** Hist. 396a Announcements **
1/15 Today, I will be changing my office hours (usually Friday, 2-3:30, as stated on syllabus) to 3-4:30, just for today.
2/1 For today's projections: For the projection how to frame questions in historical research, click here. For a projection on controversies regarding the CIA, click here. For the projection on courtroom standards of evidence, click here. For a projection on reliable sources of newspaper information, click here. For a projection on inaccuracy in newspapers, click here. For the projection on how to interpret controversy in the newspapers, click here.
2/8 For projection on corporate interests and the Bay of Pigs, click here.
2/11 Please note that I must cancel office hours this Friday afternoon. If you need to see me on Friday, please let me know and I will try to meet with you in the morning, or perhaps on Monday.
2/22 For a projection on evaluating controversies surrounding allegations of wartime atrocities, click here. For another projection on atrocities, click here. For a projection on claims regarding the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, click here. For a projection on "slanted" language in newspaper articles, click here. For the essay, "What are the Connections between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein?" click here.
Please note that I will be out of town on Wednesday and Friday, and will not have office hours on those days.
3/1 For a projection on the use of memoirs as primary sources, click here.
3/22 Rules for writing papers, click here. On students' writing mistakes, click here. On how to cite sources, click here.
Below is the midterm.
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Midterm
Hist 396a, Section 791
March 22, 2010
And here is the question for the midterm exam:
Since 1945, the United States has clearly held a hegemonic position. During the 1946-89 period, the US was hegemonic throughout most of the noncommunist world. Since 1989, this hegemony has been extended globally. A widespread view holds that US hegemony has had a basically benign character. First with regard to intent, the United States has consistently acted in a defensive manner. During the Cold War, the US used force reluctantly, in response to Soviet provocation. Since the end of the Cold War, the US has again assumed a defensive stance, acting to restrain new aggressor states, such as Milosevic's Serbia and Saddam's Iraq. With regard to the effects of US hegemony: Defenders claim that hegemony has usually promoted democracy and human rights, while it has restrained tyrants who oppress their own people.
Your paper should assess how various authors that we have read in this class would criticize the above arguments. You should discuss the views of at least three of the following authors: Dube, Kaplan, and Naidu; Shoup; Layne; Petras and Vieux; Gibbs; and Robinson. Substantively, you should focus your answer on either US policy during the Cold War or US policy after the end of the Cold War (do not do both). You should also provide your own assessment. In analyzing Layne's views of the Cold War, for example, discuss how convincing (or unconvincing) you find his arguments. Provide specific reasons why you find Layne to be convincing or unconvincing.
The completed papers should be 5-8 pages long, double-spaced, and should be placed in my mailbox by 5:00pm next Monday, March 29. Please use standard margins and type fonts.
4/4 As noted in previous emails, I have changed the length requirement for the draft and final papers. The new required length is 10-15 pages, double spaced (down from the 15-20 stated in the syllabus). Please note that you will still need at least 20 sources (approximately half primary and half secondary). For the draft paper, please do not attach copies of your sources. For your final papers, you must attach copies of the first page of each source.
4/13 Here are the first four papers that we will be discussing in Monday's class. Please read each one and be prepared to provide an intelligent and constructive critique.
4/19 Here are four more papers, which you should download and be ready to discuss in class on Monday:
4/26 Here are the last three papers, which we will discuss during the last class next Monday: