HISTORY201:TheHistoriansCraft
HistoryofHumanitarianism
Professor:EmilyCallaci
[email protected]
CourseTime:M&W,4:00-5:15
ClassLocation:COMPSCI1325
OfficeHours:Thursdays,1:30-3:30pm
Office:5116MosseHumanitiesBuilding
TA:ChrisHommerding
[email protected]
Officehours:M&W,2-3pm
Office:4269MosseHumanitiesBuilding
COURSEDESCRIPTION:
Whatmotivatesustotrytoalleviatethesufferingofpeopleindistantpartsoftheworld?
Thisisoneofthequestionsthatthreadsthroughthiscourseontheglobalhistoryof
humanitarianism.Studentsinthiscoursewillexaminetheoriginsofhumanitarianideas
andinstitutions,andhowvarioushumanitariancampaignshavebeenshapedby
geopoliticalprocesses,includingtheabolitionoftheslavetrade,thespreadofmissionary
Christianity,Europeanimperialism,theColdWar,andeconomicliberalization.Questions
include:whohasbenefitedfromvarioushumanitarianaidcampaignsthroughouthistory?
Howhavevarioushumanitariancampaignsshaped,andbeenshapedby,patternsofglobal
inequality?Whyhavesomepopulations,andnotothers,beendeemedworthyofthe
world’scompassion?Wewillexploretheworlds,perspectivesandvisionsof
humanitariansthrougharangeofprimarysources,includingdiaryentries,memoirs,
journalisticreportage,photography,documentaryfilm,andarchivalsourcesabout
Wisconsin-basedhumanitariancampaignsheldintheWisconsinHistoricalSociety.
ThiscoursefulfillstheGeneralEducationCOMMBrequirement.Assuch,studentsin
thiscoursewilldevelopcriticalskillsinresearchandwriting.Studentswilllearnhowtodo
thefollowingthings:
• formulatestrongresearchquestions
• findandidentityhistoricalsources
• evaluateprimarysources
• developandpresentanargument
• communicateresearchfindingseffectively.
COURSEFORMAT:
Thiscoursehastwointerlockingcomponents.Inthein-classcomponent,studentswill
exploretheglobalhistoryofhumanitarianism.Throughacombinationofshortlectures,inclassanalysisofprimarysources,andweeklyreadings,studentswilllearnabout
humanitarianisminaglobalandhistoricalcontext.Throughthecontentofthiscourse,
studentswilllearntheskillsofhistoricalthinkingofanalysis,whichtheycanapplytoother
topicsbeyondthiscourse.
Thesecond,complementarycomponentwilltakeplaceweeklydiscussionsections,with
theTeachingAssistantChristopherHommerding.Eachdiscussionsectionwillcarryoutan
originalresearchprojectthroughresearchconductedattheWisconsinHistoricalSociety.
There,eachsectionwillconductresearchonahumanitarianmovementorcampaignbased
inWisconsin.Discussionsectionswillworkonthisprojectoverthecourseofthesemester,
witheachsessionbuildingtowardsafinalresearchpresentationtotakeplaceduringthe
finalweekofthesemester.
REQUIREMENTSANDEVALUATION:
4shortassignments:20%
Theseareshortwritingassignmentsthatwillrequireyoutoanalyzereadingsorprimary
sources.
Participation:30%
Breakdownofparticipationgrade:
• ParticipationinThursdaydiscussionsections:15%
• MondayandWednesdayin-classactivities:15%
ResearchProject:35%
• Weeklyresearchworksheets,tobefilledoutduringdiscussionsections20%
• FinalGroupPresentation:15%
FinalPaper(5pages): 15%
ASSIGNEDREADINGS:
Alltextsareavailableonthecoursewebsiteinpdfform.Eachweek,youareresponsiblefor
completingallreadingsfortheweekbytheWednesdayclassmeeting.
RESOURCESANDPOLICIES
OfficeHours:
Iencourageyoualltocometomyofficehourstodiscussanyaspectofthecourseoryour
academicprogram.Thesehoursaresetasidespecificallyforyourbenefit,andIreallyhope
toseeyouthere.
TechnologyintheClassroom:
Studiesshowthatstudentswhotakenotesbyhandlearnmaterialmoreeffectivelythan
thosewhotakenotesonalaptop.Studiesalsoshowthatusingalaptopinclassnotonly
hasnegativelearningoutcomesfortheindividuallaptopuser,butforothermembersofthe
classaswell.Forthesereasons,mypolicyisthattherewillbenolaptopsallowedinthis
class.Iwillconsidermakingexceptionsforstudentswhofeelstronglythathavingtheir
laptopinclasshelpsthemtolearnbetter.Ifthisisthecase,pleaseseemeindividually.
WritingResources:
YourTAChrisHommerdingwillbeavailabletoadviseyouonwritingassignmentsforthis
course.Additionally,Iencourageyoutomakeuseoftheresourcesandservicesavailableat
theWritingCenter.Moreinformationaboutthiscanbefoundhere:
http://www.writing.wisc.edu/
AcademicHonesty:
TheUniversityofWisconsintakesmattersofacademichonestyveryseriously.Plagiarism
inparticularisaveryseriousoffensethatcanposearealthreattoyoursuccessandtothe
integrityofourbroaderlearningcommunity.Iwillstrictlyenforcetheuniversitypolicies
onacademichonesty.Therulesaboutplagiarismcansometimesbeconfusing.Ifyouare
unsureaboutthem,pleasebeonthesafesideandcheck.Youcanstarthere:
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_plagiarism.html
Ifyouarestillunsureaboutwhatconstitutesplagiarism,andwhetheryouarecommitting
plagiarism,pleasebeonthesafesideandcomespeaktomeduringofficehours.Ignorance
aboutdefinitionsofplagiarismwillnotbeanacceptableexcuse.Moredetailedinformation
aboutstudentcodesofconductmaybefoundhere:
http://students.wisc.edu/saja/misconduct/UWS14.html#points
Disability:
DisabilityguidelinesforcourseaccommodationsmaybefoundattheUW
McBurneyDisabilityResourceCentersite:http://www.mcburney.wisc.edu/
SCHEDULE:
Week1:
Wed,1/18Introductions
Week2:
Mon,1/23:Whatishumanitarianism?RootsandConcepts
Wed,1/25:Humanitariantraditionsacrosscultures
Reading:
Michael Barnett, Empire of Humanity: a History of Humanitarianism, 1-48
DueWednesday:shortassignment#1
Week3:
Mon,1/30:Slavery,AbolitionandSlaveRedemption
Wed,2/1:“Christianity,CommerceandCivilization”
Reading:
ThomasClarkson,DescriptionofaSlaveShip(peruseatBritishLibrary)
ThomasPaine,“AfricanSlaveryinAmerican,”ThePennsylvaniaJournalandWeekly
Advertiser,March8,1775
ExcerptfromTheInterestingNarrativeofOlaudahEquiano,orGustavusVassatheAfrican,
WrittenbyHimself(London,1789)
ThursdayDiscussionSection:MeetatWisconsinHistoricalSocietyforOrientation
Week4:
Mon,2/6LibrarySessionwithJulianneHaahr
Wed,2/8Colonialatrocitiesand“RedRubber”intheCongo
Reading:
E.D.Morel,RedRubber:TheStoryoftheRubberSlavetradethatflourishesontheCongofor
twentyyears,1890-1910,(Manchester,UK:NationalLabourPress,1919).(excerpts)
Week5:
Mon,2/13InnocentBystandersandtheRulesofWar
Wed,2/15WorldWarIIandtheNewInternational
Reading:
HenryDunant,AMemoryofSolferino,1862,(excerpts)
Due:shortassignment#2
Week6:
Mon,2/20 Decolonizationand“Development”
Wed,2/22BiafraandDoctorsWithoutBorders
Reading:
KurtVonnegut,“Biafra:APeopleBetrayed”
LasseHeerten,“’A’asinAuschwitz,‘B’asinBiafra:TheNigerianCivilWar,Visual
NarrativesofGenocideandtheFragmentedUniversalizationoftheHolocaust,”249-268”
Week7:
Mon,2/27:Vietnam,WarPhotographyandTelevisionandnewmedia
Mon,3/1:Witnessingfamine
Reading:
SusanSontag,RegardingtheSufferingofOthers,18-58.
Due:Shortassignment#3
mid-semestercheck-in
Week8:
Mon,3/6:Bosnia,Kosovo,Somali
Wed,3/8:RwandaandtheInternationalCommunity
Reading:
PhilipGourevitch,“TheGenocideFax,”TheNewYorker
BenjaminValentino,“ThePerilsofLimitedHumanitarianIntervention:Lessonsfromthe
1990s,”723-40.
Week9:
Mon,3/13:GacacaCourts
Wed,3/15:classupdatesonresearch
SPRINGBREAK
Week10:
Mon,3/27NeverForget:MemorializingAtrocities
Wed,3/29:Humanitariansand“Do-Gooders”
Reading:
LiisaMalkki,“BearHumanity:Children,Animals,andOtherPowerObjectsofthe
HumanitarianImagination,”105-132
Week11:
Mon,4/3:Brand-aid:BoycottsandFairtrade
Wed,4/5:CelebrityHumanitarianism
Reading:
Bono, Message 2U, Vanity Fair, 2007
Natasha Himmelman and Dania Mupotsa, “(Product) RED: (re) Branding Africa,” 1-8
Ayoade Olatunbosun-Alakija, “(RED) Spells H.O.P.E.”, 68-70
Teresa Barnes, “Product Red: The Marketing of African Misery”, The Journal of PanAfrican Studies, 71-75
Week12:
Mon,4/10:HIV/AIDSandtheReconfigurationofHumanitarianism
Wed,4/12:PaulFarmerandGlobalHealth
F. ManjiandC.O’Coill,“TheMissionaryPosition:NGOsandDevelopmentinAfrica,”
InternationalAffairs78(2002),567-583
Due:shortassignment#4
Week13:
Mon,4/17:VolunteeringAbroad
Wed,4/19:ThePoliticsofNationalDisasters
Reading:
Claire Wendland, Susan Erikson, and Noelle Sullivan. “Beneath the spin: moral complexity and
rhetorical simplicity in global health volunteering.” 164-182.
Week14:
Mon,4/24:AHistoryofSanctuaries
Wed,4/26:RefugeesandMigrants
Readings:
DidierFassin,FromRighttoFavor:therefugeequestionasamoralcrisis,TheNation,April
5,2016.
TejuCole,“MigrantsWelcome,’TheNewInquiry,September7,2015
Week15:Presentations
Mon,5/1
Wed,5/3
Wednesday,May10,2017:FinalPaperDue