HIST 202 is a cross-listed course—a course listed under two different disciplines—with HUMN 202. HIST 202 may not be taken for credit by students who have obtained credit for HUMN 202.
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
Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization: A Brief History, Volume II: Since 1500, 10th ed. USA: Cengage Learning. 2020 (eText)
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.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.