HIS 103 Final Project Help Sheet
In your Final Project, you must compare two different societies or civilizations that we have covered in this class, within the time period we have considered (c. 5000BCE – c. 1600CE).
- Refer back to your HIS 103 Final Project Preparation Template which you completed in Week 3, along with the feedback you received from your instructor on this assignment.
- Don’t forget to explore resources in the HIS 103 Library Research Guide to develop the content of your project fully.
- Decide on your preferred format and use the supports provided to ensure that you present your material appropriately.
- Keep in mind that your Final Project requires comparative analysis.
- Based on the two different societies or civilizations within the time frame covered in this course that you have chosen:
- Clearly define each society or civilization you are comparing.
- Clearly define the time period during which you are examining each society or civilization.
- Clearly organize main sections of your work according to the categories that form the basis for your analysis.
- Clearly explain the historical context within which you are examining the chosen categories.
- Compare and contrast the two societies in regard to the significance of the similarities and differences that you find.
To help you develop your ideas and gain focus as you compare and contrast the societies or civilizations you are researching for your Final Project, consider different ways to think about the categories of analysis required by the assignment.
You do not have to respond to all of these points in your project; these prompts are provided to get you thinking. Use them as starting points for your own analysis.
Categories of Analysis for the Final Project [address three of the following four areas]
Gender Roles, Ideals and Relationships. Assess how ideal roles or qualities for men and women were expressed within each society. [CLO 1, 2, 5]
To address this category, think about the following issues:
- Identify the differences between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources, and their use in historical research.
- Summarize major patterns of interaction among world civilizations through the early modern age.
- Explain the impact of major technological innovations on world civilizations through the early modern age.
- Compare the development of the world’s major religions and ethical traditions through the early modern age.
- Assess the significance of gender roles and expectations within the political, legal, economic, religious, social, and cultural systems of world civilizations through the early modern age.
- Assess the role of social status within the political, legal, economic, religious, social, and cultural systems of world civilizations through the early modern age.
Social and Economic Structures. Assess how each society defined different levels of socioeconomic status. [CLO 1, 2, 6]
To address this category, think about the following issues:
- Identify how each society defined socioeconomic status. Upon what basis?
- Summarize how systems of wealth redistribution (for example: taxation, tribute payment, labor demands, welfare systems, distribution of goods, inheritance practices, charity) had differing impacts according to socioeconomic status.
- Assess the degree to which changes in socioeconomic status were possible within each society.
- Explain how gender affected socioeconomic status.
- Explain how socioeconomic status affected participation in governance.
- Explain how socioeconomic status affected position within legal systems.
- Explain how socioeconomic status affected conduct in warfare.
- Assess how ideas about socioeconomic status were affected by religious or ethical beliefs.
- Assess how differences in socioeconomic status were reflected in art, architecture or literature.
Religious or Ethical Beliefs. Evaluate how core religious or ethical beliefs operated within each society. [CLO 1, 2, 4]
To address this category, think about the following issues:
- Explain how specific religious or ethical beliefs affected political systems.
- Explain how specific religious or ethical beliefs affected legal systems.
- Explain how specific religious or ethical beliefs impacted the conduct of warfare.
- Assess how specific religious or ethical beliefs affected ideas about gender roles or ideals.
- Assess how specific religious or ethical beliefs intersected with socioeconomic status.
- Explain how art, architecture or literature was used to express or transmit religious or ethical beliefs.
- Assess how religious or ethical beliefs changed with the introduction of new ideas.
Technological or Cultural Innovations. Explain how unique technological or cultural innovations impacted each society. [CLO 1, 2, 3]
To address this category, think about the following issues:
- Describe a key technological or cultural innovation developed by each society.
- Explain how the technological or cultural innovation influenced specific aspect of each society, such as: economic position, social structure, political structure, ability to conduct warfare or defend against attack, conduct trade.
- Explain how the technological or cultural innovation was influenced by developments in other societies
- Assess how the technological or cultural innovation affected each society’s status compared to other regions at the same time.
- Assess how the technological or cultural innovation affected other societies or regions at the same time, or in a later time.