dancing in the streets a history of collective...

Course Syllabus (HRS 11: Arts and Ideas of the West II)

HUMANITIES & RELIGIOUS STUDIES 11 — ARTS AND IDEAS OF THE WEST II, SECTION 1

Professor: Dr. Mathias Warnes Spring 2018—Class Number 30611 Email: [email protected] Class Meets on T/Th from 1:30PM-2:45PM in MND 2009 Office Hours: T/Th 12:00pm-1:30pm in MND2030 Course Materials At: mathiaswarnes.com Catalog Description: An introduction to the literature, art, music, history, and philosophy of the West from the Renaissance to the present. This course fulfills G.E. Area C2.

Section Description: This course is designed as an introductory survey of a vast expanse of Western cultural history. The aim of this course is to attain a clear understanding of key historical developments and their relatedness to concurrent and evolving cultural, intellectual and artistic ideas. In this section, we will augment and animate our textbook survey of early modern to modern and late modern eras with a parallel reading of Barbara Ehrenreich’s Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy (2006), as well as source texts from major figures such as Pico, Montaigne, Luther, Hobbes, Locke, Kleist, Marx, Darwin, Nietzsche, Freud, de Beauvoir, and Sartre. Students will also gain exposure to the history of Western art, especially in regards to fine arts: painting, dance, literature, theater, sculpture, architecture, and music.

Course Objectives: By the end of the semester:

• Students will be able to identify and analyze the stylistic expression of specific ideas in art, architecture, music, literature, and philosophy and show how they vary across national boundaries and disciplines.

• Students will be able to analyze the impact that key historical events have on changing styles and concepts in art, literature and music or on the changing cultural landscapes of their time.

• Students will develop keen analytical skills through close and careful readings of the texts, thoughtful, well-written response papers, a presentation, and class discussion.

GE AREA C2 LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students who complete a GE Area C2 course should be able to: 1. demonstrate knowledge of the conventions and methods of the study of the humanities;


2. investigate, describe, and analyze the roles of effects of human culture and understanding in the development of human societies; 3. compare and analyze various conceptions of humankind; and 4. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the historical development of cultures and civilizations, including their animating ideas and values.

Required Texts:

1. Eds. Matthews, Platt, & Noble. Experience Humanities II: The Renaissance to the Present. McGraw-Hill, 2014. ISBN: 9780077494711. 2. Eds. Matthews, Platt, & Noble. Readings to Accompany Experience Humanities II. McGraw-Hill, 2014. ISBN: 9780077494735. 3. Ehrenreich, Barbara. Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2006. ISBN: 9780739485712. 4. “Michael Kohlaas” by Heinrich von Kleist (Course Supplement at mathiaswarnes.com). Grade Breakdown: Reading Responses 40%

Midterm Exam 20% Final Exam 20%

Presentation 10% Active Participation 10%

Reading Responses (40%): Students are expected to read the assigned readings prior to each class. To make sure that you are doing the readings and thinking about them, I require that you write a Reading Response (8 Reading Responses total, 5% each). Keep in mind that Reading Responses must cover what is explicitly stated in the schedule below. Any deviations will be returned ungraded. Late Reading Responses are accepted anytime for half credit. Length requirements are strict. Reading Response must be between 2-3 pages, 1.5- or double-spaced typed, 12 pt. font, with standard margins. Remember: Reading Responses are due at the start of class during our second weekly meeting. If you can’t make it to a class for a valid reason (e.g. sickness), you may email me your Reading Response on the due date with an explanation, but you also need to bring a printed copy of your Reading Response to the next class meeting, or it won’t be graded. Printer difficulties do not constitute a valid excuse. Again, I will only accept emailed reading responses, with hard-copy to follow, in the case of class absence with a qualified excuse. Although these are ‘Reading Responses,’ i.e. personal and academic reflection exercises on assigned material, formal content and quality requirements are strictly enforced. A Reading Response Rubric is available at mathiaswarnes.com. You are encouraged but not required to print and attach this rubric to each submission. Reading Responses will be graded on a five category system. “E+” means exemplary (100%), “E” means excellent (90%), “G” means good (80%), “S” means satisfactory (70%), and “U” means unsatisfactory. “U” work may be resubmitted with revisions for “S” or “G” credit, provided that you attach the “U” entry to your revision. Between reading & writing expect to spend 3-4 hours of work per Response. Presentation (10%): Each student is expected to do a short (strictly 10-15 minute max) presentation, and prepare an accompanying power-point presentation (8-12 slides). You should consider your presentation date as set in stone once scheduled unless you have a really good reason for needing to reschedule. Poor personal planning does not constitute a good


reason for rescheduling, so choose your presentation date wisely. Group presentations are allowed so long as the following is observed. A group of 2-3 (3 max) should come together based on topics and texts that are naturally presented together, and it must also be clear which parts are your own work, and which are the work of co-presenters. How are presentations graded? /10. Fantastic presentations receive a 10/10. Most presentations receive a 7 (satisfactory, fulfills basic requirements), 8 (good, it is effective/informative), or 9 (excellent, contains great insights, is of a high educational value). A 6/10 or lower indicates that you did not fulfill one or several basic requirements. A Presentation Rubric is available under Course Materials at mathiaswarnes.com. If you wish to receive your grade breakdown after presenting then you need to print this rubric and hand it to your instructor on your presentation day. Each presenter will be graded separately so do not give me one rubric for group presentations. It has occurred that students have plagiarized from online .ppt files. To prevent this, I now require all students to upload a .ppt file to Turnitin on their presentations day. Note well: you must come to your presentation day with a PPT or PDF copy of your presentation on a flash-drive. Don’t email it to me or expect to log-in! This invariably eats up valuable class time! If you don’t come with a flashdrive, you will not present. No exceptions!

Active Participation (10%): So as not to give participation points for warming a seat, a diversity of opportunities will be available to earn participation points. For students who follow all guidelines and complete all assignments per syllabus instructions to the “T”, and who do not have excessive absences or lates, 5% towards your Active Participation will be awarded automatically at the end of semester. Be advised, this free 5% will only be awarded to students with perfect (or near perfect) records for the class. If you have missed or late assignments, or excessive absences or lates, you forfeit this free 5% automatically. The remaining 5% (or 10% depending on your case) can be earned in a variety of ways. The most consistent way to earn AP points is to come to class: 1. having done the readings, and 2. with 1 printed page that formulates 3 relevant questions to one current reading. To receive AP credit for this your questions must: 1. address at least 1 reading for that day’s class session only; 2. be well-formulated with specific citations from that reading; 3. be 3-4 lines of text for each question; and 4. address the beginning (Question 1), middle (Question 2), and end (Question 3) of the assigned reading. Additionally, the questions should reflect a sincere attempt to interpret and engage with the reading (i.e. you will not earn any AP credit for one-liners). Each excellent 3 question submission is worth between 1-2% towards your active participation grade. Other ways to earn make-up AP points you may discuss with your instructor include multimedia assignments such as film responses, attending course-related cultural events and doing a 2 page write-up, mini-presentations on undertreated curricula or research projects, and in-class group work.

Note on Attendance Penalties: I do not need to know the reason each time you are absent, & I do not excuse excessive absences except in extremely rare circumstances. I allow up to 3 absences without penalty for the entire semester. Above 3 absences, and your grade will be penalized at a rate of 1% per absence (up to 10% of your grade). Note well: the 1% penalty per absence is in addition to the 5% AP you forfeit if you have excessive absences. In other words, absenteeism is heavily penalized in my class, and will result in a lower grade. So use your absences wisely! If you can’t abide by this policy, consider taking an online course. Please be advised that lates count towards absences (2 lates = 1 absence) as does disruptive behavior.

Midterm Exam & Final Exam (20% / 20%): Exams are summative assessments designed to test your knowledge of core curricula. The midterm and final consist of 80 multiple choice


questions based on the chapters of Experience Humanities, and 1 short essay question. Each exam will last 1 hr. Please bring a scantron, bluebook, and pencil. The most important factor for success is attendance, note taking, and putting in the time to study! Good luck!

TURNITIN ORIGINALITY VERIFICATION: Consistent with Sacramento State’s efforts to enhance student learning, foster honesty, and maintain integrity in our academic processes, this course will use a tool called Turnitin to compare a student’s work with an extensive database of prior publications and papers, providing links to possible matches and a ‘similarity score’. Reading Responses (& in hard copy) and Presentation must all be submitted using this tool. Work submitted only in hard copy will lose its assigned grade at the end of the semester. Originality scores from Turnitin submissions will be definitive of a student’s compliance with University Academic Honesty requirements. If there is any variation between the essay submitted to Turnitin and that submitted to the instructor for grading, the Turnitin score is definitive. So be sure not to revise your essay after submission to Turnitin. Login to http://www.turnitin.com/en_us/home to create a student account.

Enroll in Course ID#: 17004429 Enrollment Password: ModernHum

Course Schedule: HRS 11

READING SCHEDULE: Bring all course materials (i.e. textbook, syllabus, etc.) to each class. Each student is expected to show up aware of the schedule, having done the readings, prepared to hand in homework, and ready to contribute to the discussion. Ignorance of assignments, readings, or due dates is no excuse. The following schedule is not absolute. The dates serve as markers for when readings will be lectured on and discussed. I will spend a few minutes at the beginning and end of each class discussing where we are at and where you should be. The benefit of this approach is that we will not be rushed. The cost of this benefit is that you are responsible for knowing where we are on the syllabus each day. Thus, if you are absent, please call a student or contact me to find out where we are.

Week One Jan 23, 25

T, Introductions, Syllabus

Th, Lecture: Why Study Modern Humanities?

Week Two Jan 30, Feb 1

T, Dancing in the Streets, Intro & Ch. 1, “Invitation to the Dance” & “The Archaic Roots of Ecstasy”

Th, Pico della Mirandola, “Oration on the Dignity of Man”, Readings, p. 1-4

Reading Response #1 Due (Must be on Pico or Dancing in the Streets, Intro/Ch. 1)

Week Three Feb 6, 8

T, Experience Humanities, 12, “The Early Renaissance: Classical Roots, 1400-1494”, esp. p. 296-303, “Early Renaissance History and Institutions” & “The Spirit and


Style of the Early Renaissance”

Th, Dancing in the Streets, Ch. 2-3, “Civilization and Backlash”, “Jesus and Dionysus”

Week Four Feb 13, 15 (Feb 16 is Census Date)

T, Experience Humanities, 13, “The High Renaissance… 1494-1564”, esp. p. 323-7, 330-338, “The Rise of the Modern Sovereign State” & “From High Renaissance to Early Mannerism”

Th, Dancing in the Streets, Ch. 4-5, “From the Churches to the Streets”, “Killing Carnival: Reformation and Repression”

Reading Response #2 Due (Must be on Dancing in the Streets, Ch. 2-5, or another Ch. 12-13 reading from Readings to Accompany Experience Humanities)

Week Five Feb 20, 22

T, Experience Humanities, 14, “Northern Humanism… 1500-1603”, esp. p. 355-61, 366-74, “Northern Humanism” & “Northern Renaissance” (Thought, Science, Literature) & “The Breakup of Christendom: Causes of the Religious Reformations”

Th, Montaigne’s Of Cannibals & Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, Readings, p. 37-43, 96-98

Reading Response #3 Due (Must be on Montaigne or Luther in Readings, or another Ch. 14-16 reading from Readings to Accompany Experience Humanities)

Begin Student Presentations

Week Six Feb 27, Mar 1

T, Experience Humanities, 15, “Baroque Age I: Glamor/Grandiosity 1600-1715”, esp. p. 383-387, 391-406, “Absolutism, Monarchy, and the Balance of Power” & “The Baroque: Variations on an International Style”

Th, Experience Humanities, 16, “Baroque II: Science/Politics 1600-1715”, esp. p. 415-422, 424-429, “Theories of the Universe…” & “The Magical and Practical in the Scientific Revolution” & “The Revolution in Political Philosophy”

Student Presentations Cont’d

Week Seven Mar 6, 8

T, Hobbes’s Leviathan & Locke’s Two Treatises on Government, Readings, p. 135-144

Th, Dancing in the Streets, Ch 6-7, “A Note on Puritanism and Military Reform”, “An


Epidemic of Melancholy”

Reading Response #4 Due (Must be on the Hobbes or Locke selection from Readings to Accompany Experience Humanities, or Dancing in the Streets Ch. 6-7)


Week Eight Mar 13, 15

T, Experience Humanities, 17, “The Age of Reason: 1700-1789”, p. 437-441, p. 445-454, “The Enlightenment” & “Cultural Trends in the 18th Century: From Rococo to Neoclassical”

Th, Midterm Exam on March 15th, 2017


Spring Recess Mar 19-23

Week Nine Mar 27, 29

T, Experience Humanities, 18, “Revolution, Reaction, and Response: 1760-1830”, esp. 465-471, p. “The Industrial Revolution” & “Political Revolutions 1760-1815”

Th, Heinrich von Kleist, “Michael Kohlaas”, Course Supplement

Reading Response #5 Due (Must be on Kleist’s “Michael Kohlaas”)


Week Ten Apr 3, 5

T, Experience Humanities, 18, p. 474-492, “Revolutions in Art and Ideas: From Neoclassicism to Romanticism”

Th, Experience Humanities, 19, “The Triumph of the Bourgeoisie: 1830-1871”, esp. p. 495-500, 504-512, “The Political and Economic Scene: Liberalism and Nationalism” & “19th Century Thought: Philosophy, Religion, and Science”


Week Eleven Apr 10, 12

T, Marx’s Communist Manifesto & Darwin’s Origin of Species, Readings, p. 213-218


Th, Experience Humanities, 19, “Cultural Trends from Romanticism to Realism”, p. 507-524


Reading Response #6 Due (Must be on the Marx or Darwin from Readings, or another Ch. 17-19 reading from Readings to Accompany Experience Humanities)

Week Twelve Apr 17, 19

Topics / Reading T, Experience Humanities, 20, “The Age of Early Modernism: 1871-1914,” esp. 527-533, 537-558, “Europe’s Rise to Leadership: The Second Industrial Revolution” & “Early Modernism”

Th, Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Readings, p. 254-6

Reading Response #7 Due (Must be on the Nietzsche from Readings, or another Ch. 20 reading from Readings to Accompany Experience Humanities)


Week Thirteen Apr 24, 26

T, Freud’s Civilization and its Discontents, Readings, p. 257-60

Th, Experience Humanities, 21, “The Age of the Masses and Zenith of Modernism”, esp. p. 561-569, 570-585, “The Collapse of Old Certainties and the Search for New Value” & “The Zenith of Modernism”


Reading Response #8 Due (Must be on Freud from Readings, or another Ch. 21-22 reading from Readings to Accompany Experience Humanities)

Week Fourteen May 1, 3

T, Experience Humanities, 22, “The Age of Anxiety and Late Modernism”, esp. p. 595-601, 601-615, “Transformations in the Postwar World” & “The End of Modernism”

Th, De Beauvoir’s The Second Sex & Sartre’s “Existentialism is a Humanism”, Readings, p. 307-11, 322-6

Last Day for Student Presentations

Last Day to Submit all Late Work including Active Participation

Last Day to Submit Work on Turnitin (except Final Exam)


Week Fifteen May 8, 10

T, Dancing in the Streets, Ch. 9-10 & Conclusion

Th, Film (The Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlaas, 2013)

Finals Week May 14-18

Final Exam

Administrative Matters Grading Policy: A student’s grade for this course must be based upon mastery of course content. A student’s grade cannot be based upon mere attendance, extraneous extra-credit, scholarship, financial aid needs, or other special pleading. It is important that students examine the syllabus and plan appropriately to achieve the grade they desire. I will be happy to meet with you during office hours to discuss how best to achieve your target grade. This class uses standard grading. Please be aware of the significance of the grades. Grading Scale:�A= 100%-93%, A-=92-90% B+= 89%=87% B= 86%-83% B-= 82%-80% C+= 79%-77% C= 76%-73%�C-= 72%-70%�D= 69%-60%�F= 59% or less. “A” designates exemplary work, an example of what all students should do. “B” designates good work. Some students seem to believe that “B” means bad work. This is not the case. “B” signifies that the student has done good work. “C” means that the student has done average or mediocre work. “D” signifies poor work. “F” signifies that the student has not worked enough to receive course credit. Attendance: Roll is taken at the beginning of each class. Any student who accumulates over five hours (four full classes) of unexcused absence may be dropped without notice. If you have missed over five hours, and don’t want to be dropped, you should contact me with an explanation that counts as a qualified excuse. Also, be advised that lates count towards absences (2 lates = 1 absence). Students leaving class early without notifying me are remarked as absent. Students who exceed five hours of class absence but are not dropped are subject to other adverse consequences: 1. Excessively absent or tardy students will receive grade penalties (1% grade deduction per class up to 10%); 2. Late RR’s or other assignments may not be accepted from excessively absent students when they are absent on the due date. Remember, it is your responsibility to drop the class if you stop attending. So while I may drop you, do not rely on me to do this. If you are late to class and miss roll call, it is your responsibility to inform me of your presence. No corrections to the attendance are made on subsequent days.

Classroom Behavior: All students are expected to maintain professional and courteous conduct in the classroom at all times. Disruptive behavior will initially receive a reprimand but can result in a student’s dismissal from the classroom. Students may, in some cases, only be re-admitted after sitting down for a talk with an academic advisor or on other authority figure. Excessive talking, with the exception of discussion contributions, counts as disruptive behavior. Leaving and re-entering the classroom for reasons other than unavoidable bathroom breaks, eating loudly, sleeping, reading outside materials or being otherwise absorbed, and especially having private conversations, all count as disruptive behavior. In addition, I expect an


atmosphere of solicitous attention and respect for the instructor and for other students’ expressions and opinions, and a consistently objective and empathetic response to the material we study together. Observing these guidelines will ensure a better learning experience.

Cell Phones and Other Electronic Equipment: Student distraction due to cell phone and laptop has reached truly epidemic proportions. Attentive focus on what we are doing as a class is crucial for student success, and our shared classroom inspiration and morale. Therefore, I have an EXTREMELY STRICT cell phone and laptop usage policy. ELECTRONIC DEVICES CANNOT BE USED IN CLASS FOR ANY REASON (unless I give specific permission). If I detect any cell phone or laptop usage whatsoever, if I even see an idle cell phone or laptop on a desk when no special permission has been given, I will summarily dismiss that student from the classroom for that day’s session, and remark the student as “absent” in my records. I realize that some students prefer to take notes on laptops, and I wish I could accommodate this, but it is simply not possible to monitor when laptops are being used for notes, & when they are used otherwise. I can make only very few exceptions when it comes to this policy, for example, in the case of students with learning disabilities, or students who I completely trust to use a laptop appropriately. Plagiarism and Honesty in Academic Work: You are responsible for familiarizing yourselves with the CSUS policy regarding academic honesty. This library link is very helpful: http://library.csus.edu/content2.asp%3FpageID=353.html. It is important to know that plagiarism and cheating are serious ethical violations and have consequences. Violations of standards of academic conduct include but are not limited to the following: 1. Receiving or providing assistance on an examination or assignment unless the instructor authorizes such assistance; 2. Using materials other than those permitted by the instructor during an examination; 3. Plagiarizing: failure to indicate the source of borrowed words and ideas. Plagiarism defined: Simply stated, plagiarism is “the taking of others’ words or thoughts without due acknowledgment.”1 This definition applies to both printed, online, & unpublished material. That is, students must acknowledge, through the appropriate forms of citations, any borrowed ideas or phrases, and all direct quotations if more than three or four words. They also must not submit work that has been written, revised, or edited, in part or in whole, by another. I return all plagiarized work ungraded; you may or may not, after a serious meeting with me be allowed to resubmit the assignment. In cases of clear and deliberate plagiarism, you will receive a 0 for the assignment, and will not be allowed to resubmit. Repeated instances of plagiarism will result in a failing grade in the course. Plagiarism rules are the same for all work for my course: including reading responses, presentation, exams, and essays, etc. Students with Disabilities: If you have a verified need for an academic accommodation or materials in alternate media (i.e.: Braille, large print, electronic text, etc.) per the Americans with Disabilities Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, please contact me as soon as possible to arrange accommodations. It is your responsibility to provide documentation of disability to SSWD and meet with a SSWD counselor to request special accommodation before classes start. SSWD is located in Lassen Hall 1008 and can be contacted by phone at (916) 278-6955 (Voice); (916) 278-7239 (TDD only); or via email at [email protected]. Other Free Help: For free, one-on-one help with writing in any class, please visit the University Reading and Writing Center in Calaveras 128. The Writing Center can help you at any stage of 1 Frederick Crewes, The Random House Handbook, 3rd ed. New York: Random House, 1980 (p. 405).


your reading/writing processes: coming up with a topic, developing, or organizing a draft, understanding difficult texts, or developing strategies to become a better editor. To make an appointment visit the Reading and Writing Center in CLV 128. For current Writing Center hours and more information, visit the website at www.csus.edu/writingcenter. �

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