Colonial Worlds

HIST 280

Scarboro

Fall 2010

I.  Description:

Colonialism and its resistance is the subject of this course.  We will investigate the processes (political, military, economic, cultural and ideological) that enabled the western powers to hold sway over much of the world in the modern era and the manner in which colonized people resisted, transformed and found solaces in this domination.  Special attention will be paid to the British and French colonial projects of the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

II. Purpose:

A. Objectives for the student:

Among the objectives for this class are that the student become familiar with and be able to analyze the mechanics of colonialism as a modern and modernizing ideology within its political, economic and cultural contexts.  Students will engage with colonialism from a wide range of genres, historiographic traditions and methodologies in order to gage colonialism’s historical roots, impact and transformations.  Central to the course is the principle that in taking the class the student will become familiar with historical methodology and thinking.  He or she should be able to locate, evaluate and interpret historical sources and place them in context.  The course’s paper will ask the student to critically engage and evaluate primary and secondary sources and present analyses of them in clear and persuasive writing.  These everyday tools of the historian will serve the student well in any field he or she chooses to enter. 

B.  General Learning Outcomes for the Student:

In addition to the more content-related objectives described above, this course has some general liberal-learning goals of developing academic skills. It is expected that successful completion of this course will help you improve your ability to: manage information, which involves sorting data, ranking data for significance, synthesizing facts, concepts and principles; to understand and use organizing principles or key concepts against which miscellaneous data can be evaluated; to frame questions so as to more clearly clarify a problem topic or issue; to compare and contrast the relative merits of opposing arguments and interpretations, moving between the main points of each position; to organize your thoughts and communicate them clearly and concisely in written form; to obtain practice in selecting and presenting information and arguments within a restricted environment, especially the limitations of time in exams

III. General Requirements

A. Course Readings:

Malek Alloula, Colonial Harem, University of Minnesota Press, 1986

Laurent Dubois, Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2005

Franz Fanon, Black Skins White Masks, Grove Press, Revised Ed., 2008

Jamaica Kincaid, A Small Place, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1^st ed. 2000

Rudyard Kipling, Kim, Penguin Classics, 1987

Salman Rushdie, Midnight’s Children: A Novel, Random House, 2006

William Shakespeare, The Tempest, CreateSpace, 2010

Other Readings will be available on the course moodle site <<http://kings.mrooms2.net/course/view.php?id=625>>.

B.  Course Films 

Ousmane Sembene, Mandabi, 1968

Pontecorvo, Battle of Algiers, 1966

F. Written Assignments:

The primary written assignment in this class is a 10-12 paper on the topic of colonialism that incorporates both primary and secondary sources.  Much of this work will be done collaboratively within a group.  On the first day of class you will chose three other people with whom you will be working closely together both in researching your paper and in preparing and presenting your final group project.  Each of your individual papers will be on the same general topic. Your individual papers will all contribute to the final project so you should be sure to closely collaborate with your peers.  Your paper will be written in several steps much of it collaboratively:

1)  As a group you will meet with me either Sept. 13^th or 14^th  to chose your topics and lay the foundation for the rest of the semester’s group work. 

2)  On Monday September, 27^th you will turn in a group bibliography of secondary sources.  This will consist of a minimum of 50 sources and be the basis of your first draft of the paper your historiographical essay.

3)  The historiographical essay is due on Monday October 11^th.  This essay (which will be incorporated into your final paper) will synthesize the historical scholarship on your topic against which you will situate your own readings of your primary sources.  This essay will need to be a minimum of 5 pages.  Besides a hard copy for me turned in in class, you will need to e-mail copies to each member of your group. 

4)  On October, 18^th your group will critique one another’s historiographical essays in an in-class workshop. 

5)  On Monday, October 25^th your group will turn in a group bibliography of primary sources.  This will consist of a minimum of 20 sources and be the basis of the second draft of the paper.

6)  On Monday, November 8^th you will turn in your second rough draft of your paper which will focus on interpreting and integrating primary sources within the framework of your historiographical understanding.  This draft should be unique (that is not include sections from your historiograohical essay) and a minimum of 5 pages.  Besides a hard copy for me turned in in class, you will need to e-mail copies to each member of your group. 

7)  On Monday, November 15^th your group will critique one another’s second drafts in an in-class workshop. 

8)  Your final paper of 10-12 pages is due the last day of class December 10^th

Each stage and component of the paper are to be turned in both in paper form (in class) and electronically via turnitin on the course moodle site.

G. Final Group Presentation and Group Work

Each group will be responsible for a final presentation during the last weeks of the semester.  These presentations should present the findings of the group in an integrated and coherent manner and present a clear thesis supported by collected evidence (both primary and secondary sources). Your project will be allotted for 20-25 minutes with a question and answer session to follow.  You project should be multi-media and can include power-point images, music and video clips.

You will also be responsible for grading your group mates’ performance during your work together this semester.  Ten percent of your final grade will consist of your group mates’ assessment of your work.  

H. Exams:

This class will also require a two examinations (a midterm due on November 1^st and a final exam during finals week).  These examinations will be take-home and consist of several essay questions focusing on class readings, lectures and discussions. 

G.  Leading Class Discussion and Participation

As well as providing you with the methodological and analytical tools for engaging in historical thinking, this class will ask you to actively take part in a larger conversation of historical issues within the class.  I expect this class to allow us to delve deeply into the historical topics of each week’s readings.  To that end you need to make sure that you arrive to class on time ready to discuss the weekly readings, having carefully read and thought over the material.  You must take an active role in the class discussions.  Thus a portion of your grade will depend on your in-class performance and presence. 

You will be responsible for leading class discussion twice during this semester.  This will entail reading the assigned text, song collection or film closely, arranging a list of topics and themes to discuss in class and preparing a series of questions to discuss during class.  You will e-mail a list of 8-10 questions to me and your classmates no later than 5:00 the evening before class so that we will have time to reflect on them and prepare responses.

As part of this class participation, prior to each class discussion you will be responsible for turning in a written description (no more than a paragraph) of the thesis of the class readings.  These will collected at the beginning of class and no late assignments will be accepted.

In a class of this nature it goes without saying that a classroom environment in which everyone feels comfortable is essential.  You should treat your fellow classmates with respect, listen carefully to their comments and respond to them in a polite manner. 

H.  Grading:

It is your responsibility to understand why you have achieved a certain grade, and what steps you can take to maintain or improve your grade.  You should consult with the instructor during office hours or by appointment before and after exams and written assignments.

For your protection, in case of errors in record keeping, you should keep copies of all exams and assignments until you have received official notice of your final grade.

      Your final grade will be based on the following percentages

Your grade distribution for class assignments is as follows:

I. Academic Integrity:

The Department of History adheres to guidelines on academic integrity outlined in the Student Conduct Code in the Student Handbook: 

http://www.kings.edu/student_handbook/studentregulations_rights/conductcode.htm

Cheating and plagiarism will be penalized in accord with the penalties and procedures indicated in that source.  All students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the definition of these infractions of academic honesty. 

J. Absences:

I will regularly take attendance in this class. Absences due to college activities, emergency or extended illness may be excused by the appropriate college official. You should consult with the professor about making up missed work in advance or as soon as possible after your return.  Other absences are unexcused and will lower the class participation portion of your grade. After any absence, you are responsible for requesting hand-outs and already returned assignments from me or borrowing notes from other students. If you miss an exam, contact me as possible. You may take a missed exam only at the discretion of the instructor.

K.  Dissabilities:

King’s College and I will make every effort to accommodate students with a bona-fide disability that impacts on their ability to learn the course material.  Please meet with me privately so that appropriate arrangements can be made to help in the learning process.

IV. Course Schedule

Introduction

Monday, August 30^th

Colonialism and Modernity

Wednesday, September 1^st

Pre-Industrial Colonialism: Spain in the new World

Friday, September 3^rd

Colonialism and “Terra Nullius”

Wednesday, September 8^th

Discussion: Shakespeare, The Tempest

Friday, September 10^th

**Discussants:

No Class: Group Meetings

Monday, September 13^th

Discussion: “Knowing the Oriental”

Wednesday, September 15^th

Reading: Said, Orientalism, (selections) <<Course Moodle Site>>

**Discussants:

Capitalism and Colonialism: The Rise of John Company

Friday, September 17^th

Christianity and Colonialism

Monday, September 20^th

The Invention of Race

Wednesday, September 22^nd

Discussion: Colonialism and its “Forms of Knowledge”

Friday, September 24^th

Reading: Bernard Cohn, Colonialism and its forms of Knowledge, (selections) <<Course Moodle Site>>

**Discussants:

Prelude to the Post Colonial, Part I: Haiti: Violence and Silence

Monday, September 27^th

***Group Bibliography of Secondary Sources Due***

Discussion: Prelude to the Post-Colonial, Part II: Haiti and Revolution

Wednesday, September 29^th

Reading: Laurent, Avengers of the New World

**Discussants:

Prelude to the Post-Colonial, Part III: Sepoy Rebellion / 1^st War for Independence

Friday, October 1^st

Discussion: Mimicry

Monday, October 4^th

Reading: Babha, Of Mimicry and Man <<http://newsstand.education.monash.edu.au/attachments/1673/Bhabha complete chapter.pdf>>

Reading: Orwell, Shooting an Elephant <<http://www.online-literature.com//887/>>

**Discussants:

Discussion: Colonial Representations

Wednesday, October 6^th

Reading: Kipling, Kim

**Discussants:

Colonialism and the 19^th Century Middle Class

Friday, October 8^th

Discussion: Capturing the “Oriental”

Monday, October 11^th

Reading: Alloula, Colonial Harem

**Discussants

***Historiographical Essay Due***

Scramble for Africa

Wednesday, October 13^th

Workshop: Historiography

Monday, October 18^th

Discussion: Journey to the “Mountains of the Moon”

Wednesday, October 20^th

Speke, Journey of the Discovery of the Nile: "Introduction"; "London to Zanzibar" and "Palace Uganda" <<http://www.wollamshram.ca/1001/Speke/nile.htm>>

**Discussants:

Idylls of Nature: South Sea Paradises

Friday, October 22^nd

Discussion: Tintin

Monday, October 25^th

Reading: Hergé, Tintin in the Congo <<Course Moodle Site>>

**Discussants:

***Group Bibliography Primary Source Due***

“Kill the Indian, Save the Man”

Wednesday, October 27^th

The Challenge of Nationalism

Friday, October 29^th

Colonialism and "Double Consciousness"

Monday, November 1^st

***Midterm Exam Due***

Discussion: Black Skins, White Masks

Wednesday, November 3^rd

Reading: Fanon, Black Skins, White Masks

**Discussants:

Remembering Colonialism, Part II

Friday, November 5^th

Film: Pontecorvo, Battle of Algiers

**Discussants:

Satyagraha

Monday, November 8^th

***Second Rough Draft Due***

Black Man’s Burden

Wednesday, November 10^th

Black Man’s Burden, Part II

Friday, November 12^th

 Film: Sembene, Mandabi

**Discussants

Workshop:  Primary Sources and Synthesis

Monday, November 15^th

Discussion: “Colo-Mentality”

Wednesday, November 17^th

Recording: Fela Kuti

**Discussants

Discussion: Post-Colonialism and Violence

Friday, November 19^th

Reading, Kincaid, A Small Place

**Discussants

Class Presentations

Monday, November 22^nd

Class Presentation

Monday, November 29^th

Class Presentation

Wednesday, December 1^st

Class Presentation

Friday, December 3^rd

Class Presentation

Monday, December 6^th

Class Presentation

Wednesday, December 8^th

Discussion: The Perils and Possibilities of Post-Colonialism

Friday, December 10^th

Reading: Rushdie, Midnight’s Children

**Discussants:

***Final Paper Due***