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Supriya Mukherjee Fall 2007 Office: 317 Clough Phone: 843- Email: mukherjees@rhodes.edu Office Hours: MWF: 3:00-4:
THE WORLD SINCE 1945 History 205
Course Description:
This course is designed to provide students a historical perspective on the major events, trends and issues that have shaped the contemporary world. Since it is not possible to cover everything that happened in the world since 1945, it will concentrate on topics such as the Cold War, the end of the European empires, the emergence of the ‘third world,’ and the origins of current conflicts, especially those relating to religion and ethnicity. It will also look at the major changes in the world economy since 1945, and address the issue of globalization, both as an economic as well as a cultural concept. This course does not include material on United States history, other than that necessary for understanding world history. During the semester, considerable attention will be paid to the non-Western world.
Required Readings:
Michael H. Hunt, The World Transformed, 1945 to the Present Michael H. Hunt, The World Transformed, A Documentary Reader Liang Heng, Son of the Revolution Kamala Markandaya, Nectar in a Sieve V.S. Naipaul, A Bend in the River
Additional readings are to be found in the following: a. my faculty folder on the Acad_Dept_Pgm server b. through the JSTOR database
Course Requirements:
There will be a total of three exams, two mid-terms and a final. They will consist of an essay component, and a short identification component. The exams will count for 20%, 20%, and 30% of your grade respectively. Additionally, students will be asked to two short papers, 4-6 pages in length each. These papers will focus on the last three books on the reading list above. These will count for an additional 20% of your grade. The last 10% of the grade will go towards class discussion and participation. Although this course will include lectures, there will be considerable emphasis on discussion and
classroom interaction, not in a random way, but based on assigned readings. Students are expected to read assigned material before they come to class and have a general overview of the historical background of a particular topic. The primary documents assigned will be the focus of class discussion. Obviously, class attendance is required for class participation, and roll will be taken. I will also call on individual students so that they might contribute to the discussion. It is recommended that students bring a list of questions or comments so that they can actively participate in the discussion. Class attendance is not an option. You are expected to come to every class session. Medical leave that is officially approved by the College administration is the only exception to this rule. It is, of course, understood that emergencies may occur. Therefore, you are allowed to miss three (3) class periods for any reason. Additional absences will adversely affect your grade. If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. You are still responsible for all material covered in the class whether or not you attended it. Honor Code: You are bound by the Honor Code of the Student Handbook. Please review the Honor Code section if you are unfamiliar with it, especially the definition of what constitutes “plagiarism”. On every assignment, you should reaffirm the Honor Code by writing the entire honor pledge and signing your name. No written work will be accepted without an Honor Code pledge. While team studying is allowed, and discussion among students encouraged, your written work should be your own. Other Considerations: I reserve the right to make changes in the syllabus during the semester, but will give you advanced warning so that you can make the necessary readjustments in your schedule without excessive difficulty. This means that I can change the readings assigned, give additional handouts, or give short assignments for the next class period. Finally, all assignments must be turned in order to get a passing grade for this course. Essay assignments must be turned in to me on the date due in class. I will accept a hard copy only.
CLASS SCHEDULE – Fall 2007
INTRODUCTION
W 22 Aug. Course procedures and goals How to read primary documents.
F 24 Aug. What is contemporary history? Why start in 1945? The World Transformed (hereafter TWT ), 1-
SEEING RED
M 27 Aug. Cold War Overview TWT , 27- Hiroshima Documents ( TWT Reader , 53-58) Sherman, “Hiroshima as Politics and History” (Journal of American History, Dec. 1995, JSTOR)
Start reading Nectar in a Sieve
F 21 Sep. The End of Ideology? Paris, 1968 TWT , 176- Paris Upheaval Documents ( Reader , 171-174)
M 24 Sep FIRST MIDTERM EXAMINATION
THE THIRD WORLD
W 26 Sep. Where Did the Third World Come From? TWT , 15- Discussion: Nectar in a Sieve
F 28 Sep. Decolonization: Overview (Part I) TWT , 129- Nehru, “Towards Freedom”; Nehru Gandhi Letters ( Reader , 119-123)
M 1 Oct. Decolonization: Overview (Part II) Thiong’o, “Decolonizing the Mind” (folder) Fanon, From The Wretched of the Earth ( Reader , 262-268)
W 3 Oct. Decolonization with Partition: India TWT, 130- Butalia, “An Archive with a Difference: Partition Letters” (folder)
F 5 Oct. Decolonization with Partition: Palestine (Part I) TWT , 403- “Statement of Arab Views”; Israeli “Declaration of Independence” (Reader, 387-390)
M 8 Oct. Palestine (Part II) Thomas Friedman, “The Fault Line” (folder)
W 10 Oct. Colonial Crisis in Algeria TWT, 290-
View “Battle of Algiers” over the Fall Break
( Fall Break)
W 17 Oct. Colonial Crisis in Algeria Cohen, “Legacy of Empire: the Algerian Connection” (Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 15, 1980, JSTOR)
FIRST PAPER DUE
F 19 Oct. Discussion of The Battle of Algiers
M 22 Oct. The Challenges of Independence: Development (Part I) TWT, 229- Topik, “Historical Perspectiveson Latin American Underdevelopment” (The History Teacher, August, 1987, JSTOR)
Start reading A Bend in the River
W 24 Oct. The Challenges of Independence: Development (Part II) Nkrumah Speeches ( Reader , 243-249)
F 26 Oct. The Challenges of Independence: Crisis of the Nation State (Pt. I) TWT, 266- Bill Berkeley, From The Graves Are Not Yet Full ( folder)
M 29 Oct. The Challenges of Independence: Crisis of the Nation State (Pt. II) The Economist, “The Global Menace of Local Strife” (folder)
W 31 Oct. Bula Matari : The Congo Bill Berkeley, From The Graves Are Not Yet Full (folder)
F 2 Nov. Discussion: A Bend in the River
M 5 Nov. SECOND MIDTERM EXAM
ONE WORLD, DIVISIBLE
W 7 Nov. The Cold War Comes to an End TWT, 319- Gorbachev Report; Cohen and Heuvel Interviews ( Reader , 288-300)
F 9 Nov. Capitalism, Asian Style TWT , 354- Deng Xiaoping Speeches and Interviews (Reader, 351-356) Shambaugh, “Assessing Deng Xiaoping’s Legacy” (China Quarterly, Sep. 1993, pp. 409-11, JSTOR)
M 12 Nov. What is globalization? TWT , 81 – 84; 435-437; 450-
