BACHELOR OF EDUCATION IN SOCIAL STUDIES

SPECIALIZATION: Secondary Social Studies

COURSE NAME: Civilizations and Systems of Forced Labour

COURSE CODE: SS301SEB

YEAR: 1

SEMESTER: 2

NUMBER OF CREDITS: 3

NUMBER OF HOURS: 45

PRE-REQUISITES: CXC CSEC SOCIAL STUDIES

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is designed to deepen student-teachers’ knowledge of civilizations, and systems of

forced labour. A greater awareness of the achievements of civilizations will foster students’
appreciation of the past. The course fosters a critical examination of systems of forced labour,
and enslavement that was practiced in varied forms before the Trans-Atlantic slave trade began.
From an examination of civilizations from a worldwide perspective, it fosters in students an
appreciation of the contributions of civilizations to modern society. Among the civilizations
studied are Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. In alternate years Egypt OR Mesopotamia,
Greece OR Rome will be studied.

GENERAL LEARNING OUTCOMES

The student teacher should be able to:

1. Explore the background and development of civilizations.

2. Appraise civilizations and their contributions to modern society.
3. Compare systems of forced labour the Caribbean.
4. Examine factors fostering domestic and chattel slavery.
5. Develop an appreciation of the past and the historical events which shaped it.

Unit 1: Early Peoples of the Caribbean

Number of Hours: 9

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

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Students should:

1. trace the origin of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean

2. locate and put in places of indigenous settlements on maps
3. examine major features of the life of indigenous peoples of the Caribbean
4. assess the impact of Europeans on the Pre- Columbian societies of the Caribbean
5. evaluate the contributions of indigenous peoples of the Caribbean to modern society

CONTENT:

1. Survey of the indigenous peoples (Tainos, Kalinagos) under the following headings:-
a) Origin, location and settlement
b) Social and economic life
c) Political organization

2. Europeans and Pre-Columbian Societies

3. Contribution of Amerindian groups to modern Caribbean society

Unit 2: Civilizations of the Americas: Mayas, Aztecs, Incas

Number of Hours: 9

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students should:

1. critically examine the socio-economic organization of each civilization

2. analyze the role of leadership in each civilization
3. compare social, political and economic features of Caribbean and mainland Amerindian
groups
4. judge the effectiveness of mainland groups in sustaining and maintaining cohesion of
their society
5. discuss the importance of religion in the life of Amerindians

CONTENT:

1. Settlement
- Location
- Influence of geography (including availability of natural resources)

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 2. Social, Economic and Political Structures
3. Achievements
- Technology
- Architecture
- Science
- Medicine
- Writing
- Mathematics

Unit 3: Mesopotamia OR Egypt

Number of Hours: 6

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students should:

1. explain how geography influenced the settlement and development of Mesopotamia OR

Egypt
2. examine the social, economic and political structures of the civilization
3. illustrate how the environment influenced the advancement of technology and other
institutions
4. assess the contributions of Mesopotamia OR Egypt to modern society

Content:

1. Influence of geography on settlement

2. Social, Economic and Political Structures
- Writing
- Cities
- Religion
- System of Government
- Division of labour
- Culture
- Social classes

Contributions:

- Technology

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 - Architecture
- Science
- Medicine
- Mathematics

Unit 4: Greece OR Rome

Number of Hours: 6

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students should:

1. outline the factors that led to the growth of Greece OR Rome

2. discuss the unique features of a classical civilization
3. examine main elements of Greek OR Roman culture
4. assess the emphasis placed on artistic expression by the Greeks OR Romans
5. critique the value of Greek or Roman culture in contemporary society

Content:

Greece
- Minoan Civilization
- Migrants; City-States
- Age of Kings
- Homeric Age
- Religion
- The Age of Pericles
- The Peloponnesian War

Rome

- Early peoples in Italy

- Government/Struggle of the Orders
- The Roman Republic
- Expansion, Results of expansion
- The Roman Empire: The Gracchi
- The First Triumvirate- Julius Ceasar
- The Second Triumvirate-Octavian, Marc Anthony
- The Julian Emperors
- Roman Culture/Achievements

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Unit 5: Systems of Forced Labour

Number of Hours: 15

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students should:

1. examine slave systems in the Old World

2. compare Old World and New World slave systems
3. distinguish between Repartimiento, Encomienda and Chattel Slavery
4. outline factors giving rise to systems of Forced Labour
5. debate the effects of slavery on the Amerindians and Africans
6. analyse problems experienced by groups that endured enslavement

Content:

Systems of Forced Labour

A. Old World
- Greece
- Rome
- How slaves were obtained/Why individuals became slaves
- Categories of slaves
- Treatment of slaves
- How slaves acquired their Freedom/Manumission

B. New World

- European Conquest
- Arrival of the Spanish (Conquistadores)
Repartimiento
Encomienda
 Attempts to protect the native peoples
 Effects of European Conquest

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

- Overview
 Domestic slavery in West Africa
 Obtaining slaves
- The Middle Passage
 Arrival and sale in the New World
 Conditions of Slavery

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  Work done by slaves
 Suppression of African cultural expression on the plantation
 Measures of slaves control

TEACHING METHODS

 Research/Presentation
 Document Analysis
 Group Discussion
 Role-play
 Debates
 Map work
 Simulated Interviews

ASSESSMENT

Coursework 50%

Essay 10%
Group Presentation 25%
Test 15%

Final Written Exam 50%

Students are to complete two (2) questions of six (6) in two (2) hours

RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND REQUIRED READING

Ajayi, J, and Michael Crowder (1976). History of West Africa. London: Longman Group
Limited.

Augier, Roy, et al. (1960). The Making of the West Indies. Kingston: Carlong Publishers
Caribbean Ltd.

Shepherd, V. and H. Beckles. (2000). Caribbean Slavery in the Atlantic World. Kingston: Ian
Randle.

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Cootes, R. J. and Snellgrove, L.E. (1991). The Ancient World. New York: Longman Publishers.

Crisp, Peter. (2003). Ancient Greece. London: Dorling Kindersley.

Hall, Douglas. (1982). The Caribbean Experience: A Historical Survey 1450-1960. Kingston:
Heinemann Educational Books Limited.

Hart, Diane. (2006). Ancient Civilizations. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Mazour, Anatole G. and John M. Peoples. (1990). World History: People and Nations. Orlando:
Garcourt Brace Jovanovich Publishers.

Williams, Eric. (1970). From Columbus to Castro: The History of the Caribbean 1492-1969,
London: Andre Deutsch.

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