Western Humanities 221 in Prague and Vienna

Summer 2016
Course Director: Dr. Cynthia A. Klima, klima@geneseo.edu
Course Instructor: Professor Todd Goehle, goehle@geneseo.edu, 315-576-8512
Course Teaching Assistant: Sarah Simon, ses33@geneseo.edu
I. Purpose of the Syllabus
The syllabus will provide the student with an
overview of the course and an outline of course
expectations concerning our readings and course
assignments. In other words, the syllabus serves
as a contract for our semester abroad.
Additionally, note that the syllabus employs a
variety of hyperlinks as well as QR Codes (much
of it to vital course content/resources). While we
are providing you with a paper copy of the
syllabus, in order to more easily access these
links, you may want to access the syllabus
through myCourses. All updates or changes will
be made to the syllabus located in myCourses.
*Note* For a more general overview concerning behavior
while on the trip, please consult the course handbook.

Alphonse Mucha, Princess

Hyacinth (1911),
http://www.mucha.cz/

On May 24, students will meet Professor Goehle

and Sarah Simon at the departing gate for Oslo at
JFK. Be sure to keep an eye on the monitors for
any potential gate changes. When you arrive to
Oslo, your gate number may or may not be next
to your flight number until the gate is determined
at the airport. Again, keep your eye on the
monitor so that you will know your gate. If ever
in doubt, find Professor Goehle or Sarah Simon.

II. Learning Outcomes

Western Humanities II is a survey of texts from the 17th to the 20th centuries, representing a selection of
readings in the history of ideas of the modern era. Here are the intended learning outcomes of this course:
1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the contributions of significant Western thinkers to
ongoing intellectual debate about moral, social, and political alternatives.
2. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the major trends and movements that have shaped and
responded to this debate: e.g. monotheism, humanism, etc.
Copyright 2016: Any use of the syllabus without the consent of the instructors is prohibited

3. Students will demonstrate the ability to think critically about moral, social, and political arguments
in the Western intellectual tradition, evaluating the logic of these arguments and relating them to the
historical and cultural context.
4. Students will consider moral, social and political issues from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Additionally, for this particular section of Humanities,
5. Students will consider Western intellectual traditions from a variety of multimedia perspectives,
examining the ways in which Western Humanities developed in contact, in conflict, and in
negotiation with multiple traditions and forms of expression: e.g. literature, art, music, etc.
6. In discussions, examinations, and multimedia projects, students will demonstrate the ability to
discuss critically and effectively major topics and developments within the Humanities.

http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/prague_metro.html

III. Required Materials

Mandatory Texts:
-Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and Its Discontents. Translated and Edited by James Starchey. Introduction by
Christopher Hitchens. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010. ISBN: 9780393304510
-Margolius Kovaly, Heda. Under A Cruel Star: A Life in Prague 1941-1968. New York: Holmes & Meier, 1997.
ISBN 9780841913776.
-Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus: The 1818 Text. Edited with introduction and notes by
Marilyn Butler. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780199537150
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-Ungar, Hermann. The Maimed. Translated by Kevin Blahut. Prague: Twisted Spoon Press, 2002. ISBN: 9788086264134.
-Voltaire. Candide, Or Optimism. Translated and Edited by Theo Cuff. With an Introduction by Michael
Wood. New York: Penguin Books Deluxe Edition, 2005. ISBN: 9780143039426
-Zweig, Stefan. The Post-Office Girl. Translated by Joel Rotenberg. New York: New York Review of
BooksClassics, 2008. ISBN: 9781590172629
Course Materials on Websites:
-Crickenberger, Heather Marcelle. The Flneur. The Arcades Project Project.
http://www.thelemming.com/lemming/dissertation-web/home/flaneur.html (accessed 10 April 2015).
-Marx, Karl and Frederick Engels. The Communist Manifesto. Marxist.org.
https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Manifesto.pdf (accessed 10 April 2015)
-Sark, Kat. Vienna Secession: Klimt, Freud, and Jung. Suites Culturelles.
https://suitesculturelles.wordpress.com/2011/08/24/vienna-secession-klimt-freud-and-jung/ (accessed 20
November 2015).

-Terezin Ghetto. Learning about Art through the Holocaust: Art.Holocaust-Education.Net.

http://art.holocaust-education.net/explore.asp?langid=1&submenu=201&id=7.
Course Materials on MyCourses:
-Baklanov, Grigori. The Cost of War. Translated by Margaret Wettlin. Soviet
Literature Monthly, no.5 (1962): 95-106.
-Borowski, Tadeusz. This Way to the Gas Ladies and Gentlemen. In This Way to the Gas Ladies and
Gentlemen, edited and translated by Barbara Vedder, 29-50. New York: Penguin Books Edition, 1976.
-Djilas, Milovan. The New Class. In From Stalinism to Pluralism: A Documentary History of Eastern Europe since
1945. Edited by Gale Stokes, 100-106. New York: Oxford University Press, Second Edition, 1996.
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-Engels, Frederick. The Great Town: Condition of the Working Class in England. In The Norton Anthology
of English Literature, Volume II, edited by Stephen Greenblatt and el., pp. 1702-1710. New York: W.W.
Norton and Co., 2012.
-From the Enlightenment to Romantic Nationalism (Maria Theresa-Revolution of 1848). In The Czech
Reader: History, Culture, Politics, edited by Bazant, Jan, Nina Bazantova, and Frances Starn, 111-122. Durham:
Duke University Press, 2010.
-From National Self-Determination to Cosmopolitanism (1867-1918). In The Czech Reader: History, Culture,
Politics, edited by Bazant, Jan, Nina Bazantova, and Frances Starn, 187-205. Durham: Duke University Press,
2010.
-Havel, Vaclav. Public Enemy. In Disturbing the Peace: A Conversation with Karel Huizdala. 119-162. New
York: Vintage, 1991.
-Havel, Vaclav. The Memorandum. In The Garden Party and other Plays. Translated by Vera Blackwell, 53130. New York: First Grove Edition, 1994.
http://www.klementinum.com/index.php/en/

-Heydrich, Reinhard. On the Elimination of the Czech Nation. In The Czech Reader: History, Culture, Politics,
edited by Bazant, Jan, Nina Bazantova, and Frances Starn, 321-326. Durham: Duke University Press, 2010.
-Jirasek, Alois. The Golem. In The Czech Reader: History, Culture, Politics, edited by Bazant, Jan, Nina
Bazantova, and Frances Starn, 219-223. Durham: Duke University Press, 2010.
-Kafka, Franz. A Report to an Academy. In The Czech Reader: History, Culture, Politics, edited by Bazant, Jan,
Nina Bazantova, and Frances Starn, 223-231. Durham: Duke University Press, 2010.
-Outram, Dorinda. What is Enlightenment? In The Enlightenment, 1-10. Cambridge, Cambridge
Press/Second Edition, 2003.
-Palack, Frantiek. History of the Czech Nation in Bohemia and Moravia. In The Czech Reader: History,
Culture, Politics, edited by Bazant, Jan, Nina Bazantova, and Frances Starn, 133-136. Durham: Duke
University Press, 2010.
-Schorske, Carl E. The Ringstrasse, Its Critics, and the Birth of Urban Modernism. In Fin-De-Sicle Vienna
Politics And Culture, by Carl E. Schorske, 24-115. New York: Vintage Books, First Edition, 1980.
-Shalamov, Varlam. Carpenters, Dry Rations, Cherry Brandy, Condensed Milk, and A Day Off. In
Kolyma Tails. Edited and Translated by John Glad, 15-20, 31-47, 68-75, 80-85, and 103-106. New York:
Penguin Classics Edition, 1995.

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-The Trial of Rudolf Slnsk, the Events of 1949-1952. In From Stalinism to Pluralism: A Documentary History
of Eastern Europe since 1945. Edited by Gale Stokes, 71-77. New York: Oxford University Press, Second
Edition, 1996.
-Zweig, Stefan. The World of Security. In The World of Yesterday. By Stefan Zweig. Translated by Anthea
Bell. 23-49. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press Edition, 2013.

IV. Assignments
A. Group Mixed-Media Response on the Prague
Metro (30 May 2016)
10%
B. Three Mixed-Media Response
(Various Due Dates)
45% Total
C. Two Short Identification Exams
(Various Due Dates)
30%
D. Online Participation on Candide/Frankenstein
(Week prior to Prague)
5%
E. Travel, Visits, Attendance, Participation
(All of the Time)
10%

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5rETN9GFwA

A. Group Mixed-Media Response on the Prague Metro (30 May 2016) (10%)
The Prague metro system is certainly one of the most interesting from an architectural perspective. Some of
the stations are quite unique, in fact. Much of what you will see is the original decoration from the 1970s,
when the major portions of the subway were completed, with some changes now and again. Renovations
near the Vltava River were undertaken in the 1990s, for example, as Staromstka station was in a special
situation since it was nearest the river and tended toward leaking from the ceiling. Other stations had to be
redone for aesthetic purposes, i.e. they were just falling apart and looking dingy.
For this assignment, students will be assigned to
groups of four and, as a group, you will asked to

create a mixed-media response of your

groups adventures and observations of the
Prague Subway. The content of the mixed-

media response is entirely up to your group.

Explore and write about what you and your group
find interesting about the Prague Metro, its
architecture, its people, etc.

*Note 1* As we move closer to our arrival date in

Prague, I will circulate additional information that
will guide your work in the Prague Metro.
*Note 2* As a reward, the group that produces
the best mixed media powerpoints of the Prague
Subway will win a prize of a free dinner!

For more on the criteria/expectations of this

assignment, please the section entitled Criteria
for all Mixed-Media Responses.
https://www.viennapass.com/

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B. Three Mixed-Media Responses (15% for each response, 45% Total)

Throughout the course, students will be asked to produce three, mixed-media responses. The three
topics/responses are:
1) Vienna, Modernity, and the Mind
(8 June 2015)
2) Man, Repression, and Otherness
(21 June 2015)
3) The Student, the Flneur, and The Urban Space of Prague
(No Later than 10 July 2016)
For this assignment, students will be asked to create Mixed-Media Responses that blends your
understanding of course materials, tours, themes, and your own personal experiences abroad. The content
of the mixed-media responses is entirely up to you. Explore and write about what you and your group find
interesting related to the themes of each assignment. Obviously, as we move closer to an assignment, we will
discuss it in greater depth.
For more on the criteria/expectations of this assignment, please the section entitled Criteria for all MixedMedia Responses.
*Note* For the first mixed-media response, all students are required to meet with Sarah Simon for a
mandatory 20-minute consultation. Sarah studied with us last year and possesses a wildly creative mind;
meeting with her will help you brainstorm ideas and really push the boundaries of the assignment. Failure

to meet with Sarah prior to submitting your response will lead to a full letter grade deduction.
While you will not be required to meet with Sarah for your other two mixed-media responses, both
Professors Klima and Goehle highly suggest that you seek out her guidance. It will be worth it!!!

https://arkinetblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/agenda-zlin-%E2%80%93-model-town-of-modernism/

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CRITERIA FOR ALL MIXED-MEDIA RESPONSES

1) All Response Projects (whether group or individual response) must have a Written Component,
and this Written Component must not consist of more than 1000 words. The written component does not
need to be in a traditional essay form per say (although it can absolutely be). Rather, the written component
can be ANY text-based form: captions, poems, bullet points, narration for a video, etc. Irrespective of form,
the Written Components fixed word count/total should not be exceeded. While the word count/total is
very reasonable, do not think that this is an easy task. You must focus on a topic and touch upon it very
quickly. You must think about your words and your wording. You must excise all unnecessary phrasing.
Concision is necessary! Editing is a necessity!
2) Your Response Project must have a Visual Component. It can consist of photography; video; mixedmedia; Instagram; Tumblr; drawing; sketch and/or painting; collage; etc.
3) Your Response Project must effectively blend the written and visual, whether in the form of a
video, PowerPoint presentation, images copied/pasted onto a word document, etc. Please note as well, the
visual component of your project should not simply be for show. Take the visual component of the
assignment seriously. Integrate both the textual and the visual to support your claims.
4) Your Response Project must incorporate content from class AND course excursions. Selfexplanatory.
5) Your Response Project must have a contestable thesis and a clear conclusion. Your Response
Project must be organized and it must be clear.
6) Your Response Project must have ALL of the following:
a) Page Numbers
b) Titles. Note: Cover pages are not required, but titles are required. Titles are particularly important, since they
attract the readers attention and identify the topic of the essay. Make them interesting and informative!
Papers without a title will lose valuable points since we, your readers, will have to try to figure out what your
paper is about.
c) If Necessary, Formal Footnotes or Endnotes (NO PARANTETHIC CITATIONS).
7) Your Response Project must be downloaded to a flash drive at the Hotel Desk. All mixed-media
projects must be downloaded to a flash drive that Professor Klima has left at the hotel desk by no later than
9 PM of the due date. As you have probably discovered, the hotels internet connection is too unreliable to
send via wifi. We ask that you do not remove the flash drive from the desk area, so please download your
powerpoint presentation in the lobby/kitchen area.
Note 1: These mixed-media reflections encourage you to critically blend your personal experiences with
course materials, excursions, and encounters. Perhaps most importantly, the Response Projects will provide
you an excellent opportunity to be CREATIVE!!!! Explore your readings! Explore the topics and
issues of the course! Explore the relevance of our Humanities course to contemporary life! Explore your

environment. Explore yourself!!!

Note 2: While there are clearly stated objectives, I realize that not all of you are comfortable with such an
open-ended assignment. If you desire additional structure, there are a number of ways to obtain it, in
Copyright 2016: Any use of the syllabus without the consent of the instructors is prohibited

particular, raise your questions and concerns in class; speak with Professors Goehle and Klima as well as
Sarah Simon; send me e-mails, notes, etc. The projects are what you make of it.

http://www.susam.cz/en/home/
ADDITIONAL ISSUES REGARDING THE MULTIMEDIA RESPONSE PROJECTS
Grading Guidelines and Assessment: In summation, the Grading Guidelines/Assessment for the
Response Projects are as follows:
Argument/Thesis:
30%
Originality/Analysis:
15%
Structure/Organization:
15%
Evidence:
15%
Clarity:
15%
Formatting and Following Directions:
10%
For more on this grading scheme, please consult the appropriate rubric found in MyCourses

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Citations: All sources, published, unpublished, internet, etc., as well as your choice of footnotes or
endnotes must be properly cited according to a recognized academic format (Chicago, Turabian, MLA, etc.).
Failure to follow proper citation guidelines will result in a reduced grade. Parenthetical Citations will not be accepted. Simon
Fraser University has created a useful online website. See: http://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/writing/chicagoturabian
Plagiarism: Do not plagiarize. Plagiarism will result in Automatic Failure of the Assignment and possible
College sanctions. http://www.geneseo.edu/dean_office/dishonesty. The College Catalogue defines
plagiarism as the following:
Plagiarism is the representation of someone else's words or ideas as one's own, or the arrangement of someone else's material(s)
as one's own. Such misrepresentation may be sufficient grounds for a student's receiving a grade of E for the paper or
presentation involved or may result in an E being assigned as the final grade for the course.
If you have any questions regarding the issue of plagiarism, please visit the Colleges policy on plagiarism
and academic dishonesty http://www.geneseo.edu/dean_office/dishonesty, schedule an appointment with
a reference librarian at Milne, raise questions in class, or see me during office hours. Additionally, consult
the UNCCHs handout concerning plagiarism.
Writing Resources and Assistance: For those of you seeking writing and/or style advice, please use the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hills (UNCCH) excellent online writing site,
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/. Specifically, you might find the handouts available via the
handout link on the website especially useful. Throughout the semester as well, we might direct you to
specific handouts in order to address writing issues or concerns. Additionally, Purdue Online Writing Lab
(OWL), http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/, is an excellent resource for college level writers, as it provides
detailed explanations and examples for any written assignment that you might encounter during your college
career. OWL also provides useful websites for creating effective resumes and cover letters.
Grades: Late assignments will be marked down half a letter grade for each class day it is overdue. Late
papers can be submitted with no penalty provided there is a legitimate excuse. Legitimate excuses, such as
medical treatment, severe illness, or a death in the family must be documented. Legitimate excuses do not
include vacations, computer problems, hangovers, or work due for another class.

http://www.habsburger.net/en/media/bernardo-bellotto-schonbrunn-palace-viewed-gardens-oil-painting-175960

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C. Two Short Identification Exams (15% for each Examination, 30% Total)
13 June 2016: Midterm Exam in the Morning (All course content including readings, lectures, class
discussions, tours, etc. up until Vienna/Post-Office Girl/The Maimed)
23 June 2016: -Final Exam in the Morning ((All course content including readings, lectures, class
discussions, tours, etc. from Vienna/Post-Office Girl/The Maimed onward)
For each exam, students will be asked to select and to complete 5 of 7 Identifications within a 60-75 minute
time span. Writing Paper will be provided. A quality response should be a mini-essay, an absolute
minimum of 5-6 quality sentences in length. The response should provide the who, what, where, why,
when, and how of the Identification as well as the significance of the Identification for the course.
Identifications can be ideas, individuals, dates, and/or locations from course readings, discussions, and
student presentations. Your response must be in paragraph form. Study sheets will be provided prior to
the exam.
Grading Guidelines and Assessment: In summation, the Grading Guidelines/Assessment for the HourLong Examination is as follows:
Identification Details:
10% x 5
Significance of Identification for the Course:
10% x 5

D. Online Participation on Candide/Frankenstein (Week prior to Prague) (5%)

IN PARAGRAPH FORM, students will answer -at an absolute minimum- three questions posted for each
lesson (so respond to at least three questions for the Candide lesson and to at least three questions for the
Frankenstein lesson). Additionally, students will respond to at least two of their fellow students responses

Copyright 2016: Any use of the syllabus without the consent of the instructors is prohibited

posted for each lesson (so respond to at least two of your peers comments for the Candide lesson and to at
least two of your peers comments for the Frankenstein lesson).
To ensure that we have a good discussion of the content prior to Prague, I ask that you respond to at least
one question for each lesson by the following dates: (May 18) (May 20) (May 22)
*Note* If you wish to answer all three questions prior May 18, you are free to do so Two responses on
May 17 and one on May 19, again, you are free to do so. The three deadlines are only there to provide a bare
minimum baseline for participation.

Professor Goehle and Sarah Simon, who is serving as the programs teaching assistant this summer, will
moderate the discussions and offer feedback and commentary when needed.
To facilitate our online work, we will be using https://piazza.com/. Please be on the look-out in the coming
weeks for an invitation to join it. The invitation will allow you to join our private discussion chat.

http://www.lib.umich.edu/soviet-invasion-czechoslovakia/pg1.html

E. Travel, Visits, Attendance, Participation (10%)

To ensure the success of the course, regular attendance is necessary and will be strictly enforced. Students
will be expected to attend and to be on-time for all activities, meetings, etc. Moreover, students must actively
participate in class activities and assignments. A few points of note:

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Why is active participation important?

Throughout our time abroad, we will be working through a series of questions related to class-assigned
materials and our experiences abroad. Interpreting Humanities and developing the skills needed to analyze
and to write effectively at the college level will be a collaborative effort driven by group discussion, debate,
and reflection. We ask that you attend all activities, meetings, etc.; participate in discussions; lead a
discussion with a group; and be a good audience for others. Note: Being a good audience includes listening to
instructors and tour guides, as well as exhibiting basic civility and courtesy. We are not only working as a team but representing
our campus.
What does active participation mean?
Active participation does not mean attending class and/or tours. What it does mean is that you:
1. raise questions and concerns related to readings, films, discussions, lectures, and tours.
2. contribute effort and thought to class exercises, which will include reading assignments, brainstorms, brief
free-writes, as well as group and general class discussions.
3. conduct yourself in a professional manner. We cannot stress this enough
Active participation will be assessed according to these standards. Assessment will also be based not simply
on quantity but also quality of participation. Course exercises are designed to target, reinforce, and/or refine
student strengths, whether written, oral, or visual. Such an approach promotes a comfortable and respectful
learning environment and allows the student to gain experience and develop confidence in any number of
critical reasoning skills.
Quiz Policy: Quizzes will be given in class if the instructors wish to assess the comprehension of the class
or if the instructors believe the students have not come prepared to class. Usually, we will ask you to identify
an idea, a person, or a concept in detail. Or there might be a short, true/false quiz.
There will be times in the semester when you will become frustrated with the course content. Perhaps you
may not understand a passage or concepts emerging from course tours and excursions. All that we ask is
that you try your best to prepare the days contents, raise questions if you have them, and actively participate
in class.

IV. For the reading and assignment schedule, consult the course itinerary

http://www.freud-museum.at/en/
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