History 239
Topics in the History of the Nonwestern World Since 1945
Spring 2007
Instructor: Christoph Strobel
Office: Coburn 107
Office Hours: MW 9-11
Phone: 978-934-4263
E-mail: Christoph_Strobel@uml.edu
The goal of this class is to acquaint students with the recent history of various regions
around the globe since 1945. Rather than covering the non-western world in its entirety,
this class focuses on various flashpoints in the more recent history of Africa and Asia.
The class focuses especially on ethnic, racial, and genocidal conflicts in the post-1945
world. We will examine the historical roots of these clashes.
Readings:
Mark Mathabane, Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth’s coming of Age in
Apartheid South Africa
Loung Ung, First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers
Jean Hatzfeld, Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak
Ishmael Beah, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Lemoine and Neumann, Babylon by Bus
Various primary documents and articles (announced as well as unannounced)
Some Media Web Sites:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
http://today.reuters.com/news/
http://csmonitor.com/
www.guardian.co.uk
http://www.independent.co.uk/
http://nytimes.com/
http://washingtonpost.com/
There are many interesting web sites dealing with world news and global issues. I think
you might find it interesting and keep up with one or two throughout the course. If you
see interesting stories, or links, let me know. I too will be monitoring some of them and
might assign some stories for you to read during the semester.
Assignments and Grading:
Book Review Papers (5 papers 3-4 typed pgs.)
Film Review Papers (2 papers 2-3 typed pgs.)
Tests (2)
Attendance and Participation
50%
10%
30%
10%
You will be expected to write 5 papers on the books we are reading in this class. I will
give you some basic and general guidelines and questions before the papers are due, and
you will write an interpretive essay.
You will also be expected to write movie reviews of two non-western films.
There will be two tests in this class. They will be “ID” format. I will provide you with
approximately eight terms (people, events, key terms) and you chose five and write a
long paragraph. You will need to identify the term, place it in its historical context and,
most importantly, discuss why it is significant.
Attendance and participation in class are an important part of the course! Come to class
and discussion. In this course the two depend heavily on one another. What you learn in
lecture and from videos is crucial to understanding the readings and you will only benefit
from lectures, course materials, and readings by participating in discussion. In class
discussions and lectures I expect you to be engaged and to participate.
Week One: 9/5
Introduction
Reading: Handouts on National Liberation Struggle (Gandhi and Nehru, etc.); Kaffir Boy,
1-119
Week Two: 9/10, 9/12
National Liberation Struggles in Africa and Asia
Reading: Kaffir Boy, 123-259
Week Three: 9/17, 9/19
Apartheid South Africa
Reading: Kaffir Boy, 259-350
Kaffir Boy Paper Due (9/19)
Week Four: 9/24, 9/26
Post-Apartheid South Africa / Movie Tsotsi
Reading: First They Killed My Father, 1-112
Week Five: 10/1, 10/3
Cambodia, Southeast Asia, and the Khmer Rouge
Reading: First They Killed My Father, 112-195
Film Review Tsotsi Due (10/1)
Week Six: 10/12
Cambodia, Southeast Asia, and the Khmer Rouge
First They Killed My Father Book Review Due (10/12)
Reading: First They Killed My Father, 196-238 / Machete Season, 3-76
Week Seven: 10/15, 10/17
Rwanda: An Anatomy of Genocide
Reading: Machete Season, 77-194; var. Economist handouts
Week Eight: 10/22, 10/24
The Rwanda Genocide and Central Africa / “Cleptocracies:” Mobutu of Zaire
Reading: Machete Season, 195-253
Machete Season Book Review Due (10/22)
Test 1 (10/24)
Week Nine: 10/29, 10/31
Globalization, Trade, Debt Crisis and the Nonwestern World
Video: T-Shirt Travels
Reading: Handout; A Long Way Gone, 1-68
Week Ten: 11/5, 11/7
Civil War in Africa: The Crisis in Darfur and Sudan
Reading: var. Darfur and southern Sudan handouts; A Long Way Gone, 69-166
Week Eleven: 11/14, 11/15
Civil War in Africa: Sierra Leone
Reading: A Long Way Gone, 167-229
A Long Way Gone Book Review Due 11/15
Week Twelve: 11/19, 11/21
Afghanistan /Video: Osama
Reading: Babylon by Bus, 1-102
Week Thirteen: 11/26, 11/28
Osama / Discussion Gender and Society in Afghanistan
Reading: Babylon by Bus, 103-210
Film Review Osama Due 11/28
Week Fourteen: 12/3, 12/5
Iraq and Western Involvement in the Middle East
Reading: Babylon by Bus, 211-311
Week Fifteen: 12/10, 12/12
Iraq and Western Involvement in the Middle East
Babylon by Bus Book Review Due (12/3) / Test 2 (12/12)