 

Documents Set, PP: 363-386. 

M. K. Gandhi, Hind Swaraj. Available on Line.

Please make a print out from the following site:

http://www.swaraj.org/mkgandhiswaraj.htm
 

April 20-23: Latin America 1870s-2000.

April 20& 23: Latin America.

Readings: Spodek, "Chapter 23: Latin America," PP: 774-804. 

Documents Set, 432-435; 437-458. 
 

April 25-27: Arab World and Africa 1870s-2000.

Readings: Spodek, "Chapter 21: The Middle East and North Africa," PP: 713-15; 720-721; 727-740; Spodek," Chapter 22: Sub-Saharan Africa," PP: 741-773. 

Documents Set, PP: 387-392; 401-410; 423-431.
 

April 30: Global Environment. 

Readings to be announced.

May 2: Global People's Movements.

Readings to be announced. 
 

May 4: FINAL EXAM REVIEW!
 

May 9: 10.00- 12.00 PM. FINAL EXAM - PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING BLUE BOOKS!!!