World Civilization

An introduction to the major cultures of the world from the ancient period to c.800 C.E. in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, this course will analyze these cultures in their political, economic, and religious aspects, and will also reflect the latest information on the role of women in society. The objectives of this course are to give students a greater understanding of why the world is the way it is today, to develop within the students the necessary skills to analyze both contemporary and historical societies and their institutional components, and to cultivate an awareness of foreign cultures and societies in order to give new perspectives on our own cultural assumptions and traditions. This course should not be taken by students who have taken HIS-111, Western Civilization forms in ancient Greece to the collapse of the Roman Empire.