Integrative Studies 206

Prof. Fitzgerald

Fall, 2002

Phone: 3162 (or dept. at 3167) I'm on campus every day each week, so I should be easy enough to reach.

E-Mail: fitz (I check my e-mail just about every weekday, and often on weekends too. I try to check the night before major assignments from home. Also, if you want to reach the whole class, just send it to the course alias, "integrative-studies-206" This stuff is pretty controversial, so if you want to speak your mind that way, go ahead.

Office: Holland 532 (My office is a bit tricky to find, but try going through the old History Department office past the xerox machine back to the windows, my office is the first door on the right in the window corridor. Or ask somebody).

Office Hours: Office Hours: M 2-3, Tu 12-1, Th 12-1, and by appointment. (Also, I generally can talk to interested students after class, as I have nothing scheduled then (except my Monday office hours.)

Class Rationale: This course is an examination of how history intersects with the public sphere in contemporary America, in current politically-tinged debates on interpreting American and world history. In the 1990s, several major historical issues burst into media attention, and we'll be looking at several of these disputes.

The basic idea is to use these issues to look at how historians do history, especially the process of historical revision and how thinking about history evolves. The course will culminate in a term paper of your choosing on some recently controversial issue in American or World history.

CLASS FORMAT: We'll basically spend the first half or so of the class reading and discussing our textbooks, and then take our "final" about halfway through the semester. By that point, you should have zeroed in on a paper topic and have located appropriate primary materials to write it with. The class meets only occasionally for some weeks after the exam, but the instructor will arrange individual meetings with students on their papers. We'll then come together for oral presentations toward the end of the semester.

TEXTBOOKS:

Tony Horwitz, Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War

Peter Novick, The Holocaust in American Life

Linenthal and Engelhardt, eds., History Wars: The Enola Gay and Other Battles for the American Past

Gary Nash et al, History on Trial: Culture Wars and the Teaching of the Past

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Sept. 6 Introduction

Sept. 9,11,13 The Civil War in American Memory

(Read Horwitz, 1-144, 190-208, 352-390)

Sept. 16,18,20 The Politics of Holocaust Remembrance

(Novick, first half)

Sept. 23,25,27 The Politics of Holocaust Remembrance

(Novick, second half)

Sept. 31 Class Lecture--History and American Politics in the 1990s

--SHORT PAPER DUE

Oct. 2,4, and 7, 9, Dropping the Big One: The A-Bomb and the Politics of WWII Today

(Linenthal and Engelhardt, 1-62, 115-139, 171-198, 210-249)

Oct. 11,14,16, 18 History and the Gingrich Revolution of 1994

(Nash, 3-127, 128-148, 188-222, 259-277)

Oct. 21 FALL BREAK

Approx. Oct. 23 Class Cancelled for Trip to Minnesota Historical Society:

"The Politics of History in Contemporary Exhibitions." 

Oct. 25 "FINAL EXAMS"

Oct. 28 CLASS MEETS TO TALK ABOUT EXAMS AND TERM PAPER READINGS

Oct. 30 NO CLASS MEETING--INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WITH STUDENTS

Nov. 1 SHORT CLASS MEETING TO DISCUSS PROGRESS AND SET UP MEETINGS

Nov. 4, NO CLASS MEETING--INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WITH STUDENTS

Nov. 6 SHORT CLASS MEETING TO DISCUSS PROGRESS AND SET UP MEETINGS

Nov. 8 NO CLASS MEETING--INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WITH STUDENTS

Nov. 11 Class Meeting to Return Papers and Progress Report

Nov. 13 NO CLASS MEETING--INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WITH STUDENTS

Nov. 15  Class Meeting for Progress Report

Nov. 18 Class Meeting for Progress Report--PAPER PROSPECTUS DUE

Nov. 20, 22 NO CLASS-Individual Meetings

Nov.  25 Class Meets--Progress Report

Nov. 27, 29 NO CLASS MEETING--THANKSGIVING BREAK

Nov. 29  Individual Paper Presentations

Dec. 2 Individual Paper Presentations

Dec. 4, 6 Individual Paper Presentations

Dec. 9, 11 Individual Paper Presentations (as needed)

TERM PAPER DUE DURING FINAL EXAM PERIOD

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COURSE WORK

The written assignments for the course will consist of one short paper of four or so pages in length, a paper prospectus, the "final" held when we finish the course readings, a book report to set you up to do your term paper, and the term paper itself.

Grades: The course work will be roughly graded as follows:

Short Paper 10%

Class Participation 25%

"Final" 25%

Book Report 10%

Term Paper 30%

CLASS PARTICIPATION

While it is possible for an utterly shy student to get a good grade in this class, intelligent participation in class discussion is generally expected and will very much help your grade. Besides, it makes the class more pleasant.

You will be expected to do the readings when due, especially on days when a class discussion is scheduled. (If you are one of those people who can't speak up in class, or are terrified when called upon--as I tend to do--you'll have to take it upon yourself to demonstrate command of the material periodically to me, by e-mail or occasionally meeting with me to discuss the material.)

Each day, some student will be assigned the task of e-mailing the class (at integrative-studies-206) a synopsis and response to the day's reading.

One last thing: I pride myself on not grading people down for disagreeing with me. Go ahead and speak your mind, I won't be offended. Besides, the subject matter is so thoroughly politicized that it doesn't make much sense to pretend to professorial objectivity. Also, feel free to ask questions via e-mail, or even to communicate with the class that way through "integrative-studies-206"

Final note: For those working way outside of my areas of expertise, as some of you will, you might seek out another history professor for advice as you develop your paper project.