Wednesday, 7:00-9:50pm; University Hall, Room 16

On-line, you can jump to the class schedule here

Important Information

  • Instructor: John Garrigus
  • Office number: University Hall 343
  • Office hours: Wednesday 4pm to 7pm. We can also make an appointment another time or talk on the phone.
  • History Department Office: 817-272-2661
  • Email address: garrigus@uta.edu; please write “5341” in the subject line.
  • Web page: https://johngarrigus.com
  • Zotero library: https://www.zotero.org/garrigus/items

Description:

This course is designed to introduce graduate students to the broad outlines of world history and historiography and to strengthen their ability to research and teach in this field.

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Students will be able to describe and analyze key works and theories in the field of world or global history. Assessed in class discussions and book reviews.
  2. Students will be able to effectively communicate their description and analysis of world historiography verbally, in writing, and using information technology. Assessed in weekly class discussions, book reviews, and the StoryMaps/screencast assignment.
  3. Students will be able to describe and compare major historiographical approaches in the field of world or global history. Assessed in historiographical comparison essays and the final historiography essay.

Required Books:

  1. Beckert, Sven. Empire of Cotton: A Global History. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2014.
  2. Burke, Edmund, and National Center for History in the Schools (U.S.). World History: The Big Eras: A Compact History of Humankind for Teachers and Students. 2nd ed. Los Angeles Calif.: National Center for History in the Schools, 2012.
  3. Crossley, Pamela Kyle. What Is Global History? Cambridge: Polity, 2008.
  4. Davis, Mike. Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World. New York: Verso, 2001.
  5. Harari, Yuval N. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. New York, NY: Harper, 2015.
  6. Marks, Robert B. Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Environmental Narrative. 3rd ed. Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.
  7. Ropp, Paul S. China in World History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.
  8. Said, Edward W. Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books, 2004.
  9. Wright, Donald R. The World and a Very Small Place in Africa: A History of Globalization in Niumi, the Gambia. Armonk, N.Y.: Sharpe, 2010.

Grading:

At the end of the semester, students who have accumulated 900 or more
points will receive a “A”; 800 to 899 is a “B”; 700 to 799 is a “C”; etc.

Assignment Points
Article summaries (2) 100
Book reviews (2) 100
Historiographic comparisons (3) 240
Discussion/participation 100
StoryMap/screencast 100
Historiographic essay 360
TOTAL 1000

Description of Major Assignments

  • You will upload all writing assignments to our class Blackboard page
  • Work is due before class begins; for example, an article summary due Week 2 needs to be uploaded before our Week 2 class meeting, which is 7pm, Wednesday, January 23.

Article summary (2)

  • These are one-page documents in which you summarize the main points of an article. The characteristics I’m looking for are described here: https://tinyurl.com/yahsegyb
  • Choose one of the articles we read for Week 1; due Week 2
  • Choose one of the articles we read for Week 7; due Week 8

Book review (2)

  • Following a format I’ll give you, you’ll write a 750-word [approximate length] review of each of these books:
  • BR1: Marks, due Week 4
  • BR2: Said, due Week 10

Historiographic comparisons (3)

  • This is a paper of 1,200 to 1,500 words comparing the approach to world history found in these pairs of authors
  • HC1: Marks and Harari, due Week 5
  • HC2: Said and Ropp, due Week 11
  • HC3: Wright and Davis, due Week 14

StoryMap or 5-minute screencast

  • You can choose one of these two media to deliver a summary of one of the articles we read for Week 7
  • Due Week 8

Discussion

  • Classroom participation is a big part of this course!
  • Simply attending class does not count in this area, though I do take attendance at every class meeting.

Final Essay

  • You will write a 3,000 word essay describing what you think are the most important arguments in favor of and against the field of world history.
  • You will also describe the utility and drawbacks of three specific tools that could be used in a world history class.
  • These three tools can include specific books, theories, software, and types of primary sources we have used this semester.

Important Policies

Attendance Policy:

At The University of Texas at Arlington, taking attendance is not required but attendance is a critical indicator in student success. Each faculty member is free to develop his or her own methods of evaluating students’ academic performance, which includes establishing course-specific policies on attendance. As the instructor of this section, I take attendance every class meeting. However, while UT Arlington does not require instructors to take attendance in their courses, the U.S. Department of Education requires that the University have a mechanism in place to mark when Federal Student Aid recipients “begin attendance in a course.” UT Arlington instructors will report when students begin attendance in a course as part of the final grading process. Specifically, when assigning a student a grade of F, faculty report the last date a student attended their class based on evidence such as a test, participation in a class project or presentation, or an engagement on-line via Blackboard. This date is reported to the Department of Education for federal financial aid recipients.

Academic Integrity:

All students enrolled in this course are expected to adhere to the UT Arlington Honor Code:

I pledge, on my honor, to uphold UT Arlington’s tradition of academic integrity, a tradition that values hard work and honest effort in the pursuit of academic excellence.

I promise that I will submit only work that I personally create or contribute to group collaborations, and I will appropriately reference any work from other sources. I will follow the highest standards of integrity and uphold the spirit of the Honor Code.

UT Arlington faculty members may employ the Honor Code as they see fit in their courses, including (but not limited to) having students acknowledge the honor code as part of an examination or requiring students to incorporate the honor code into any work submitted. Per UT System Regents’ Rule 50101, §2.2, suspected violations of university’s standards for academic integrity (including the Honor Code) will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. Violators will be disciplined in accordance with University policy, which may result in the student’s suspension or expulsion from the University. Additional information is available at https://www.uta.edu/conduct/. Faculty are encouraged to discuss plagiarism and share the following library tutorials http://libguides.uta.edu/copyright/plagiarism and http://library.uta.edu/plagiarism/

Drop Policy:

Students may drop or swap (adding and dropping a class concurrently)
classes through self-service in MyMav from the beginning of the
registration period through the late registration period. After the
late registration period, students must see their academic advisor to
drop a class or withdraw. Undeclared students must see an advisor in
the University Advising Center. Drops can continue through a point
two-thirds of the way through the term or session. It is the student’s
responsibility to officially withdraw if they do not plan to attend
after registering. Students will not be automatically dropped for
non-attendance. Repayment of certain types of financial aid
administered through the University may be required as the result of
dropping classes or withdrawing. Contact the Financial Aid Office for
more information.

Disability Accommodations:

UT Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of all federal equal opportunity legislation, including The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), The Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAAA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. All instructors at UT Arlington are required by law to provide “reasonable accommodations” to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of disability. Students are responsible for providing the instructor with official notification in the form of a letter certified by the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD). Only those students who have officially documented a need for an accommodation will have their request honored. Students experiencing a range of conditions (Physical, Learning, Chronic Health, Mental Health, and Sensory) that may cause diminished academic performance or other barriers to learning may seek services and/or accommodations by contacting: The Office for Students with Disabilities, (OSD) http://www.uta.edu/disability/ or calling 817-272-3364. Information regarding diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining disability-based academic accommodations can be found at www.uta.edu/disability.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) www.uta.edu/caps/ or calling 817-272-3671 is also available to all students to help increase their understanding of personal issues, address mental and behavioral health problems and make positive changes in their lives.

Non-Discrimination Policy:

The University of Texas at Arlington does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, genetic information, and/or veteran status in its educational programs or activities it operates. For more information, visit uta.edu/eos.

Title IX Policy:

The University of Texas at Arlington (“University”) is committed to maintaining a learning and working environment that is free from discrimination based on sex in accordance with Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs or activities; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits sex discrimination in employment; and the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act (SaVE Act). Sexual misconduct is a form of sex discrimination and will not be tolerated. For information regarding Title IX, visit www.uta.edu/titleIX or contact Ms. Michelle Willbanks, Title IX Coordinator at (817) 272-4585 or titleix@uta.edu

Student Support Services:

UT Arlington provides a variety of resources and programs designed to help students develop academic skills, deal with personal situations, and better understand concepts and information related to their courses. Resources include tutoring, major-based learning centers, developmental education, advising and and mentoring, personal counseling, and federally funded programs. For individualized referrals, students may visit the reception desk at University College (Ransom Hall), call the Maverick Resource Hotline at 817-272-6107, send a message to resources@uta.edu, or view the information at http://www.uta.edu/studentsuccess/success-programs/programs/resource-hotline.php

Electronic Communication Policy:

UT Arlington has adopted MavMail as its official means to communicate with students about important deadlines and events, as well as to transact university-related business regarding financial aid, tuition, grades, graduation, etc. All students are assigned a MavMail account and are responsible for checking the inbox regularly. There is no additional charge to students for using this account, which remains active even after graduation. Information about activating and using MavMail is available at http://www.uta.edu/oit/cs/email/mavmail.php.

Student Feedback Survey:

At the end of each term, students enrolled in classes categorized as “lecture,” “seminar,” or “laboratory” shall be directed to complete an on-line Student Feedback Survey (SFS). Instructions on how to access the SFS for this course will be sent directly to each student through MavMail approximately 10 days before the end of the term. Each student’s feedback enters the SFS database anonymously and is aggregated with that of other students enrolled in the course. UT Arlington’s effort to solicit, gather, tabulate, and publish student feedback is required by state law; students are strongly urged to participate. For more information, visit http://www.uta.edu/sfs.

Final Review Week:

A period of five class days prior to the first day of final examinations in the long sessions shall be designated as Final Review Week. The purpose of this week is to allow students sufficient time to prepare for final examinations. During this week, there shall be no scheduled activities such as required field trips or performances; and no instructor shall assign any themes, research problems or exercises of similar scope that have a completion date during or following this week unless specified in the class syllabus. During Final Review Week, an instructor shall not give any examinations constituting 10% or more of the final grade, except makeup tests and laboratory examinations. In addition, no instructor shall give any portion of the final examination during Final Review Week. During this week, classes are held as scheduled. In addition, instructors are not required to limit content to topics that have been previously covered; they may introduce new concepts as appropriate.

Emergency Exit Procedures:

Should we experience an emergency event that requires us to vacate the building, students should exit the room and move toward the nearest exit, which is located just outside our classroom door. When exiting the building during an emergency, one should never take an elevator but should use the stairwells. Faculty members and instructional staff will assist students in selecting the safest route for evacuation and will make arrangements to assist handicapped individuals. Call UTA Police Department at ext. 3003 .

Weekly Schedule

<2019-01-16 Wed> Week 1: Discuss articles

In class discuss these readings:

  • Getz, Trevor R. “Towards an Historical Sociology of World History.” HIC3 History Compass 10, no. 6 (2012): 483–95.
  • Manning, Patrick. “Locating Africans on the World Stage: A Problem in World History.” Journal of World History 26, no. 3 (2015): 605–37.

Homework for next week:

  • Read Crossley
  • Write an article summary for either the Getz or Manning piece

<2019-01-23 Wed> Week 2

In class discuss Crossley

Homework for next week: read Marks

<2018-01-31 Wed> Week 3

In class discuss Marks

Homework for next week

  • Read Harari
  • Write a book review of Marks

<2019-02-06 Wed> Week 4

In class discuss Harari

Homework for next week

  • Read Burke
  • Write a historiographical comparison of Marks and Harari

<2019-02-13 Wed> Week 5

In class discuss Burke

Homework for next week: read Ropp

<2019-02-20 Wed> Week 6

In class discuss Ropp

Homework for next week: read these 3 articles

  • Bright, Rachel K. “Migration, Masculinity, and Mastering the Queue: A Case of Chinese Scalping.” Journal of World History; Honolulu 28, no. 3/4 (December 2017): 551-586,V-VI.
  • Stanley, Amy. “Maidservants’ Tales: Narrating Domestic and Global History in Eurasia, 1600–1900.” The American Historical Review 121, no. 2 (April 2016): 437–60.
  • Vann, Michael G. “Sex and the Colonial City: Mapping Masculinity, Whiteness, and Desire in French Occupied Hanoi.” Journal of World History 28, no. 3 (2017): 395–435.

<2019-02-27 Wed> Week 7

In class discuss Bright, Vann, and Stanley

Homework for next week

  • Read Said
  • Write a summary of either Bright, Vann, or Stanley
  • Make a StoryMap or screencast on either Bright, Vann, or Stanley

<2019-03-06 Wed> Week 8

In class discuss Said 1-148

Homework for after Spring Break: read Said

<2019-03-13 Wed> SPRING BREAK

<2019-03-20 Wed> Week 9

In class discuss Said 149-328

Homework for next week

  • Read Wright
  • Write a book review of Said

<2019-03-27 Wed> Week 10

In class discuss Wright Chapters 1-4

Homework for next week

  • Read Wright
  • Write a historiographical comparison of Said and Ropp

<2019-04-03 Wed> Week 11

In class discuss Wright Chapters 4-Epilogue

Homework for next week: read Davis

<2019-04-10 Wed> Week 12

In class discuss Davis Chapters 1-6

Homework for next week: read Davis

<2019-04-17 Wed> Week 13

In class discuss Davis Chapters 7-12

Homework for next week

  • Read Beckert
  • Write historiographical comparison of Wright and Davis

<2019-04-24 Wed> Week 14

In class discuss Beckert, ix-241 [Intro – Chap 7]

Homework for next week: read Beckert

<2019-05-01 Wed> Week 15: summary due

In class discuss Beckert, 242-443 [Chaps 8-14]

<2017-05-08 Wed> Week 16: Final paper  due via Blackboard (no map required)

As the instructor for this course, I reserve the right to adjust this schedule in any way that serves the educational needs of the students. John Garrigus