Course Goals and Themes.… · John Braine, Room at the Top (1957) Timothy Garton Ash, The File (1997) Ian Baruma, Murder in Amsterdam (2006) The Third Man (1949) Amazon.com Mon Oncle

Professor Hugh Dubrulle

Department of History

Class Time:

12:45 PM-2:00 PM

Classroom:

Alumni 9

Office Hours:

By appointment

Email:

[email protected]

Phone:

(603) 641-7048

Canvas:

https://canvas.anselm.edu

Course Website:

https://dubrullesaintanselm

history333word-

presscom.wordpress.com/

Course Goals and Themes

What This Course is about

By 1945, Europe had been utterly devastated by one of the most destructive wars in history.

This destruction was not purely material; political systems, social organization, and moral val-

ues had all been ravaged. And yet, to use a well-worn cliché, Europe somehow managed to

rise from the ashes like the phoenix to become one of the most stable and wealthy parts of

the world. The European way of life became a model or example for other nations throughout

the world. How did this renaissance occur? To what degree were Europeans themselves re-

sponsible for this rebirth? At what cost did they achieve this restoration? What were the most

important difficulties that the continent had to overcome?

Today, Europe is at a crossroads. The challenges it faces are among the most significant it has

confronted in the contemporary era. The continent can no longer count on many of the fac-

tors and forces that once safeguarded its stability and prosperity. Traditional institutions and

relationships have come under enormous stress. As Europeans struggle with sustaining high

living standards, managing a multi-cultural society, guaranteeing their security, remaining

competitive in a globalized world, and maintaining their way of life (which include a commit-

ment to democracy and equality), the historical perspective offered by this course will help

you understand the continent’s contemporary predicament. All the while, we should remem-

ber, as Mark Mazower has argued in Dark Continent: Europe’s Twentieth Century (2000), “the

present [is] just one possible outcome of our predecessors’ struggles and uncertainties.”

Themes of the Course

As we study the answers to the questions posed above, we will focus on several important

themes in contemporary European history. First, we will emphasize the role of globalization in the development of Europe. After

World War II, as Europeans increasingly became part of a more globalized world, they exerted less control over that dymanic than they

had in the past. To name the most obvious example, the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, played a crucial

role in shaping Europe after World War II. This development had important consequences, perhaps the most notable being the politi-

cal and economic integration of Europe. Second, we will take note of the waxing and waning of ideological struggle throughout the

period under study. In 1945, Europe had just concluded one terrible ideological struggle (World War II) and was poised to commence

another (the Cold War). But as many scholars have noted, the intensity of that struggle dissipated over time. The collapse of the East-

ern Bloc seemed to herald the end of ideological conflict, but the perceived inadequacies of social democracy in Europe has allowed

this conflict to return—with important consequences for Europe. Third, we will stress the emergence of a distinct European way of

life. As Tony Judt puts it, “this was a distinctly ‘European’ way of regulating social intercourse and inter-state relations” that became a

kind of model for others countries (especially those wishing to enter the European Union) and a challenge to the United States. Fourth,

we will have reason to advert to the power and influence in Europe of myths and silences after 1945, many of which emerged during

World War II. These include the ideas that Britain “fought alone” between 1940 and 1941; that the Resistance expressed the true spirit

Berlin, 1989

mailto:[email protected]

https://canvas.anselm.edu

https://dubrullesaintanselmhistory333wordpresscom.wordpress.com/



of the French people; that the German army was not implicated in the Holocaust; that East Germany had been born in an uprising

against fascism; that Stalin’s leadership had won World War II; and so on. These types of claims provided legitimacy for courses of

action in the postwar period, but they also proved vulnerable to contradiction—with important political, social, and cultural conse-

quences.

In 1955, Fiat 600s roll off the assembly line at Mirafori outside of Turin, Italy. Fiat’s Mirafori factory was a symbol of modern capitalist progress. At its height, the complex, which encompassed almost one square mile, employed 50,000 workers and churned out thousands of automo-biles every year. Even more important, these small, no-frills vehicles became objects of mass consumption, putting cars within the reach of many Europeans. By the 1950s, then, the European economic miracle was well under way.

Course Goals

The History Department has learning outcomes for the major, but the list is rather lengthy, so I won’t place them here in the syllabus

(you can find them here). Instead, I’d like to write somewhat more generally and refer to four goals.

The first goal is a discipline-specific one: I want you to learn how historians think. In a prominent 2007 article, Thomas Andrews and

Flannery Burke have observed that historians traditionally tend to stress the “five C’s of historical thinking”: change over time, causali-

ty, context, complexity, and contingency. I’d like you to understand these five C’s and how they apply to Europe since 1945.

The second goal is also discipline-specific: in an educational system that tends to stress skills at the expense of knowledge, I would

like you to know something about what happened in Europe since 1945.

You may have heard about decolonization, social democracy, Charles de Gaulle, the “fall of the wall,” and the European Union. I want

to teach you what these people, places, and things were all about—and what they weren’t about. Just as important, I’d like you to

understand their significance.

The third goal sits somewhere between a discipline-specific and a mega-cognitive one: through this course, I would like you to receive

an education in politics and international relations. Studying Europe since 1945 will compel us to look at important social, economic,

and cultural questions. The decisions made by European and non-European actors during this period had an important bearing on the

continent’s development and have the potential to teach us much about how politics and international relations work.

The fourth goal is a mega-cognitive one: I would like this class to further your general education by giving you an opportunity to de-

velop skills you will need no matter what you end up doing for a living. These include learning how to read critically, synthesize infor-

mation, cogitate deeply, and articulate your thoughts.

Who I am and Why I Teach This Course

I received my B.A. in History from Pomona College and my M.A. and Ph.D. in History

from the University of California, Santa Barbara. I was a visiting assistant professor at

the University of Oregon and then the University of Puget Sound before arriving at

Saint Anselm College where I’ve taught in the History Department for 18 years.

This class became part of my teaching rotation because some years ago, the depart-

ment decided to change the periodization of its European history courses. Back in the

day, the courses were divided merely by century; we had classes on 18th, 19th, and 20th

century Europe. The Europeanists in the department found it awkward to chop up Eu-

ropean history in this manner, and we opted for something that we believed made

more sense: History 225: Early Modern Europe, (1618-1815), History 226: Modern Eu-

rope (1815-1945) and History 333: Contemporary Europe (1945-present). History 225

Professors Dubrulle

at The Foundry in

Manchester, NH

https://www.anselm.edu/majors-minors/history

fell squarely in Professor Perrone’s bailiwick. As for the other two courses, I don’t know why, but Professor Pajakowski ended up teach-

ing History 226 while I got History 333.

That’s all there is to it, and you might think that’s a disappointing story. You probably want somebody whose sole, exclusive passion is

the history of Europe since 1945, not somebody who just fell into the job. Allow me to offer a short apologia. First, very few Euro-

peanists are trained to study contemporary Europe (unless, of course, their research falls within that period). When I took the main his-

toriography course for Europeanists in graduate school, we stopped with World War II. I don’t know why few historians study Europe

since 1945, but I think part of it has to do with the fact that it’s so recent that they find it hard to obtain sufficient historical perspective

to say anything sensible. Second, I really like teaching this class. I find it relatable. Most of the actors in this era are not so distant from

us that we cannot comprehend them. I’ve been alive for over half the period covered, and I remember many of the events we discuss in

the course. Both of my parents were born in France, and they witnessed most of “les trentes glorieuses” (“the glorious thirty”—that is,

the years between 1945 and 1975 when France, along with the rest of Western Europe, experienced unprecedented economic growth).

The main difficulty associated with this course—that it covers such a recent period in history—makes it all the more intriguing. On the

one hand, the connection between past and present is extremely clear. On the other, we have no idea where the story of Europe is

headed.

In thinking about this course on contemporary history, I’m reminded of J. R. Seeley, one of the most influential 19th-century British his-

torians, who once wrote that history is the most “interesting” discipline for the following reason:

The fate of Europe is perhaps not so important as it once was, but the continent is still very significant, and it affects your interests vital-

ly. If that’s the case, this might be the most interesting history course you take.

Teaching Philosophy

One of the main objectives of the college’s curriculum is to turn you into a lifelong learner. In designing this class, I sought to walk the

fine line between offering you the scaffolding necessary for success and providing you with the space to take responsibility for your

own learning. This general outlook is reflected in my expectations which I have detailed elsewhere in this syllabus. Some of these ex-

pectations are more in the nature of requirements (e.g. you need to bring the readings to class), but some of them are what I consider

best practices (e.g. you ought to write out the answers to the quiz questions before class). I can compel the former but not the latter.

And that means that while I can provide you with an optimal environment to learn in class, you also have to carry the load.

Course Materials

Course Website

The most current schedule, the assignments, and policies are posted on the course website: https://

dubrullesaintanselmhistory333wordpresscom.wordpress.com/

On the website, you will find everything that’s on the syllabus—and more. The website should be your “go to” source for everything

related to the course.

“The word interesting does not properly mean romantic. That is interesting in the proper sense which affects our interests, which closely concerns us and is deeply important to us. Make history interesting indeed! I cannot make history more interesting than it is, except by falsifying it. And therefore when I meet a person who does not find history interesting it does not occur to me to alter history,—I try to alter him.”

J. R. Seeley, The Expansion of England (1883)

Prague, 1968



Required Readings: Books

Required Viewings: Movies

William I. Hitchcock,

The Struggle for Europe

(2004)

Anonymous,

A Woman in Berlin

(2000)

John Braine,

Room at the Top

(1957)

Timothy Garton Ash,

The File

(1997)

Ian Baruma,

Murder in Amsterdam

(2006)

The Third Man (1949)

Amazon.com

Mon Oncle (1958)

Kanopy

The Battle of Algiers (1966)

Kanopy

https://library.anselm.edu/record=b1936752

http://library.anselm.edu/record=b1515121

The Lives of Others (2006)

Alexander Street

Hate (1995)

Kanopy

Required Readings: Canvas

All other readings are posted on Canvas (these will consist mostly of primary sources). We will also use Canvas for discussions, home-

work, and essay submission. Go to: https://canvas.anselm.edu/

Course Grading and Assignments

Class Participation/Canvas Discussion (30%)

I expect everybody to participate in class discussion, and I will do my best to encourage all of you to do so. I will base your grade in

this component of the class on the frequency and quality of your contributions to the conversation.

You can also earn points by participating on the Canvas discussion board (https://canvas.anselm.edu/). I will post questions here for

almost every class meeting. Participation on the discussion board is mandatory and is always based on the readings. Make sure you

check the board frequently. The Canvas discussion serves two purposes. It primes students for the discussions that will take place in

class, and it helps those who are uncomfortable with class discussion to participate in the conversation.

Quizzes, Homework, and Other Exercises (20%)

You will notice that on the course website there is a page associated with each class meeting. These pages provide context for the

readings, and I expect you to consult them in their entirety. These pages also display a) reading questions, b) occasional homework

assignments (also posted on Canvas), and c) the Canvas discussion questions (see the section above).

For those of you who have taken a class with me before, the reading questions are essentially what the old potential quiz questions

were. I don’t believe that the social distancing protocols implemented this fall will allow us to have quizzes. But I have kept the ques-

tions on each page for your benefit; paying attention to these questions will allow you to understand the most important points asso-

ciated with the reading. In other words, if you know the answers to the questions after having done the reading, you are in good

shape.

On some days, I may ask you to do a homework assignment or some other exercise whose topic and length are specified on the

webpage associated with a particular day in class (they will also appear on Canvas, and you will have to use that platform to submit

your assignment). These short paragraphs will serve as prompts for class discussion. Homework assignments will be graded on a scale

of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the highest grade). These assignments serve several purposes. First, they encourage you to do your best to

read and understand the course material. Second, they will give you a sense of whether you actually understand the material and

what steps you need to take to improve your reading skills. Third, they will provide you with material and ideas to contribute to class

discussion.



https://canvas.anselm.edu/


Essays (20%)

You will have two essay assignments in this course. These assignments will be posted on the course website and on Canvas. You

should submit your completed assignment via Canvas:

Essay 1 (10%): This essay is due Friday, September 11 (on Canvas), and will address questions associated with A Woman in Berlin

and The Third Man.

Essay 2 (10%): This essay is due on Monday, November 2 (on Canvas), and will deal with issues that arise in The File.

Examinations (30%)

There will be two take-home examinations in this class, a midterm and a final. These assignments will be posted on the course web site

and on Canvas. You should submit your completed examination via Canvas.

Midterm Examination (10%): This examination is due on Monday, October 5.

Final Examination (20%): This examination will fall due on Friday, December 4, at 1 PM.

Course Policies

Attendance

According to the Student Handbook, since this course meets two times per week, students enjoy two “allowed absences” during the

entire semester to deal with a “brief illness, a personal obligation that conflicts with class, or participation in College-sponsored

events.” The consequences of missing more than two class meetings depend on a variety of factors, and I can’t outline every possible

contingency here. Since we are operating under special COVID-19 circumstances, I will show some lenience when it comes to attend-

ance. The bottom line, though, is that you need to be in class. If you make absenteeism a habit, I will contact the Dean’s Office, and

the appropriate dean will inquire into your circumstances. Whatever information the Dean’s Office chooses to share with me will help

determine the way I handle those absences. For example, if the Dean’s Office informs me that additional absences are the result of

some sort of personal crisis (e.g. severe illness, death in the family, etc.), I will make allowances. On the other hand, if the Dean’s Office

indicates that there is no legitimate reason for these absences, I will have to dock your participation grade accordingly.

Turning in Homework

I expect you to submit your homework in a timely fashion on Canvas. I also expect you to bring your homework to class so you can

refer to it if need be. If you do not turn it in on time, you cannot obtain credit unless you have a reasonable explanation. I will be the

judge of what is reasonable.

Essay Extensions and Late Papers

I will grant extensions for good cause, but you need to contact me, at the latest, on the day the assignment is due. Otherwise, the es-

say or exam will suffer a penalty of 10% per day.

Paris, 2005

ADA/504 Compliance Statement

Saint Anselm College is committed to meeting the needs of students with documented physical, sensory, psychiatric, and learning

disabilities. To disclose a disability and request academic accommodations, please email or call Kenneth Walker, who will assist you in

making contact with faculty members and/or arranging support services and accommodations available within the Academic Resource

Center (ARC) and elsewhere. To ensure that accommodations are arranged in a timely manner, you are encouraged to make your re-

quest at the beginning of each semester. For questions concerning support services, documentation guidelines, or disability:

Academic Resource Center (ARC)

Kenneth J. Walker, Director

Jean Student Center Complex, Top Floor

Tel. (603) 641-7193

[email protected]

For additional information on documentation guidelines: https://www.anselm.edu/academics/academic-resources/disability-services

Academic Honesty

According to the American Historical Association’s Statement on the Standards of Professional Conduct, “the expropriation of another

author’s text, and the presentation of it as one’s own, constitutes plagiarism and is a serious violation of the ethics of scholarship.” The

Statement goes on to assert the following: “Plagiarism includes more subtle and perhaps more pernicious abuses than simply expro-

priating the exact wording of another author without attribution. Plagiarism also includes the limited borrowing, without attribution,

of another person’s distinctive and significant research findings, hypotheses, theories, rhetorical strategies, or interpretations, or an

extended borrowing even with attribution.” So what exactly does plagiarism look like? The Statement continues by stating that “the

clearest abuse is the use of another’s language without quotation marks and citation. More subtle abuses include the appropriation of

concepts, data, or notes all disguised as newly crafted sentences, or reference to a borrowed work in an early note and then extensive

further use without attribution.” If you would like more information on this topic, please refer to the AHA’s statement on plagiarism.

For even more information, please consult the college’s academic integrity tutorial which is located on the Geisel Library website.

All that being said, it is incumbent upon you to understand the College’s official definition of plagiarism and the procedures associat-

ed with the investigation of plagiarism cases. You can find information regarding these issues on this page.

Why is plagiarism such a serious matter? First, it is a form of theft; plagiarizers take credit for work that is not their own, and they do

not give credit where credit is due. Second, they destroy the trust between professor and student that is indispensable to creating a

learning environment. Third, plagiarizers undermine the whole educational project which demands that students do their own work

and are assessed on the basis of that work. Depending on the egregiousness of the infraction and the relative weight of the assign-

ment, you can expect anything from a zero on a particular assignment to failure in the class. I will also report you to the Dean.

Electronic Devices

The College has a detailed policy regarding the use of electronic devices in the classroom. To summarize:

cell phones, pagers, PDAs, or similar devices shall not be used in class

text messaging or the access of information on these devices is forbidden

all such devices should be placed on silent (vibrate) mode and should be put away during class

students are allowed to check these devices only if every single one of

them activates simultaneously; such an event would indicate that the College’s emergency notification system has sent out a mes-

sage

Laptops

Laptops are great for doing many things, but taking notes is not one of them. The research is unequivocal on that point. Study after

study indicate that:

laptops offer too great a temptation to play with social media, do online shopping, check fantasy sports scores, and engage in

any number of distracting activities

students with laptops tend to distract those around them

students equipped with laptops tend to write more than those who use paper and pen, but the former retain less from class and

take worse notes

students using laptops in class tend to perform worse overall in courses than their peers who use more traditional modes of note-

taking

My policy is as follows: I will not ban laptops from my classroom, but I urge you not to bring them since they will undermine your abil-

ity to learn.

https://www.anselm.edu/academics/academic-resources/disability-services

https://www.historians.org/jobs-and-professional-development/statements-standards-and-guidelines-of-the-discipline/statement-on-standards-of-professional-conduct#Plagiarism

https://geiselguides.anselm.edu/academic-integrity

http://catalog.anselm.edu/content.php?catoid=5&navoid=160#Statement_on_Academic_Honesty

Course Schedule

COVID-19 Groups: Since Alumni 9 cannot accommodate all the students in History 333 at once, I have divided the class into

two groups: GROUP A and GROUP B. GROUP A will be responsible of attending class on Tuesdays and watching a live stream

of the class on Thursdays. Conversely, GROUP B will be responsible for watching a live stream of the lass on Tuesdays and

attending class on Thursdays.

GROUP A will consist of everyone with last names from Bickford to McLaughlin.

GROUP B will consist of everyone with last names from Menice to Swindon.

NOTE: I reserve the right to change readings or the schedule over the course of the semester. To stay on top of these changes, view

the course website which will always have the most up-to-date information.

UNIT 1: 1945-1973: STABILIZATION DURING THE “PEACE THAT IS NO PEACE”

Thursday, August 20 (Zoom Meeting)

Topic of Discussion:

Introduction

Viewing:

Lecture 1: Themes and Periodization (Canvas)

Note: This meeting will take place on Zoom.

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

Tuesday, August 25 (GROUP A)


“Year Zero”

Reading:

Anonymous, A Woman in Berlin (2000)

Viewing:

Lecture 2: Europe in “Year Zero” (Canvas)

Thursday, August 27 (GROUP B)


“Year Zero”

Reading:

Anonymous, A Woman in Berlin (2000)

Viewing:

The Third Man (1949) (Amazon)

WEEK 3

Tuesday, September 1 (GROUP A)


Germany: The Cold War in the Heart of Europe

Reading:

Hitchcock, pp. 13-39

George Kennan, “The Long Telegram” (1946)

Nikoli Novikov, “The Novikov Telegram” (1946)

Thursday, September 3 (GROUP B)


Guns and Butter: Britain, the Welfare State, and the Burden of Great Power Status

Reading:


Sir William Beveridge, “New Britain” (1942)

Viewing:

Lecture 3: Finance, Currency, and the Making of America as a World Leader (Canvas)







WEEK 4



Safeguarding Democracy in Western Europe

Reading:


CDU Berlin Manifesto (1945)

SPD Hanover Manifesto (1946)

Charles de Gaulle, Speech at Bayeux (1946)



The Stalinist Revolution in Eastern Europe

Reading:


Excerpt from Vladimir Dedijer, Tito Speaks (1953)

Viewing:

Lecture 4: Socialism and Its Varieties (Canvas)

WEEK 5



The European Idea and the Origins of the European Community

Reading:


Wegs and Ladrech, “European Unity” (1996)

Excerpt from Jean Monnet, Memoirs (1976)



The Western European Economic Miracle

Reading:

Hitchcock, pp. 127-147, 155-161

Ludwig Erhard, “Does Prosperity Lead to Materialism?” (1958)

Viewing:

Mon Oncle (1958)

WEEK 6



Room at the Top (1957)

Reading:





Reading:


Madrid, 1981










WEEK 7



The End of Western European Empires

Reading:


Excerpt from Kwame Nkrumah, Neo-Colonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism (1965)

Viewing:

The Battle of Algiers (1966)

Thursday, October 1 (GROUP B)


De-Stalinization

Reading:


Nikita Khrushchev, Special Report to the 20th Congress of the Communist Party (“The Secret Speech”) (1956)

Sixteen Points of Students at the Budapest Technical University (1956)

WEEK 8

Tuesday, October 6 (GROUP A)


Gaullism

Reading:


Excerpt from Charles de Gaulle, Memoirs of Hope (1971)



1968

Reading:


Excerpt from Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Obsolete Communism: The Left-Wing Alternative (1968)

WEEK 9



Southern European Transitions to Democracy

Reading:


Excerpt from Herbert Matthews, The Yoke and the Arrows (1957)



The Decay of the Eastern Bloc

Reading:


The Two Thousand Words (1968)

The Brezhnev Doctrine (1968)

Excerpt from Lech Walesa, A Path of Hope (1987)

Rome, 1957











UNIT 2: 1973-1989: THE SOCIAL CONTRACT IN CRISIS

WEEK 10



The File (1997)

Reading:

The File (1997)



The File (1997)

Reading:

The File (1997)

Viewing:

The Lives of Others (2006)

WEEK 11



Thatcherism

Reading:


Margaret Thatcher, Speech at the Conservative Party Conference (1975)

Viewing:

Lecture 5: The Turn from Social Democracy (Canvas)



The Collapse of the Soviet Union

Reading:

Hitchcock, pp. 343-358, 375-379

Excerpt from Mikhail Gorbachev, Perestroika: New Thinking for Our Country and the World (1987)

Excerpt from Mikhail Gorbachev, On My Country and the World (1999)

WEEK 12

Tuesday, November 3 (GROUP A)


The Refolutions of Eastern Europe

Reading:


Vaclav Havel, “The Power of the Powerless” (ca. 1977)

Thursday, November 5 (GROUP B)


The Disintegration of Yugoslavia and the Balkan Wars

Reading:


Gdansk, 1980







WEEK 13



Europe and Immigration

Reading:


The National Front’s Immigration Program (2005)

Viewing:

Hate (1995)



A Murder in Amsterdam (2006)

Reading:


UNIT 3: 1989-PRESENT: FILLING THE VACUUM

WEEK 14




Reading:




Europe: Widening, Deepening, and . . . Disintegrating?

Reading:


Jim Yardley, “Has Europe Reached the Breaking Point?” (2015)

Viewing:

Lecture 6: The Age of Crisis (Canvas)

READING DAYS AND FINAL EXAMS

Reading Days: November 30-December 2

Final Examination: Due Friday, December 4 at 1:00 PM

Lesbos, 2015



https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/20/magazine/has-europe-reached-the-breaking-point.html


Appendix I: Expectations for History 333

Rationale

Many students seem to understand what the college expects of them and what practices will contribute to their success, but some do

not. For that reason, I have generated this document which explains my expectations in this course. These expectations are based par-

tially on what the college requires and partially on what recent research has revealed about the behaviors that contribute to learning.

In this case, my main motive is that I want to do everything in my power to help you perform as well as possible.

The Foundation of Expectations: The Carnegie Credit Hour and 12 Hours of Work per Week

Have you ever wondered why most of your classes are worth four credits and what those four credits signify? The Carnegie Credit

Hour is the universal standard of measurement among American universities and colleges. This credit hour defines a unit of credit as

equal to a minimum of three hours of work per week for a semester. In other words, if you take a four-credit course, you are ex-

pected to do 12 hours of work per week on that course for the entire semester (3 hours per credit x 4 credits). Three of those

12 hours are time spent in the classroom (although you truly spend about two and a half hours per week in class—but that’s the con-

vention). That means you need to spend, on average, another nine hours per week on homework. This figure is an average.

Some weeks will be busier and others less so. Some students will require more while others require less. Whatever the case, this is my

expectation, because it is also the college’s expectation.

Do All the Assigned Readings Carefully

In this class, you will be assigned three types of reading:

the textbook

primary sources posted on Canvas or elsewhere

the text posted on the web site

The textbook and primary source readings are obviously very important, but I want to put in a plug for the material on the web site.

Do not merely look at the homework assignments or the reading questions. I usually write a fair amount on the web site to provide

context for the reading, and this context is vital for understanding the assignments. So read the website carefully.

Pay Attention to the Reading Questions, Take the Canvas Discussion Seriously, and Bring Homework to Class

As I mentioned on the syllabus, we will not have quizzes this semester because they would probably violate social distancing proto-

cols. Nonetheless, I’ve left what used to be quiz questions up on the website and renamed them “reading questions.” You should pay

attention to these as we do the reading. The questions will help you keep a lookout for what is important, and they will serve as con-

versation starters for class discussion. So please keep these questions close at hand as you read.

In this course, there will be a Canvas discussion associated with almost every class meeting this semester. Take this discussion serious-

ly because it serves a number of important purposes. First, it will prime you for class discussion; the more familiar you are with the

material and the more you have thought about it before class, the better your class participation will be and the more everybody will

get out of it. Second, your participation in the Canvas discussion will give you practice in discussing and debating ideas with your

peers in an intelligent and civil manner. Third, these discussions, which will remain posted throughout the semester, will provide you

with all sorts of ideas and thoughts that you can mine when it comes time to prepare for the midterm and final exam.

As for the homework, the point of those assignments is to focus your mind as you do the reading, put some ideas to paper, and have

that paper at hand during class discussion so you can contribute to the conversation. So while you will have to submit the homework

via Canvas a couple of hours before class, please bring a copy with you so you can refer to it during class discussion.

My Expectations regarding Laptops

Most research agrees that students who use laptops in class do not perform as well as those who rely on pen and paper to take notes.

Two reasons account for this difference. First, students with laptops tend to get distracted as they watch videos and use social media.

Second, students with laptops are not as good at taking notes. These research findings accord with my own experience of what hap-

pens to students who use laptops. I would also add from what I’ve seen that the use of laptops hurts the weakest students the most;

they are usually more easily distracted, and they have difficulty taking good notes to start with. This is why I urge you not to bring

them to class (even if I have not outright banned them). If you have a documented disability that necessitates your using a laptop, I

understand, and I am happy to make accommodations.

Bring the Readings to Class in Printed Form

I expect you to print the primary source readings. Studies indicate that students retain information better when they read it from a

printed page. Yes, IT has set a quota of 650 double-sided pages per semester; the cost of this quota is embedded in your Comprehen-

sive Fee. IT tracking reveals, however, that only 10% of students print more than that limit, so chances are pretty good that you won’t

reach it. If you do print more than 650 double-sided pages, you will be charged 7.5 cents per double-sided page over that limit. How-

ever, if you are in a class that requires much printing (e.g. Nursing), you can obtain an exemption from this rule, and I would be hap-

pyto help you obtain such an exemption if necessary. However, even if you can’t get a break, and you print 300 double-sided pages in

excess of 650, that would only amount to $22.50. So just print the readings and bring them to class.

Take Notes/Use Pen and Paper

As I pointed out above, research indicates that students who use laptops are less effective at taking notes than students who employ

the traditional pen and paper. There are two reasons. First, students with laptops are more easily distracted. Second, if they can type

fast enough, those students with laptops who are not distracted tend to write down everything said in class. Unfortunately, good

notetaking does not consist in writing everything down; it consists in writing only what is important. Students with pen and paper

know they cannot write everything down, so they attempt to focus on what is important—a very valuable skill.

But above and beyond this question of laptops, students need to take notes. I am constantly surprised by the number of poorly per-

forming students who do not take notes in my classes. The part that surprises me is not that students who don’t take notes perform

poorly; what stuns me is that it never seems to occur to these students that they could improve their performance by taking notes.

Buy a notebook, and take notes. I will occasionally check your notebooks to see what you are writing down in them and if you can

improve your notetaking.

Speak in Class

I expect as many people as possible to participate in class discussions. I have explained why elsewhere in the syllabus. Speaking in

class will benefit you on many levels, so I encourage you to do it. If there is anything I can do to help you in this area, please let me

know.

Ask for Help

If you have difficulty understanding a particular concept or if you experience problems with specific types of assignments, please see

me. There is no better way to surmount the obstacles to academic success than by asking for help. In any event, you ought to get in

the habit of asking for help when you need it. You will encounter many situations in the rest of your working life where you will have

to do so.

Take Care of Yourself and Manage Your Time

Finally, I expect you to take care of yourself. That means eating right, getting enough sleep, exercising, and taking time off when you

need it. You can only do those things if you manage your time well. And managing your time well means keeping in mind why you are

here and what your priorities ought to be. I can’t organize your lives for you, nor would I wish to; you will have to figure out what’s

appropriate for you. All I can say is that with 168 hours per week, you ought to have plenty of time to do your schoolwork and engage

in various extracurriculars. If you don’t have enough time, then something needs to get cut, and it shouldn’t be schoolwork.

Paris, 1968

Documents

Course Goals and Themes.… · John Braine, Room at the Top (1957) Timothy Garton Ash, The File (1997) Ian Baruma, Murder in Amsterdam (2006) The Third Man (1949) Amazon.com Mon Oncle