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Dr James Lachlan MacLeod

World Cultures 120—Spring 2003

The Emergence of the Modern World

Welcome to World Cultures 120!

The class is a seminar-based one, with learning based on reading and informed classroom discussion; this involves hard work and considerable thought, but can also be a lot of fun. Your contribution to the class's discussions throughout the semester will count as 20% of your final grade.

ASSESSMENT

1 in-class test, 4 blue book pages = 20% of total marks

1 written paper (out of class, 5 pages, 10 point,

double spaced) = 20% of total marks

1 class presentation by student, with 4-page report = 20% of total marks

Seminar Participation = 20% of total marks

Final examination, 8 blue-book pages = 20% of total marks

WRITTEN WORK AND ATTENDANCE

In the grading of all written work, credit will be given for well-constructed, clearly argued and accurately researched writing: errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar will be penalised. Please note the section in this syllabus on plagiarism (below).

Students are expected to attend class on a regular basis. There is an attendance policy; students who exceed their permitted number of excused absences will be penalised by one grade drop on each occasion they exceed their maximum limit. PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY TWO UNEXCUSED ABSENCES ARE PERMITTED IN THIS CLASS.

Absence from class is permitted only in cases of extreme sickness or ill-health. In the event of such an occurrence, it is incumbent upon the student to see a qualified medical authority and to obtain a certificate of certified absence within 24 hours of the absent class. Apart from this form of justified absence, no other absence is excused except where authorised by the Director of World Cultures (Dr J Burton Kirkwood).

Finally, a note of warning concerning punctuality. Any student who arrives later than ten minutes for class will be deemed to be absent from that class, and the absence will count as an unexcused absence. Similarly, I expect work to be handed in by the set time and date. Unless a request for an extension has been made and agreed, all overdue papers will be awarded an automatic "F".

OFFICE HOURS

I am available to meet with you during my regular office hours which for this semester are

Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9-10

Tuesday, Thursday by appointment

For your own convenience, try to make an appointment in case I am meeting another student. Any other time between 9 and 5 during the week, feel free to come up and talk about the course.

Life is too short to be poker-faced. The class will be as informal as possible, and I will do my best to make sure that you all have an enjoyable and successful time.

Contacts

Dr James Lachlan MacLeod, OH 343, tel 2599, email jm224.

Website at http://faculty.evansville.edu/jm224

Outline of Course

January 13 Introduction—Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden”

January 15 Jamaica Kincaid, A Small Place

January 17 Jamaica Kincaid, A Small Place

January 20 No Class—MLK Celebration Day

January 22 Locke, The Second Treatise on Government

January 24 Locke, The Second Treatise on Government

January 27 In class Discussion

January 29 De Tocqueville, Democracy in America

January 31 De Tocqueville, Democracy in America

February 3 Student Group Presentation 1

February 5 Richard Wright, Native Son

February 7 Richard Wright, Native Son

February 10 In class Discussion

February 12 Marx & Engels, The Communist Manifesto

February 14 Marx & Engels, The Communist Manifesto

February 17 Student Group Presentation 2

February 19 Samuel Huntington, “A Clash of Civilizations”

February 21 Fukuyama, “The End of History”

February 24 Student Group Presentation 3

February 26 1^st half of the film—Black Robe

February 28 2nd half of the film—Black Robe

March 3 Discussion of Black Robe

March 5, In Class Discussion

March 7 Midterm

March 10-14 No Classes—Spring Break

March 17 Galileo Lecture

March 19 Galileo, “The Starry Messenger”

March 21 Galileo, “Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina”

March 24 Student Group Presentation 4

March 26 Aldous Huxley, A Brave New World

March 28 Aldous Huxley, A Brave New World

March 31 Vannevar Bush, “As we may think”

April 2 Vannevar Bush, “As we may think”

April 4 Student Group Presentation 5

April 7 E.O. Wilson, “Back from Chaos”

April 9 E.O. Wilson, “Back from Chaos”

April 11 Wendell Berry, Life is a Miracle

April 14 Wendell Berry, Life is a Miracle

April 16 Student Group Presentation 6

April 18 No Class—Easter Break

April 21 No Class—Easter Break

April 23 Bernard Lewis, “The Revolt of Islam” (The New Yorker)

April 25 In class Discussion

April 28 Demonstration of technological application

April 30 Reading Study Day

CLASS PRESENTATIONS

Each student (in a group, 2-4 per group, depending on class numbers) is expected to prepare and deliver a presentation at one of the meetings of the class. This is to take the form of a discussion of one of the topics listed; the earlier you sign up the more choice you have as to when you present; you must decide on a subject by 25 January 2003.

Your Presentation must be accompanied by a four-page paper; each student is responsible for his/her own paper – the paper is NOT a group project

This must be in the form of a research paper, and must follow the MLA rules on citation, including a works cited page. Please use 12-point Times Roman font, double-spacing and leave adequate margins. Please number your pages. Your first page must state the question that you are answering. All papers must have at least five sources, of which no more than three can be websites. Your paper must not be longer than four pages.

All papers must be submitted electronically as well as on paper!

PRESENTATION TOPICS AND DATES

TOPIC	DATE
Imperialism	Feb 3
Equality and Inequality	Feb 17
Foreign Attitudes to the USA	Feb 24
Religion and Science	Mar 24
Women’s Roles and Women’s Rights	Apr 4
The Key Issues if the 21^st Century	Apr 16

You will be graded with the following checklist: failure to fulfill any part will result in a deduction of points.

Before the Presentation

Meet with partners to discuss project in detail

Meet with professor 2 days ahead of class

Provide professor with a bibliography

Provide professor with typed outline of the whole presentation

Organization

Introduction is helpful and tells us what to expect and focus on

Main points made clear

Presentation logically structured

Material pertinent to the subject (not rambling nor excessive)

Presentation neither too long nor too short

Each participant contributes equally in terms of content and time

Conclusion provides a clear and helpful summary

Content

Clear language; technical terms explained simply

Well researched – not taken directly from a single textbook or website

Not read from a website printout

Good range of information included (not too obvious nor too specialized)

Clear explanations of main points

Helpful case studies and/or examples used to illustrate points

Appropriate attention paid to women, minorities and the non-Western world

Communication Skills

Interesting and engaging manner

Appropriate expressions (avoiding, e.g., "um," "like," “back in the day”, and "stuff" and cursing)

Did not read from notes excessively

Poise and posture – professional manner and appearance

Helpful hand-outs, visual aids and/or multimedia

Questions and Discussion 

Sufficient time left for questions and discussion

Good questions posed to class to generate discussion

Responsive attitude towards questions and comments

Questions answered appropriately and completely

Good management of discussion

5-page Paper Questions: Due 16 April 2003

Answer one of the following questions. Your essay should be in the form of a research paper, and should have footnotes or parenthetical citations (but not endnotes) and a full bibliography. Please type, using double-spacing and leaving adequate margins.

Please note once again that the unattributed use of another person's work - including another student -constitutes plagiarism, which is cheating. If you are using another person's words, they must be placed in quotation marks. Whether deliberate or not (due, perhaps, to inadequate note-taking), plagiarism is an extremely serious violation of the Honor Code. It is also a violation for any student to act as an accessory to the plagiarism.

All papers must be submitted both as a hard copy and as an email attachment; papers are subject to random electronic scrutiny by anti-plagiarism software.

Please note the following:

1. Your term paper and class presentation must not be on the same topic. If you are in any doubt about this please discuss it with me.

2. Cutting and pasting material off the internet without acknowledgement constitutes plagiarism. It is of course no less serious to steal ideas and words from this source than from any other, and such a violation of the honor code will be treated accordingly.

3. All papers must have at least six sources, of which no more than three can be websites.

1. What contribution did Martin Luther King make to American society?

2. “The USA is not a true democracy.” Discuss this statement.

3. What impacts did Imperialism have on the subject countries that formed the European Empires?

4. Why did Socialism emerge in the 19^th century and what were the consequences?

5. What factors have subjugated women and what factors have helped begin to end that subjugation?

6. Did Galileo change the world?

7. Did Darwin make a monkey out of Christianity?

8. Discuss the ‘creation’ of Dolly the sheep and discuss the implications of her birth and life.

9. Choose either Chechnya or Northern Ireland or the former Yugoslavia and discuss the impact of race and ethnicity on the conflict there.

10. To what extent is race still “a fault line at the very heart of American society”?

11. Write a balanced critical review of Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth.

12. Why did the Holocaust happen?

13. Why did the September 11, 2001 attacks take place?

14. Which idea has had the biggest impact on the Modern World; explain your choice?

Calendar for World Culture 120 Spring 2003

Dr James Lachlan MacLeod

Week Beginning:	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Jan 13
Jan 20	MLK Day
Jan 27
Feb 03	Imperialism
Feb 10
Feb 17	Equality Inequality
Feb24	Foreign Attitudes to US
Mar 3					Midterm
Mar 10	Spring Break	Spring Break	Spring Break	Spring Break	Spring Break
Mar 17	Galileo Lecture
Mar 24	Religion and Science
Mar 31					Women’s Roles and Rights
Apr 7
Apr 14			Term Papers Due Key Issues for 21^st Century	Easter	Easter
Apr 21	Easter				Last In-Class Discussion
Apr 28	Technology demonstration		Reading Study Day		8.00 Final Exam
May 5