HIST 3320: The History of Childhood

Instructor: Professor Swapna Banerjee
Office Address: 1127B Boylan Hall
Office Hours: Monday, 1-2 pm; Thursday, 12:30-1:30 pm & By appointment
Email WITHOUT attachments: banerjee@brooklyn.cuny.edu
Email WITH attachments: BanerjeeClasses2020@gmail.com

Note on e-mail correspondence:

• Check your email and BlackBoard announcements daily.
• For messages without attachments, send e-mail to: banerjee@brooklyn.cuny.edu
• For messages with attachments, send e-mail to: BanerjeeClasses2020@gmail.com
• The Zoom link for your classes is on the syllabus. I will also post it on BB. To check BB announcement, you need to check your registered e-mail account. The Zoom links are only for those registered for this class. 
• Do NOT share the Zoom links with anybody else. Violation of this rule will lead to serious disciplinary action.  
• E-mail me only for course-related matters and keep it short. Always think before you write to me.
• I will not answer unnecessary e-mails regarding questions that are addressed in the syllabus.
• I will NOT answer e-mails during weekends. Allow 24-48 hours for my response to your mails, even on weekdays.
• Do NOT e-mail me for your petty illnesses or other reasons for missing classes. 
• I will not discuss your big concerns with assignments, lectures, or readings over e-mail. For such concerns you must see me during my office hours and by appointment. 
• ALWAYS put your <yourname> and the course number IN THE SUBJECT. 
• Email is a FORMAL means of communication (at least when you correspond with your professors or employers, etc.). Let's treat each other with respect. Use capital letters, punctuation, greetings and salutations as in a professional message. Avoid abbreviations, slang, and cuteness.
• The use of magic words (please, thank you) and politeness in general is strongly encouraged.
• Sign every message at the bottom. 
• Exchange phone numbers or email addresses with your classmates. If you happen to miss a class please do NOT ask me to summarize what we did or will do in class, or what the assignment is/was, UNLESS YOU HAVE SERIOUS REASONS. Email or text a classmate instead.

• Course Location: Online via Zoom
  • Lectures will be conducted synchronously via zoom.
• Course Time: Tuesday and Thursday, 11 am-12:15 pm via zoom

IMPORTANT: If you do not have reliable and regular access to a desktop or laptop computer, headphones or internet access please go to the Brooklyn College Device Loan Requests/Returns to request equipment. Brooklyn College has Chromebooks, Laptops, iPads, Headphones and T-Mobile Hotspots that can be loaned to you. 

• We will hold synchronous class sessions on Zoom for all classes. 
• Access to Blackboard is mandatory.
  • I will post Zoom links, announcements, assignments, course materials, and relevant news items on BlackBoard.
  • Zoom links will also go to your BB e-mail. 
• Make sure you have access to the email with which you are registered for the CUNYfirst/BB account.
  • If you do not frequently access the mail account for CUNYfirst/BB, please make the necessary changes quickly. 
• If you cannot attend synchronous class time, you are required to write a 3-4 page paper on the assigned readings for that class. Send me the paper as an attachment to BanerjeeClasses2020@gmail.com.
• I prefer that you attend class with your Zoom camera on. However, I understand that this may not always be possible. If that is the case, I would like you to actively participate in class by raising your electronic hand and/or contributing to the online chat. If your camera is off, I need to be assured that you are still actively engaged with our discussion.  
• Although our classes will be virtual, use of cell phones during class hours is strictly prohibited.

The COVID-19 pandemic entails unpredictable challenges (Synchronous classes, meetings, etc.). If you are faced with an emergency or something in your life changes because of COVID-19 that interrupts your attendance or other commitments related to the class, please be in touch with me as soon as possible. I will adjust the assignments and accommodate your needs so that you can successfully complete the semester. 

• I reserve the Right to Alter Reading and Writing assignments as required. The syllabus can be modified (within limits) according to the interests and intellectual curiosity of the students.
• In turn, I expect a thorough familiarity with the Syllabus that outlines the requirements and the constituting elements of the course.  
• For doubts and questions please contact me at your earliest—we will meet over zoom during my office hours or by appointment. Send me a short and appropriate e-mail to set up a meeting.

For the most part, you will need technology that will allow you to access this OER website, Blackboard, other websites and a device that has audio and video capabilities. If your internet connection is spotty, try to have a stable connection or not use WIFI when you are taking any quizzes or attending live meetings.

• Check your following college accounts are updated and accessible. (CUNYFirst, Brooklyn library account, Blackboard, Zoom Pro,  CUNY Dropbox, and CUNY Microsoft 365 cloud services account.
• Again: If you do not have reliable and regular access to a desktop or laptop computer, headphones or internet access please go to the Brooklyn College Device Loan Requests/Returns to request equipment. Brooklyn College has Chromebooks, Laptops, iPads, Headphones and T-Mobile Hotspots that can be loaned to you. 

Did you know that Brooklyn College History has its own Discord server?

It includes dedicated channels for experiencing your History courses with classmates, a Virtual Lounge for discussing history and other topics with your peers, as well as a bulletin board for all the latest information about upcoming History department events.

This course is a zero cost/open educational resources course.  That means there is no textbook students need to purchase. All materials are available freely to students online on the HIST 3320 The History of Childhood OER site (what you are on right now) and Blackboard .

Other useful links and academic journals to explore:

• To make students aware that childhood is a social and cultural construction that changed over time; that it both converges with and differs from the contemporary notions of childhood.
• To make students understand that childhood is not universal: it is diverse and complex depending on the contexts and determined by class, caste, race, gender, religion, geography, time period, and politics, among other factors.
• To familiarize students with the historiographical debates surrounding the history of childhood.
• To read and analyze different kinds of primary sources (written documents; art forms; maps; music; film, space) and secondary literature to make connections between what is presented as “facts” and their interpretations. 
• To enhance critical thinking, reading, and writing skills through reading and writing assignments.

• Reveal an understanding that childhood is not a monolithic and unchanging category; that it is a historically constructed notion and an important subject of scholarly investigation. 
• Demonstrate familiarity with the major trends in the history of childhood.
• Acquire adequate knowledge about why the history of childhood is crucial for an understanding of childhood and the development of world history.
• Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate and discuss primary and secondary sources for articulating an argument and draw a meaningful conclusion. 
• Exhibit leadership role in the classroom by choosing to present on a topic identified from the syllabus, formulate discussion questions, and respond to questions from the audience.