History 869.01 Seminar in Modern American History Autumn Quarter 2006
Prof. Childs
Office: Dulles 204 292-7014; e-mail: childs.1@osu.edu; Office Hours: M & Thur 1-2:30 or by appointment
Introduction
This is the first of a two-quarter research seminar focused on topics in Modern American History, which I define as covering the period from Reconstruction to the present (although I have worked with students on topics occurring in earlier periods).
While my publication record focuses on the history of commission-style economic regulation, public policy, and business-government relations, it also includes attempts to integrate biography and cultural themes into political-economic themes. I am interested generally in public policy history and how it intersects with intellectual, cultural, social, and business history. I have worked with students on a variety of topics, including public policy, business, cultural, women’s, African-American, and military history.
Optional Thematic Portion of the Course
In the schedule of classes, you will notice that there is one “optional” meeting scheduled. This is designed only for those students who would like to meet with me and a few of their fellow students to discuss the art and mechanics of writing bureaucratic and policy history with an eye towards the human element (that is, writing biography or prosopography into institutional history). I will make available readings for these optional meetings.
A Note on the Format of
This Course
This syllabus is designed for a student just beginning his/her research project.
Some of the participants may be well into an MA thesis or Ph.D. dissertation. These students will not be required to redo the “building block” assignments listed below; they will be required, however, to share their previous work of this nature with the seminar and to comment on the younger scholars’ efforts. They will also be expected to “make a contract” with the seminar that outlines how much they will accomplish during the two-quarters. For example, an ABD might agree to write one and one-half chapters; an MA student might agree to have a final draft of the thesis.
Most of the work for this seminar, of course, will take place in the library, before the microfilm reader, wherever your research materials may be located, and of course before the blank screen of your word processor. The class meetings, however, will be important, for they offer you the opportunities to try out your ideas, comment on the ideas of others, ask for help solving particular problems in research and writing, offer suggestions to others encountering problems, and, generally, to complement the lonely pursuit of the researcher-writer with the communal exchange of ideas between scholars.
I expect you, moreover, to see me on a semi-regular basis by appointment to discuss your progress.
In addition, I expect you to consult with your Major Professor on a regular basis. While I and your fellow students will contribute to your growth as a scholar, your Major Professor is the key source you should tap for help on context and specific bibliographic/archival aids. As has been my custom, I shall give your Major Professor copies of my comments on your work.
Books and
You need not purchase any specific books for this course. Copies of the assigned essays are available through J-STOR (if not, I’ll make copies easily available). The Graduate Program of the Department of History requires you to have a style book. In addition, I expect you to purchase a book on writing. Numerous books will do; I have used with some success the following:
John R. Trimble, Writing With Style (1975).
William Zinsser, On Writing Well (1980).
The Autumn Quarter will be devoted to several tasks:
1.
2. Developing a bibliographic essay.
3. Engaging in primary research.
4. Writing a bibliographical essay, and introduction, and an extended outline of your essay.
Schedule of Meetings and Assignments
September 21 No Class [Graduate Student Reception scheduled at same time]
Assignment:
September 28 The Context of
Modern
Handout literature-search materials and discuss.
Discussion: How your projects fit into the historiography of Modern America.
Readngs: Louis Galambos, “The Emerging Organizational Synthesis in Modern American History,” Business History Review (Autumn 1970), and “Technology, Political Economy, and Professionalization: Central Themes of the Organizational Synthesis,” BHR (Winter 1983) and “Recasting the Organizational Synthesis: Structure and Process in the Twentieth and Twentieth-First Centuries,” BHR (Spring 2005); Alan Brinkley, “Writing the History of Contemporary America: Dilemmas and Challenges,” Daedalus (Summer, 1984), 121-141. (The first two are available via J-STOR; copies of the latter two will be in an envelope outside my office door.)
October 5 No class—research.
October 12 Electronic Research Tools
This meeting will be led by David Lincove of the Library staff. Please meet in at the Circulation Desk in Sullivant Hall.
October 19 Descriptions of Projects due.* ABD contracts due.*
Two students will be assigned to critique each description/contract.
October 26 Optional Meeting Postponed See Dec 7.
Paul M. Kendall, “Introduction,” “Walking the Boundaries,” and “Contemporary Biography,” in Kendall, The Art of Biography (1985).
Lawrence Stone, “Prospography,” Daedalus (Winter 1971); D. Langmore, “The Problems and Pleasures of Prosopography: Writing a Group Biography,” in J. Walter and R. Nugent (eds), Biographers At Work (1984);
Margaret Jane Wyszomirski, “From Nancy Hanks to Jane Alexander: Generating Support for Art’s Sake at the National Endowment for the Arts,” in Richard A. Loverd (ed), Leadership for the Public Service: Power and Policy in Action (1997 );
and, two writing examples, by Stoff and Childs.
November 2 No meeting. Research.
November 9 Bibliographical/Historiographical essays due.*
Two students will be assigned to critique each essay. We may need to meet for longer than the 2 hours or extend the meeting to the following week.
November 16 No meeting. Research.
November 23 No class. Thanksgiving.
November 30 Discuss Outlines/Chapter drafts.*
Two students will be assigned to critique each assignment. We may need to meet for longer than the 2 hours or extend the meeting to the following week (Finals Week).
December 7
Same time/place. Complete
critiques. Discuss readings on biography
and prosopography. The readings will be
outside my office door.
*Assignments need to be turned in to Dr. Childs and the students assigned to critique your project no later than noon the previous Monday. It is the student’s responsibility to get a hard copy of the assignment to Dr. Childs and the students in time.
Descriptions of Assignments:
Note: On all written assignments, please (1) paginate, and (2) do not use right-hand justification.
(1) The one-page,
single-spaced description of your topic will include the following:
The nature of the piece (MA thesis; Ph.D. dissertation chapter; essay for publication).
Proposed length of the piece (text), with justification.
Brief summary of the story involved.
Contributions to historiography.
Brief survey of sources to be used.
(2) The Bibliographical Essay.
This is a building-block-assignment. The bibliographical essay will indicate clearly how the secondary and primary sources will support your written work and how your work will enhance the historiography. ABDs should simply update their dissertation prospectus for this assignment.
Length: no less than 4 pages and no more than 10 pages, double-spaced, including notes.
Each student will turn-in a copy of this assignment to Dr. Childs and to two other students, whom Dr. Childs will designate. Those two students will take about 10 minutes to summarize their criticisms before the class and you will have about 5 minutes to respond.
(3) Introductions and outlines of essays/chapters.
The introduction will be no less than 5 pages, and no longer than 10 pages, double-spaced, including notes. It may include part of your bibliographical essay.
The outline of the essay will be 3-to-5 pages, double-spaced, and will consist of a section-by-section overview of your essay. Where appropriate, you will note use of primary sources.
Each student will turn-in a copy of this assignment to Dr. Childs and to two other students, whom Dr. Childs will designate. Those two students will take about 10 minutes to summarize their criticisms before the class and you will have about 5 minutes to respond.
ABDs will turn in drafts of chapters for this assignment, if their contracts with the seminar call for full drafts.
Note on the critiques:
The critiques should be typed on one page, single-spaced, with a copy to the student and to Dr. Childs, and include notations on the following:
a. Identify the author’s purpose/thesis
b. Note how successful the author was in meeting the purpose/proving the thesis
c. Note the strengths and where the author could improve
Sometimes these kinds of exercises become tedious in that the critical evaluations focus too much on the negative and not enough on the positive contributions. Be direct, but balanced; be positive, even when noting weaknesses. And be relevant!
Grades for the first quarter.
I will be assigning letter grades to your drafts and critiques as indications of where I believe your work is at that time. They are indicative, not definitive. Assuming you perform the work well, you will receive a “P” (progress) for the first quarter. See the next section of the syllabus for how the Final Grade will be determined.
This might seem superfluous,
but: You are
forewarned that I will pursue cases of academic misconduct to the appropriate
University committee.
See this web site for additional information on plagiarism: http://cstw.osu.edu/
If you are unsure about how to employ other material in your own work, see the above web site and/or ask during class or office appointments.
Disability Services
Students with disabilities that have been certified by the Office for
Disability Services will be appropriately accommodated, and should inform the
instructor as soon as possible of their needs. The Office for Disability
Services is located in 150 Pomerene Hall,
292-3307, TDD 292-0901; http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu/
History 890.02 Seminar in Modern American History Winter Quarter 2007
Prof. Childs
Description.
This is the second of the two-quarter seminar begun in Autumn 2006.
Meeting Times: TBD late December.
We will probably have 5 meetings: Two will cover preliminary drafts; two will cover penultimate drafts; and the final meeting will be relatively short where we look back over the two quarters to acknowledge our progress and what is still left to do.
Office Hours: For this course, I will be available by appointment at your convenience. Please see me in class or e-mail me for a specific meeting time.
Your Course Grade.
Each of you received a "P" for the Autumn Quarter (that is, "progressing"). For the final course grade--10 hours worth--I will calculate your grade the following way:
80% on the final draft (see below for criteria)
20% on critiques of others' work and discussion
Turning in your drafts late and/or failure to have a written critique ready for class will reduce your course grade one step each time (e.g., from an A to an A-; from an A- to a B+).
I will grade the final papers with the following in mind:
Is the essay/chapter well-organized?
Is the thesis clearly stated?
Is the thesis supported by ample primary sources?
Is the thesis placed squarely within existing historiography? Does the essay make a contribution to the existing historiography?
Is secondary literature employed effectively?
Is the prose clear and jargon-free?
Is the style consistent (prose; citations) and are the typos minimal?
Note on Incompletes.
I really do not like to give Incompletes. They should not be necessary, as you will
have had over 20 weeks to finish your work.
In extraordinary circumstances (e.g., illness), I might reluctantly
award ONE Incomplete, but no more. And
it will be up to the student to turn in the incomplete in time for me to assign
a grade.
Note on process for each
meeting.
Each time you present a draft, you must:
1. Furnish your two critics and me with copies of the draft in a timely manner (tbd).
2. On the meeting day, furnish everyone else a one-page synopsis-outline of what it is you are doing.
3. Commentators will:
(a) make comments on the drafts proper;
(b) prepare a one-page, single-spaced summary report for the student and for me;
(c) focus the one-page summary on: the relevance of the work to Modern America; the strengths of the work; any weaknesses. Sometimes these kinds of exercises become tedious in that the critical evaluations focus too much on the negative and not enough on the positive contributions. Be direct, but balanced; be positive, even when noting weaknesses. And be relevant!
Some notes on format:
For the drafts for discussion, you may copy on front and back; for the final paper, which I shall grade, please copy on only one side of the page. Use the Department Seminar number for all drafts.
Paginate every page; use point-size no smaller than 11 pt for text and endnotes (if you use footnotes, use one point smaller for the footnote).
Employ any footnote/endnote style you want to, but be sure to be consistent throughout your paper. I prefer that quotations be cited by specific page number. For example: author, title, 34-45, 36 (first quotation), 41 (second quotation). "Ibid." need not be italicized; "ibid." is used only when there is one citation in the previous note.
Schedule of Meetings
Jan 4 Discuss the readings on biography and
prosopography; updates on progress
Jan 18 Discuss
drafts by Tom (critiques by Carrie and Danielle); Jenny (critiques by Tony and
Rob).
Is there a third volunteer?
Jan 25 Complete
discussions of remaining drafts (critiques tbd).
Feb 22 Discuss
penultimate drafts (Tom, Jenny, Rob)
Mar 1 Discuss
penultimate drafts (Carrie, Tony,
Danielle)
March 8 No meeting
Final Papers due during regularly
scheduled Final Exam time: Thursday
March 15, 1:30-3:18