Women, War and Nation (HIST*2240)

Code and section: HIST*2240*01

Term: Fall 2020

Instructor: Norman Smith

Details

AD-S Virtual:

This course will be taught online in a Synchronous format on the following scheduled day(s) and time(s):

TTH    10:00 am - 11:20 pm

Details provided by instructor: Tuesdays 10:00 - 10:30 = discussion of readings, and responding to questions and other matters arising (if it is necessary or desirable to continue past 10.30, we may). There will be two lectures per week – they will be commentary over powerpoint presentations, thus they can be done at your leisure – be sure to have the material covered before Tuesday discussions. Each will be approximately one hour long.

Course Description:

“Women, War, and Nation” is a survey of the inter-connected nature of gender constructs, nation-states and warfare in history, primarily focused on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The course proceeds in a roughly chronological order, examining individuals, nations, revolutions, and wars across the globe. We engage in individual and comparative studies to question the gendered origins and effects of nationalism and warfare in history – and their continuing relevance. Students complete three course requirements: two exams and a term paper.

Learning Objectives:

This course will incorporate current and past historiography to examine key issues and problems that arise in studying relations between women, nation-states and warfare. By the end of this course, successful students will have increased understanding of the relevance of gender constructs, the structures of nation-states and war to the modern world. Skills in critical thinking and communication will be strengthened through in-class engagement, reading, writing a term paper, and exams. Successful students will construct coherent historical arguments based on critical, comparative evaluation of different sources, individuals, states and regions. This course is designed to increase awareness of local, national and global history, while fostering personal responsibility and promoting respect for human rights.

Prerequistites:
 
There are no prerequisites for this course.

Methods and Evaluation:

Students must complete three course requirements:

1. Mid-Term Exam (30%)
2. Term Paper (30%)
3. Final Exam (40%)

Required Texts:

1. All readings are posted in Courselink, or are available through the library system. There is no required textbook for this course.

*Please note:  This is a preliminary web course description only.  The department reserves the right to change without notice any information in this description.  The final, binding course outline will be distributed in the first class of the semester.