Historiography and Historical Methods

TR 3:30-4:50 PM, Room T215

 

HIST 3001 (3 semester hours)

Fall 2008

Dr. John Kohler

johnkohler@clayton.edu

678-466-4700

Webpage: http://a-s.clayton.edu/socsci/kohler.htm

 

Course Description: 

This course will examine the perspectives of significant historical schools and analyze the contributions made by major historians.

 Methodological investigation will include the following topics: selection, verification, organization, interpretation, and presentation.

Students will be required to complete a research project.

 

Required Course Materials: 

A.     Gilderhus, Mark T.. History and Historians, A Historiographical Introduction, 6^th ed. Upper Saddle River , New Jersey : Prentice Hall, 2007.

B.     Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 7th ed. Chicago :University of Chicago Press, 2007.

Recommended—A “how to write history handbook” such as the following:

A.     Berkin, Carol; Anderson, Betty S. The History Handbook. New York : Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.

B.     Williams, Robert C.. The Historians Toolbox, A Student’s Guide to the Theory and Craft of History. Armonk , New York : M.E. Sharpe, 2003.

C.     Marius, Richard; Page, Melvin E. A Short Guide to Writing About History. 4^th ed. New York : Longman, 2001;

Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers, Inc., 2002

List of book selections for assigned book reviews: (Available in our library or through inter-library loan)

Early historiographical works:

Marc Bloch, The Historians Craft.

E. H. Carr, What is History?

R.G. Collingwood, The Idea of History

Histories of historiography:

        Joyce Appleby, et al, Telling the Truth About History.

        David Lowenthal, The Past Is a Foreign Country.

        John Lewis Gaddis, The Landscape of History

        Georg G. Iggers, Historiography in the Twentieth Century

        Michael Bentley, Modern Historiography, An Introduction 

Examples of imperfect history:

          Peter Charles Hoffer, Pact Imperfect.

         The problems of post-modernism:

        Keith Windschuttle, The Killing of History

                    Alun Munslow, Deconstructing History.

   

        History in the classroom and museum:

        Gary Nash, et al, History on Trial

        Edward T. Limenthal & Tom Engelhardt (eds), History Wars: The Enola     Gay and other Battles for the American Past.

 

        Works with a central interpretive focus:

         Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel. 

      

Student Learning Outcomes for the History Major

The History degree program is composed of courses on specific aspects of history drawn from a range of time periods, cultures, and geographic

areas to provide the context in which students are able to demonstrate learning outcomes.  Thus, graduates of the history program at CCSU will be

able to do the following:                                 

1.      Identify and describe basic chronologies of U.S. and world history. 

2.      Identify and critically evaluate primary and secondary historical sources. 

3.      Identify and evaluate conflicting historical interpretations of events and personalities. 

4.      Perform historical research using primary and secondary sources in libraries, archives, and other repositories of historical records. 

5.      Write in a clear, analytical and organized manner, demonstrating appropriate professional documentation methods. 

6.      Discuss historical findings in clear and coherent oral presentations.

 

Outcomes 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are addressed and assessed in HIST 3001

• Outcome 2. Addressed and assessed in research project at Georgia Archives.
• Outcome 3. Addressed and assessed in oral reports, book review, and class discussions.
• Outcome 4. Addressed and assessed in research project at Georgia Archives.
• Outcome 5. Addressed and assessed in research project at Georgia Archives and book review.
•  Outcome 6. Addressed and assessed in oral reports and class discussion of course materials.

 

Course Projects and  Assignments

 

1.  Oral reports

      2.  Course examinations

3.      Archive Research paper

4.      Book Review

     

Course grade

                                                                                                                      Points

1. Oral reports on historians (4 @ 25pts each)                                          100                                                 
2. Course examinations (2 @ 100pts each)                                               200
3. Archive research paper                                                                         100
4. Book Review                                                                                        100

                                                                                        Total Points      500

                                                      

 Make-Up Policy

 

Students will not be allowed to make-up exams or other required assignments in HIST 3001, unless there is a legitimate and verifiable

reason–i.e. absence due to circumstances beyond your control. If you think you have a legitimate excuse (medical emergency, death in

the immediate family, or approved university event), contact me as soon as possible. Make-ups will be given and allowances will be

made only if you supply documentation supporting your reasons for absence. Be warned that I am very reluctant to allow make-ups,

in fairness to others who do their work and complete it in on time, despite their adversities.

 

Midterm--Last Day to Drop during Fall Semester.

 

October 10^th is the deadline for dropping a course without academic accountability (for additional information please see the University

withdrawal policy in the catalog).

 

Special Need Students

 

It is the policy of CCSU to afford equal opportunity in education to all qualified students. Therefore, individuals with disabilities who need to

request accommodations, or obtain this document in an alternative format, should contact the

Disability Services Coordinator (disabilityservices@mail.clayton.edu),  Student Center 255, 678-4665445.

 

Correlation with Teacher Education Standards

 

The content of this course syllabus correlates to education standards established by national and state education governing agencies,

accrediting agencies and learned society/ professional education associations.  Please refer to the course correlation matrices located

at the following web site:

http://a-s.clayton.edu/teachered/Standards%20and%20Outcomes.htm

 

Computer Requirement:
Each CCSU student is required to have ready access throughout the semester to a notebook computer that meets faculty-approved

hardware and software requirements for the student's academic program. Students will sign a statement attesting to such access.  For

further information on CCSU's Official Notebook Computer Policy, please go to http://itpchoice.clayton.edu/policy.htm. 

Computer Use in This Course:
Student notebook computers will not be used in the classroom in this course. Computers will be required to access course materials,

prepare written assignments, and to communicate with your instructor.

 

Class Responsibilities and Attendance Requirements

 

1.           Students must abide by all policies stipulated in the College Student Handbook. 

        http://adminservices.clayton.edu/studentlife/Student%20Handbook/handbk.htm

 

2.           PLAGIARISM. Failure to do your own work or to pass off as your own work the work of another (plagiarism) will result

in a grade of zero for assignments where plagiarism occurs.  NOTE: Copying material from the Internet without appropriate quotation

marks and references is the same as copying material from a text or other written source.  If you are at all confused about plagiarism please see me. 

 

3.           All written assignments are expected to be presented in proper written format and will be evaluated according to college writing criteria.

 

4.        University Attendance Policy. Students are expected to attend and participate in every class meeting. Instructors establish specific

policies relating to absences in their courses and communicate these policies to the students through the course syllabi. Individual instructors,

based upon the nature of the course, determine what effect excused and unexcused absences have in determining grades and upon students’

ability to remain enrolled in their courses. The university reserves the right to determine that excessive absences, whether justified or not, are

sufficient cause for institutional withdrawals or failing grades. Students are expected to attend all class meetings of History 3001 and are

responsible for any information or work missed as a result of absence from class. Absences will affect grades for course experience contribution. 

 

5.           Students are responsible for all subject matter content assigned during the progress of the course. Class preparation and participation is expected and graded.

 

6.           Students are expected to arrive for class on time and to remain until the end of the class period. (If you must leave early, please inform me

        prior to class and sit close to the door.) 

 

7.           University policy stipulates that it is not appropriate to bring children to class.  If you have an emergency situation regarding child care, notify me before class. 

 

8.           Turn off phones, beepers, and other electronic devices which will disrupt class activities--before class starts. Tape recorders may be used to

         record classroom lectures and activities for the sole purpose of test and class preparation. 

 

Assignment Schedule

 

August

 

19        Introduction and course overview

 

21        Georgia State Archives orientation tour (Meet in the lobby of the Georgia Archives)

 

26        Aims and Purposes of History. 
Read the following materials which are available on the course website under Supplemental Course Materials. Gorn, "Professing History",

            Stearns, "Why  Study History", Beard, "Written History as an Act of Faith, Morison, "Faith of a Historian".

 

28        Georgia State Archives, discussion of research topics led by archives staff. (Meet in the lobby of the Georgia Archives)

 

September

 

2          Labor Day Holiday (No class)

 

4          Aims and Purposes of History. Read Gilderhus, History and Historians (H&H) Ch.1 

 

9          Research and Writing History. Read Gilderhus, History and Historians, Ch. 8; Also read Lecture notes on Historical Methods (Web course materials)

 

11       What is historical Interpretation? Read Grob & Billias, "Introduction", Becker, "Everyman his Own Historian",

            Becker, "What is Historiography", Levine, "The Unpredictable Past", Read Lecture notes on American historiography (Web course materials)

 

16       Historical Interpretation continued.

 

18        Beginings of Historical Consciousness.  Read Gilderhus, History and Historians, Ch 2.

            Oral reports on Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides, Livy, Plutarch, Virgil, Caesar, Tacitus   

 

23        Beginings of Historical Consciousness continued. 

            Oral reports on St. Augustine, Venerable Bede, Otto of Freising  

 

25       Evolution of Modern Historical Perspectives. H&H, Ch. 3.

            Oral Reports on Petrarch, Machiavelli, Jean Bodin, Voltaire, Condorcet, David Hume, Edward Gibbon.

 

30       First Exam

 

October

 

2         Evolution of Modern Historical Perspectives continued. H&H, Ch. 3.

Oral Reports on Giambattista Vico, Francois Guizot, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Francis Parkman,

George Bancroft, Henry Adams,

 

7         Evolution of Modern Historical Perspectives continued. H&H, Ch. 3.

Oral Reports on Johann Gottfried Herder, Leopold von Ranke, .  

 

9        Oral reports continued.

 

MIDTERM (October 10th) Last day to drop without academic penalty.

 

14       Philosophy of History, Speculative Approaches. H&H Ch. 4.

Oral Reports on Immanuel Kant, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Karl Marx,

Oswald Spengler, Arnold Toynbee.

  

16        Philosophy of History, Speculative Approaches. H&H Ch. 4.

Oral Reports on  Sigmund Freud, Reinhold Niebuhr.

 

21        Philosophy of History, Analytical Approaches. H&H Ch. 5.

Oral Reports on Auguste Comte, Benedetto Croce, Robin G. Collingwood,

Carl G. Hempel, Deborah Lipstadt   

 

23        Continue Chapter 5 reports.

 

28         Professional History in Recent Times. H&H, Ch. 6

            Oral Reports on Herbert Baxter Adams, Charles Beard, Frederick Jackson Turner, James Harvey Robinson,

            Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., Lee Benson, Carl Becker, U.B. Phillips, WEB DuBois.  

 

30         Professional History in Recent Times. H&H, Ch. 6

Oral Reports on  Marc Bloch, Fernand Braudel, Daniel Boorstin, C. Vann Woodward, Robert William Fogel,

Richard Hofstadter,William Appleman Williams, Gabriel Kolko, Sheila Rothman.

 

November

           

4          Culture Wars and Postmodernism. H&H, Ch. 7

            Oral Reports on Jacques Derrida

 

6          No class--archive research

 

11        2nd Exam

 

13         No class--archive research

 

18        Archive  Research Papers due, oral reports and discussion of projects

 

20       Book review reports

 

25       Book review reports

 

Thanksgiving Holidays November 26-30

 

December

 

2          Book review reports

 

4          Reports continued, last day of class

 

Final Exam date--Turn in Book Review

 

NOTE:  Course syllabus and schedule of assignments may be changed as needed to meet course goals.