HIST 101 World History, 1945-Present introduces students to key issues and events that have unfolded since the end of the Second World War. The course will develop student's understanding of the period as one of ongoing change and contestation at global, national, regional, and local levels, the ramifications of which continue to impact us today. Topics typically addressed in the course include efforts toward the establishment of a postwar international order, including the United Nations; the Cold War; colonization, decolonization and the changing imperial and national political landscape; the evolution of political and economic systems and ideologies including Communism, Capitalism, Democracy, and Authoritarianism; globalization; developments in the arts and sciences; technological change; social movements; tensions and developments in areas of human rights, indigenous, racialized, ethnic, and gender identities; and human interactions with the environment. Upon the course’s conclusion, students will be able to identify and explain the significance of key issues and events from this period and to consider their ongoing influence.
Prerequisites: English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 or ENGL 60 with a minimum grade of 60%
Accessibility Services Notice
Students who would like an academic accommodation and who have a documented disability should contact Accessibility Services, if they have not already done so.Course Details| Total number of weeks | 15 |
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| Total Credits | |
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| Total Hours | 60 |
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Typical hours per week breakdown| Lecture | 3 |
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| Seminar | 1 |
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Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the learner will be able to:
- Assess recent and contemporary issues and events from a historical perspective
- Interpret historical continuity and change within a global context from 1945 to the present
- Apply critical thinking and analysis to quantitative and qualitative sources, evidence, and interpretations
- Apply discipline-centered research, writing, and communications skills through the use of on-line and print library materials
- Respond respectfully to presentations and discussions
Teaching and Learning Approach
HIST101 unfolds as a combination of lectures, discussion-based seminars, and workshops aimed at developing
academic and discipline-specific skills in reading, analytical thinking, research, and written and oral
communications. Exams, assignments, and in-class exercises enable students to put the knowledge and skills
they are acquiring to work in a variety of contexts while providing some flexibility to pursue areas of specific
interest. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to consider continuities that link the contemporary
world to issues and events of the past while observing the pitfalls of ‘presentism,’ or the evaluation of the past
through the lens of contemporary expectations as to ‘how things should be.’ A detailed weekly schedule of lecture
and seminar readings and activities will be distributed at the start of the course.Learning Resources
th
Brower, Daniel R., and Thomas Sanders. The World in the Twentieth Century: From Empires to Nations. 7 ed.
Toronto: Pearson, 2014.Detailed Course Content, Topics, and Sequence Covered
1. Course Introduction
2. The World in 1945
3. Decolonization, Nationalism, and the Cold War in East Asia
4. Decolonization, Nationalism, and the Cold War in East Asia (contd)
5. Decolonization, Nationalism, and the Cold War in South Asia
6. Decolonization, Nationalism, and the Cold War in South Asia (contd)
7. Study Week
8. Africa and Latin America
9. Africa and Latin America (contd)
10. The Middle East
11. The Middle East (contd)
12. Cold War Politics and the West
13. Cold War Politics and the West (contd)
14. Course Conclusion
15. Final Exam PeriodAssessment
| Title | Learning Outcomes | Value |
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| Primary Source Assignment | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 15% |
| Research Paper Proposal Assignment | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 10% |
| Research Paper Assignment | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 25% |
| Exercises (Quizzes, Reading Reviews) | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 20% |
| Final Exam | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
Grading Table
Standard Academic and Career Programs Grading Table
| Percentage |
Letter Grade |
GPA |
| 90-100 |
A+ |
4.33 |
| 85-89 |
A |
4.00 |
| 80-84 |
A- |
3.67 |
| 76-79 |
B+ |
3.33 |
| 72-75 |
B |
3.00 |
| 68-71 |
B- |
2.67 |
| 64-67 |
C+ |
2.33 |
| 60-63 |
C |
2.00 |
| 55-59 |
C- |
1.67 |
| 50-54 |
P |
1.00 |
| 0-49 |
F |
0.00 |
| |
DNW |
0.00 |
See the Academic Calendar for General Information including how to withdraw from course(s) and other regulations.
Disclaimer
Information contained in this course outline is correct at the time of publication. Content of the course is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational, employment and market needs. The instructor will endeavor to provide notice of changes to students as soon as possible. The instructor reserves the right to add or delete material from courses.