HIST 280: Colonial Worlds

Scarboro / Spring 2017

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 19th and 20th centuries.

II. Purpose:

A. History Department Learning Outcomes

This course is designed to lead to student achievement of the History Department Learning Outcomes.   Students who graduate from the King’s College Department of History will:

            Learning Outcome 1: demonstrate and apply knowledge of major historical subjects,             themes, and concepts.

            Learning Outcome 2: critically engage sources and asses historiographical arguments.

            Learning Outcome 3: illustrate their participation in these historical conversations by        producing original scholarship.

B.  Objectives for the student:

Further, this course will ask the student to make sense of the “Russian Project” from an interdisciplinary perspective. He or she is to become familiar with the major cultural, social, political and economic trends of the creation and evolution of the Russian idea and to be able to interpret them in a historical, social and political context.  Central to the course is the objective that the student will become familiar with historical methodology, and the methodology and thinking of the social sciences: 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. 

C.  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.

III. General Requirements

A. Course Readings:

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

Burton, Antoinette, The Trouble with Empire: Challenges to Modern British Imperialism, Oxford University Press, 2015

Colley, Linda, Captives: Britain, Empire and the World, Anchor Press, 2004

Darwin, John, The Empire Project: The Rise and Fall of the British World System, 1830-1970, Cambridge University Press, 2011

Fannon, Franz, The Wretched of the Earth, Grove Press, 2005

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

Shakespeare, William, The Tempest, Bantam Classics, 1988

Other Readings will be available on the course moodle site <<http://kings.mrooms2.net/course/view.php?id=2073>>.

B. Course Films 

Pontecorvo, Gillo, The Battle of Algiers,1966.

C. Course Plays

William Shakespeare, The Tempest, presented by the King’s College Players: Feb. 15-18^th at 7:30

D. Group Work and Workshops

The primary written assignment in this class is a 10 paper on the topic of historical imaginings of the colonial world that incorporates both primary and secondary sources.  Much of this work will be done collaboratively within a group with which you will be working closely together in researching historical questions associated with your topic and sources to address them.  There will be five groups total each focusing on one of four historiographical problems within the structure of the Russian History.  

1.     Group Questions and Historiography Workshop                          February 10^th

In the first group workshop you will critique one another’s annotated bibliography of secondary sources and arrive at a series of five big questions or historiographical debates associated with your topic. 

These questions will need to be turned in on February 13^th.

2.     Historiography Workshop                                                             March 13^th

In the second group workshop you will critique one another’s historiographical essay.  You should pay special attention to the manner in which these essays address the five big questions articulated in the first workshop. You will need to bring to this workshop two copies of your written response to each of your group mates’ papers (one copy will be for me, the other to the author). 

3.     Primary Source Workshop                                                                        April 3^rd  

In the third group workshop you will critique on another’s annotated bibliography of secondary sources and historiographical essays.  You will need to pay special attention to how these sources address the big questions, secondary literature, and historiographical essays.

4.     Thesis and Synthesis Workshop                                                   April 26^th  

In the final group workshop you will critique one another’s thesis and synthesis drafts. 

You should pay special attention to the manner in which these essays address the five big questions articulated in the first workshop. You will need to bring to this workshop two copies of your written response to each of your group mates’ papers (one copy will be for me, the other to the author). 

D. Written Assignments:

Your final paper is broken down into several constituent parts that will be turned in over the course of the semester.  Below are the details:

1.     Annotated Bibliography of Secondary Sources                            February 6^th

Your annotated bibliography of secondary sources will need to include at least 15 secondary sources dealing with your historical questions.  The annotations should feature correct bibliographic citations; articulate the thesis for each source; and indicate how they approach your historical questions. 

(See Worksheet on the Course Moodle Site).

2.     Historiography                                                                               February 27^th  

Your historiographical 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. 

(You will need to turn the paper both in paper copy in class and through the turnitin link on the course moodle site.  Additionally, besides a hard copy for me, you will need to e-mail copies to each member of your group).

3.     Annotated Bibliography of Primary Sources                                March 27^th  

Your annotated bibliography of primary sources will need to include at least 15 primary sources dealing with your historical questions.  The annotations should feature correct bibliographic citations; articulate the thesis for each source; and indicate how they approach your historical questions.

(See Worksheet on the Course Moodle Site).

4.     Synthesis and Thesis                                                                     April 21^st   

Your synthesis draft of your paper will focus on interpreting and integrating primary sources within the framework of your developed historiographical understanding of your topic and historical questions.  This draft should be a minimum of 8 pages.  You will also need to separately turn in a thesis statement (no more than two sentences) articulating the main argument of your paper.

(You will need to turn the paper both in paper copy in class and through the turnitin link on the course moodle site.  Additionally, besides a hard copy for me, you will need to e-mail copies to each member of your group).

5.     Final Paper                                                                                     May 3^rd  

Your final paper a minimum of 10 pages will be due the last day of the semester.

(You will need to turn the paper both in paper copy in class and through the turnitin link on the course moodle site).

E.  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.

Further, 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.  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.

F.  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:

G. Academic Integrity:

The Department of History adheres to guidelines on academic integrity outlined in the Student Conduct Code in the Student Handbook.  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.   Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the History Department’s plagiarism policy posted below:

<http://departments.kings.edu/history/honesty.html>

H. 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.

I.  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