The Study of History

Hist 100-02

 

Instructor: Dr. Esperanza Brizuela-Garcia.

Schedule: Wednesday and Friday 11:30 am to 12:45pm.

Contact Information: Office Hours: Wednesday 8:30- 9:45am, and 1:00- 2:00pm. Friday 8:30- 9:45am Room: DI 423.

Phone: (973) 655 7561

Email: brizuelagare@mail.montclair.edu

 

Introduction.

Welcome to the History Department and to Study of History!!! The main objective of this course is to introduce you to the discipline of History. We will do this by dividing the course in three areas. In the first area we will study some of the "history" of History to understand how the discipline has evolved since Classical times. The second area of study is concerned with the practical aspects of writing history: how to formulate questions, evaluate projects, write papers and present arguments, create and use bibliographies, etc. The third area of study is concerned with what we call "historical perspectives." Here, we will look more specifically at approaches historians have adopted in their attempt to understand the past. We will look, for example, at what historians mean by "social" or "political" history, or how they use theoretical frameworks in their reconstruction of the past.

 

Mechanics of the course.

The work of the historian, for the most part, consists of three activities: Reading, Thinking and Writing. Each session is assigned a specific reading and/or a written assignment. Students are required to come to class having done the required reading and/or assignment. Work in class will be based on the readings and assignments; thus, if you have not done them you will not be able to participate. Below you will find a description, session by session, of the requirements for each class.

 

Required materials.

 

-           Gilderhus, Mark.T. History and Historians. A Historiographical Introduction. 5^th Ed. Prentice Hall, 2002.

-           Davidson, James West and Mark H. Lytle. After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection. 4^th Ed. McGraw Hill, 2000.

-           After the Fact. Envisioning the Atlantic World. CDROM.

 

Evaluation.

Your final marks will be calculated in the following way:

Coursework/Participation 25%

Research Project 35%

Final Research Paper 40%

 

Coursework: As it was explained above, each session has been assigned a reading and/or an assignment. Each session students will have to present some kind of written work related to the assignment for that session. This can be a short essay, an electronic quiz, answers to specific questions, etc. Sometimes you will present work individually and sometimes you will do it as a team. If you miss class and did not present an assignment you may submit it at a later date (This does not apply to electronic quizzes). Assignments will not receive an individual mark. If you submit all the work that is required you will have a full 25%. If you miss assignments the percentage will be reduced accordingly. This means that if you want to have your full marks for participation you must submit ALL the assignments required.

 

Research Project: Due date: October 15.

See Guidelines.

 

Final Research Paper: Due date: December 10.

See Guidelines.

 

Equivalencies. 

 

 

Note on attendance: Students are required to attend at least 70% of the classes to be entitled to a final mark. This means that from the 25 sessions you can only miss 8.

 

Class rules.

1. - Please arrive to each class promptly. If you are late, please enter the room quietly. Do not leave the room during class unless you plan to stay out for the period.

2. - Turn off your mobile phones.

3. - Do not ask to discuss your grade or other matters at the beginning of class unless you feel your concerns are relevant to the entire class. In that case, please let me know that you feel a public discussion is needed. Otherwise, use the office hours or make an appointment to see me privately.

4. - You can use e-mail to schedule appointments or to ask simple questions. Do not use e-mail to discuss grades or to ask for assistance with your coursework. If you think you need help with your readings you need to make an appointment to meet with me. Please be aware that I do not read my e-mail over the weekends.

5. - If you miss class you do not need to justify your absence, unless, this will affect the attendance requirement. The only absences that will be justified have to be supported by a letter from your doctor or the Dean of Students.

6. - Do not eat or drink during class.

7. - Do not whisper, rattle papers, or otherwise distract your fellow students during class.

8. - Let me know if special circumstances make it hard for you to follow any of these rules.

 

Schedule of readings and assignments.

 

1	September 3	Introduction.
2	September 5	Concepts and Definitions. Assigned Reading: Gilderhus, Chapter 1.
3	September 10	Classical and Christians Roots of Historiography Assigned Reading: Gilderhus, Chapter 2. Questions in Blackboard.
4	September 12	From Secularization to Professionalization. Assigned Reading: Gilderhus, Chapter 3. Questions in Blackboard.
5	September 17	What is Philosophy of History? Assigned Reading: Gilderhus, Chapters 4 & 5. Questions in Blackboard.
6	September19	From Scientific History to the Postmodern Challenge. Assigned Reading: Gilderhus, Chapters 7 & 8. Questions in Blackboard.
7	September 24	Introduction to Historical Research. Assigned Reading: Gilderhus, Chapter 6.
8	September 26	Asking Questions. Blackboard Assignment.
9	October 1	Bibliographies and Referencing. Blackboard Assignment.
10	October 3	Working with sources. Blackboard Assignment.
11	October 8	Writing a research paper. Notes on organization. Assigned Reading: Allman, J.M. ÒThe Youngmen and the Porcupine: Class, Nationalism and AsanteÕs Struggle for Self-Determination, 1954-57.Ó In Journal of African History. 31, 2, (1990). pp.263-279. Link from Blackboard or Jstor. Questions in Blackboard.
12	October 10	Making Arguments. Assigned Reading: Rathbone, R. ÒThe Youngmen and the Porcupine.Ó In Journal of African History. 32, 2, (1991). pp. 333-338. Link from Blackboard or Jstor. Questions in Blackboard.
13	October 15	Research Project Due. After the Fact. Prologue.
14	October 17	After the Fact. Chapter 1, pp.1-22. Questions in Blackboard.
15	October 22	After the Fact. Chapter 2, pp.23-47. Questions in Blackboard.
16	October 24	After the Fact. Chapter 3, pp.48-70. Questions in Blackboard.
17	October 29	After the Fact. Chapter 4, pp. 71-95. Questions in Blackboard.
18	October 31	No class.
19	November 5	After the Fact. Chapter 5, pp.96- 121. Questions in Blackboard.
20	November 7	After the Fact. Chapter 6, pp. 122-146. Questions in Blackboard.
21	November 12	After the Fact. Chapter 7, pp. 147-177. Questions in Blackboard.
22	November 14	After the Fact. Chapter 8, pp. 178-200. Questions in Blackboard.
23	November 19	After the Fact. Chapter 9, pp. 201-228. Questions in Blackboard.
24	November 21	After the Fact. Chapter 10, pp. 229-255. Questions in Blackboard.
25	November 26	After the Fact. Chapter 11, pp. 256- 283. Questions in Blackboard.
26	November 28	After the Fact. Chapter 12, pp. 284-311. Questions in Blackboard.
27	December 3	After the Fact. Chapter 13, pp.312- 338. Questions in Blackboard.
28	December 5	After the Fact. Chapter 14, pp. 339-363. Questions in Blackboard.
29	December 10	Final Research Paper Due. After the Fact. Chapter 15, pp. 364-395.

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