Civilizations 201: Fall 2007
Coordinator: Carolyn Aslan
Office: SOS 261, ext. 1511
Office Hours: Tues/Thursday 9:30-10:30, or schedule a meeting
Course Compass course code: aslan54566
Instructors:
Celine Firat () SOS 311
Nina Ergin () SOS 310
Laurent Dissard () SOS 310
Nilsu Goren () SOS 310
Ece Okay () SOS 311
Pinar Gökpinar () SOS 311
Ahu Dinçler () SOS 310
Overview
In Civilizations 201, students will explore key themes in the history of human cultures from the prehistoric period to present-day globalization. Specific civilizations or time periods have been chosen as case studies of various topics. Guest professors who specialize in different world cultures will be coming each week to lecture. This semester, we will be focusing on two main themes. The first theme is the environment. We will be looking at changes in the human/environment relationship throughout world history, and will examine ideas about the environment in religious and other ethical or philosophic thought systems. The second main theme is cultural encounters and the interactions and experiences that happen when people from different cultures meet, especially through war, trade, exploration and colonization.
Grade Distribution
Midterm exam20%
Final Exam30%
Project/Writing Assignment30%
Class Discussion 10%
Class quizzes and assignments10%
Lectures
The course has two lectures given on Tuesday and Thursday at 12:30. Each week there will be a different guest lecturer. It will be easier for you to understand the lectures if you complete the reading assignments before the lectures. You must take notes during the lectures because you will need to bring your notes with you to your discussion section. Some of the quiz questions in your sections will also be based on the lectures.
Discussion sections
On Friday you will meet in a small discussion section with an instructor. You need to prepare for sections by attending the lectures and doing the readings. You should always print out and bring the historical source readings for each week to class
Your class discussion grade is based on your preparation for class and your participation in the discussions. Each week, there will be a short quiz or some other type of exercise, homework, or writing assignment that will be graded. Some of the quiz questions will be based on the lectures, and others on the reading assignments.
There will be no make-ups for the quizzes. If you come to class late and miss the quiz, you will receive a zero for that quiz. At the end of the semester the lowest 3 quiz grades will be erased and the remaining grades will be averaged to produce the overall grade for class quizzes and assignments.
Attendance Policy
Attendance is required in both lectures and sections. If you miss four Friday discussion sections without a valid excuse, you will fail the course. This follows the university attendance policy. If you arrive in class late, or are unprepared and did not bring your readings and lecture notes, your instructor can mark you absent.
Readings
There are two textbooks for the class that you need to buy in the bookstore.
- World Civilizations: The Global Experience. Vol. 1. Peter N. Stearns et al. 2007.
- An Environmental History of the World. J. Donald Hughes, 2001 (also available as an e-book through the library’s web site)
For the World Civilizations textbook, you will also need to register and obtain a password for an internet site called MyHistoryLab at the website When you buy the book, you will also receive a number needed to register at the website. This website is where you will access the additional readings each week. There are also online exams and quizzes on each chapter of the book that you can take in order to test yourself. Your instructors may also give you these questions for in-class quizzes.
Exams
There will be a midterm and a final exam. The exams will include essay questions as well as some short answer questions. Pictures and maps that are shown in the lectures or are in your textbook may also appear on the exams. The final exam will also include one essay that is cumulative and will ask you to discuss material from the entire semester.
Writing assignment: A “real-life” project proposal
Your writing assignment is intended to be very similar to the type of project proposal that many of you will need to do at some point in your career. In this way, you will get practice in a type of “real-life” writing that will develop important skills that you can use later in your career.
You will be divided into teams within your discussion sections. Each team will be given the task of writing a proposal for an innovative educational project that will teach people about some aspect of environmental history. Your team will chose which type of media you would like to use (for example: television program, documentary, web site, game, magazine, comic book, or others - use your imagination). You will also need to investigate the budget and possible funding sources. Each team member will be assigned part of the proposal to write and each team member should turn in a 3-4 page written assignment, along with your CV. You will need to work closely with your instructor and will receive additional help and information about the assignment within your discussion sections.
The project proposal is due on Dec. 7 in your discussion sections. Late papers will have 10 points subtracted for each day late.
Academic honesty: In order for you to learn the material and skills from this class, students are expected to do all their own work on assignments and exams. Plagiarism, cheating or other forms of academic dishonesty will result in failure of the assignment and referral to the academic disciplinary council. If you need help in the course or are worried about your grade, please come and talk to me or to one of the instructors.
Schedule and reading list
Week 1 (Sept 18, 20) The Beginnings of Agriculture (Carolyn Aslan, Koç University)
Readings:1. Stearns, World Civilizations, ch. 1: p. 8-25
2. Hughes, An Environmental History, ch. 2: p. 12-27
Week 2 (Sept 25, 27) The First Cities: Mesopotamia (Gül Pulhan, Koç University)
Readings:1. Stearns, World Civilizations, ch. 2: 26-35
2. The Epic of Gilgamesh (available through Course Compass, ch. 2)
3. Hughes, An Environmental History, ch. 3: p. 30-38
Week 3 (Oct. 2, 4) Ancient Egypt and Israel (Carolyn Aslan, Koç University)
Readings:1. Stearns, World Civilizations, ch. 2: p. 35-44
2. The Bible (Old Testament): Genesis (Course Compass, ch. 2 section)
3. Two Accounts of an Egyptian Famine (Course Compass, ch. 2 section)
4. Hughes, An Environmental History, ch. 3: p. 38-42, ch. 7: p. 162-168
Week 4 (Oct. 9) Greeks and Romans: Introduction (Carolyn Aslan, Koç University)
Readings:1. Stearns: ch. 5: p. 94-114, ch. 7: p. 140-157
Week 5 (Oct. 16, 18) The Ancient Americas (Timothy Beach, Georgetown University)
Readings:1. Stearns, World Civilizations, ch. 8: p. 158-181
2. Selection on the Maya from Collapse by Jared Diamond (on e-reserve or Course Compass, ch. 8 section)
3. Hughes, An Environmental History, ch. 3: p. 42-48
Week 6 (Oct. 23, 25) Environmental History of the Ancient Mediterranean (Donald Hughes, University of Denver)
Readings:1. Hughes, An Environmental History, ch. 4: p.53-77
2. Plato, Critias (available through Course Compass, ch. 5 section).
Week 7 (Oct. 30, Nov.1) India and China (Nina Ergin, Koç University)
Readings:1. Stearns, World Civilizations, ch. 3: p. 46-65, ch. 4: 74-83, ch. 6: 116-129
2. Sima Qian on Qin Shihuang (145-86 BCE) (Course Compass)
3. Reread China sections in Hughes, ch. 4.
Week 8 (Nov. 6, 8) Medieval Europe and the Middle East, Crusades (Scott Redford, Georgetown/Koç University)
Readings:1. Stearns, World Civilizations, ch. 12: p.260-270, ch. 15: p. 320-343
2. Francesco Gabrieli, Arab Historians of the Crusades, Extracts from the Autobiography of Usama ibn Munqidh, p. 73-84 (available through Course Compass and e-reserve).
Week 9 (Nov. 13, 16) Age of Exploration (Giancarlo Casale, University of Minnesota)
Readings:1. Stearns, World Civilizations, ch. 20: 442-448, ch. 21: 458-469
2. The Map of ‘Tunuslu Hajji Ahmed (available through Course Compass, ch. 21 section).
Week 10 (Nov. 20, 22) The Renaissance (Lucienne Thys-Senocak, Koç University)
Readings:1. Stearns, World Civilizations, ch. 20: p. 438-442 ch. 22: p. 478-482
2. Renaissance art images (available through Course Compass)
Week 11 (Nov. 27, 29) Colonization and Expansion in the Americas (John Drabble, Kadir Has University)
Readings:1. Stearns, World Civilizations, ch. 16: p. 344-365, ch. 21: p. 469-477
2. Letter from the New World, Christopher Columbus (Course compass,
ch. 21 chapter resources)
3. Hughes, An Environmental History, ch. 6: 109-119
Week 12 (Dec. 4, 6) 16th to 18th century Europe (Wayne TeBrake, SUNY Purchase)
Readings:1. Stearns, World Civilizations, ch. 22, p. 482-497
Projects are due on Friday, Dec. 7 in your sections
Week 13 (Dec. 11, 13)Japan: Meiji Modernity and Asian Empire (Dec. 11)
China: Revolution in Asia and Nationalism (Selcuk Esenbel, Bogazici University)
Readings:1. Japan: Fukuzawa Yukichi 1835-1901 Civilization and Enlightenment,
Amur River Society (Black Dragons) Anniversary Statement, 1930.
2. China: Liang Ch'i-Ch'ao 1873-1929 A People Made New
3. Sun Yat Sen 1866-1925 The Three Principles
4. Mao Tse-Tung, Report on an Investigation of the Hunan Peasant Movement (all readings available through Course Compass and e-reserve)
Week 14 (Dec. 18) Film: An Inconvenient Truth
Readings:Hughes, An Environmental History, ch. 8
Week 15 (Dec. 25, 27) Globalization, Iraq and Natural Resources (Ibrahim Al-Marashi, Bogazici University)
Readings:1. For Oil and Empire: Rethinking War with Iraq, by Michael Klare
2. Iraqis’ Bleak Views of the United States, by I. Al-Marashi and Abdul Hadi al-Khalili
3. Iraqi Unions vs. Big Oil by Shawna Bader-Blau
4. Hughes, An Environmental History, ch. 9