HIST 2750-01: Critical Trends and Issues in the Contemporary World Spring 2019 COURSE DESCRIPTION An examination of the global significance of critical political, social, cultural, economic, and international trends and issues since the fall of Communism. Prerequisite(s): Any 1000- or 2000-level HIST course. Credits: 3; CRN 20100; TR 3:35 4:50, UC424 INSTRUCTOR Dr. Carol L. White; Office: Arts & Sciences Building, G-105D; Phone: (678) 466-4863; Email: CarolWhite@clayton.edu; Office Hours: Tues and Thurs 9-11, 1-2 or by appt. Please address the professor as Dr. White in all your correspondence and interactions with her. TEXT AND OTHER RESOURCES The following books are required and available for purchase at the bookstore. Students are encouraged to use PriceLoch.com to comparison shop for textbooks. 1. Kevin Bales, Disposable People, University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-22463-9 or Disposable People (with new preface), ISBN 978-0-520-27291-0 2. Katherine Boo, Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Random House, ISBN 978-1-4000-6755-8 or 978-0-81-297932-9 3. Barbara Demick, Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea, Spiegel & Grau, ISBN 978-0-385-52391-2 4. Pietra Rivoli, The Travels of the T-Shirt in the Global Economy, Second Edition with New Preface and Epilogue, Wiley, ISBN 978-1-118-95014-2 For all the books except Rivoli, any edition is fine. For Rivoli, you MUST work with the above edition. Check the ISBN carefully. Students may use digital or ebook editions of the books. However, they must use a laptop or tablet to consult the books in class. Phones are not permitted in class (see below). COURSE OBJECTIVES AND/OR LEARNING OUTCOMES This course will focus on contemporary world history. Specifically, the class will address four major themes: the developing world, failed states, human rights and the environment. The objectives for the course are: * To explore contemporary world history from multiple perspectives, including economic, political, social and cultural history * To develop critical reading skills * To evaluate contemporary nonfiction, news and documentary sources * To develop effective writing and discussion skills 1
This class supports the following program outcomes for the B.A. in history degree at Clayton State: * Identify and describe basic chronologies of U.S. and world history * Identify and critically evaluate primary and secondary historical sources * Identify and evaluate conflicting historical interpretations of events and personalities * Write in a clear, analytical, and organized manner, demonstrating appropriate professional documentation methods The Clayton State University Core Curriculum outcomes (see Area D) are located in the Academic Catalog and Student Handbook. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING This course is divided into five modules. You are expected to actively participate in all aspects of the course, which includes the completion of assigned readings, quizzes and exams, the final essay, and participation in discussions. Lecture Lectures will be provided in each module. Students will be tested on the material covered in lecture. Of particular importance are the key terms provided in each lecture. In-Class Reading One hour of class time on Jan 17 has been set aside to begin reading the first book. Students who attend and spend the entire period reading receive five points. Reading, Discussion and Quizzes For modules two through five, students will be expected to read one book per module. Students will participate in discussions based on assigned readings. Students are expected to do the readings in advance of discussion and actively participate. For modules two through five, there will be two pop quizzes for each module. The quizzes will cover the reading assigned for that day. Each quiz will be worth five points. At the end of the semester, the professor will drop the two lowest quiz grades for a total of 30 points. Quizzes cannot be made up except in the cases of university activities or military service. Students arriving late to class will not be able to make-up the quiz. In addition to the discussions on assigned readings, four days have been set aside for discussion of in-class readings or videos. Students will receive five points for each of these discussions. If a student has an unexcused absence (see attendance policy below) on the day of discussion, he or she will lose the five points for that day. 2
Exams There will be four short exams according to the schedule below. Exam questions will be multiple choice, matching or true/false. Students are allowed to consult their notes and will have 20 minutes to complete the exam. Each exam is worth 20 points. In most cases, exams cannot be rescheduled. Rescheduling is permitted only under extreme circumstances and requires the consent of the professor. Make-up exams are permitted solely at the discretion of the professor, typically in cases of illness or emergencies. In such cases, documentation may be required. Cell phones and other handheld devices must be put away completely during exams. Failure to follow this policy may result in disciplinary action through the Office of Community Standards. Oral Quiz The last two days of class have been set aside for oral quizzes. Each student will be expected to answer one question drawn from the books that we read during the semester. Each student will receive a different question. Additional instructions will be given in class. The oral quiz is worth five points. Final Essay The Objective The final essay takes its cue from the title of this course, Critical Trends and Issues in the Contemporary World. Your task in the final essay is to use at least three of the books that we have read for the semester to identify one critical trend or issue in the contemporary world and discuss its significance. More specifically, you have three objectives in this paper: 1) identify a significant trend or issue in the contemporary world, 2) use the examples in the books to indicate why this trend or issue is important, and 3) indicate how the authors of the books suggest we handle or address this issue for the future. Given the content of our books, it is most likely that the trend or issue that you identify will be a contemporary problem that needs a solution. But you may instead identify a trend or issue that is a positive development in our society. If that is the case, for the third objective, focus on how the authors suggest we preserve or expand this positive development. The Process In order to successfully complete this essay, after completing each book in the class, students are encouraged to write down a list of major issues that the book addresses. For example, in Behind the Beautiful Forevers, the list could read: women s roles, government corruption, poverty, pollution, informal economies, class/caste conflict, etc. For each of the main issues that you identify, you may also want to make a quick note of specific examples from the book that 3
address those issues. (Don t forget to include page numbers so you can find it again when you are writing the paper later.) Review your lists after each book, updating them if new ideas occur to you. Once you have finished all four books, use your lists to identify a trend or issue that appears in at least three of the books. You may find several, which will allow you to pick the topic that most interests you. The Essay The essay should be six to seven, double-spaced pages and discuss at least three of the books assigned for our course. Your books should receive a similar amount of attention in your essay. In other words, it should be clear to the professor that you read all three books closely. If a book is mentioned only in passing or receives significantly less coverage than the other books, the professor will assume that the student did not read it or did not read it carefully. This is a scholarly essay. It should be written in a scholarly tone and include the basic elements of a paper an introduction, a thesis, body paragraphs and a conclusion. Your introduction should identify your chosen trend or issue (objective one, above), and your thesis should indicate your argument regarding its significance and how the issue should be addressed in the future (objectives two and three, above). Posted in the assignments folder is a writing guide that identifies and explains common mistakes made by students in their papers. You should consult the writing guide when composing and editing your paper. Students should NOT use the first person (I, me, we, us) or second person (you) in their essay responses. Please use standard margins (one inch) and font size (twelve points). Your sources (the books that you are writing the essay about) should be cited, including in-text citations and a bibliography. You may use APA, MLA or the Chicago Manual of Style. In addition to the books, you may reference lecture material; it does not need to be cited. You are not permitted to consult any additional sources. Doing so will result in an automatic zero on the assignment. Papers will be submitted to turnitin.com to check for plagiarism. Papers are due at the time of the final exam and should be submitted via the Dropbox section of Desire2Learn. Unless previous permission has been arranged, papers emailed directly to the professor will not be accepted. Late papers are accepted at the discretion of the professor, usually in the case of illness or emergency. In such cases, the professor may require documentation. The final essay is worth 40 points. Extra Credit The professor has set up a special discussion board on Desire2Learn where she will post links to news articles relating to topics discussed in our class. Students can earn up to 10 points on their final grade by commenting on the news articles. This extra credit will be available until the end of the semester. 4
Other extra credit opportunities may also be given. However, all extra credit opportunities will be given to the entire class. No student should ask for or expect to receive individual extra credit. Extra credit cannot be made up under any circumstances. The grading system is as follows: Quizzes (8 at 5 pts/2 lowest dropped) Exams (4 at 20 points) In-Class Reading Discussion of In-Class Readings/Videos (4 at 5 points) Oral Quiz Final Essay TOTAL 30 80 5 20 5 40 180 A = 162-180 D = 108-125 B = 144-161 F = 0-107 C = 126-143 MID-TERM PROGRESS REPORT The mid-term grade in this course, which will be issued on Wednesday, February 27, reflects approximately 33% of your grade. Based on this grade, students may choose to withdraw from the course and receive a grade of W. Students pursuing this option must fill out an official withdrawal form, available in the Office of the Registrar, by mid-term, which occurs on Friday, Mar 1. For more information, see http://www.clayton.edu/registrar/withdrawal. CONTENT WARNING This course covers a number of potentially disturbing topics. They include, but are not limited to, extreme poverty, suicide, rape, physical abuse, starvation and enslavement. Students concerned about the content of the course should speak with the professor BEFORE THE END OF ADD/DROP (Thursday, January 10). Please note that in most cases, alternate assignments cannot be offered. DESIRE2LEARN On-line activity will take place in Desire2Learn, the virtual classroom for the course. You can gain access to Desire2Learn, by signing on to the SWAN portal and selecting D2L. Posting of your work in D2L is a course requirement. If you experience any difficulties in Desire2Learn, please email or call The HUB at TheHub@mail.clayton.edu or (678) 466-HELP. You will need to provide the date and time of the problem, your SWAN username, the name of the course that you are attempting to access, and your instructor s name. 5
COMPUTING REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES You are required to have ready access throughout the semester to a notebook computer that meets faculty-approved hardware and software requirements for your academic program. For further information on CSU s Official Notebook Computer Policy, please go to http://www.clayton.edu/hub/itpchoice/notebookcomputerpolicy. Please note that smart phones do not fulfill this requirement. Specific requirements for this course include: Able to use the Windows TM operating system Able to use Microsoft Word TM and PowerPoint TM Able to send and receive e-mail using Outlook TM or Outlook Express TM Able to attach and retrieve attached files via email The ability to use Desire2Learn and associated tools, including discussion boards, chat rooms, online testing and dropbox submission features Able to use a Web browser Able to use Adobe Reader Only use your CSU e-mail account to communicate with the professor. Please address the professor as Dr. White in all your correspondence. INTERNET POLICY Students are generally discouraged from augmenting the course material through Internet sources. Many of the topics in our course are controversial, and websites are often biased. Please remember that you may NOT consult any additional sources when completing exams or the final essay. ATTENDANCE POLICY University policy states that students are expected to attend and participate in every class meeting. Instructors establish specific policies relating to absences in their courses and communicate these policies to the students through the course syllabi. Individual instructors, based upon the nature of the course, determine what effect excused and unexcused absences have in determining grades and upon students ability to remain enrolled in their courses. The university reserves the right to determine that excessive absences, whether justified or not, are sufficient cause for institutional withdrawals or failing grades. Students who are absent from this class more than 25% (8 classes or more) will be submitted for withdrawal from the course, regardless of their grade at the time of withdrawal. Below are the policies for determining absences: * Any absence that is unexcused (excused absences are typically granted in the cases of illness or emergency; documentation is required) 6
* Participating in official Clayton State University functions (such as athletic events) or required official military duty are NOT considered absences * Missing more than 15 minutes of the class for any reason is an absence * Being dismissed from the class by the professor is an absence CONDUCT EXPECTATIONS Students must abide by policies in the Clayton State University Student Handbook, and the Basic Undergraduate Student Responsibilities. The Student Handbook is part of the Academic Catalog and Student Handbook. According to the Student Code of Conduct (available in the Student Handbook), No student will represent the work of others as his or her own. Themes, essays, term papers, tests, presentations and other similar assignments must be the work of the student submitting them. When direct quotations are used, they must be indicated and when the ideas of another are incorporated, they must be appropriately cited. In other words, whenever a student uses the words or ideas of others, the student must explicitly acknowledge the source. This rule is applicable to Internet sources, as well as traditional published sources. Students should be aware that academic honesty is one the highest priorities of any academic environment. You should familiarize yourself with the university s policies on academic integrity and honesty, which are available in the handbook. All instances of academic dishonesty will result in a zero for the assignment and will be reported to Community Standards for disciplinary action. Judicial procedures are described in the section of the Academic Catalog and Student Handbook titled Procedures for Adjudicating Alleged Academic Conduct Infractions. PLAGIARISM DETECTION SOFTWARE Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. You should submit your papers in such a way that no identifying information about you is included. DISRUPTION OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Behavior which disrupts the teaching learning process during class activities will not be tolerated. While a variety of behaviors can be disruptive in a classroom setting, more serious examples include belligerent, abusive, profane, and/or threatening behavior. A student who fails to respond to reasonable faculty direction regarding classroom behavior and/or behavior while participating in classroom activities may be dismissed from class. A student who is dismissed is entitled to due process and will be afforded such rights as soon as possible following dismissal. If found in violation, a student may be administratively withdrawn and may receive a grade of WF. These rules are applicable to the online environment, as well as the in-person classroom. 7
More detailed descriptions of examples of disruptive behavior are provided in the Clayton State University Academic Catalog and Student Handbook. CENTER FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS The Center for Academic Success (CAS) provides personalized one-on-one peer and professional staff tutoring in over 100 core subjects. The Center is located in Edgewater Hall Suite 276. The CAS also offers moderated study groups, informal study sessions, a comfortable study environment, a student study lounge, and it s all free! Use the CAS if you need help; become a tutor if you don t. For more information you can e-mail the center at thecas@clayton.edu. WRITING ASSISTANCE The goal of the Writers Studio is to give rise to better writers, not just to better writing. People who love to write, people who struggle mightily with it, and people who fall anywhere else on the spectrum can find a place at The Writers Studio a place for students to come for writing guidance and feedback. Each student may receive up to 90 minutes of assistance per day and 3 hours per week. Furthermore, both appointments and walk-ins are welcome. Here s The Writers Studio s contact information: Location: Arts & Sciences Building, Room G-224 Phone: 678.466.4728 Email: ws224@clayton.edu Website: http://clayton.edu/writers Visit The Writers Studio at http://clayton.edu/writers or schedule your appointment online at https://csu.campus.eab.com (Note: first-time users need to complete a one-time registration prior to using the online appointment website). OTHER POLICIES Cell phones and other handheld devices should be switched off and put away during class. Students using handheld devices will be given one warning per class. If they continue to use such devices, they will be dismissed from the class and counted as absent. The professor prefers that you not record her class unless you have an accommodation from disability resources. The use of laptops during class is not necessary, but it is allowed. Students are permitted to use laptops in class only for the taking of notes and consulting readings. 8
WEAPONS ON CAMPUS Clayton State University is committed to providing a safe environment for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Information on laws and policies regulating weapons on campus are available at http://www.clayton.edu/public-safety/safety-security/weapons. Individuals with disabilities who need to request accommodations should contact the Disability Resource Center, Edgewater Hall, Suite 255; 678-466-5445; DisabilityResourceCenter@clayton.edu. CLASS SCHEDULE Module One (Jan 8 to Jan 17): Introduction to Class and the Cold War Lectures: Origins of the Cold War; The Cold War; Proxy Wars In-Class Reading (Jan 17): Travels of a T-Shirt Module Two (Jan 22 to Feb 5): Globalization Lectures: Globalization, China; The Global Economy; World Trade, World Bank and IMF Read and Discuss: The Travels of a T-shirt Discussion Schedule: Jan 24 Preface, Prologue and Part I Jan 29 Parts II and III Jan 31 Part IV, Conclusion and Epilogue First Exam and Discussion of In-Class Reading/Video (Feb 7) Module Three (Feb 12 to Feb 26): Developing World Lectures: India; Decolonization; Colonial Legacies; Ghana Read and Discuss: Behind the Beautiful Forevers Discussion Schedule: Feb 14 Author s Note (247-254), Prologue, and Part One Feb 19 Parts Two and Three Feb 21 Part Four Second Exam and Discussion of In-Class Reading/Video (Feb 28) Module Four (Mar 12 to Mar 26): Failed States Lectures: North Korea; Failed States; Haiti; Afghanistan Read and Discuss: Nothing to Envy Discussion Schedule: Mar 14 All front matter (ix-xii); Chapters 1-5 Mar 19 Chapters 6-13 Mar 21 Chapters 14-Epilogue Third Exam and Discussion of In-Class Reading/Video (Mar 28) Module Five (Apr 2 to Apr 16): Human Rights Lectures: Human Rights; Women s Rights; Venezuela; Children s Rights Read and Discuss: Disposable People 9
Discussion Schedule: Apr 4 All prefaces, Chapters 1-2 Apr 9 Chapters 3-5 Apr 11 Chapters 6-7, Coda, and Note on Research Methods Fourth Exam and Discussion of In-Class Reading/Video (Apr 18) Oral Quizzes (Apr 23 and Apr 25): Oral Quizzes Final Essay (TBA) The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary. 10