CH 6010: Introduction to Contemporary History
Syllabus
Fall 2023 |Class No. 6987
Tuesday, 7-10 pm | 402 Bentley Annex
Dr. Patrick Barr-Melej
435 Bentley Annex
barr-mel@ohio.edu
Office Hours By Appointment
Description
This seminar鈥檚 purpose is to introduce beginning graduate students to historiographical propositions and currents鈥攎ethodological avenues, analytical and interpretive innovations, etc.鈥攊n twentieth-century historiography, with greater focus on the second half of the century. How have historians gone about the craft? What frameworks and perspectives have
informed their approaches? Is 鈥渙bjective history鈥 possible? What is historical materialism? What is post-modernism? Our seminar will explore these, and other important questions related to historical inquiry and interpretation to prepare students for the subsequent CHI seminar and graduate work in history and/or related disciplines. The course鈥檚 main paper assignment, which is tailored to the individual student鈥檚 historical interests, will focus on contemporary history as well as historiography.
Outcomes
Upon completing this seminar, students will have the necessary tools to:
- Recognize and debate influential perspectives and problems in the 鈥渕aking of history鈥 since the nineteenth century;
- Think historically, critically, analytically, and theoretically; and
- Compose a clear, concise, and intellectually robust historiographical paper.
Expectations
Seminar participants are expected to engage the readings thoroughly and critically, prepare short written responses to the readings, present and discuss the readings, and submit a final historiographical paper. (Keep in mind that CH 6010 is a colloquium and not a research seminar, with the latter intended to produce a paper or papers based on archival documentation, newspaper research, oral history, and so forth.) One or more seminar participants will open our weekly meetings with brief reviews of the readings and will offer questions to stimulate discussion. A schedule will be created during our first meeting. Overall, the seminar鈥檚 ultimate success or failure depends on the participation of its students. Navigating the choppy waters of historiography requires enthusiasm and effort. It may also require some gentle prodding.
Readings
The books listed below are available (ostensibly) at College Bookstore. Marx鈥檚 works are easily found on the Internet at no cost. The professor will provide the remaining readings in PDF format.
Books
- Butler, Christopher. Postmodernism (Oxford, 2002).
- Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish (Vintage Books, 1995).
- Hunt, Lynn. The New Cultural History (UC Press, 1989).
- Iggers, Georg G. Historiography in the Twentieth Century (Wesleyan, 2005).
- Jenkins, Keith. The Postmodern History Reader (Routledge, 1997).
- Novick, Peter. That Noble Dream (Cambridge, 1988).
- Said, Edward. Orientalism (Vintage Books, 1979).
- Scott, Joan Wallach. Gender and the Politics of History (Columbia. 1999).
- Thompson, E.P. The Essential EP Thompson (The New Press, 2001).
Other Readings
- De Leon, 鈥淭he Eighteenth Brumaire,鈥 The People (New York), Sept. 12, 1897.
- Chakrabarty, 鈥淪ubaltern Studies and Postcolonial Historiography,鈥 Nepantla 1:1 (2000).
- Haber, 鈥淎nything Goes: Mexico鈥檚 鈥楴ew Cultural History鈥,鈥 HAHR 79:2 (1999).
- Hawley, 鈥淎ntonio Gramsci鈥檚 Marxism: Class, State, and Work,鈥 Social Problems 27:5 (1980).
- Hobsbawm, 鈥淎sking the Big Questions. History: A New Age of Reason,鈥 Le Monde diplomatique (Dec. 2004).
- Hobsbawm, 鈥淜arl Marx鈥檚 Contribution to Historiography,鈥 Diogenes 16:64 (1968).
- Lilla, 鈥淢ichel Foucault,鈥 in The Reckless Mind: Intellectuals and Politics (New York: NY Review of Books, 2001).
- Mallon, 鈥淭he Promise and Dilemma of Subaltern Studies,鈥 The American Historical Review 99:5 (1994).
- M谩rkus, 鈥淢arxist Humanism,鈥 Science & Society 30:3 (1966).
- Marx and Engels, The Communist Manifesto.
- Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte.
- Megill, 鈥淭he Reception of Foucault by Historians,鈥 Journal of the History of Ideas 48:1 (1987).
- Patterson, 鈥淧ost-Structuralism, Post-Modernism: Implications for Historians,鈥 Social History 14:1 (1989)
- Suny, "Back and beyond: Reversing the cultural turn?," The American Historical Review 107.5 (2002)
- Tompkins, 鈥淎 Short Course in Post-Structuralism,鈥 College English 50:7 (1988).
Written Work
Participants will prepare weekly 鈥渞esponses鈥 to the readings, each one (1) page in length, double-spaced, and with normal formatting. These will be very brief critical analyses of the readings and will pose questions that shall contribute to seminar discussion. (More information is forthcoming.) Do not mistakenly equate weekly 鈥渞esponses鈥 and seminar participation, the latter of which entails the verbal exchange of ideas during our weekly meetings. Seminar students also will compose a final historiographical paper due during finals week. That paper鈥攕ome 10-12 pages in length鈥攚ill examine one book of your choice or four journal articles on some aspect of contemporary history. The paper must be anchored in our seminar鈥檚 foci as well as in your personal thematic, national/regional, and temporal interests. (With the professor鈥檚 consent, the student may select the book or articles from a reading list in another graduate-level course in which the student is currently enrolled鈥 but the resulting CHI paper must be very different from written work assigned in the other course.) Moreover, seminarians will present preliminary paper proposals鈥攁s oral presentations鈥攁t one of our final seminar meetings. More specific information on the historiographical paper is forthcoming.
Grading
Discussion participation will constitute one-third of the course grade, 鈥渞esponse鈥 papers one-third, and the final paper one-third. Written work will be evaluated on the basis of effectiveness of one鈥檚 argument, the presence and quality of supporting information, clarity, cohesion, conciseness, and quality of writing.
Plagiarism
Academic misconduct will not be tolerated. It is the student鈥檚 responsibility to understand what constitutes plagiarism or any other form of academic misconduct. For a tutorial on plagiarism, see . For important information on academic misconduct, see Academic Misconduct.
Accommodations
Any student with special learning needs should consult with the professor during the first week of the semester and should provide the professor official documentation from the appropriate University office: Accessibility Services.
Civility
The professor expects that seminar participants will treat each other with respect, just as they will respect the professor. Our hours together pass quickly, so the professor asks that students be punctual and arrive prepared.
Schedule
Aug. 29 Introductions
Sept. 5 Foundations Iggers, Introduction and Part I
Novick, Introduction and Chs. 1-5
Sept. 12 Early Challenges Novick, Chs. 5-9
Sept. 19 Marx Marx and Engels, Communist Manifesto
Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire
De Leon, 鈥淭he Eighteenth Brumaire鈥
Sept. 26 Contours of Marxist Iggers, Part II
Historiography Hobsbawm, 鈥淜arl Marx鈥檚 Contribution to Historiography鈥
M谩rkus, 鈥淢arxist Humanism鈥
Oct. 3 E.P. Thompson Hawley, 鈥淎ntonio Gramsci鈥檚 Marxism.鈥
Thompson, Introduction and pp. 3-8; 30-72; 445-495; 316-377
Oct. 10 Postmodernism Iggers, Part III
Butler, all
Oct. 17 Into an Abyss? Jenkins, Intro and Chs. 1-10, 21-27
Oct. 24 Post-Structuralism Tompkins, 鈥淎 Short Course鈥︹
Patterson, 鈥淧ost-Structuralism鈥︹
Hobsbawm, 鈥淎sking the Big Questions.鈥
(Begin Foucault)
Oct. 31 Deconstructing Foucault Foucault, all
Megill, 鈥淭he Reception of Foucault鈥︹
Lilla, 鈥淢ichel Foucault鈥
Jenkins, Ch. 12
Nov. 7 Language, Culture, Gender Scott, selections TBD
Hunt, selections TBD
Nov. 14 Postcoloniality and the Subaltern Said, all
Mallon, 鈥淭he Promise鈥︹
Chakrabarty, 鈥淪ubaltern Studies鈥︹
Haber, 鈥淎nything Goes鈥︹
Nov. 21 AUTUMN BREAK
Nov. 28 Objectivity鈥檚 Fate? Novick, Chs. 10-16
Suny, 鈥淏ack and Beyond鈥︹
Dec. 5 Presentations of Proposed Papers
Dec. 15 Papers Due, 5 pm