KHAS 103 History of Humankind

The main objective of this course is to introduce the students with major concepts in humanities and social sciences as they relate to world civilizations and history. It is expected that the students will become familiar with social scientific theories that utilize and build upon these concepts and understand that concepts and ideas change in time and space, and are institutionally framed. This will enable students to understand the historical context and intellectual conditions that give rise to certain developments by focusing on the content and social context of concepts such as civilization, science, history, time, space, myth, religion, individual, society, family, state, nation, race, gender, culture, globalization. The overarching theme will be how we understand civilization and the implications of different notions of civilization on how we interpret the world around us and how we organize our everyday practices. For this reason, the course will cover the period from the beginnings of the world, as depicted in scientific, religious, and mythical origin stories to the times of colonialisms and revolutions up until early twentieth century. Throughout the term the students will read primary or secondary texts and watch documentary and/or feature films dealing with history, family, religion, city, and/or nation, and respond to them utilizing the concepts covered in class.