HIST 21 - History of Western Civilization I

Transfer Status

CSU/UC

Unit(s)

3.00

• Lecture: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)
• Total: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)

Course Description: This course is a survey of the development of western culture and civilization through the Reformation. The course also introduces students to the historical reasoning skills necessary to form their own understanding of the past, and of contemporary society. (C-ID HIST 170).

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate the ability to interpret primary and secondary sources and to compose an argument which uses them, as appropriate, for support.
2. Analyze the concept of the West.
3. Analyze changes in political, social, and economic organization in the western world and explain their historical significance.
4. Explain the historical significance of major ideas, discoveries, inventions, and scientific achievements.
5. Explain the historical significance in art, architecture, and literature.
6. Explain similarities, differences, and interrelationships that existed between specific civilizations of the ancient world, and between various medieval societies.
7. Consider the relevancy and use of history in contemporary society.
8. Demonstrate an understanding of Western Civilization through multiple analytical categories such as race, class, gender and ethnicity.

Topic Titles / Suggested Time Topic

Lecture

1. Class Activities
2. Collaborative Group Work
3. Group Discussions
4. Guest Speakers
5. Homework: Students are required to complete two hours of outside-of-class homework for each hour of lecture
6. Lecture
7. Multimedia Presentations
8. Reading will include both primary and secondary sources, including but not limited to monographs, articles, course readers, textbooks, literature, and/or websites.

1. Exams/Tests
2. Quizzes
3. Research Projects
4. Oral Presentation
5. Written Assignments
6. Class Discussion
7. Evaluation methods will include 1) written essays and/or research projects and 2) essay exams.

Reading Assignments

1. Read Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. Come to class prepared to discuss how this work reflects the beliefs of Stoicism as discussed during the lecture.
2. Read the play, Everyman, reflecting on how the Black Death and the Church impacted the lives of people living during that period. Be prepared to discuss at length during the next class session.

Writing Assignments

1. Write an analysis paper, examining the Phaedo, by Plato. The following questions will be addressed:  What is the historical context of this period? Who was the author, and what is his perspective? Do you detect any bias? What was the author's intent in writing this, and whom did he see as his audience? What are the storylines, as revealed in the document? What role does Socrates play in the Phaedo and how is that relevant to Plato's dialogs in general? What does the document reveal about the Greek notions of the body versus the soul? And lastly, what stands out as particularly meaningful, and in what ways can this understanding provide insight into our modern times, and why?
2. Read Aristotle, The Politics of Aristotle, Book 2, trans. Benjamin Jowett (London: Colonial Press, 1900). In this excerpt from The Politics of Aristotle, Aristotle writes about Spartan women, in a very critical way, criticizing their power, especially their ability to own property and land in Spartan society. From the excerpt, write a short essay (500-750 words) in which you address these questions: Analyze Aristotle's writings about Spartan women. What were gender roles for women in Sparta? What was surprising about those roles? Think critically about Aristotle's analysis of Spartan women. Why might he write about Spartan women in the way that he did?

Out-of-Class Assignments

1. View the two-part documentary, When the Moors Ruled Europe. As you watch, take notes on the questions below. Your notes will be collected and we will discuss this material in our next class meeting. Who are the Moors? When, why, and how did they enter the Iberian Peninsula? How were they received? What influence did the Moors have on the development of mathematics, science, art, philosophy, and agriculture in the West? What were the reasons for the fall of Moorish rule in Iberia? How has this era of Iberian history been presented in the historical record? How have recent scholarship and archaeology led to new insights?
2. Read “Chapter 8: The Homefront,” by Mary Beard, SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. Respond to the following questions. We will discuss your responses in class: What was Roman marriage like? What was the purpose of marriage in Roman society? What was the proper role of women in traditional Roman society? In the first century CE a new type of woman became in vogue. What was the new woman of that period? How did the rights of women in Rome compare to women in Greece? What surprising rights did Roman women have? What were arranged marriages like in Rome? What was childbirth like for women in Rome? What were the risks like for early children in Rome? How were houses and decoration of houses a political act in Rome?

Hunt, Lynn and Thomas R. Martin, Barbara Rosenwein, Bonnie Smith. (2021). The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures. Volume I to 1750. Macmillan Learning, 7th. 978-1319331535.

Perry, Marvin. (2018). Sources of the Western Tradition Volume I: From Ancient Times to the Enlightenment. Cengage Learning, 10th. 978-1337397605.

Johnson, Paul. (2012). Socrates: A Man for Our Times. Penguin Books, Reprint. 978-0143122210.

Other Learning Materials

OER such as Internet History Sourcebooks Project, Fordham University, https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/index.asp

History (Masters Required)