CAR: Syllabus

Syllabus

Course:	Conflict & Reconstruction (aka 20th century history)
Code:	PH2009
Semester:	January-May 2017
Professor:	Francisco García González
E-mail:	fgarciagonzalez@itesm.mx
Website:	http://fgg23.blogspot.com (Go to the tag for the class)

A. General Objective

This course aims to set the stage for students to experience the necessary balance between concepts, abilities, and content to be able to understand the context of the topics they will study in IB History.

B. Specific Objectives

Upon completing this course, students should have a firm grasp on:

1.     Evaluating historical sources through the OPCVL (Origin, Purpose, Content, Value, Limitations) format.

2.     The discussions surrounding the historical concepts of liberalism, imperialism, and nationalism and their significance in the conflicts that happened in the 20^th Century.

3.     Regional dynamics and international relations as viewpoints from which to study history and understand contemporary issues.

4.     The use of literature and fiction in historical research.

C. Work Methodology

-       The class will be based around class discussions and teamwork.

-       Content will be made available to students before each session through the professor’s blog (fgg23.blogspot.com) in the class’s tag. Reading or watching the content is not necessary, but is highly recommended before each session, as it will make each class quicker and allow for more time to be dedicated to activities outside of listening to lectures.

-       Homework assignments will include analyzing sources for their usefulness and reliability and looking at specific sources in preparation for class activities.

-       Book Presentation: The group will be divided into teams with an assigned novel from the 20th century. On the assigned date, they should make a 30-minute presentation that includes the plot of the book and the historical themes it touches upon.

D. Class Instructions

In order for the class to flow smoothly, some specific rules will apply:

1.     Be honest. Using information without a proper citation in written assignments, presentations, projects, or exams will be penalized as Academic Dishonesty (D.A.) according to Article 33 of Tecnológico de Monterrey’s General Rules and Regulations for Students. The professor will comply strictly with school procedures.

2.     Be responsible. The professor reserves the right to refuse late assignments and schedule late exams. While it is true that certain unexpected situations make deadline extensions acceptable and necessary, this is generally not the case, and deadlines are scheduled for specific reasons. Please consider this before asking for extensions or late exams. Respect the professor’s time and your own by planning accordingly when possible. Regarding absences, the class policy is that SAPPA will be taken and the door will be closed after the 5-minute mark. Absences are non-negotiable, and any kind of request for them to be justified should be taken directly to the department.

3.     Be respectful. While cellphones and electronic tablets are a staple of contemporary life, texting and taking calls while someone else is speaking is impolite and counterproductive. Only answer text messages or phone calls in the event of an emergency and please leave the classroom briefly to do so. Raise your hand and wait for your turn to talk during class discussions, debates and lectures. If a student is unable to pay attention or participate respectfully, they will be asked to leave the class.

4.     Be present. As each class is only 1-hour long and activities are fast-paced, any absence (even to go to the bathroom) is distracting and probably unnecessary. This also applies for the usage of computers, tablets and phones for things that are unrelated to the class. You already made it to class, so you might as well make the most of it.

F. Grading and Important Dates

Partials
Exam	33%
Homework, activities, and quizzes	50%
Partial Project	17%

Final Evaluation
First two partials	60%
Third partial activities	10%
Final Exam	20%
Final Project	10%

Exams	Date
Partial 1	February 7
Partial 2	March 21
Final Exam	May 10

Projects	Date
First Partial Project	January 30
Second Partial Project	March 14
Final Project	April 24

G. Course Topics

	Date
Review of the 19th Century	9-Jan	Introduction
	10-Jan	Horizontal history & Generations
	11-Jan	OPCVL Format Practice
	12-Jan	Congress of Vienna & Concert of Europe
	13-Jan	Colonialism in the 19th Century
	16-Jan	Liberalism & Socialism
	17-Jan	Nationalism: USA, Europe, Japan
	18-Jan	Porfiriato in Mexico
	19-Jan	INTEGRATION
	20-Jan	"North and South"
Imperialism in crisis	23-Jan	Mexican Revolution
	24-Jan	Mexican Revolution
	25-Jan	Mexican Revolution
	26-Jan	Mexican Revolution
	27-Jan	"Los de Abajo"
	30-Jan	World War 1
	31-Jan	World War 1
	1-Feb	World War 1
	2-Feb	INTEGRATION
	3-Feb	"The Bridge on the Drina"
	6-Feb
	7-Feb	PARTIAL EXAM
	8-Feb	EXAM REVIEW
	9-Feb	Revolutions
	10-Feb	Revolutions
	13-Feb	Russian Revolution
	14-Feb	Russian Revolution
	15-Feb	Russian Revolution
	16-Feb	INTEGRATION
	17-Feb	"Doctor Zhivago"
Liberalism in crisis	20-Feb	Crazy 1920s
	21-Feb	Weimar Republic
	22-Feb	Great Depression
	23-Feb	INTEGRATION
	24-Feb	"The Great Gatsby"
	27-Feb	Maximato
	28-Feb	Cárdenas & PRI
	1-Mar	Fascism: Germany
	2-Mar	Fascism: Italy
	3-Mar	"The Berlin Stories"
	6-Mar	World War 2
	7-Mar	World War 2
	8-Mar	World War 2
	9-Mar	World War 2
	10-Mar	"Nineteen Eighty-Four"
	13-Mar	World War 2 in Mexico
	14-Mar	Totalitarianism: Hitler
	15-Mar	Totalitarianism: Stalin
	16-Mar	INTEGRATION
	17-Mar	"Brave New World"
	20-Mar
	21-Mar	PARTIAL EXAM
	22-Mar	EXAM REVIEW
	23-Mar	Postwar period in Japan
	24-Mar	Postwar period in Germany
	27-Mar	Cold War introduction
	28-Mar	Cold War: US perspective
	29-Mar	Cold War: US perspective
	30-Mar	Cold War: US perspective
	31-Mar	“The Manchurian Candidate”
	3-Apr	Cold War: USSR perspective
	4-Apr	Cold War: USSR perspective
	5-Apr	Cold War: USSR perspective
	6-Apr	INTEGRATION
	7-Apr	“How the Steel was Tempered”
	10-Apr
	11-Apr
	12-Apr
	13-Apr
	14-Apr
20th Century Nationalism in Crisis	17-Apr	Cold War in Latin America: Cuba
	18-Apr	Cold War in Latin America: Mexico & South America
	19-Apr	Civil Rights Movement
	20-Apr	Counterculture & Antiwar Movements
	21-Apr	“Antes que anochezca”
	24-Apr	Cold War in Asia: Vietnam and Korea
	25-Apr	Cold War in the Middle East: Iran and Israel
	26-Apr	Capitalism in Crisis
	27-Apr	Communism in Crisis
	28-Apr	“Freshwater Road”
	1-May
	2-May	INTEGRATION
	3-May	Feedback session
	10-May-17	Final Exam

H. Professor’s Profile

Francisco García González holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Ciudad de México, and a Master of Arts in Public Administration and Public Policy from Tecnológico de Monterrey’s School of Government and Public Transformation. His areas of specialization have included corruption, conflicts of interest, security, and globalization.

He has also studied at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies in the International Relations and Conflict Resolution track of their “Semester in Washington” program, as well as Universidad Católica del Uruguay’s Winter School of Research Methods and Data Analysis.  He has worked for the Mexican federal government, the National Defense University’s William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies in Washington, DC, and Yale University’s Center for the Study of Globalization.