History Department Contemplates Replacing Introductory Sequence

The Western history survey course currently required of all concentrators may soon be replaced by a class that would emphasize a cross-cultural perspective on history.

The decision would affect the more than 240 undergraduates who typically take History 10: "Western Societies, Politics and Cultures," each year. Yet many professors and students in the department say a replacement is both unnecessary and would fail to address the issues History 10 was designed to cover.

The History Department first began requiring the History 10 a/b sequence of its concentrators about five years ago. The goal, according to Professor of History and Head Tutor James Hankins, was to create "something foundational to provide a common frame of reference and to allow for more sophistication [in] higher-level courses."

The first semester, History 10a, covers Western history from antiquity to 1650, while the second semester, History 10b, is a survey of European history from the first cities and empires to modern times.

In addition to History 10 a/b, non-honors concentrators must take eight half courses and honors concentrators must take six half courses and write a thesis. Of these, only one must be in non-Western history.

Yet concentrators and professors remain split on whether the course should be entirely replaced or simply complemented by a global survey course.

The Debate

Many professors and students wonder if the global survey course would be culturally sensitive and inclusive, while others question if it would provide the grounding and basis that history concentrators need. Some say concentrators may find it more beneficial to learn the major events in Western history, in anticipation of meeting these topics in later classes.

"History 10 is really a European survey, and I think that if it is the only option required of concentrators, then it is definitely too ignorant of non-Western, or even non-European, history," said Emily N. Wallach '01, a history concentrator.

But Steven E. Ozment, McLean Professor of Ancient and Modern History, says he is concerned that that a world history course would simply have to cover too much material. Both Western history and world history classes, are, by definition, survey courses, requiring vast amounts of information to be condensed into the span of a year. Naturally, the amount of information in a world history class is much greater.

"Most often the rationale one hears is the alleged `Eurocentrism' of the Western course--so that one opts for the greater inclusivity of the world course," Ozment wrote in an e-mail.

"The choice here, however, may actually be between graspable breadth of study and the proverbial reach that exceeds its grasp," he added. "Despite its breadth, a Western course can still bite soundly, while a world course runs a very real danger of being mostly sound bites."

As a required introductory course for concentrators, History 10 a/b must provide a foundation for concentrators to draw on in their later courses. Yet some professors are worried that Harvard's History Department doesn't have enough experts in world history to teach an adequate course.

"I doubt that the department has the personnel to teach a world history course that would be sufficiently inclusive, either chronologically or spatially," said Philip A. Kuhn '54, Higginson Professor of History and of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, and chair of the committee that made History 10 a required class for concentrators.

But other professors believe Harvard has the experts to teach a world history course, although they are wary of it for different reasons.

"Harvard is a very intellectual place and it would be great to have a course that reflects that and that would take advantage of the great diversity of fields represented in our department," Hankins said. "I personally question whether a world civilization class would give the same frame of reference."

Designing the Course

Despite the concerns, Hankins said a departmental committee will probably begin designing the world history course next year. The course would be introduced in 2000-01 at the earliest.

Next year, Hankins will teach the course as part of a "three-years-on, three-years-off agreement" with Ozment, who currently teaches History 10a. In the spring, Coolidge Professor of History David G. Blackbourn, the department's acting chair, will teach History 10b.

The logistics of creating and teaching a world history course are still up in the air, though tentative plans are being discussed.

"It is very hard to cover history from the Sumerians to the present day in one year," Hankins said.

He said the design of the world history class would probably be topically-based, with a cross-cultural comparative approach. The course would cover two units a semester, four in a year, with each unit taught by different departmental faculty.

"Area studies within the History Department can then contribute their research and knowledge to [a world civilization course]," Hankins said.

Possible units include the rise and fall of empires, the family unit in history, human ecology, religious and industrial revolutions and imperialism.

"All of these lend themselves to cross-cultural comparisons," Hankins said.

History concentrators say a cross-cultural comparison would be beneficial.

"If you actually did some kind of intelligent comparison of different societies without worrying about relating them to post-modern concerns, then it would be a great service to history concentrators," said Laszlo Nagy '99.

Replacement or Alternative?

Hankins predicted a "lively debate" within the department on whether the new world history class would be required of history concentrators in place of History 10, or whether it would simply be offered as another option with which they could meet the requirement.

For a time, both courses will probably be offered, he said.

"We don't like to tell professors what to do," he said. "If they want to teach 10 a/b, they can."

In addition, the department hopes to have the new class added to the Core Curriculum. According to Hankins, History 10 never received a favorable response from the Committee on the Core.

"Ideally we would have liked having History 10 in the Core Curriculum," Hankins said. "Many departments have their intro courses in the Core, allowing freshmen to explore their disciplines...[Such courses] act as recruiting for the department."