The Making of The Modern World
The Making of the Modern World is a six-course sequence required of
all Eleanor Roosevelt College students. It is designed to encourage them
to think historically, comparatively, and in an interdisciplinary manner
about world cultures. Disciplinary perspectives include literature, history,
philosophy, anthropology, sociology, political science, and fine arts.
Students will examine and interpret primary documents and artifacts from
diverse eras and cultures, as well as learn about them from secondary
sources. All six quarters of the sequence will include lectures, discussions,
and writing assignments. Courses in the sequence may be taken for a letter
grade only.
Students in the Making of the Modern World 2 and 3 (offered in winter
and spring quarters respectively) fulfill their University of California
composition requirement by receiving intensive instruction in university-level
writing. Subject matter for writing instruction is drawn from or related
to course material. Instruction in writing is provided in discussion sessions,
which meet twice each week. Each of these two writing-intensive quarters
carries six units of credit. Students must have satisfied the university’s
Subject A requirement in English composition before enrolling in the Making
of the Modern World 2 or 3.
For further details on Eleanor Roosevelt College requirements, see "Eleanor
Roosevelt College, General-Education Requirements."
Courses
Traditions
1. Prehistory and the Birth of Civilization (4)
This quarter introduces students to what is known about early humans,
including the evolution of the human body and the reconstruction of Paleolithic
and Neolithic cultures. It examines contemporary hunting-and-gathering
and tribal societies and illuminates the complexity of such cultures with
respect to mythology and oral tradition, interpersonal relations, and
ecological practices. The course will conclude with an analysis of the
emergence of large agrarian societies and the earliest great settled communities
and civilizations. Three hours of lecture, one hour of discussion. Open
to Eleanor Roosevelt College students only. (Letter grade only.) (F)
2. The Great Classical Traditions (6)
An introduction to five major classical civilizations of the ancient world.
Equal attention will be given to the ancient Near East, Greece, India,
China and the Roman Republic, all of which have left legacies to the present.
The course covers the great early systems of religious and social thought,
using an approach that combines history and social science. This course
includes intensive instruction in writing expository prose. Three hours
of lecture, two hours of writing and discussion sections. Prerequisite:
satisfaction of the Subject A requirement. Open to Eleanor Roosevelt
College students only. (Letter grade only.) (W)
3. The Medieval Heritage (6)
A survey of the period from about 29 B.C.E. to 1200 C.E., this quarter
concentrates on the development of China from the Han to the Sung Dynasties,
the growth and eventual dissolution of the Roman Empire, the development
of Christianity, and the rise of Islam. This course includes intensive
instruction in university-level writing. Three hours of lecture, two hours
of writing and discussion sections. Prerequisite: satisfaction of the
Subject A requirement. Open to Eleanor Roosevelt College students
only. (Letter grade only.) (S)
Transformations
4. New Ideas and the Clash of Cultures (4)
An examination of the world from 1200 to 1750, the course focuses on the
transition from medieval to modern by addressing philosophical, social,
political, economic, and technological changes in Asia, Europe, and Islamic
territories. Topics may include the Mongol invasions and their impact;
the European Renaissance, Reformation, and Scientific Revolution; Islamic
and Chinese empires; exploration and trade; and European expansion into
the Americas. Three hours of lecture, one hour of discussion. Prerequisites:
satisfaction of the Subject A requirement; successful completion of MMW
2 and/or MMW 3. Open to Eleanor Roosevelt College students only. (Letter
grade only.) (F)
5. Revolution, Industry, and Empire (4)
A consideration of the great changes in European society from the late
eighteenth century to the Russian Revolution, and their impact on the
non-Western world. Topics include industrialization, the rise of nationalism
and the nation-state, Western imperialism, and the colonial experience.
Developments in non-Western countries during this period will be examined
from their own internal perspective. Three hours of lecture, one hour
of discussion. Prerequisites: satisfaction of the Subject A requirement;
successful completion of MMW 2, MMW 3, and/or MMW 4. Open to Eleanor
Roosevelt College students only. (Letter grade only.) (W)
6. Twentieth Century and Beyond (4)
The course begins with a consideration of the causes and consequences
of World War I, and then looks at the post-war crisis of liberal values
and institutions. It addresses the deepening of crisis in the thirties,
especially evident in the emergence of ideological politics and extreme
nationalism in the context of world-wide depression. This period of crisis
provides the background for understanding World War II. Attention is then
devoted to the Cold War, the competition between capitalism and communism,
and the process of decolonization. The course ends with a discussion of
the collapse of communism and the emerging world order (or disorder).
Three hours of lecture, one hour of discussion. Prerequisites: satisfaction
of the Subject A requirement; successful completion of MMW 2, MMW 3,MMW
4, and/or MMW 5. Open to Eleanor Roosevelt College students only.
(Letter grade only.) (S)
