HIST 4381: Special Topics History of Spain
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HIST 4381: Special Topics History of Spain Angelo State University, Department of History Fall, 2019 Section 030: MWF 9.00-9.50; Room A225 Dr. Mark Lewis Tizzoni, Ph.D. Office: Academic 239-E Office Hours: MWF 10.00-11.00, TR 11.00-12.00; or make an appointment, or just stop by Email: [email protected] Telephone: 325-942-2103 Course Description: This course examines the history of the Iberian Peninsula, Spain in particular, from prehistory through to the Spanish transition to democracy in the twentieth century. It will approach Iberia within a global, trans-regional, and trans-cultural context. We will pay particular attention to Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when the political, religious, and territorial identity of Spain was both greatly in flux, and ultimately established. In the wake of the Middle Ages, & the Reconquista, Spain built an enormous empire. Over the following centuries, Spain grappled with its position as an imperial power, and one increasingly in competition. To build a better and more complete understanding of Spain’s history and culture we will approach the region from various aspects of historical inquiry. We will examine the social, political, and economic history alongside the cultural, intellectual, and religious history of the Peninsula. In doing this, we will examine both primary and secondary sources. Key themes in the course include the establishment and definition of Spain both as a nation and an idea, cultural interaction and cultural and religious diversity and their roles in the formation of Spain as a society, concepts of identity and their construction, and the relationship between Iberia and a wider world, particularly with Africa. Student Learning Objectives: - Students will develop an understanding of the overall history of Spain. - Students will develop their ability to work with primary sources. - Students will improve their written, verbal, and analytical skills through the weekly seminars, in-class discussions, and the various written assignments. - Students will develop their knowledge of historical geography. - Students will develop their ability to conduct research through written assignments designed to teach the elements of historical inquiry. - Through these, students will develop their skills as historians, both in the application of critical thinking in a historical context (e.g. contextualizing events, discerning historical perspectives) and in the use of historical skills (understanding and using primary sources, conducting research, writing and formatting historical essays). - Progress on objectives is evaluated through the assignments & examinations. Required Readings: Additional readings on Blackboard in the “Reading Folder,” labelled by date & class number. Carr, Raymond. Spain: A History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Course Information: Grade Composition: Assignment Percentage/Value Exams (2) 30% (each at 15%) Map Assignments (2) 10% (each at 5%) Primary Source Criticisms (2) 15% (1st at 5%, 2nd at 10%) Written Assignments (2) 15% (1st at 5%, 2nd at 10%) Research Paper 20% Class Participation 10% (See below) Grade Definitions: Grade Score Definition A 90-100 Excellent work with solid analysis & fluent writing; excellent knowledge of facts & superb attention to detail. B 80-89 Very good analysis but less fluid writing; solid knowledge of facts & substantial attention to detail. C 70-79 Good analysis & standard writing skills; solid grasp of the facts with moderate attention to detail. D 60-69 Some issues with analysis & writing; basic knowledge of facts, little or no attention to detail. F <60 Issues with analysis & writing; lack of factual knowledge, little or no attention to detail. Note on grade calculation: the score in this course represents a sum, not a percentage. This means that you can easily calculate your grade simply by adding together your scores. A convenient table can be found at the end of the syllabus for this purpose. Class Participation: When in class, always be respectful – to me, to your fellow students, to yourself. Arrive on time, stay to the end, avoid bathroom breaks. Pay attention to the lectures, participate in the seminars; ask questions, be involved. Do your reading. Do not use your phones in class; if you are seen on your phone during class, you will lose one point for each infraction. If you use your cell phone (or other electronic device) during a quiz or exam, you will receive a 0% on that assessment. Attendance is mandatory. If you are unable to attend class for a good reason, contact me at [email protected] prior to the end of class and I will mark you excused. If you fail to contact me beforehand, you will receive an unexcused absence. Four unexcused absences will result in a 0% class participation grade. Prior to four, each unexcused absence costs one point from the overall class participation grade. Nine unexcused absences will drop you a full letter grade in the course overall. Every three absences after the limit will result in the reduction of another letter grade. There is, however, no limit on excused absences, although excessive excused absences must be negotiated as they will require extra work to catch up. Taking notes on an electronic device is permitted only with prior approval. Students are prohibited from using electronic devices to access non-class related material during class time. Note: In order to receive a full participation grade, all students must visit my office hour during the first six weeks of the semester. This is worth three of the ten points allotted. Guidelines for submitted work: All work must be your own. Plagiarism and/or cheating will not be tolerated in any way. A first case offense will result in an automatic zero for that assignment. A second case offense will result in a zero for the class overall. For definitions, see the worksheet posted on Blackboard, and the synopsis at the end of the present syllabus. All work submitted will conform to industry standards: - Times New Roman font, 12 point - 1.5 spacing - Chicago Manual of Style – a reference version can be found on Blackboard - Footnote referencing (not endnote or inline/textual) - One-sided printing Work is to be submitted on time: 5% lost for each day late. I count submission when the document is uploaded to Turnitin. If you are struggling, ask for an extension beforehand. All written work is graded for clarity, correctness of writing and formatting, in addition to content and analysis. Students will lose points for poor grammar, careless composition, and informal writing. Please note: although you may (indeed should) ask me for advice, I do not read or comment upon rough drafts directly. I do answer targeted questions, though, so do stop by. Websites are not allowed as references, unless they are peer-reviewed (eJournals, &c.). If you wish to use one, it must be cleared with me in advance – apart from journals, best to avoid them altogether. In most cases, students are expected to submit electronic copies of work via dedicated Turnitin links embedded into Blackboard alongside a physical copy. Assignments not turned into Turnitin will be considered late/not submitted, regardless of a physical copy being turned in. Extensions on due dates are only possible if agreed with me in advance – if for some reason you feel you need an extension, contact me as soon as possible. Documentation may be required. Detailed Assignment Breakdown: Exams: Midterm on Mon, 2 March; Final on Wed, 6 May There will be two exams worth 15 points each. They will consist of maps, fill-in-the-blank, short- answer ID-type questions, and essay. Guidance will be given in advance. Map Assignment 1: Due Wed, 22 January Geography of Iberia: This assignment is designed to prepare you to geographically contextualize the material covered in the class. The assignment will be graded principally on accuracy & completeness. Primary Source Criticism 1: Due Fri, 31 January Write a two to three page response to the assigned reading(s), in which you evaluate and critically examine them. Further information can be found with the reading(s) on Blackboard. Written Assignment 1: Due Mon, 10 February Annotated Bibliography: a sample assignment can be found on Blackboard. This assignment is designed to prepare you for the research paper, including using the library resources and the Chicago Manual of Style. You must find and reference five works. They can cover any topic relevant to this course, but they must be scholarly. Three of these works are to be physical books from the Porter Henderson Library, and two of them are to be journal articles (from JSTOR or otherwise). No websites or encyclopedia articles or magazine articles. You are to create a bibliography listing these works in Chicago Style. Alongside this bibliography, you are to give a short paragraph (approximately 50 words) outlining the central themes and arguments of each work. This assignment will be graded on relevance of works, accuracy of citation, and following directions. Map Assignment 2: Due Fri, 21 February Historical Geography: The goal of this assignment is to produce maps expressing historical information. This assignment will be graded on accuracy, detail, depth of information and clarity of presentation (as regards the information and formatting – not on ability to draw!). Details will be included on the assignment as posted on Blackboard. Written Assignment 2: Due Mon, 23 March Paper-Prep: a sample assignment can be found on Blackboard. This assignment is designed to prepare you for your research paper, and provide some level of feedback on direction, &c., prior to that larger assignment. This involves three parts. Part I: provide a bibliography of scholarly works on your chosen topic (see list on Blackboard) properly arrayed in Chicago Style. [Note: you need five sources, either books or articles.] Part II: provide an abstract. This should be about 300 words and include a thesis and introduction to the topic you have chosen.