Syllabus Details

COURSE DESCRIPTION

“The world has changed more in the last thirty years than it has since Jesus”
-Charles Péguy, 1913

This course is an upper-level seminar on the history of the world at the turn of the twentieth century, the period Jan Romein described as “the watershed of two eras.” It was a period of profound transformations in politics, society, culture and ideas across the world; what is more, it was an era of seismic shifts in international relations. In many respects, the world in 1900 has more in common with our own world than the intervening era of world wars and cold war. After a survey of the world in 1900, we will take up an important question each week, examining international relations, changes in everyday life, mass politics, consumer society, scientific innovations, new cultural movements, imperialism, and more. We will look to examples from around the world. The class will be run on the model of a graduate seminar with a heavy reading load and weekly meetings. Readings will include important new scholarship, classic historical accounts, and powerful primary sources. Requirements include three short papers, class presentations, and a take home final exam.

GOALS OF THE CLASS

At the end of this course, students should take away a deep understanding of the world in 1900. They should:

  • be able to identify & explain a set of important events in the world in 1900 (for example, including the Boer War, the Russo-Japanese War, the Boxer Rebellion, the construction of the Panama Canal, etc.)
  • be able to identify & explain a set of key issues and developments in the world in 1900 (including mass politics, roles for women, consumer culture, imperialism, anti-colonial movements, new technologies, etc.)

The course should also help students to improve their historical skills. At the end of the course they should:

  • be better historical researchers, better able to survey new topics and construct bibliographies on complex subjects
  • be better historical readers, better able to grapple with complex historical works and concepts

REQUIREMENTS

  • A whole lot of reading
  • Careful preparation for class
  • Active participation
  • Multiple small research assignments
  • Multiple short class presentations
  • Three short papers (4-6 pp.)
  • Take-home final examination

GRADING

Your grade will measure your effort, the level of your thinking and writing, as well as the progress you make across the semester. The following is offered as a rough guide (and I reserve the right to change it). It assumes a good faith effort on all assignments:

  • 20% class participation (coming to class prepared, contributing to discussion)
  • 30% research assignments & presentations
  • 30% papers #1-3
  • 20% final examination

I follow the College of Wooster guidelines for grading. A grade in the “A” range indicates excellent work, the “B” range indicates good work, the “C” range indicates adequate work, the “D” range indicates a minimal performance. A grade of “F” or “NC” indicates unsatisfactory work or the failure to complete all work.

READINGS

The following books are available for purchase at the college bookstore. Additional readings will be posted to the course website.

  • Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Empire, 1875-1914 (1987)
  • Charles Emmerson, 1913: In Search of the World Before the Great War (2014)

CLASS FORMAT

Let me say a word about the format of the course as it will be different from most courses you’ve taken at the College. The course will be run as an advanced history seminar. What does this mean in practice? You’ll have a heavy reading load through the week. You’ll have to take notes as you go so that you can prepare for class discussion. There will be additional assignments: background readings, book reviews, research assignments. On a number of occasions you’ll be responsible for presenting material to the class, introducing the work at hand, or guiding discussion. I won’t hold forth, or at least not at great length. The course, for better or for worse, will be driven by student participation.

CLASS POLICIES

ATTENDANCE

Attendance is mandatory. Please be ready to begin at 7:00. There will be a significant grade penalty for missing classes and for arriving late. Please do not let yourself be a distraction to the class. Please don’t leave class unless it is urgent. We’ll take a ten-minute break in the middle of each class.

COMMUNICATION

I use the course website to share the schedule and readings. We will also use Moodle to post announcements and to share discussion questions, bibliographies, and book reviews. You are responsible for checking your email once a day.

TECHNOLOGY

No laptops in class unless I give special permission. Please turn off your phone before the start of class and keep it out of sight. Digital readers (ipads, kindles, etc.) may be acceptable with my permission, but only for reading pdfs.

PAPERS AND DEADLINES

Late papers will only be accepted by permission of the instructor. Unless I grant a special dispensation, papers will be penalized (a full letter grade for each day they are late).

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND PLAGIARISM

A full statement of the Code of Academic Integrity is included in the Scot’s Key. You are responsible for reading and understanding it. If, in any of your written assignments, you use the words or the ideas of another without attribution, you are committing plagiarism, the academic equivalent of high treason. If you borrow the words of others, you must place them in quotation marks and properly cite the work. If you paraphrase the words of others, you must cite the source. If you borrow the ideas of others, you must cite the source. Failure to properly quote and cite is plagiarism.
Any student caught plagiarizing or cheating or otherwise violating the Code of Academic Integrity will fail the course and be referred to the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement.

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Any student with a documented learning disability needing academic accommodations is requested to speak with Pam Rose, Director of the Learning Center (ext. 2595) and the instructor as early in the semester as possible. All discussions will remain confidential. Please note: the Learning Center also provides assistance to any student seeking to improve his/her academic performance.

RECORDING AND PHOTOGRAPHY

No student may record or tape or photograph any classroom activity without the express written consent of the professor. If a student believes that he/she needs to record or tape classroom activities, he/she should contact the professor to request an appropriate accommodation.

COLLEGE POLICY REGARDING CONFLICTS WITH ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITIES

The College of Wooster is an academic institution and its fundamental purpose is to stimulate its students to reach the highest standard of intellectual achievement. As an academic institution with this purpose, the College expects students to give the highest priority to their academic responsibilities. When conflicts arise between academic commitments and complementary programs (including athletic, cultural, educational, and volunteer activities), students, faculty, staff, and administrators all share the responsibility of minimizing and resolving them.
As a student you have the responsibility to inform the faculty member of potential conflicts as soon as you are aware of them, and to discuss and work with the faculty member to identify alternative ways to fulfill your academic commitments without sacrificing the academic integrity and rigor of the course.

COLLEGE POLICY REGARDING FINAL EXAMINATIONS

No final examinations are to be given during the last week of classes or on reading days. Students who wish to reschedule a final exam must petition the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement in writing in advance of the examination. The student must confer with the instructor before submitting a petition, and the instructor should indicate to the Dean if he or she supports the petition. Normally, such petitions are granted only for health reasons. If other reasons necessitate a request for a change in a final exam, the request must be submitted three weeks in advance of the examination.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS

If you have questions about the class, or if you are having problems, or if you find yourself falling behind, contact me immediately.