WORLD HISTORY
The course will be divided into the following segments:
World History to A.D. 600: Examination of earliest civilizations of Asia, North Africa, and Europe -- Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israel, India, China, Greece, and Rome -- from development of settled agricultural communities until about A.D. 500, with focus on rise of cities, organization of society, nature of kingship, writing and growth of bureaucracy, varieties of religious expression, and linkage between culture and society.
World History, Circa 600 to 1760: Outline of world history from rise of Islam to start of Industrial Revolution, structured around a broad chronological narrative of salient developments. Use of thematic and comparative approaches, with certain recurring themes and institutions that modulate from culture to culture. Reading of variety of contemporary accounts to look at way people perceived cultures outside their own.
Contemporary World History, 1760 to Present: Broad thematic survey of world history since the mid-18th century. Examination, through lecture and discussion, of global implications of imperialism, total war, nationalism, cultural change, decolonization, changes in women's rights and roles, and eclipse of world communism. Designed to introduce students to historical study, help them understand issues and dilemmas facing the world today, and prepare them for more in-depth work in history of specific regions or countries of the world.