The Art Institute of California - Saddleback College



The Art Institute of California – Orange County

Course Syllabus

Course number: SB110 B

Course Title: World Civilizations

Class Meetings: S 7:30-11:30am

Session/Year: Summer 2010

Instructor Name: Mr. Menzing

Email Address: tmenzing@aii.edu

Website: saddleback.edu/faculty/tmenzing

Phone: 714-830-0200 ext. 3363

Instructor Availability Outside of Class: A110 M 11:30-12:30

World Civilizations

Course Description:

In this course, students will explore the cultural, intellectual, and political trends that have shaped the historical development of humankind in the twentieth and twenty first centuries

This course is designed to provide “snapshots” of selected world civilizations from antiquity to the sixteenth century. For each civilization under examination, we will discuss aspects of general history, polity (governmental structure), economy, society, and thought/culture (including art, literature, and religion). Of particular interest will be the interactions among various civilizations.

Given the difficulties of covering nearly 5000 years of history in a single semester, the material presented in class will necessarily be selective. Not all civilizations will be given equal treatment, and few will be covered in any great degree of detail. Please carefully read your textbook for more information. You are responsible for all material in the assigned readings, whether they are presented/discussed in class or not. Please note that I am of the Jean Paul Sartre school of teaching philosophy --- which means: NO EXCUSES! This is your education and you are totally responsible to fulfill all course

Course Length: 4 hours 11 Weeks

Contact Hours: 44 Lecture: 4 hours per week

Credit Value: 4 Credits

Anticipated Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

• Explore the foundations of the current global system.

• Evaluate historical data from multiple sources.

• Research, analyze and discuss historical events by viewing them through various interpretations and theories.

• Articulate the goals, research methodologies, and issues common to most social and behavioral scientists.

• Define “civilization” and “history.”

• Define “social class” and the “division of labor”

• Define the role of religion in various societies and cultures

• Define the role of state building, colonialism and imperialism and assess their impact upon world conflict.

• Define “patriarchy”

• Identify the elements contributing to social, political and cultural conflict.

• Differentiate and provide examples of historical conflict and cooperation using group self identification based upon social class, religious affiliation or language group.

Course Prerequisites: None

Required Text(s): A People’s History of the World (In Bookstore), Chris Harman, Verso Press, (paperback) ISBN: 978-1-84467-238-7

Spartacus by Howard Fast (see website)

Recommended Text(s): Selected handouts

Materials and Supplies: Paper, pen, dictionary

Method of Instruction: Lecture/Discussion

Estimated Homework Hours: 4 hours/week

Technology Needed: Access to computer with a word processing program, internet, and printer.

Assessment Criteria & Methods of Evaluation:

In-class exams (15% each) 60%

Essay 10%

Attendance 10%

Comprehensive Final Exam 20%

Final Exam is mandatory!

Students are required to submit a book review on the Howard Fast novel, Spartacus. The essay should be 3-4 pages in length, double-spaced and typed. The essay is worth 10% of your overall score (1 letter grade). The essay is due on the date of the Final Exam. The Essay MUST be turned into by Noon on the day of the Final Exam. Turnitin needs a Class ID and Password:

Class ID:  2315833

Password: slavery

Students should include references to the text plus any pertinent academic websites.

Finally, attendance will count for 10% of students overall grade. Students are only allowed two absences. The first absence will result in a 50% reduction in this category. A second absence will result in a score of zero for this category. A student may be given an “F” in the course for missing more than two class meetings

Homework and late assignments: Keep up with the reading schedule

Extra Credit Assignments: Students will have the opportunity to visit the Getty “Villa Museum” at some point during the semester. Students can order free tickets online at In order to receive extra credit students must bring a proof of attendance sheet signed by one of the museum docents to me on the last day of class (the date of the final exam). Students should bring this single page (with the receipt stapled to it) to the Final Exam. The Final Exam score will be adjusted upward by one letter grade (10%).

Getty Villa Museum

17985 Pacific Coast Highway

Pacific Palisades, California 90272

All assignments must have clear criteria and objectives to meet. All students shall be treated equitably. It will be that student’s right to know his/her grade at any reasonable point that information is requested by that student. The criteria for determining a student’s grade shall be as follows:

A 100-93

A- 92-90

B+ 89-87

B 86-83

B- 82-80

C+ 79-77

C 76-73

C- 72-70

D+ 69-67

D 66-65

F 64 or below

Engrade: Student grades will be posted on --- After registration (takes about 2 minutes) students will be able to track their progress by entering the following formula: engrade-tmenzing-six digit student ID # (e.g., 000000) --- engrade-tmenzing-000000

Exams: All exams are in-class, multiple choice, matching and true/false questions. Each exam will consist of 60 questions. There are four in class exams (weeks 3, 5, 8 and 10). There is also a Final Exam (week 11) which is comprehensive (100 questions). All exams are timed. The exams will begin promptly at 7:30 AM and conclude at 8:45 PM (The final exam also begins at 7:30 AM and lasts for two hours). Students will NOT be given more time for being late! If you are late for an exam that means you will have less time to complete the exam.

Make-up Exam Policy: There are no make-up exams! Unless there is a documented reason for missing and exam (e.g., medical) I will not allow it. If you miss an exam I will substitute the missing score with your final exam score. If you miss more than one exam you will receive a “zero” for the second missed exam. Please do not ask me to make up an exam without proper documentation (subject to verification).

Grading Thresholds:

Please note that the grade-level thresholds are designed for a reason. I will NEVER “round up” a grade. For example 79.99% is a “C+” --- Please do not ask me to change your grade because you are “so close”!

Also, please note that a “D” is a passing grade at The Art Institute.

Classroom Policies:

• Class time will be spent in a productive manner.

• All work must be received by the set deadlines.

• On-time projects may be redone with instructor approval.

• No food allowed in computer labs at any time. Drinks in re-closeable bottles allowed in classroom.

• If student elects to eat/drink outside class or lab door, missed time is recorded as absent.

• Attendance is taken on a regular basis. Tardiness or absence is recorded in 15-minute increments.

• Break times are scheduled by the instructor at appropriate intervals.

• No private software is to be brought to lab or loaded onto school computers.

• No software games are allowed in lab (unless in course curriculum).

• Headphones are required if listening to music in computer labs. No headphones are allowed during lecture.

• To receive special accommodations for a documented disability, the student must present their letter of accommodation to the instructor by the end of the first day of class. This letter should be obtained each quarter from the Student Affairs department. Any resulting class performance problems that may arise for those who do not identify their needs will not receive any special grading considerations.

• ID Badges must be visible at all times on campus.

Students with Disabilities:

The Art Institute of California – Orange County is committed to providing qualified students with a disability an equal opportunity to access the benefits, rights and privileges of school services, programs and activities. The Art Institute of California – Orange County provides reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities.

Accommodation requests should be submitted as far in advance as possible. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the Student Services Department to initiate this process (714-830-0239). The Student Services Department will assist qualified students with disabilities in acquiring reasonable and appropriate accommodations.

Attendance Policy:

Successful completion of a course is dependent upon regular attendance in the classroom. Critical information is delivered through lecture, critique and student interaction. Missing more than 20% of the course hours (or 2 weeks) is fundamentally prohibitive to student success.

It is strongly recommended that any student who – for ANY reason – misses more than 2 weeks worth of instructional hours meet with their instructor for an evaluation. The instructor reserves the right to determine the feasibility of the student potential for avoiding a failing grade and successfully demonstrating all of the gradable course competencies within the class time remaining. If the instructor determines that the student still retains the potential to demonstrate all of the gradable course competencies then the student will be granted the option of attempting a passing grade. If an evaluation meeting has not taken place before 30% or 3 weeks of absence, the student can receive a failing grade for the course.

Lecture/Lab classes (4 hours) 20% = 2 Weeks = 8 hours 30% = 3 Weeks = 12 hours

Culinary Lab classes (5 hours) 20% = 2 Weeks = 10 hours 30% = 3 Weeks = 15 hours

(10 hours) 20% = 2 Weeks = 20 hours 30% = 3 Weeks = 30 hours

Student Conduct Policy:

The Art Institute of California – Orange County expects its students and employees to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. In addition, the Art Institute has a strict policy which disallows sexual harassment of either students or employees. All students or employees are encouraged to report any professional or sexual misconduct to the Director of Student Services. Here are a few requests in line with the basic rules of common courtesy:

• Please do not walk in late - wait for a break (there is a break every hour)

• Please do not fall asleep in class.

• Please do not chat with the person next to you during a lecture

• Please do not play video games on your lap-top computer

• Please do not listen to your iPod during lecture (exams are ok)

• Please do not work on your art project from another class

• Please do not wear dark sunglasses in class.

• Please do not put your feet up on the desk in front of you.

• Please do not stand up and walk out of class in the middle of a lecture (unless it is an emergency).

• Please do not eat your steamy, smelly breakfast burrito in class

• Please do conduct yourself in a dignified and respectful manner!

• Please rent the movie “To Sir With Love” for a re-cap

Teaching and learning are most likely to take place where the classroom environment is one characterized by mutual respect and freedom from unnecessary distractions. Below are some comments regarding the responsibilities of instructors and students in maintaining a healthy classroom environment.

I will adhere to these guidelines to the best of my ability and I expect you to do likewise.

Vital to the whole notion of a university is the free exchange of ideas. Such an exchange is more likely in an atmosphere free from ridicule, insults, or personal attacks. Instructors must deal with their students in a respectful fashion. Likewise, students must demonstrate respect in their communications with instructors and other students. Late arrivals and early departures decrease the learning time available, interrupt the flow of class, and are distracting to all. Both the instructor and the student need to be in the classroom and ready to begin class at the scheduled starting time. Except in the case of sudden illness or other emergency, early departures should be avoided. If because of extraordinary circumstances, a student knows that he or she has to leave early, that student should let the instructor know before class and sit in a location where he or she can depart with minimal interruption. The instructor should be careful to avoid keeping the students in class past the scheduled ending time. In turn, students should refrain from packing up their belongings and/or leaving prior to being dismissed by the instructor.

It is also distracting when students engage in private conversations, talk on a cell phone, listen to

headphones, read the newspaper, or text message during class discussions. Cell phones, palm pilots, and similar devices (iPods, etc.) must be adjusted so that they do not ring, beep, or vibrate during class (turn them OFF). The exercise of common courtesy on the part of both the instructor and the students will enhance the success of this class. Please notify the instructor during the first week of any special accommodations you may need

Other Notes: Students are expected to have read the entire chapter prior to discussion in class. The syllabus is subject to change.

Academic Dishonesty:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty while pursuing their studies at The Art Institute. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: plagiarism and cheating, misuse of academic resources or facilities, and misuse of computer software, data, equipment or networks.

Plagiarism is the use (copying) of another person’s ideas, words, visual images, or audio samples, presented in a manner that makes the work appear to be the student’s original creation. All work that is not the student’s original creation, or any idea or fact that is not “common knowledge,” must be documented properly to avoid even accidental infractions of the honor code.

Cheating is to gain an unfair advantage on a grade by deception, fraud, or breaking the rules set forth by the instructor of the class. Cheating may include but is not limited to: copying the work of others; using notes or other materials when unauthorized; communicating to others during an exam; and any other unfair advantage as determined by the instructor.

Student Success Center:

Faculty will be available during office hours to share knowledge, engage in dialogue and/or give advice and guidance to our student body in the Student Success Center located in Building C (Room C226).

Students may meet with faculty during their office hours by scheduling an appointment with the faculty member, or by consulting the SSC schedule posted outside of Room C226.

Commitment to Excellence – Reading/Writing/Comprehension:

While the principal goal of this course is the acquisition of knowledge in the subject area, students should be aware that The Art Institute of California – Orange County requires that research on a particular topic, and clear and effective writing be an integral part of the learning process.

Library Assignment:

All students will need to utilize the Library for research and reference throughout the quarter. The Library is a valuable source for finding design ideas that will be needed for this course, i.e.: inspiration and design fundamentals for mid-term and final projects; locating popular trends in design, illustration and photography; referencing past award winning designs which may be used as a guide; identifying benchmarks or referencing competent design works. 

Library Web URL:

Student Art Work:

All student work, which has not already been returned during the quarter, will be available for pickup no later than 5:00 pm, Monday of the first week of break. Any work NOT picked up by that date and time will be discarded unless other arrangements have been made. Students must take responsibility for their art work.

Suggested Weekly Outline (lecture and Homework)

Lecture corresponds to the title of each week’s readings

Week 1: The Neolithic Revolutions and the First Civilizations

Homework: Harman, Part 1: Prologue, Introduction & Part 1: chapters 1-4

Week 2: The First Class Divisions

Homework: Harman, Part 1: chapters 4-5

Week 3: Iron and Empires

Homework: Harman, Part 2: chapter 1

EXAM #1 (7:30-8:45 AM)

Week 4: Ancient India and China

Homework: Harman, Part 2: chapters 2-3

Week 5: The Ancient Greeks I

Homework: Harman, Part 2: chapter 4

EXAM#2 (7:30-8:45 AM)

Week 6: The Ancient Greeks II

Homework: Harman – same as week 5

Week 7: Rome’s Rise

Homework: Harman, Part 2; chapters 5-6

Exam #3 (7:30-8:45)

Week 8: The Fall of Rome and the Rise of Christianity

Homework: Harman, Part 2; chapters 5-6

Week 9: The European Middle Ages

Homework: Harman, Part 3: chapters 1 & 6

Week 10: The Renaissance and Age of Discovery

Homework: TBA

EXAM#4 (7:30-8:45 AM)

Week 11: Final Exam (7:30-9:30 AM)

Final Essays are due to

Essay Formatting

Here is a sample format for your essay on ancient history. You should cite from the sources in support of your discussion, e.g., (Harman, 21) & (Reader 36). You may also cite from the Meltzer text Slavery: A World History, e.g., (Meltzer, Ch 4, 66). You should jot down notes and page numbers as your read the text. You may want to underline passages you wish to quote in your essay.

You should follow a classic "five paragraph essay" format. Your essay may be longer than five paragraphs but the structure of an academic essay is always the same:

I. Introduction/thesis statement

II. Body paragraph

III. Body paragraph

IV. Body paragraph

V. Conclusion

Your essay may be expanded, depending on the number of body paragraphs you use but the format is always the same.

Possible Essay Topics (You are encouraged to create your own but these essay topics might get you thinking)

• What circumstances contributed to the development of writing? What purpose did it serve? Did the entire population master this new technique?

• Assess the role of tradition in Egyptian culture and history. To what extent did the traditional order operate to give stability to Egyptian culture?

• What roles did slaves play in Egyptian life? How did individuals fall into the status of slaves?

• Compare Sumerian, Egyptian, and Hebraic ideas of the afterlife.

• What are the advantages/disadvantages of a community ruled by the laws of men as opposed to the rule of written law? Does written law ensure fairness and consistency? Even in a largely illiterate society?

• Discuss the art of the Assyrians as an expression of political propaganda. Refer to specific figures and the subject matter of the art itself.

• In what ways did the Persian empire preserve the culture of Mesopotamia? What unique contribution did they make to the humanistic tradition?

• Explain the concept of hierarchy as it applied to power and leadership in the ancient world.  Are there any distinct differences between the operation of this concept as it applies in ancient Egypt and in ancient China or India?

• The caste system is usually associated with the history of India. Did similar systems of social stratification exist in ancient Egypt, Babylon, and China?

• Slavery was a fact of the ancient world. Investigate and compare the ways in which people became slaves in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and China.

• Describe and evaluate Athenian democracy.  To what extent is Greek democracy based on Greek slavery?

• Who was Pericles? What is the theme of the Funeral Speech? In what ways does Pericles find Athens unique? What does Pericles mean when he says, “Athens is the school of Hellas”?

• Contrast Athenian and Spartan (Lacedaemonian) culture as presented in Pericles’ Funeral Speech. Research further to compare further the two city-states

• According to Aristotle, what are the three principal types of lives humans can choose to lead?  What, according to Aristotle, is humankind’s unique virtue? What is the Golden Mean?

• Explain how the subject matter of the Parthenon sculpture illustrates the major concerns and values of Athens in the time of Pericles.

• How did Roman sculpture differ from that of the Greeks? Give specific examples.

• The living conditions most Romans faced were wretched – this presented not only a hazard to people, but also a constant worry for Rome's rulers. How did the Romans attempt to distract the Roman proletariat?

• Spartacus had no institutional, legal authority to command the thousands of slaves and poor Roman citizens who joined him. How did he manage to win their loyalty and affection (You may view the feature film starring Kirk Douglas as the basis for this essay)?

Possible Essay Topics (You are encouraged to create your own but these essay topics might get you thinking)

• Tens of thousands of Roman citizens joined the slave armies of Spartacus, why?

• The living conditions most Romans faced were wretched – this presented not only a hazard to people, but also a constant worry for Rome's rulers. How does Fast compare and contrast the lives of the Roman proletariat with those of the slaves?

• Spartacus had no institutional, legal authority to command the thousands of slaves and poor Roman citizens who joined him. How did he manage to win their loyalty and affection?

• Write a character study of both Crassus and Spartacus. What do the two men have in common? How do they differ?

• Write an essay based on the relationship between Spartacus and Varinia. How did they meet? How did their bond grow over time? What happens to Varinia and her child?

• Write an essay on gladiatorial combat as an aspect of Roman “bread and circuses.” Why did the Roman state subsidize such events?

• Write an essay based on the novel’s narrator. How does David see Spartacus?

• A slave, dying on the cross exclaims “I will return and I will be millions!” Why does Fast have the slave say this? What is Fast trying to say about history?

SPARTACUS (note: the page numbers referenced in this essay are not accurate)

The story of Spartacus is much more than an historical account of the man who led a slave revolt in Rome. It is a universal appeal to social justice. Through Howard Fast’s novel, we learn the life story of a relatively minor historical figure who developed into a powerful symbol of freedom. It is the story not only of one man’s revolt against his oppressors, but more importantly it is a story that offers hope and inspiration to all of mankind. In the first pages of the novel, a slave, dying on the cross exclaims “I will return and I will be millions!” The last gasp of this anonymous, humiliated slave represents humanity’s long and painful, yet unyielding struggle for emancipation and liberty. This struggle, which continues today, is embodied in the life of a humble man who raised an army and shook Rome to her knees – a man the Romans knew as Spartacus.

The function of Fast’s novel is not solely for purposes of entertainment or enjoyment, for surely then he could have written about anything or any historical figure. Spartacus is important, not for his actions in opposition to Rome, but because he “lived not for one time of man but for all times of man” (Fast, 76). Fast’s Spartacus offers a philosophy of life that values the potential in each human being, regardless of background or status -- “life itself is the secret of life,” Spartacus reminds us, and “no man is less than himself” (Fast, 210). Fast also explores universal themes of courage and determination embodied in the slave challenge to the awesome power of Rome. Fast takes a great deal of “artistic license” with Spartacus and the other characters. He is creating dialog for people who are largely absent or mute in the official historical record. Still, his account does express a historically based account of the rebellion.

The actual historical record of the Spartacus slave rebellion was written by the Romans. There is no way to know the actual thoughts and words of the real Spartacus. Howard Fast, as an artist, is piecing together a composite character based upon a thorough understanding of Roman society and culture. Fast’s story is biased, the story is told from the perspective of the slaves and the poor Roman citizens who joined him. The slaves are, at times, even glorified and romanticized but the actual historical record also reveals a bias from the perspective of the Roman slave masters. As the course textbook suggests, the Romans were extraordinarily class conscious and quite harsh. Most Romans lived short and desperate lives characterized by poverty and disease (Hunt 242). Upward of one third of the Roman population was enslaved and forced to endure cruelties and humiliations beyond imagination (Hunt 240). Roman elites profited from Rome’s expansion by trading and exploiting slave labor while undermining and dispossessing the small Roman farmer. Wealthy and powerful Roman citizens used governmental posts in the provinces to extort fortunes from the inhabitants (Hunt, 246). Only the educated classes could write and record history – and that history reflects the class biases of the men who wrote the texts. Fast’s Spartacus represents the romantic hero who’s resistance symbolizes the majority’s eternal struggle for justice, equality and democracy against the interests and arrogance of a minority who defend privilege, hierarchy and power.

The language of the novel is particularly emotive, evoking passion from the reader. Fast, through the Spartacus revolt, keep reminding his reader of the universal quality of the slave’s resistance. In one particularly powerful passage, Fast speaks of the slave uprising as “a moment of changed motion in history, a beginning, a stirring, a wordless whisper, a portent, a flash of light which signifies earth-shaking thunder and blinding lightning. It is an army which suddenly has the knowledge that the victory to which it is committed must change the world, and therefore it must change the world or have no victory” (Fast, 216). One of the main characters, Lintulus Batiatus, a slave-trader and owner of the gladiator training pens at Capua, exclaims that “gladiators are animals, if one thinks of them of people, one loses all perspective” (Fast, 91). The poignancy of the struggle is made all the more dramatic through such descriptions of slave humanity. Fast puts flesh and blood back on the mute, bare bones of a people who were not only mocked, ridiculed and disparaged in their own time but also ignored by the so-called historical record left by the Roman elites recorded the original events.

Although it is a fictionalized account, Fast’s Spartacus reveals much about Roman society. It is also a story with contemporary significance because it suggests that human beings, even in the most degraded state of disempowerment, can stand up to their oppressors. Spartacus offered hope and strength to the wretched of the Roman society. He showed them how a good man, in a good cause could, even in defeat, express the triumphant human spirit in all its glory. Fast’s representation of Spartacus as an heroic figure is not simply meant martyr him; rather, he reveals to the reader that Spartacus was a humble man, a human being, like everyone else, who’s life and actions offer a universal appeal to all those who are disempowered and humiliated -- to gather strength and find summon the courage to demand the right of a human being – to mobilize, stand up and fight.

“I will return and I will be millions” – The struggle continues . . .

REFERENCES

Fast, Howard. 1951, Spartacus, The Novel.

Hunt, (et. al). The Making of the West, Course Textbook

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