SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS

Transcription

1 Voyage: Fall 2013 Discipline: History HIST 2559: The West and the Rest Division: Lower division Faculty Name: Alfred Hunt Pre-requisites: none COURSE DESCRIPTION SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS This course considers the development of the West since the 15 th century C.E. and its subsequent interaction with the cultures of Africa, the Americas and Asia. In particular, we will examine the impact of the discovery of the New World, the rise and fall of European and American global dominance, the effect of colonization and imperialism, and the results of the conflicts of the 20 th century on global politics, economics, and cultures. We will also follow the development of American exceptionalism and end the course with consideration of the problems and possible scenarios for the United States and the rest of the West in the 21 st century. COURSE OBJECTIVES Students will become knowledgeable about how and why the West has developed in its historical relationship with the rest of the world, and what the effects of that relationship means for our future. They should gain an appreciation of the increasing reliance that these diverse regions and cultures have upon one another, and therefore, be better equipped to contribute to finding solutions to our mutual and increasingly global world. Because the focus will be primarily on our itinerary, students should also have a better understanding of the history of places that we visit, and how these regions are all interconnected with our own history. Students will become aware that globalization is not a modern concept. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AUTHOR: Jared Diamond TITLE: Guns, Germs and Steel PUBLISHER: Norton ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: 2005 AUTHOR: David Landes TITLE: The Wealth and Poverty of Nations PUBLISHER: Norton ISBN #: DATE/EDITION:

2 AUTHOR: Joseph Nye TITLE: The Paradox of American Power PUBLISHER: Oxford ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: 2003 AUTHOR: Fareed Zakaria TITLE: The Post-American World PUBLISHER: Norton ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: 2009 TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE THE WEST AND THE WORLD History is marked by alternating movements across an imaginary line that separates East from West HERODITUS, The Histories Books: Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel David Landes, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations Joseph Nye, The Paradox of American Power Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World Articles on Electronic Reserve (ER): A Prophet and Between Two Millennia in Franco Cardini, Europe and Islam The British Empire, in Amy Chua, Day of Empire Race and Economics in Thomas Sowell, Race and Culture The Social and Cultural Impact of the Slave Trade in Herbert Klein, The Atlantic Slave Trade Why Planners Cannot Bring Prosperity in William Easterly, The White Man s Burden Passage to the North, in Ira Berlin, The Making of African America DATE: TOPIC ASSIGNMENT A1- August 27: Introduction A2-August 29: Civilizations and Their Discontents Diamond, Guns, p August 30-September 1: St. Petersburg 2

3 A3- September 3: Europe Emerges Diamond, Guns, p. September 4-7: Hamburg A4- September 9: The Age of Discovery Landes, Wealth, 1-99 September 10-12: Antwerp September 13-15: Le Havre A5- September 17: The Columbian Exchange Landes, Wealth, September 18: Arrive & Depart Galway September 19: In Transit September 20-21: Dublin A6- September 23: Global trade: Asia Landes, Wealth, September 25-27: Lisbon September 28-30: Cadiz A7- October 1: The Role of Religion ER: Cardini, Europe and Islam October 3-6: Casablanca A8- October 7: Slavery: Ancient and Modern Klein, The Social and Cultural Impact A9- October 9: EXAMINATION A10- October 12: The West in Africa ER: Chamberlain, African Background October 13-16: Tema A11- October 18: Race and Ethnicity ER: Sowell, Race A12- October 21: After Slavery? October 23-27: Cape Town A13- October 28: WARFARE: the Western Way A14- October 31: Wars: the aftermath ER: Chua, British Empire A15- November 2: The Americas: Two Continents? Landes, Wealth, A16- November 5: EXAMINATION 3

4 November 7-9: Buenos Aires November 10-12: Montevideo A17- November 13: U. S. Foreign Policy in Latin America ER: The Banana Wars A18- November 15: Immigration Issues see Diaspora class ER for stats November 16-18: Rio de Janeiro A19- November 20: Western Cultural Imperialism Easterly, White, p A20- November 22: Capitalism vs. Landes, A21- November 25: (enter Amazon) Democracy: Is It Working? Nye, Paradox November 27-29: Manaus A22- December 1: (exit Amazon) Que Vadis? Zacaria, Post- American; Landes, A23- December 3: review Take home final essay A24- December 10: A Day EXAMINATION in-class FIELD WORK The field lab accounts for 20% of the course contact hours and the final grade, evaluated by a 5-7 page essay due towards the end of the voyage on a topic related to the class. The field work is intended to give a more personal perspective of the issue of the relationship of western culture with that of our host countries. FIELD LAB (Students must attend one of the two sections on August 30 or September 1.) Visit to Museum of Political History, St. Petersburg, Russia. Students will tour this museum dedicated to the political history of Russia, but particularly the Soviet Union. They will focus on the development of politics of the Russian Revolution and the emergence of the Soviet Union, and assess the contributions and liabilities of political communism, including the use of propaganda for political persuasion. A brief paper summarizing one aspect of the exhibits will be required after the visit. Students choose TWO of the following: 1. Ghana-a visit to the Castles and Slave Dungeons to better understand the development and workings of the Atlantic Slave Trade and the tragedy of racial slavery as it developed in the West. This caused not only a significant transformation of African societies but also led to 4

5 a shift away from the countries on the Mediterranean Sea to the dominance of Northern European nations bordering the Atlantic Ocean by the 17 th century. There will be several SAS sponsored trips on different days to this important site. 2. This is an independent field lab assignment: The Age of Discovery in either Lisbon, Portugal or Cadiz or Seville Spain. Participants will choose one museum that features discovery and exploration during the 15 th and 16 th centuries and write a brief paper focused on some aspect of their museum of choose as it relates to how the metropolis effected its contact with either Africa, Asia or the Americas. Students will turn in the essay, admissions ticket and brochure of the museum visited. Relevant museums (choose one): Lisbon: Maritime, Orient, Military, Ancient Art or City Museums. Cadiz: Museo de Cadiz; or Palos de la Frontera La Rabida Monastery Seville: Cathedral, Royal Alcazar, Torre del Oro, Casa de Contratacion, Museo Arqueologico. METHODS OF EVALUATION / GRADING RUBRIC Class attendance is important for discussion. There are no make-up exams or late papers without proper documentation of illness which may result in grade reduction. Grade Structure Three in class examinations are 20% each = 60% One take-home final essay =20% Field Work attendance and essay =20% RESERVE LIBRARY LIST AUTHOR: Ira Berlin TITLE: The Making of African America PUBLISHER: Viking ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: 2010 AUTHOR: Amy Chua TITLE: Day of Empire PUBLISHER: Anchor ISBN#: DATE/EDITION:

6 ELECTRONIC COURSE MATERIALS AUTHOR: Franco Cardini ARTICLE/CHAPTER TITLE: A Prophet and Between Two Millennia JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: Europe and Islam DATE: 1999 PAGES: 1-35 AUTHOR: Amy Chua ARTICLE/CHAPTER TITLE: Introduction and The British Empire JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: Day of Empire DATE: 2009 PAGES: xix-, and AUTHOR: Thomas Sowell ARTICLE/CHAPTER TITLE: Race and Economics JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: Race and Culture: A World View DATE: 1995 PAGES: AUTHOR: Herbert Klein ARTICLE/CHAPTER TITLE The Social and Cultural Impact of the Slave Trade JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: The Atlantic Slave Trade VOLUME DATE: 2010 PAGES: AUTHOR: William Easterly ARTICLE/CHAPTER TITLE: Why Planners Cannot Bring Prosperity JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: The White Man s Burden DATE: 2007 PAGES: 3-59 AUTHOR: Ira Berlin ARTICLE/CHAPTER TITLE: Passage to the North JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: The Making of African America DATE: 2010 PAGES:

7 HONOR CODE Semester at Sea students enroll in an academic program administered by the University of Virginia, and thus bind themselves to the University s honor code. The code prohibits all acts of lying, cheating, and stealing. Please consult the Voyager s Handbook for further explanation of what constitutes an honor offense. Each written assignment for this course must be pledged by the student as follows: On my honor as a student, I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment. The pledge must be signed, or, in the case of an electronic file, signed [signed]. 7