David Ludden, del5@nyu.edu.

Off Hrs Wed 12-2, 53 Washington Square South, KJCC 526. 

link to weekly schedule and syllabus

This capstone History Seminar explores the history of health environments in the modern world of globalization, focusing particularly on the ways in which inequalities of power, knowledge, and wealth influence health among social groups inside spaces of mobility and territoriality. Starting in 2021, we will focus particularly but not exclusively on large scale health problems, most importantly pandemic disease and mass malnutrition.

These are the characteristics of capstone seminars:

• Seminars are designed to offer students an opportunity to discuss a series of topics or issues around a table in an intimate setting of fewer than twenty students and a faculty director.
• Each student is expected to undertake a research project and make an oral presentation in class about some or all aspects of the project.
• The professor and fellow students critique each other’s work in progress and offer helpful suggestions and insights of their own.
• At the end of the semester, the student will submit a final paper to the professor who will then assess a grade based on the quality of the paper as well as class participation throughout the semester.
• This is not a lecture course and normally there are no mid-term or final examinations.

The workload consists of (1) weekly reading, (2) class participation, (3) one-page weekly essays, to prepare for class discussion, (4) research paper proposals and drafts, and (5) a polished 25 page research paper on a topic of student choice designed in consultation with the instructor.

Grading is based an evaluation of class participation and all the elements of the final paper, including on time delivery of proposals, draft, and final version, and the quality of class presentation.

Final Papers are due on the Friday of the last week of classes at 5PM, in hard copy in my mailbox in Hist Dept 4th Floor KJCC, and sent to me as PDF file email attachment.

The last six weeks of class are devoted entirely to the refinement of research papers.

Please remember: attendance at all student class presentations is mandatory for all students. Please come to class on time. Presenters must provide powerpoints in advance and must observe the time limit set for presentation.

After presentations, paper drafts will be returned with comments. Late submissions will not receive attention. Students should take draft comments and class discussion into account when making final paper revisions.