H232/B391 The World in the 20th Century
Diana Lin
Fall 2008

Office: F12, Tamarack Hall
(O)980 6981
Email: dchenlin@iun.edu
Website: www.iun.edu/~hisdcl
Office hours: MTWTH: 11am-1pm or by appt.


Objective

The purpose of this course is to explore some of the important themes in twentieth century world history, including the connections between politics, nationalism/imperialism and energy resources, (geo)politics and religion, the polarization of the North and the South, East and West, and the impact of global economy on all the above issues. Students are expected to develop a deeper understanding and a historical perspective of the main themes of the world through the course.

Books and Requirements
The following three books are required and available at the campus Barnes & Noble bookstore.

O’Meara, Patrick, et al., eds. Globalization and the Challenges of a New Century, A Reader.  Indiana University Press, 2000.

Huntington, Samuel P. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order.  Simon & Schuster, 1996.

Yergin, Daniel, and Joseph Stanislaw. The Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy. Simon & Schuster Touchstone Book, 2002.

Sachs, Jeffrey. Economics for A Crowded Planet: Common Wealth. New York, Penguin Press, 2008.

Required readings also include daily readings of the International section of New York Times. The link is provided below under Internet Resources.

Requirements include

  • Those who take the course at the 200 level will use the two built-in paper topics, respectively, using the required readings plus one outside reading for each paper. 
  • Those who take the course at the 300 level will use the first built-in paper topic but need to find a second paper topic on their own, based on themes covered in class.  They are required to use both in-class readings and outside sources for their second paper.  And they are required to discuss their prospective paper topic with the instructor no later than the 13th week.  The paper proposal counts as part of the final grade.

Method of grading: all grades are assigned in percentages, which will be tabulated at the end of the semester and converted to letter grades. The averages of your take-home papers and of your weekly writing assignments will be taken to represent the grades for your take-home paper and weekly writing assignment. The conversion is as follows: 93-100: A; 90-92.9: A-; 85-89.9: B+; 80-  84.9: B; 75-79.9: B-; 70-74.9: C+; 65-69.9: C; 60-64.9: C-; 55-59.9: D+; 50-54.9: D; 45-49.9: D-; 44 and below: F.

The grade distribution is as follows: 

For those taking the course  at the 200 level:

For those taking the course  at the 300 level:

All grades will be shown in your Online Gradebook, accessible via Oncourse. You need to have an IUN ID and password to access Oncourse. If you do not have an IUN email account, you can set up one here at https://itaccounts.iu.edu/. Oncourse is also accessible through the IUN homepage: www.iun.edu.

Internet resources:

The following web sites provide relevant information on the areas of the world covered in this class.

BBC's The story of Africa. 

Africa Research Central.

Africa: Development.

AfricaUpdate Archives

Commanding Heights Video viewing

New York Times International News

China and Europe, 1500-2000 and beyond.

World History for Us All.

You can watch segments of the documentary accompanying our required reading Commanding Heights at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/hi/story/index.html.

Facts on File (at library research computer)

Besides internet sources, you are strongly encouraged to find sources off line at Current History, a journal that deals with every part of the world.

Schedule

I. Background to globalization

Week 1 (Aug.25-Aug.31)

Aug.25 Introduction.

Aug.27 Background to a regulated economy in early 20th century. Yergin, chaps.1-2. Notes Because some of you might not have the correct reading, there will be no Discussion Forum posting requirement for Aug.27.

Question 1: cancelled Name a few factors that led Europe and the U.S. to a greater state regulated economy.

Week 2 (Sept.1-7)

Sept.1 Labor Day. No class.

Sept.3 Nationalism, third world independence and government intervention in economic developments. Yergin, chap.3. Notes. Because some of you might not have the correct reading, there will be no Discussion Forum posting requirement for week 2. African National Independence map. Map of India. India before Partition.

Question 2: cancelled Name two or three factors that led third world countries to a state regulated type of economy after World War II.

Week 3 (Sept.8-14)

Sept.8 The resurgence of market economy, downfall of Communism, and beginning of globalization. Yergin, chaps.4-5. Notes.

Question 3: What was Thatcher's revolution? Discuss why she succeeded in England and why the rest of the world followed.

Sept.10 &15 The rise of Asia as a global economic player, and a study of China. Yergin, chaps.6-7. Notes.

Question 4: Pick two or three of the Asian countries/regions in question from chap.6 (not including China) and assess how their mix of government and market differ from the U.S. economy and advantages/disadvantages.

Week 4 (Sept.15-21)

Sept.15 Yergin, chap.7: China's recent developments.

Question 5: Discuss some pros and cons of China's recent development as a market economy.

Sept.17 The rise of India and Latin America as global economic players. Yergin, chaps.8-9. Notes. online reading: Problems of India's state bureaucracy Newsweek coverage of Latin America and India today: Bolivia's Democratic divide . Revolt of the Rich in Bolivia. India's Economy and International Standing  Jorge Castaneda on Chile's Past--and Its Future.

Question 6 (in-class discussion) Look up recent developments in India (e.g. Bangalore, or India in general), or regional developments in Latin America (e.g. Mexico), in recent years through internet sources.

Week 5 (Sept.22-28)

Sept.22 E& 24 End of Communism and the globalization of market economy. Yergin, chaps.10-12. Notes. Additional online reading: As Goldman and Morgan Shift, a Wall St. Era Ends (NYT)  Europe Slashes Growth Forecasts for 2008 - NYTimes.com. Putin’s Iron Grip on Russia Suffocates Opponents - New York Times

Sept.22 Question 7: (in-class discussion) Look up recent developments in market economy or deregulation in Russia and Europe.

Sept.24 Question 8: (in-class discussion) Look up the European Union's recent economic/political performance or how deregulation has affected the U.S. (e.g. utilities, airlines, Amtrak).

II The Rise of A Global Economy and Implications (Note changes in the schedule below: we are adding a session of review for Sept.29, and postponing the sessions originally scheduled for Sept.29 on, and we are combining the last two sessions--Sachs, chaps.13 & 14, and Conclusion on last day of class Dec.3).

Week 6 (Sept.29-Oct.5)

Sept.29 Review of China, India, Latin America, European Union and Eastern Europe. (no new homework other than from last week).

Oct. 1 The new global economy. O'Meara, pt.6. Focus on pp.215-252. Notes. Optional online reading: General Motors workers' strike for sustained healthcare coverage. Zakaria: A More Disciplined America. Economic Crisis: Europe's Response.

Question 9: (in-class discussion) Pick one point in the readings about the impact of global economy and give your opinion on it.

Week 7 (Oct.6-12)

Oct.6 Civilizations and why they matter today. Huntington, chaps.1 & 3. Notes.

Additional reading: First Muslim in Congress to Use Historic Kuran. Virginia Congressman Fears More Muslims Elected.

Question 10: (in-class discussion) Define culture and civilization and discuss the changes in cultures and civilizations in history.

Oct.8 Westernization, modernization, and indigenization of civilizations in the 20th century. Huntington, pt.II. Notes.

Question 11: (in-class discussion) Comment on the shifts in civilizations according to Huntington.

Week 8 (Oct.13-19)

Oct.13 The new configuration of world civilizations under a global economic system. Huntington, pt.III. Notes. Online reading: Religion and Turkey's Young People.

Question 12: Why does culture matter so much in contemporary global politics according to Huntington? Do you agree with him?

III Does Global Economy Bring about a Global Culture?

Oct.15 Globalization and clash of civilizations. Huntington, chaps.8 & 9. Notes.

Question 13: Comment on two or three points Huntington makes here about the patterns of civilizational clashes.

Week 9 (Oct.20-26)

Oct.20 The future of Western civilizations, O'Meara, pt.10. Notes.

Question 14: Do you agree that there can be such a thing as a global culture? And what do you think is the future of Western Civilizations? (use the readings to support your arguments).

Oct.22 Are civilizational clashes avoidable in a global culture, two other views. "Jihad vs. McWorld," and "The Coming Anarchy," in O'Meara, 23-60. Notes. U.S. targets Somali pirates.

Question 15: Which of Huntington, Barber and Kaplan's views do you think make sense? Complement them with your own views.

Week 10 (Oct.27-Nov.2) First take-home paper due on Oct.31 via email attachment through Oncourse. Paper topic: Based on Yergin, Huntington, and one outside source, describe the dynamics of change toward a global market economy in the 20th century and how the new characteristics of international relations differ from previous rules governing the relationship between states.

Oct.27 Beyond state and culture: politics in a global economy. O'Meara, pt.2. Notes.

Question 16: Compare the points made here with Huntington, Part III. Use them and your own views to give a brief description of politics in a global economy.

III The Political Geography of the World in A Global Economy.

Oct.29 A Reexamination of national borders. O'Meara, pt.3. Notes.

Question 17: Again, compare with Huntington, Part III, and O'Meara, Part 7. Formulate your own views on the question on how globalization is changing the national borders of the world.

Week 11 (Nov.3-9)

Nov.3 Conflict and security in a global world order. O'Meara, pt.4. Notes.

Question 18: Given the readings and our own experience, how does national security change in a global age?

Nov.5 Globalization and democracy. O'Meara, pt.5. Notes. Fukuyama: The End of the End of History Fukuyama: The End of America Inc

Question 19: Does democracy become a universal value in a global economy or it is a universal value at all times?

Week 12 (Nov.10-16)

Nov.10 The internet and global economy. O'Meara, pt.7. Notes.

Question 20: From your experience with the internet, comment on the arguments made in these three essays.

IV Globalization and the Environment.

Nov.12 Environment a local issue in a global age? O'Meara, pt.9. Notes. Focus on pp.383-415.

Question 21: To what extent does the environment become a global issue according to these three authors?

Week 13 (Nov.17-23)

Nov.17 Human activities and the environment. Sachs, chaps.3 & 4. Notes.

Question 22: Compare and contrast Sachs's take on the environment with Part 9 of the O'Meara readings.

Nov.19 Waters in the world. Sachs, chap.5. National Geographic coverage of the environment. Water Resources. China's Environment and Industrialization and National Geographic's coverage of Confronting Carbon. Notes. Scientists Use Sunlight to Make Fuel From CO2Notes.

Question 23: (in-class discussion) Research on one local or global water resource to show how it is doing now.

Week 14 (Nov.24-Nov.30)

V Overcoming the shortcomings of globalization

Nov.24 Globalization and economic development. Sachs, chaps.2 & 9. Notes.

Question 24: How does Sachs's take on the global economy differ from Barber and Kaplan (O'Meara, pp.23-60)?

Nov.26 Solutions to poverty? Sachs, chaps.10 & 11. Notes.

Question 25: Compare and contrast Sachs' solution to global poverty with the views of Ajami (O'Meara, p.61), and Huntington?

Week 15 (Dec.1-7)

Dec.1 Rethinking foreign policy. Sachs, chap.12. Notes.

Question 26: (in-class discussion) research on one area of recent U.S. foreign policy.

Dec.3 The new structure of global governing. Sachs, chaps.13 & 14. Notes.

Question 27: (in-class discussion) To what extent does Sachs give hope to a global community that avoids many of the current problems?

Conclusion.

Second take-home paper and region/country report due on Dec.12 as email attachment via Oncourse. This paper topic is for those taking H232 only. Those taking the course at the B391 level should do a research paper based on both in-class and four or five out-of-class sources and on a topic you choose and I approve. Paper topic: based on O'Meara, Sachs, earlier readings, and one outside source, how does globalization change the configuration of the world. Pick two or three topics for discussion (you can overlap with the first paper but do not use identical topics).