Overview
How did the concept of “the West” change over the past few centuries? How and why did the beliefs, practices, and values of the West change throughout different geopolitical contexts? In what ways were intellectual and artistic developments related to the targeted era’s political and social forces? How did the interaction with other cultures define Western thought and culture? What are the roots of today’s dominant ideologies of the West? Is it still relevant to talk about the West in the era of globalization? These are some critical questions examined in this survey course on the West’s development from the eighteenth century to the twenty-first century. In particular, students will examine the role of Western thought and culture in the ages of Enlightenment, revolution, nationalism, modernity, imperialism, the twentieth century’s totalitarianism and destructive world wars, and the search for stability in the postwar era—concluding with the era of globalization, refugee crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial disparities.
Outline
HIST 202 is divided into fifteen units:
- Unit 1: The Eighteenth Century: An Age of Enlightenment
- Unit 2: The Eighteenth Century: European States, International Wars, and Social Change
- Unit 3: The Era of the American and French Revolutions
- Unit 4: The Industrial Revolution and Its Impact on Society
- Unit 5: Reaction, Revolution, and Romanticism, 1815–1850
- Unit 6: An Age of Nationalism and Realism, 1850–1871
- Unit 7: Mass Society in an “Age of Progress,” 1871–1894
- Unit 8: An Age of Modernity, Anxiety, and Imperialism, 1894–1914 City
- Unit 9: The Beginning of the Twentieth Century Crisis: War and Revolution
- Unit 10: The Futile Search for stability: Europe between the Wars, 1919–1939
- Unit 11: The Deepening of European Crisis: World War II
- Unit 12: Cold War and a New Western World, 1945–1965
- Unit 13: Protest and Stagnation: The Western World, 1965–1985
- Unit 14: After the Fall: The Western World in a Global Age (Since 1985)
- Unit 15: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Racial Inequality
Evaluation
Evaluation of students in HIST 202 is based on two quizzes, discussion forum participation, an essay assignment, and a final exam. To receive credit for HIST 202 you must submit all course work, achieve a composite course grade of at least D (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final exam.
| Activity | Weight |
| History Skills Tutorials Quiz | 10% |
| Primary Sources Analysis/Opposing Viewpoints Quiz | 15% |
| Discussion Forums | 15% |
| Essay Assignment | 30% |
| Final Exam | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization: A Brief History, Volume II: Since 1500, 10th ed. USA: Cengage Learning. 2020
Other Materials
All other materials are available online.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the HIST 202 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on the challenge examination.
Challenge for credit course registration form