Course Syllabus

MMW 15 | SYLLABUS

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The World in the Contemporary Era, 20th-21st Centuries 

This course will frame the broad topic of global history since the early 20th century around the central theme of “the struggle over democracy”.  The syllabus will intersperse national case studies with global events to provide depth, breadth, and a sense of connectivity to the overarching narrative.  The chosen theme focuses on the “struggle over democracy” in a broad sense, as the ongoing effort to construct an inclusive and horizontal political order both within individual states and across the globe.  At the same time, the precise parameters and goals of a “quality” democracy have also been subject to ongoing and unresolved debate.  Furthermore, the goal of establishing a democratic world order that was proclaimed at the beginning of the 20th century has been challenged by countervailing forces of exclusion, hierarchy, and competing ideologies. In ideological terms, fascism, communism, authoritarianism and religious fundamentalism offered alternatives to “democracy”.  At the same time, forces of exclusion and hierarchy, including racism, sexism, genocide, ultra-nationalism, imperialism and neo-colonialism have undermined the inclusive promises and aspirations for a “democratic world order.”  The course will end with an evaluation of the state of the struggle in the current historical moment and the prospects for addressing major 21st century global challenges, particularly climate change and North/South inequality.

Click through the menu items below to find out more about the course. You can also find the syllabus here.

REQUIRED COURSE TEXTS & MATERIALS
  • Adelman, Jeremy, et al. Worlds Together, Worlds Apart. 6th ed. New York: Norton, 2021. ISBN: 978-0-393-42296-2
  • Bullock, Richard, et al. The Little Seagull Handbook. 4th ed. New York: Norton, 2021. ISBN: 978-0-393-53702-4
    • Both Worlds Together, Worlds Apart and Little Seagull are provided as e-books on our course Canvas site, bundled for $62. If you purchased the books previously through the Norton e-books link on Canvas, you can access them via the links on the Canvas site. If you opted out previously, you will need to opt out again.
  • iClicker, available from the bookstore
  • Course Reserves - all other course readings can be found here. Look for the week's reading by consulting the "tag" in the far right column that tell you "week 1," etc., and then look at the author and title
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS & GRADE BREAKDOWN

You must take MMW 15 for a letter grade in order to meet ERC’s graduation requirements. Your TA grades all assignments. All assignments, unless otherwise noted, will be submitted through our course Canvas site.

Section attendance and participation (10%). Section discussion takes place once a week and is led by your TA. You will have the opportunity to engage more closely with assigned readings and lecture material, develop your writing project with your peers, and practice critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. See your TA’s Policy Statement for attendance policy and section expectations.

Writing project (40%). The writing project for MMW 15 allows you to analyze news media in order to make an argument about how a human rights issue is framed in news media coverage of a current event. You’ll develop your project through a series of assignments and workshops over the course of the quarter. See the Writing Project module on our course Canvas site for more information and resources.

In-class reading quizzes (Red iClicker questions) (10%). Starting at the end of week one, most lectures will begin with a short (2-3 question) i>clicker quiz related to that day’s course readings (except the textbook). You must have a correct answer to the question to earn the point for the question.  At the end of the quarter, the bottom six quiz grades will be dropped and the rest will be calculated as 10% of your grade.  Because six quizzes will be dropped, no make-up quizzes will be given for ANY reason.

Lecture class participation (Green iClicker questions) (10%). Your lecture class participation grade will be based on your consistent i>clicker responses to discussion questions that will be posed in most lectures.  These “green” questions do not require a “correct” answer, but will be used to generate discussion, debate and peer instruction. You may miss class and thus not participate 6 times without penalty. 

Final exam (30%). The final will be an in-class 3 hour essay exam given during the regularly scheduled slot: Thursday June 15th, 11:30AM-2:30PM.

Grading policies. For grades A+ to D, the MMW program calculates the course grade based on whole letter grades and grade points, not points/percentages. You can find the MMW Grading Scale here.

Assignments submitted after the due date will receive a 1-step deduction on the grade scale for every day it is late. Assignments submitted 10+ days after the due date will receive an automatic F (59/100). Unsubmitted assignments will receive a 0. Assignments will not be accepted after the start of the final exam. Note that not all assignments can be submitted late.

To be eligible for an incomplete you must have completed all coursework except for the final paper and/or final exam. If you are eligible for an incomplete, you must receive approval from your professor. Note: you will not have access to course content and videos on the course Canvas site after the current term ends. If you are not eligible for an incomplete, your other options are: 1. Complete the course, with the attendant grade, or 2. Appeal to the college and university for a retro-active withdrawal if past the withdrawal date (please note that an appeal for retroactive withdrawal isn’t guaranteed to be accepted). I encourage you to reach out to ERC Academic Advising for assistance.

RESOURCES AND STUDENT SUPPORT

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): College life can be stressful, and it is normal to feel overwhelmed at times. UCSD has a staff of professionals who are available for confidential meetings to discuss any personal concerns you might have. Feel free to contact CAPS at any time to set up an appointment: http://caps.ucsd.edu.

Academic Integrity: MMW expects all assignments to be the product of original individual work for the course. Assignments submitted with integrity give credit where credit is due and honestly acknowledge others’ work by adhering to standards of citation, assignment requirements for use of sources and materials, and University guidelines.

It is your responsibility to know and observe all of the UCSD rules concerning academic integrity and plagiarism. Familiarize yourself with your responsibilities and rights under the UCSD Policy on Integrity of Scholarship, and with the MMW policies governing academic integrity included in the MMW Formatting and Submission Guidelines. Assignments suspected of misconduct will be referred to the Academic Integrity Office (AIO). Assignments found to be in violation of UCSD’s Policy on Integrity of Scholarship will automatically receive a 0. If you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism, how to credit the work of others properly, or how to evaluate sources for quality and reliability, please talk to your TA and/or me to discuss the matter. It is better to turn something in late than to turn in something plagiarized! We want to read your work!

Students with disabilities: Students requesting accommodations and services for this course due to a disability or injury must provide a current Authorization for Accommodation (AFA) letter issued by the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) prior to eligibility for requests. Receipt of AFAs in advance is necessary for appropriate planning for the provision of reasonable accommodations. OSD Academic Liaisons also need to receive current AFA letters if there are any changes to accommodations. For additional information, contact the Office for Students with Disabilities at 858-534-4382, or email at osd@ucsd.edu

OPHD and CARE at SARC: The Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) is the Title IX Office for UC San Diego and investigates reports of sexual harassment, sexual violence, dating and domestic violence and stalking. You may file a report online with the UC San Diego Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD). For further information about OPHD, please visit their website or call at 858-534-8298.

Please note that University employees (including all faculty and teaching and research assistants), who are not confidential resources, are designated Responsible Employees. Responsible Employees are required to report any incidents of sexual violence or sexual harassment to OPHD. If you are not ready to file a report, but wish to receive confidential support and advocacy, please contact CARE at SARC. CARE at SARC provides violence prevention education for the entire UCSD campus and offers free and confidential services for students, staff and faculty impacted by sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking. Accessing resources at CARE at SARC will not constitute a report to the University.

SESSION OUTLINE

Please see the weekly modules and the course summary below, for assigned readings, assignments, and due dates. You can also find this information in the syllabus linked above.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due