1) “Hallmark Five: We
Embrace The Gift Of Diversity.” In what way does Strayer’s textbook, Ways of the World, reflect Hallmark 5 of
the SND de Namur?
I think that Strayer does an excellent job of embracing the gift of diversity, as Hallmark Five of the Sister of Notre Dame de Namur states. The first example that comes to mind is the fact that Strayer dedicates a whole chapter to introducing different religions in great detail. Throughout the textbook, he discusses a wide range of peoples and societies and their different traditions, cultures, politics, etc. In the preface of Ways of the World, there is a good quote that talks about the importance of including events from all different groups and societies, while still making sure the book remained coherent and not too confusing or overwhelming for readers.
"The great virtue of world history lies in its inclusivity, for its subject matter is the human species itself. No one is excluded, and all may find a place within the grand narrative of the human journey. But that virtue is also the source of world history's greatest difficulty--telling a coherent story. How can we meaningfully present the planet's many and distinct peoples and their intersections with one another in the confines of a single book or single term?"
2) Please refer to the
learning outcomes in your syllabus for this class. Did the course meet these
outcomes? Were any of the outcomes not met? In answering this question, cite
specific course activities or assignments that stand out to you.
Reflecting over the learning outcomes listed in our class syllabus, it seems to me that this course has succeeded in meeting most of them. For example, I'll start with the pretty straight forward ones--learning outcome number seven states that students will conduct primary social science research, which includes the formulation of a research topic and the collection, analysis, and presentation of research. We met this learning outcome when we turned in our research papers on the topic of our choice; the only thing left is to present the information we found to our classmates on the final day of class. Learning outcome number one states that students will "demonstrate knowledge of the political, economic, social, religious, intellectual and artistic experiences of peoples around the world over time." By reading our textbook, reflecting in our blog, coming to class and discussing the chapters, and taking quizzes, we have successfully met this standard. Learning outcome number five states that students will be able to "weigh and interpret evidence and present a sustained argument supported by historical evidence." This standard was met when we did the in-class debates, such as the one regarding whether or not the Mongols should be respected as a significant civilization. For this activity we were required to find valid evidence in our textbook to support our position and orally debate against the opposite position. Even though it is not a listed standard, I also feel that this activity also helped me improve my public speaking and presenting skills, which I can apply to future classes. Learning outcome number four states that students will "demonstrate familiarity with the historical literature and conflicting interpretations of the past." One example I can think of for this standard is the activity we did where we read the Epic of Gilgamesh in order to understand what it meant for people at that time to be civilized.
4) Are we moving into a new
historical era? Do the items listed under “Post-Modern” reflect the world we
live in today and the future we seem to be working toward? Why or why not?
Yes, I think that we are absolutely moving into a new historical era. I think that the biggest contributor to this is the rapid rise of technology over the past few decades. I was surprised that this was not one of the bullets listed. While I do agree that environmental sustainability is becoming a goal of technology, I think that it should be replaced with something like "Technology greatly increases human productivity and output." Basically, I think it deserves to be a bullet all on its own for this new era. I do, however, agree with the remaining bullet points. I think that the rise and spread of capitalism and "big business empires" that control their own trade, with little to no government interference (a free market) is a significant aspect of our current society. I also agree with the third bullet point that says government is increasingly global with emphasis on cooperation. I took this to mean that governments are getting more involved in foreign affairs and are providing aid to other nations more frequently. I also think that this means that governments are coming together to work towards solutions on global issues that affect everybody, such as global warming. The last bullet for this new era is Western European civilization recognizes co-equality of other peoples. I think that this does reflect the world we live in today when looking at the big picture. Compared to the past, we are definitely more accepting and "tolerant" (we talked about this negative connotation associated with this word--I just can't think of another way to put it!) However, I think there is still plenty of room for improvement. Racism and prejudice unfortunately still very much exist today, and I think that we took several steps backwards on this issue when we elected our current president. I think that this bullet point best presents the big picture of our current era and the future that we want to be working towards.
