HAMPDEN-SYDNEY COLLEGE

Western Culture 101

Syllabus

See also Study Links

Instructor:  M. Prevo
Office: Winston Hall, lobby left, ext. 7057
Hours:  TBA

Study Links for Readings

Bortz Library
Prevo's Home Page

Requirements
Texts
Quizzes and Exams
Attendance
Class Behavior
Papers
Plagiarism
Extra Credit

Grading

I do not grade on a curve. The grading scale is as follows:
100 - 94% A
93.5-90% A-
89.5-87.5% B+
87-84% B
83.5-80% B-
79.5-77.5% C+
77-74% C
73.5-70% C-
69.5-67% D+
67.5-64% D
63.5% and below F

 


 

Course Description: 

Western Culture 101 is the first part of a three semester course that investigates the events, people, and ideas that have shaped western civilization. The Western Culture courses are interdisciplinary in nature and provide an overview of the western experience-its history, religion, philosophy, literature, and arts, from its roots in the early civilizations of the Middle East to the present day.--Hampden-Sydney College, Western Culture

Common topics and events for the first semester (WCUL101) are civilization in the Fertile Crescent, the rise of Athens and democracy, the Roman Empire and its aftermath, Hebrew culture, and the rise of Christianity. Common texts are Homer, Iliad (selections); Sophocles, Oedipus Rex; Plato, Apology; Genesis (selections) and one gospel (selections); Augustine, Confessions (selections). For specifics, see the "Study Links for Readings" on the sidebar.  To these requirements I add a reading from Ancient Rome and the Early Middle Ages.

Course and Program Goals: 

  • Goal 1--Students will demonstrate familiarity with (a) historical events and (b) intellectual issues of Western Culture.
  • Goal 2--Students will develop their ability to read and analyze important texts and artifacts, such as music, art and architecture, produced throughout the sweep of their culture’s history.
  • Goal 3--Students will learn to explore in class discussions and written assignments questions provoked by their study of events as well as texts. 
  • Goal 4--Students will demonstrate an understanding of historical events and cultural achievements as products of their time and as precursors of the present.
  • Goal 5--Students will demonstrate an understanding of the connections between the events and achievements of the past and the way we live now.
  • Goal 6--Students will articulate the value of the course for them.

Requirements:

  • Class attendance, preparation, and participation (25  points)
  • Quizes  (5 to 10 points each -  75 points total) 
  • Two papers (900-1200 words) 50 points each - 100 points total)
  • Midterm Exam (100 points)
  • Final Exam (100 points)

Class format:

Classes are a combination of lecture and discussion.  To receive full credit for class participation you will need to bring the text under discussion to class.  Be prepared to write short timed assignments in class.  

Texts:

  • Hunt, Lynn et al. The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures.  3rd edition. Boston and New York: Beford/St.Martins, 2009.  (This combined edition will serve as the text for WCUL101, 102, and 103.) And the companion source book.
  • Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York : Penguin, 1990
  • Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1982 – or copy of Oedipus The King translated by Fagels from the library
  • Plato, The Apology, provided in class
  • The Divine Augustus, online, provided in class
  • The Bible. The New Revised Standard Version. The American Bible Society or your own Bible
  • Saint Augustine. The Confessions. Introduction, translation and notes by Maria Boulding. New City Press, 2002.
  • Einhard. The Life of Charlemagne, online, provided in class

Attendance and Class Behavior:

You are responsible for all material covered in class and in the assigned readings. Class attendance is a requirement of the course. Please see the college catalogue for class attendance policies. More than three unexcused absences will result in a warning letter from the Dean of Students.  If you fail to discuss the warning letter with the instructor or continue to miss class following the warning letter, you will be withdrawn from the class failing. Absences totaling 25% or more will result in an automatic F. If a student arrives after roll is taken, it is the student's responsibility to place his or her name on the class roll no later than the end of that class period. Failure to do so will result in an unexcused absence.  Excused absences are outlined in the college catalogue.  Please notify the instructor prior to the class you will miss for an excused absence. Intercollegiate athletic trips, class field trips, glee club trips do not require written excuses.  All other absences require written excuses, which are issued at the discretion of the Dean of Students.  There are no formal medical excuses.  As with all issues relating to your class performance, prompt and direct communication with me will avoid misunderstandings.

Using class time effectively is as important as showing up. Think of classes as guided study sessions. The more effectively you use them, the better you will do, and the less time outside of class you will need to spend preparing for exams. Use classes to ask questions, review main themes, try out interpretations, and practice applying analytical terms to examples. Above all, take good notes. If you learn better from audio materials, tape classes and edit them later.  Without a written or audio record, you have nothing to review. Without review, learning is inefficient at best.  If you have any condition that qualifies you for extended time or special accommodations, please discuss them with me early in the semester so we may implement them.

Finally, all electronic media and tobacco products are banned.  Cell phones need to be turned off during class.  Texting is absolutely forbidden.

Quizzes and Exams:

There will be up to ten quizzes or in-class essays (5 to 10 points each).  They will range in format and content, but will focus on geography and the readings.

There will be two exams, a midterm and a final (100 points each).  Exams will include a section of short answer and multiple choice questions followed by an essay question.

Exams and quizzes must be taken when scheduled. Make ups will be scheduled only by prior consent of the instructor, and only for compelling reasons (as determined by the instructor). If a student, without gaining prior consent, is unable to take an exam due to sudden illness or some other extraordinary event, the instructor must be notified immediately. If I cannot be reached directly or by phone, you may leave a message on my voice mail (ext. 7057).  Unexplained absences from exams will result in a F.

Papers:

Two papers are required in this course (50 points each).  

Papers must:

  • Include a title page with your name, the paper title, the course name and number and the date.
  • The requirement for the text length (not including bibliography and title page) is outlined below. 

1.  The first is a consideration of Achilles in the Iliad.  I do not require research for this paper beyond the text of the Iliad.  You will be working on this paper in your Rhetoric class with Dr. Hardy.  The final paper will be 900-1200 words in length and you will submit it on-line in the Blackboard site for your Rhetoric class. Total points - 50.

2. The second paeper will be on Augustine of Hippo.  The principal document will be his autobiographical treatise, The Confessions.  You will have one workshop in your Rhetoric class on this paper.  Length 900-1200 words. Total points – 50.

Plagiarism and the Honor Code:

The College honor code will be enforced. Plagiarism is the intentional use of another's words or argument without proper credit. This includes copying passages from a source without both attribution and quotation. If you have reproduced the language of your source without quotes and footnote, you have committed plagiarism whether or not you have cited the source and the page number in your bibliography. This includes passages that a student may have modified: for example, changed verb tenses, omission or replacement of occasional words, reshuffling of phrases, sentences or paragraphs, or combining different sources. Writing a bad paper in you own words is far better than writing a good one using the words of someone else. One way to avoid inadvertent plagiarism is to close all your books or web sites when writing, and consult them only for specific facts or direct quotes. Also proofread your paper with plagiarism in mind.

Accommodations:

I comply with the College guidelines for student accommodations.  If you qualify for extended time or special exam circumstances, please let me know in the first weeks of class and NOT on the day of the exam.  If you have specific accommodations to use a laptop, please discuss this with me.

Extra Credit:

From time to time, the instructor may assign optional exercises out of class for extra credit.  These may include attendance at lectures on campus or nearby.  Special extra-credit assignments may be arranged with the instructor. These assignments must be approved in advance by the instructor. They are worth a maximum of 10 points. No extra-credit assignment will be accepted as a substitute for a class requirement. The assignment may be a review of a lecture or exhibition, an analytical book review, 3-5 pages in length or an analysis of a primary source as assigned by the instructor.

Course Schedule (subject to revision as needed):

Week 1

8/25     Introduction – Syllabi and distribution of first assignment. This will take place in your Rhetoric classes on Wednesday, August 24th.

Week 2

8/30     Neolithic Mesopotamia and Egypt

9/1       Genesis (read all 40 chapters with an eye to the structure of the book)

Week 3

9/6       Bronze Age Mediterranean/Discussion on Genesis 1 and 2 (Close look)

9/8       Introduction to the Iliad; Read Book 1, Quiz

Week 4

9/13     Bronze Age Aegean – Iliad Book 9

Tell me about Achilles discussion and workshop

9/15     Iliad – Books 16 and 18

Week 5

9/20     Iron Age Greece – City State and Persian Wars

            Iliad Discussion Books 22 and 24

9/22     Field Trip to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

 (Leave at 10:00 a.m.; return at 4:00 p.m.)

Week 6

9/26     Achilles’ Complaint paper due at 10:00 p.m.

in Rhetoric Blackboard Folder

9/27     Athens, the Delian League, and the Peloponnesian Wars

9/29     Oedipus the King, Quiz and Discussion

Week 7

10/4     Alexander and the Hellenistic Empires

10/6     Plato, The Apology

Week 8

10/11   Inhale and catch up

10/13   Midterm

Week 9

10/18   Fall Break

10/20   Etruscan culture and Roman Republic

Week 10

10/25   Civil Wars, Augustus and the Principate – Deeds of the Divine Augustus

10/27   Julio-Claudians, Flavians, Trajan – Roman Empire Expands (Quiz)

Week 11

11/1     Good Emperors (Hadrian to Marcus Aurelius)

11/3     The Gospel of Mark and Christianity before Constantine (Quiz)

Week 12

11/8     Early Church – Augustine Books 3 and 4

11/10   Late Empire – The Crisis of the Third Century and the Tetrarchs

Week 13

11/15   Fourth and Fifth Century and Augustine, Books 7 and8

11/17   Byzantium and Islam

            (workshop on Augustine Paper in Rhetoric class w/ Prof. Hardy)

Week 14

11/22   Early Middle Ages in Europe - Augustine paper due

11/24   Thanksgiving Break

Week 15

11/29   Charlemagne and Einhard

11/31   Catch-up and exhale (Rhetoric Exam 7-10p.m.)

Week 16

12/6     Wrap-up and review

12/7     Reading Day – RHET101 Editing Exam 2:00-3:00 p.m.

12/8     Reading Day

12/10   Exam for TTH 10:00 class      9:00 – 12:00 noon

12/12   Exam for TTH 8:30 class                    2:00 – 5:00 p.m.

 
Maintained by Mary Prevo, Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Fine Arts, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943  (434)223-7057 or mprevo@hsc.edu