101年第1學期-0094 西洋文化史 課程資訊

評分方式

評分項目	配分比例	說明
Midterm exam	30	Closed book exam: definition, identification, and short answer questions
Final exam	30	Closed book exam: definition, identification, and short answer questions
End of semester writing assignment	20	Take home writing assignment
Group Reports	20	Reports on study questions prepared by study groups

教育目標

The course aims to: 1. introduce students to the history of Western civilization and help them build a foundation for their studies in the English Majors Program; this means that we survey key historical figures and concepts which are likely to be referred to in various courses in the department (e.g. King David, Socrates, Julius Caesar, Martin Luther, chivalry, the Renaissance, the industrial revolution, Napoleon, etc.) 2. familiarize students with key cultural concepts and vocabulary and increase their verbal and culturl literacy. Examples of key concepts are: artifact, mainstream culture, marginal culture, ideology, taboo, gender, monotheism, etc. 3. foster critical thought regarding value systems and ideologies and engage students in debtes regarding, e.g., gender roles, class, government, etc.

課程概述

History of Western Civilization is a first-year required course. Its aim it to introduce students to the history of Western civilization from its beginnings in the ancient Near East and the Greek-Roman world to approximately WWI (1914-18). Much attention is devoted throughout the course of the year to those aspects of Western civilization which are most relevant to Chinese students of Western languages and literatures: the Greek-Roman legacy; Christianity; the history of major European languages such as English, French, and Spanish; European contacts with the East; Western concepts of self, other, home, identity, family, nation, state, justice, divinity, etc.

基本資料

必修課，學分數：2-2
上課時間：一/1,2[A101]
修課班級：外文系1A
修課年級：年級以上
選課備註：

參考書目

A wide range of excellent sources and learning materials can be consulted online and in the Tunghai Library.

The Encyclopedia Britannica is the standard encyclopedia in the English speaking world and can be consulted both in the Tunghai Main Library and the FLLD Reading Room (FLLD 3rd Floor).

The following Western Civilization textbooks are highly recommended; copies are on reserve in the FLLD Reading Room and the Tunghai Library.

Marvin Perry: Western Civilization: A Brief History (6th ed.)
Judith G. Coffin: Western Civilizations: Their History and Their Culture
Jackson J. Spielvogel: Western Civilization: A Brief History

Many other encyclopedias and books are available in the Tunghai Library.

Excellent study resources can also be consulted online. iTunes University (hosted by the Apple iTunes Store), e.g., has many excellent audio and video podcasts on Mesoptamian civilization, Greek mythology, Homer, Roman civilization, the history of Western art, etc.; many of these resources are free.

Other useful online materials can be found on the BBC history page (http://www.bbc.co.uk/ history/), the website of the Smithsonian Museum (http://www.si.edu/) and many other websites.

Wikipedia articles can be useful, but it must be noted that the open format of Wikipedia makes it possible for non-specialists to write and/or edit Wikipedia entries. This occasionally results in incorrect and incomplete information and Wikipedia entries, therefore, are generally not considered authoritative.

The instructor will make use of xeroxed materials, films, iTunes U podcasts and Powerpoint presentations in class.