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From: Resat Kasaba, University of Washington
kasaba@U.WASHINGTON.EDU

Autumn 1996
SIS 200 States and Capitalism: The Origins of the Modern Global System

Professor Resat Kasaba
Office Hours: Thursday: 1:30-3:30 p.m.
322 Thomson Hall (543-6890)
email: kasaba@u.washington.edu

Teaching Assistants:
Cheryl Cotterill, David Hood, Molly Laster, Diana Pallais, Bruce Woolsey
TA Office: 500 Thomson Hall (543-4981)
Office Hours: To be announced

Writing Course Instructor: Norman Wacker
Foreign Language Trailers: Molly Laster (French), Bruce Woolsey (Spanish)

DESCRIPTION

This course addresses two questions that are related to the contemporary structure of the global system. One, what are the processes that have created a world economy with integrated systems of production and trade that now cover the entire globe? Two, how is it that this economically united world has become so divided and fragmented along ethnic, national, political, and cultural lines? The course examines these questions from a historical perspective by focusing on selected times, places, and events .

Scholars agree that an economic system that covered a large part of the globe was formed for the first time in the thirteenth century. This system was centered in Asia and existed for about one-hundred years.

In the first part of the course, we will st udy the rise and the fall of this early world system and try to explain why, rather than surviving into the modern era, this system was eclipsed in the fifteenth century by a new one that was centered in Europe. The rest of the course is devoted to the s tudy of the growth, expansion, and various economic and political setbacks the Euro-centered world system experienced since the fifteenth century. One of our purposes will be to uncover the features of this world system that gave it unprecedented dynamis m and longevity.

This course does not study the history of the world. It uses history to explain economic, political, sociological, and cultural realities of the two global systems it studies. During the course, particular events, dates, and places will enter into our discussions only to the extent that they have had an impact on the structure of the global system in question. Throughout, our focus will always be on the connections that linked places and people over long periods and large spaces at different points in time with varying consequences.


CLASS FORMAT

This class will have two major components: lecture and discussion sections. During regular class meetings, my lectures will touch on the readings and provide background and clarification of difficult points. In the discussion sections, the TAs will be reviewing material from the lectures and the readings and will be providing the direction you will need to complete the written assignments. In addition, the TAs will be available during their office hours to respond to whatever questions you have on the lectures and readings. I am also available to discuss the course material during my office hours.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRAILERS

There are two foreign language trailers linked to this class. They are listed in the time schedule as SIS 490 C (French), and SIS 490 D (Spanish). If you are fluent in these languages you may sign up for these classes for three additional credits. If you do, you will need to make sure that you are also attending the regular quiz section that is taught by the instructor of the foreign language trailer you are in.

READINGS

All the readings that are assigned for this class come from sources that are considered to be outstanding analyses of the history of the international system. As you may know, however, not all scholars agree with each other, and no doubt I will be disag reeing with some of the arguments raised in these works. But this does not relieve you of your duty to understand and master the arguments and analyses presented by these authors. We will read parts of the following books during the quarter. They are a vailable for purchase at the University Bookstore:

Janet Abu-Lughod, Before European Hegemony
E.L. Jones, The European Miracle
Eric Wolf, Europe and the People Without History
Peter Stearns, The Industrial Revolution in World History
George Rud, The French Revolution
Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Empire
Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers
These books are also on reserve at the Odegaard Undergraduate Library.

REQUIREMENTS

Reading, Attendance, Participation and Study Groups:

1. Students must keep up with the weekly reading assignments This is important because the course's aim of presenting a persuasive explanation and analysis of the institutions creating global interdependence can be achieved only if students are develop ing historical awareness and encountering alternative explanations. The readings will be discussed by TAs and students in weekly Sections.

2. Everyone is expected to attend lectures, films, and weekly sections regularly and be prepared to ask questions and participate in discussions in quiz sections. Attendance will be taken regularly in weekly sections and through pop quizzes in lectures . If you miss two of these, your grade will be reduced by two decimal points (for example, 3.7 becomes 3.5); if you miss three or four, by four decimal points; if you miss five, by half-a-point; if you miss more than five, by a full point.
Signed notes by physicians will be accepted in case of illness.

3. Each Student will participate in a Study Group of 5-6 students. Students may form these groups on their own or be assigned to them by TAs. The Study Groups should meet weekly to discuss and analyze readings and other course-related issues.

Written Assignments:

1. Weekly papers: Each student must write six weekly essays of no more than one double-spaced typewritten page each (12 pt type, one-inch margins). Normally, these papers will be based on the reading assignments of the second half of the preceding week and the first half of the week in which they are written. You may choose the six weeks in which you will write assignments, but you must make sure you complete all six. The papers should elaborate the author's argument (what is s/he trying to explain? What is the explanation s/he offers?) and the author's methodology (what kinds of evidence does the author use to persuade the readers of her/his explanations? What kinds does s/he ignore?). Whenever relevant, papers should also refer to the arguments a nd methods of authors from previous weeks. Papers should also try to offer a critique (not necessarily a negative criticism, but rather an evaluation of the work in question.) The weekly essay is to be handed in at the beginning of the Section meeting.
No late papers will be accepted and no papers will be accepted from students who do not attend the full Section.

2. Term Paper: Each student will write a research paper of about 7-8 pages. In this paper you will choose a geographical area (not necessarily a country) and explain how economic and political contacts with the outside world affected this area between the sixteenth and the twentieth century. The selection of the geographical area is very important; you should consult with your TA before you finalize your decision. Keep in mind that some of the countries that exist today did not exist in earlier time s, and some that existed earlier have changed or disappeared. In the spirit of the course, your paper should go beyond a simple description and explain things. (The best way to think about this is in terms of answering a "why" question.) You will need to use the University Libraries and do research for this assignment. You will sign up for an organized orientation program to get acquainted with the libraries (see below). You will complete three drafts of this research paper. The due dates and requir ements for these drafts are as follows. Late drafts will be penalized.
2.a: First draft will be about 5-6 pages and is due in Section on October 30/31. This draft will be evaluated by the student's Study Group. Sufficient copies should be made for every member of the student's study group. Members of the Study Group wil l return the paper (with comments) to the student at the end of class on November 1.
2.b: Second draft will be about 5-6 pages. It will have been revised by incorporating the suggestions and criticisms of the Study Group. This is due in Section on November 6/7 and will be turned in to the TA. Students need to hand in their papers cle arly marked "second draft" and accompanied by their clearly marked "first draft" and all the sheets of Study Group's comments.
2.c: Third draft (approximately 7-8 pages) will have been revised on the basis of the TA's suggestions and criticisms as well as additional research. This is due in Section on November 27. Students should submit the paper clearly marked "third draft," along with the "second draft" and the TA's comments.
Please note that hand-written drafts or papers will not be accepted. Everything you turn in should be typed (double-spaced, 12 pt type, with one-inch margins). Please keep extra copies of all the written assignments you turn in for grading. In case of loss or other similar problems, it is your responsibility to provide us with additional copies of your work. In terms of format and presentation your paper should comply with academic conventions as described in Kate Turabian's book. If you have any do ubts about these, your TA or I can help you.

3. Final Examination: The final examination is scheduled for Tuesday, December 17, 2:30-4:20 p.m. The exam will cover the entire course material (including the films) and will be a combination of essay, short-answer, and map questions. Every other w eek or so you will be given study questions in your quiz sections. You should use these as guides in preparing for the exam.
Other:

1. Students must sign up in class for a Library Lab in the OUGL for October 10 or 14. A required assignment will be given at the labs; this assignment must be turned in at Sections on October 16.

2. Every student must read the New York Times daily. You can subscribe to this newspaper at a special student rate at the HUB.

3. Students must learn the basic map of the world (the geographic location of major states, cities, waterways, oceans, and mountain ranges). Students should consult atlases regularly as they read about different places and as they hear about them in Section.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT DATES AND DISTRIBUTION OF GRADE

READING SCHEDULE:

PART I: The Rise and Demise of the Premodern World System:

PART II: Modern World System: Origins, Consolidation, and Expansion:

PART III: Pressures on Europe: Industrial and French Revolutions:

PART IV: A New Phase of Expansion and the Age of Empire

PART V: Pressures on Europe: War, Revolution, and Crisis

SIS 200 (Autumn 1996), page 5

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