HIS 122: THE WORLD SINCE 1945


North Island College Winter 2024

Meeting Time: T-Th: 1:00-2:20 pm

Meeting PlaceTyee 202

Instructor: Dan Hinman-Smith

Office:  Trades Building 112

Office Hours:  T-Th: 2:30-4:00 pm (or by appointment)

Office Phone: 250-334-5000, Extension 4024

Web- Site for Course:  http://www.misterdann.com/contentscontemporary.htm  

E-Mail: dan.hinmansmith@nic.bc.ca

North Island College is honoured to acknowledge the traditional territories of the combined 35 First Nations of the Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw and Coast Salish traditions, on whose traditional and unceded territories the college's campuses are situated.  The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's final report calls for 94 actions toward restoring a balanced relationship between indigenous peoples and settler communities in this country.


Course Description and Learning Outcomes

HIS 122 seeks to place contemporary international affairs within a broad historical and analytical perspective.  The course highlights a number of events, trends and themes that have shaped the history of both individual nations and the international system since the end of World War II in 1945.  Topics to be studied will include the history of the Cold War; decolonization and the struggle of developing nations to gain political and economic stability; the "rise" of Asia; the Arab-Israeli Conflict; the Islamic resurgence; the collapse of Soviet-style communism and the nature of conflict in the post-Cold War world; the development of the global economy since Bretton Woods; and the relationship between the history of international institutions and world issues since 1945.

By the end of the course, students should be able to do the following:

Demonstrate a basic familiarity with key events, trends and themes in world history since 1945.

Frame significant contemporary issues within an historical context.

Demonstrate  familiarity with the major media sources available for those who would follow current affairs and offer reasoned explanations for why they would highlight some outlets as of particular interest and merit.

Exhibit the ability to analyze primary and secondary historical sources and to offer their own interpretations based upon such analysis.

Outline the next steps they might take in their efforts to become fully engaged global citizens.


Texts

Required Books

Marjane Satrapi.  Complete Persepolis: Volumes 1 And 2.  New York: Pantheon, 2007.  A free online PDF version of Satrapi's memoir is at least temporarily available at the Complete Persepolis.

Katherine Boo.  Behind The Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, And Hope In A Mumbai Undercity.  New York: W. W. Norton, 2020.  For an acceptable free PDF version of Boo's book, click HERE.

***It is important that you acquire these books.  They will play an important role in our course.  Both books are available for purchase through the NIC Bookstore at a total cost of $60 (Behind The Beautiful Forevers is priced at $24).  I also have provided links to different editions of the Complete Persepolis above, including a free online PDF version, and have provided a link to the e-text edition of Behind the Beautiful Forevers ($17).


A Tentative Class Schedule

Week 1

Tuesday, January 9

a)  Course Introduction

Thursday, January 11

Class Cancelled: Instructor Illness


Week 2

Tuesday, January 16

a) Discussion:  Planet Hip Hop and The Siege Of Mecca

b)  Video: "Bitter Rivals: Iran And Saudi Arabia," Frontline, PBS (2018, 180 mins).

Listening Assignment:

"Planet Hip Hop: A Revolutionary Art Form Turns 50," The World, PRI, January 1, 2024.  (50 mins)

"The Siege Of Mecca," Throughline, NPR, November 14, 2019 (44 mins.)


Thursday, January 18

a) Discussion:  Arab Spring Ten Years Later

b) Discussion:  Iranian Revolution At 40

c)  Lecture: God Returns -- Islam And The Middle East Since 1979 (Part I)

Reading Assignment:

Browse extensively in Arab Spring Ten Years Later Discussion Topic

Browse extensively in Iranian Revolution At 40 Discussion Topic

Optional Extras:

  "Iran V. America: The Feud Explained," Economist, February 27, 2021.  (14 mins)

  "Libya: 10 Years After The Revolution," Arte Documentary, May 28, 2021.  (24 mins)

Browse extensively in Salman Rushdie And The Satanic Verses Discussion Topic

"Fatwa," BBC Radio 4, February 2019:  A 10-episode podcast about the Rushdie Affair.


Week 3

Tuesday, January 23

a)  Discussion: Current Events And HIS 122

b)  Discussion: Understanding Egypt

c)  Lecture: God Returns -- Islam And The Middle East Since 1979 (Part II)

Viewing Assignment:

Watch at least one episode of Al Jazeera's .  Come to class ready to briefly discuss what you watched.

Listening Assignment:

Listen to one episode of BBC World Service Global News Podcast.  Come to class ready to briefly discuss what you learned.

Listen to one episode of the Intelligence from the Economist.  Some to class ready to briefly discuss the most interesting feature from this particular episode.

I think that PRI's The World ( PRI's The World Program Page ) is an excellent audio news program and listen to that daily.  There is no need for you to listen to an episode of that show for today's class, but you may want to consider subscribing to it as a podcast.  It is available on most major podcast platforms.

Reading Assignment:

Browse extensively in Understanding Egypt Discussion Topic

Browse in some of the different BBC World News pages:  BBC News World; BBC News Middle East; BBC News Africa; BBC News Asia; BBC News Europe; BBC News Latin America.  Find at least one news story of interest and be ready to briefly introduce that story during our Wednesday class.

Optional Extras:

Watch one episode of Deutsche Welle's The Day.  You are, of course, welcome to watch more episodes of this programme throughout the semester for the International Current Events component of the course.

Thursday, January 25

a)  Video: "Once Upon A Time In Iraq," Frontline, PBS, July 14, 2020.  (113 mins)


Week 4

Tuesday, January 30

a)  Discussion: Persepolis

b) Discussion: Inside The Iranian Uprising

c)  Introduce African Country Studies Mini-Project

Reading Assignment:

Marjane Satarapi, Complete Persepolis: Volumes 1 And 2

Viewing Assignment:

"Inside The Iranian Uprising," Frontline, PBS, June 30, 2023.  (53 mins)

Thursday, February 1

a)  Discussion: Understanding Afghanistan

b)  Lecture: God Returns -- Islam And The Middle East Since 1979 (Part III)

Reading Assignment:

Browse extensively in Understanding Afghanistan Discussion Topic

Viewing Assignment:

"The Taliban Explained," Vox, November 10, 2021.  (14 mins)

"How The Taliban Took Over Afghanistan Again," Start Here, Al Jazeera, August 17, 2021.  (8 mins)

Optional Extras:

  "Ghosts Of Afghanistan," TVO, 2021.  (89 mins)

  "Afghanistan In The 1950s: Back To The Future," BBC News, August 22, 2021.  (29 mins)


Week 5

Tuesday, February 6

a)  Discussion:  Understanding Syria

b)  Lecture:  "It's Your Turn, Doctor Bashar Al-Assad" -- The Syrian Civil War

c)  African Country Studies Workshop

Reading Assignment:

Zachary Lamb, "Syria's Civil War: The Descent Into Horror," Council On Foreign Relations (February 19, 2020).

Browse extensively in Understanding Syria Discussion Topic

Optional Extras:

Video: "For Sama," Frontline, PBS, November 19, 2019 (95 mins):  ***This is an excellent but very intense documentary.  It includes a number of violent and upsetting scenes.

***Persepolis Reading Notes and Mini-Essay Due  [15%]

Thursday, February 8

a)  Discussion: Israel And The Nakba At 75

b)  Discussion: Yom Kippur War At 50

c)  Lecture: Wounded Spirits In The Promised Land -- The Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1948-Present (Part I)

Reading Assignment:

Browse extensively in Israel And The Nakba At 75 Discussion Topic

Browse extensively in Yom Kippur War At 50 Discussion Topic

Viewing Assignment:

  "The Balfour Declaration, 100 Years On," Economist, November 3, 2017.  (8 mins)

"Israel At 75: The Promised Land?," DW, July 25, 3023.  (28 mins)

Optional Extras:

  "Israel Palestine Conflict Explained," ABC, May 18, 2021.  (11 mins)


Week 6

Tuesday, February 13

a)  Discussion: Israeli-Palestinian Documents -- Questions About The Israeli-Palestinian Documents

a)  Lecture: Wounded Spirits In The Promised Land -- The Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1948-Present (Part II)

Reading Assignment:

Israeli Declaration Of Independence, 1948.

Palestinian National Charter, 1968.

Hamas Covenant, 1988.

Optional Extras:

"Israel-Gaza War: What's Happening And Why?," Start Here, Al Jazeera, October 10, 2023.  (9 mins)

"What's Happening In The West Bank?," Start Here, Al Jazeera, November 8, 2023.  (12 mins)

"Why Palestinians In East Jerusalem Are Losing Their Homes," Start Here, Al Jazeera, December 22, 2023.  (18 mins)

Browse extensively in Six-Day War At 50 Discussion Topic

Thursday, February 15

a)  Can't Let It Go (1):  Come to class ready to introduce one Current Events story that you have been following during the first half of the semester.

b)  African Country Studies Mini-Presentations

Reading Assignment:

Browse extensively in your nation for History And The Headlines: Africa Country Studies


***  Sunday, February 18: First Journal Installment Due through Blackboard Learn (Use either the Regular Journal [Option 1] or the Note-Taking/Journal Combo [Option 2] format)  [30%]

***Class Participation Check-In


***Family Day And Reading Break, February 19-23


Week 7

Tuesday, February 27

a)  Video: "Tiananmen: The People Versus The Party," PBS, 2019.  (110 mins)

Thursday, February 29

a)  Discussion: Understanding South Africa

b)  Lecture: "This Land With Fire In Itself" -- Modern South Africa

Reading Assignment:

Browse extensively in Understanding South Africa Discussion Topic

Viewing Assignment:

  "Mandela's Legacy: 25 Years On," Economist, April 27, 2019.  (9 min)

"South Africa Scraps Apartheid," History Stories, DW, July 22, 2022.  (12 mins)

Optional Extras:

Video:   "28 Up South Africa," Part One, Al Jazeera, 2013.

Video: "28 Up South Africa," Part Two, Al Jazeera, 2013.

Video: "28 Up South Africa," Part Three, Al Jazeera, 2013.


Week 8

Tuesday, March 5

Class Cancelled

Thursday, March 7

a)  Discussion: Understanding China

b)  Lecture: China Rising -- From Mao To Market (I)

Reading Assignment:

Find at least two interesting articles from South African History In The News

Browse extensively in Understanding China Discussion Topic

Viewing Assignment:

  "China's Cultural Revolution, 50 Years On," Revisited, France, July 15, 2016.  (16 mins)

Optional Extras:

"China: Power And Prosperity," PBS Newshour, November 22, 2019 (104 mins.)

Browse in Chinese Communist Party At 100 And Tiananmen Square At 30 Discussion Topic


Week 9

Tuesday, March 12

a)  Discussion: Contemporary Issues And China

b)  Lecture: China Rising -- From Mao To Market (II)

c)  Start Video: "Writing With Fire," 2022.  (97 mins)

Reading Assignment:

Browse extensively in Contemporary Issues And China Discussion Topic


Thursday, March 14

a)  Video: "Writing With Fire," 2022.  (97 mins)


Week 10

Tuesday, March 19

a)  Discussion: Understanding Kashmir

b)  Lecture: From Midnight to The New Millennium -- India Since Independence (I)

Reading Assignment:

Browse extensively in Understanding Kashmir Discussion Topic

Browse extensively in Understanding India Discussion Topic

Viewing Assignment:

  "Kashmir Files: Forgotten Tragedy Or An Attempt To Re-Write India's History?," DW, April 1, 2022.  (17 mins)

  "Why Is India's Citizenship Law Causing So Much Anger?," Start Here, Al Jazeera, September 15, 2020.  (10 mins)

Optional Extras:

  "Indira Gandhi: India's Iron Lady," Episode 2, Asian Century, Channel News Asia, November 15, 2017.  (48 mins)

"Gandhi's Legacy: Where Is India Headed, Part 1," DW, August 12, 2022.  (52 mins)

"Gandhi's Legacy: Where Is India Headed, Part 2," DW, August 12, 2022.  (52 mins)

Thursday, March 21

a)  Discussion: Partition, India, And Pakistan At 75

b)  Discussion: Behind The Beautiful Forevers

Reading Assignment:

Katherine Boo, Behind The Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, And Hope In A Mumbai Undercity

Browse extensively in Partition, India And Pakistan At 75 Discussion Topic


Week 11  

Tuesday, March 26

a)  Lecture: From Midnight to The New Millennium -- India Since Independence (II)

b)  Introduce Latin American Country Studies Mini-Project

c)  Discussion: Jinnah And Malala and Understanding Pakistan

d)  Finish Video: "Writing With Fire," 2022.  (97 mins)

Reading Assignment:

Browse extensively in Jinnah And Malala Discussion Topic

Browse extensively in Understanding Pakistan Discussion Topic

Optional Extras:

Video: "Bangladesh -- Dawn Of Islamism," DW Documentary, April 17, 2018 (42 mins) 

Thursday, March 28

a)  Lecture:  Pakistan -- A Hard Country

b)  Discuss "The End Of A Superpower -- The Collapse

Viewing Assignment:

  "The End Of A Superpower -- The Collapse Of The Soviet Union," DW Documentary, March 3, 2022.  (53 mins)

Optional Extras:

Browse extensively in Understanding Russia Discussion Topic

Video: "Generation Putin," DW Documentary, August 23, 2020 (42 mins).

Video: "Rise And Fall Of The Russian Oligarchs," 2006.


Week 12

Tuesday, April 2

a)  Discussion: UN Charter and Declaration of Human Rights

b)  Lecture: "The Best Hope Of Mankind?": The Past, Present, And Future Of The United Nations

c)  Latin American Country Workshop

Reading Assignment:

UN Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, 1948:

United Nations Charter, 1945:

Thursday, April 4

a)  Discussion: Understanding Ukraine

b)  Lecture:  The War In Ukraine

Reading Assignment:

Browse extensively in Understanding Ukraine Discussion Topic

Anya Van Bremzen, "How Ukraine's National Dish Became A Symbol Of Putin's Invasion," Guardian, June 22, 2023).

Optional Extras:

  "Putin's War On Ukraine, Explained," Vox Atlas, March 2, 2022.  (9 mins)

"20 Days In Mariupol," Frontline, PBS, November 21, 2023.  (97 mins)

Marlene Laruelle, "Russian Nationalism and Ukraine," Current History (March 2022).


Week 13

Tuesday, April 9

a)  Latin America Country Studies Mini-Presentations And Discussion: Latin American Country Studies

Reading Assignment:

Browse extensively in your nation for History And The Headlines: Latin American Country Studies

Optional Extra:

  Can't Get You Out Of My Head: An Emotional History Of The Modern World, BBC, 2021:  Documentarian Adam Curtis's highly original attempt to explain the development of modern consciousness and to ask how whether the world might be structured differently.  Watch at least one of the following episodes and come ready to discuss.

Episode 1 -- Bloodshed On Wolf Mountain (74 mins)

Episode 2 -- Shooting And F**king Are The Same Thing (74 mins)

Episode 3 -- Money Changes Everything (71 mins)

Episode 4 -- But What If The People Are Stupid? (72 mins)

Episode 5 -- The Lordly Ones (65 mins)

Episode 6 -- Are We Pigeon; Are We Dancer (119 mins)

For alternate links to all episodes, see Thought Maybe.

**Second Half Journal Due (30%)


Evaluation

Letter Of Introduction

1%

Persepolis Reading Notes and Mini-Essay

15%

First Half Journal

30%

Second Half Journal

30%

Class Participation

24%

a)  Letter Of Introduction(1%)

Write a short letter of introduction to me at the beginning of the semester.  This should be at least one hundred words in length and is designed to give me a beginning idea of who you are and how I might best serve you as a teacher, and to provide me with an opening snapshot of the class as a whole. You need not use the following questions as direct cues but they may be helpful.  Who are you?  Where are you from?  How might you begin to describe your community and what life is like there if you've come to NIC from far away?  What are your interests?  Why are you taking this course?  What are your thoughts and reflections as you begin this particular course?  Are there topics associated with the course that you know will be of potential interest? Do you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions?  Although this is not a graded assignment, and you will receive the full point so long that you send me this note, I would appreciate it if you took several minutes writing a thoughtful introduction.  This is an assignment I ask of students in each of my classes.  If you are enrolled in more than one class with me this semester, a single letter of introduction will suffice, but perhaps mention something about each of the courses.  If you have taken a class with me before, please update what you sent me before and send me a new letter of introduction.  You can send your Letter of Introduction to me by e-mail; hand it in to me during class; or submit it through Brightspace.


b)  Persepolis Reading Notes And Mini-Essay (15%)

The first assignment of the semester will ask you to review Marjane Satrapi's memoir of coming of age in Revolutionary-era Iran.  Your response to the book will include an extensive set of active reading notes that both demonstrates substantial direct engagement with Persepolis and assists you in understanding the author's arguments.  You will then combine these notes with an integrated mini-essay (600+ words) in which you offer your thoughts on the book.


c)  The Journal (60%) [30% + 30%]

The student Journal will be the main assignment in HIS 122.  It will represent your on-going engagement with the core class curriculum.  The focus of the Journal should be on analysis, interpretation, and commentary.  It should consist of a series of short writings of varying lengths about the course material.  I refer to these short writings as entries.  The purpose of the Journal is to provide you with the opportunity for frequent thoughtful and analytical commentary upon course-related material.

I have provided you with two different options for the Journal: (1) The Regular Journal; or (2) The Note-Taking/Journal Combo.  These are described in detail on the Assignment Page of my web-site.  You should familiarize yourself with these two models and make a clear choice between the options at the beginning of the course.

The Journal is designed to be coordinated with our weekly schedule.  You will be expected to demonstrate that you are doing your best to keep up with the syllabus and to assess, absorb, and interrogate the course material in a way which is meaningful for you.

It is expected that you work regularly on the Journal throughout the semester, writing in it on a weekly basis.  You will then need to hand in the Journal to me in two installments.

Your First Half Journal will be due at the half-way point of the semester on Sunday, February 18.  This submission will be graded and will be worth 30% of your course grade.

You will hand in your completed Second Half Journal at the end of the semester, on Tuesday, April 9.  This submission will also be worth 30% of your course grade.


d)  Class Participation (24%)

The class participation grade will be based upon attendance; pre-class preparation; and the willingness to contribute thoughtfully to group discussion.

HIS 122 will combine lectures and documentaries with extensive discussion.  Sometimes we'll devote an entire class period to a particular text.  Other times, we will have a shorter but focused conversation about a particular topic.  Occasional ungraded and informal individual and group mini-presentations will also be folded into the course.  I would like to encourage a classroom environment in which all are eager to share their ideas and in which lectures are accompanied by thoughtful dialogue.  This will be dependent not just upon your willingness to speak, but your pre-class preparation and your willingness to listen.  The significant class participation component derives from my belief that the most engaging and successful courses are not ones in which knowledge is merely transferred from instructor to student but in which a genuine learning community exists in which all participants share their perspectives and insights.

 Although attendance is not required, I will take roll, and those who are not in class regularly will receive a poor grade for this part of the course.

I do appreciate that some students are shy or for other reasons may find it intimidating to speak in our group setting.  I do want these students to push themselves to try their best to engage with the class.  I will nonetheless be understanding of these students so long that they can clearly demonstrate to me by other means that not only do they come to class but that they do so well-prepared and are engaged with the material.


Time Commitment

Although the time it takes individual students to complete course responsibilities varies individually, I have set up the course with the expectation that you will probably need to devote at least four hours a week outside of class time to this course on a regular basis right from the start of the semester.  It is important that you not fall behind on your assignments.  Please stay in close communication with me and let me know if you are experiencing challenges in keeping up with the curriculum.  The syllabus is loaded with many materials and includes an array of options.  You should give yourself permission to slow down and go more in-depth on topics of particular interest and be confident that you should do well in the course so long that you approach your studies with consistent effort and academic rigor.


Attendance

This course is not for you if other obligations prevent you from attending the entire class session on a very regular basis.  This seminar-based course is organized around collaborative discussion.  If you are not present in class and well-prepared in regards to your pre-class responsibilities, you will not be able to succeed academically nor to contribute to the creation of a meaningful learning community.


Academic Integrity

I want to help you to get as much out of this course as possible and hope also that you will be able to make meaningful contributions to your classmates' learning.  For this to happen, you need to put forth strong and honest effort.  In recent semesters, overstretched students have resorted to various illegitimate means in an effort to ensure academic credit and/or to avoid the need to follow through on all their own course responsibilities.  This has included, but not been limited to, such strategies as plagiarism; disguised cutting-and-pasting; the use of artificial intelligence to complete assignments; a reliance upon friends and relatives that pushes well beyond the bounds of what is represented by constructive collaboration; a reliance upon boilerplate assignment templates; and the contracting out of assignments and other course responsibilities to local or on-line agents.  What may seem like a dishonest but private choice is actually one with profound ripple effects that not only disheartens your instructor, but which also very negatively impacts upon the education of your classmates.  It robs your fellow students of your authentic voice in the course; it creates distrust between the teacher and other students; and it is ultimately deeply corrosive to the learning community.  I can be with you or against you and I certainly did not enter teaching to be against you.  However, you should appreciate that the success of this course will be dependent not only upon my efforts and knowledge, but upon the approach you bring to your studies and upon the decisions you make each day.  There can and should be discussions about what is appropriate and inappropriate in regards to different aids when learning.  Not everything in regards to Academic Integrity is a self-evident truth.  That said, I think that most students are fully aware when they cross over the line and engage in illegitimate practices.  I challenge you to make a fully positive contribution to this course and encourage you to talk to me whenever you need extra assistance or time, or if you are feeling overwhelmed.


Late Policy

The curriculum for this course is organized on a week-by-week basis, in which most assignments are cumulative and on-going.  Discussion amongst students is also dependent upon classmates keeping current with their studies.  Late assignments are also often an extra burden from an instructor standpoint.  Due dates should be noted and met.

However, I appreciate that there may be occasions where a very few extra days to polish an assignment in the midst of competing deadlines can be helpful, and thus I deliberately assume a good-faith effort on the part of students to meet the due dates and provide a small cushion of flexibility without any academic penalty.   That does not mean the due dates are unimportant or that extensions are automatically granted.  You must discuss possible extensions with me directly and I reserve the right to refuse to accept any late assignment if you do not check in with me before the due date.  As a general rule, no assignment will be accepted more than two weeks late and no end-of-the-semester assignment will be accepted more than one week late.


Writing Support And Peer Tutoring

Writing Support is available to all students at no additional cost.  Go to Writing Support for any or all of your assignments.  Every visit is a step toward becoming a better writer.  Use Writing Support as many times as you like, and at any point in your writing process.  The writing support faculty can help you understand the assignment, develop your ideas, outlines, thesis, and revision -- and anything else in-between.  Book your appointment through the library website, or visit the library desk to inquire about drop-ins.  There's also WriteAway, an online tutoring platform that allows you to upload your papers and assignments for detailed written feedback.  Both services may be found at https://library.nic.bc.ca/WritingSupport .


Student Technical Services

Our Student Technical Service team is available to help you with any technical issues that you may be experiencing as a student.  Please go to https://library.nic.bc.ca/studenttech for more information.


Learn Anywhere

NIC's Learn Anywhere website is geared to provide a collection of information that will help you be successful learning digitally by covering area such as: What is digital learning? How to be a digital learner while using NIC-supported technologies during your studies? A list of key skills and knowledge all students should have for successful learning in today's world, knowing your rights and responsibilities and Technology Readiness Checklists. More details at: https://learnanywhere.opened.ca/


Community Supports (24/7)

There are several supports available to help any student in distress. If you are in distress, please reach out for support.

Vancouver Island Crisis Line:  24/7 1-888-494-3888 (Available to students located on Vancouver Island only)

Crisis Suicide helpline:  24/7 1-800-784-2433 (Available to students located in Canada only)

BC 211:  Full list of community services available across BC.  Dial 2-1-1 on BC cellphone (Available to students located in BC only).

Here2Talk24/7 counselling support for post-secondary students: 1-877-857-3397 (Available to students located in Canada and offshore).


Related Policy

Community Code of Academic, Personal and Professional Conduct (3-06)

Instructional Accommodation and Access Services for Students with Disabilities (3-17)

Student Appeals Policy (3-30)

Student Complaint Resolution Policy (3-31)

Evaluation of Student Performance Policy (3-33)

Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy (3-34)

Course Outline Policy (3-35)

Academic Standing and Progression (3-37)

Grading System (4-14)


Welcome To The Course

 

 

 

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