Week 1 Assignment: Case Study – Imperialism and Genocide

Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 2, 4
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
See additional required resources within the option instructions.
Instructions
For this assignment, select one of the following options:
Option 1: Imperialism
The exploitation of colonial resources and indigenous labor was one of the key elements in the success of imperialism. Such exploitation was a result of the prevalent ethnocentrism of the time and was justified by the unscientific concept of social Darwinism, which praised the characteristics of white Europeans and inaccurately ascribed negative characteristics to indigenous peoples. A famous poem of the time by Rudyard Kipling, "White Man's Burden," called on imperial powers, and particularly the U.S., at whom the poem was directed, to take up the mission of civilizing these "savage" peoples.
Read the poem at the following link:
Link (website): White Man's Burden (Links to an external site.) (Rudyard Kipling)
After reading the poem, address the following in a case study analysis:
Select a specific part of the world (a country), and examine imperialism in that country. What was the relationship between the invading country and the native people? You can select from these examples or choose your own:
Belgium & Africa
Britain & India
Germany & Africa
France & Africa
Apply social Darwinism to this specific case.
Analyze the motivations of the invading country?
How did ethnocentrism manifest in their interactions?
How does Kipling's poem apply to your specific example? You can quote lines for comparison.
Option 2: The Armenian Genocide
Ethnic hatred is not new to the human race and ethnic hatred also goes hand in hand with some of the causes of World War 1 that we have discussed this week, namely nationalism and imperialism. In nationalism, the people not only believe their countrymen (those who look, talk, sound, and believe like them) are not only "better" than people of certain other countries but they also have the right and possibly even the responsibility to conquer areas with those inferior to them and take whatever resources they feel they need. Add to this the need for the leader of a country to be able to blame a certain ethnic group within that country for their problems. Such was the case in the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Turks launched a winter offensive into the mountains of southern Russia early in the war and suffered a severe defeat, both at the hands of the Russian army and the terrible weather they encountered. The Sultan needed a scapegoat to blame the loss on, so he picked an unpopular ethnic minority, the Armenians. Since the people seemed to believe the story, the Ottoman military rounded up as many Armenians as they could and marched them away to their fate.
Watch the following videos on the Armenian genocide:
Link (video): Armenian Diaspora (Links to an external site.) (32: 43)
Link (video): Battle over History (Links to an external site.) (12:04)
After viewing the videos, conduct research on the topic and develop a case study based on the following questions:
How did the Armenian genocide play on the root causes of World War I, including nationalism, imperialism, social Darwinism, ethnic hatred, and the gullibility of the Turkish people who allowed this to happen and often even supported it.
What were the main motivations of the Ottoman rulers who decided to try and eliminate an entire ethnic minority within their country?
What was the process the Ottomans went through to round up the Armenians and march them to their deaths? Describe the process of the march and eventual genocide of the Armenians.
Why do terrible crimes against humanity always seem to happen during a war?
How do foreign governments recognize and deal with this event in their relationship with Turkey?
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 2-3 pages (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page
Grading
This activity will be graded using the W1 Case Study Grading Rubric.
Course Outcomes (CO): 1, 2, 3
Due Date: By 11:59 p.m. MT on Sunday
References
Callebaut, P., & Saey, N. (Directors), & Callebaut, P., & Saey, N. (Producers). (1984). Armenian diaspora [Video]. Landmark Media. Academic Video Online.
Magratten, D., & Gavshon, M. H. (Producers). (2010). Battle over history [Video]. Columbia Broadcasting System. Academic Video Online.
Kipling, R. (2009). The white man’s burden. https://www(dot)gutenberg(dot)org/files/30568/30568-h/30568-h.htm#VII_2 (Original work published 1899)
Rubric
Week 1 Case Study Grading Rubric
Week 1 Case Study Grading Rubric
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeLength
5 pts
Meets length requirement
0 pts
Does not meet length requirement
5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeContent
10 pts
Paper addresses all aspects of the assignment.
8.5 pts
Paper addresses most aspects of the assignment.
7.5 pts
Paper addresses some aspects of the assignment.
6 pts
Paper addresses few aspects of the assignment.
0 pts
No effort
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAnalysis
20 pts
Throughout the whole work, content expresses original thoughts or interprets the subject matter in a different perspective.
17 pts
Throughout most of the work, content expresses original thoughts or interprets the subject matter in a different perspective.
15 pts
Throughout some of the work, content expresses original thoughts or interprets the subject matter in a different perspective.
12 pts
Throughout little of the work, content expresses original thoughts or interprets the subject matter in a different perspective.
0 pts
No effort
20 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSupport
20 pts
Throughout the whole work, claims are supported with detailed and persuasive examples; accurate facts and circumstances are used for support.
17 pts
Throughout most of the work, claims are supported with detailed and persuasive examples; accurate facts and circumstances are used for support.
15 pts
Throughout some of the work, claims are supported with detailed and persuasive examples; accurate facts and circumstances are used for support.
12 pts
Throughout little of the work, claims are supported with detailed and persuasive examples; accurate facts and circumstances are used for support.
0 pts
No effort
20 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWriting: Mechanics & Usage
10 pts
The writing is free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation that would detract from a clear reading of the paper.
8.5 pts
The writing contains a few errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation, but the errors do not detract from a clear reading of the text.
7.5 pts
The writing contains some errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation that need to be addressed for a clearer reading of the paper.
6 pts
The writing contains several errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation that impede a clear reading of the paper.
0 pts
No effort
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeClarity & Flow
10 pts
The writing contains strong word choice that clarifies ideas and masterful sentence variety aids with the flow of ideas.
8.5 pts
The writing contains varied word choice and sentence structures that clarify ideas and aid with the flow of ideas.
7.5 pts
The writing contains word choice and sentence structures that can be revised for better clarification of ideas and flow of ideas.
6 pts
The writing contains wording and sentence structures that are awkward and/or unclear, impeding the clarity and flow of ideas.
0 pts
No effort
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSource Integration
10 pts
Paper includes reference to a scholarly source and properly integrates the source.
7 pts
Paper includes reference to a scholarly source but does not properly integrate the source.
0 pts
Paper does not make reference to a scholarly source.
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAPA: Citation and Reference Formatting
10 pts
All sources are properly cited in the text and references page demonstrating a mastery of resource and APA citation reference format.
8.5 pts
Most sources are cited in the text and references page. Some minor errors may exist in citation, but it does not interfere with understanding the source of the information.
7.5 pts
Most sources are integrated, structured, and cited in the text and references page. Some errors may exist in citation that need to be addressed to clarify the source of information.
6 pts
Sources are not properly cited in the text/references page. Formatting contains several errors that suggest a lack of understanding of APA format.
0 pts
Sources are not cited.
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAPA Paper Format
5 pts
Paper is properly formatted in APA style throughout (i.e. title page, spacing, font, in-text citations and references).
4 pts
Paper is mostly properly formatted in APA style (i.e. title page, spacing, font, in-text citations and references).
3 pts
Paper is somewhat properly formatted in APA style (i.e. title page, spacing, font, in-text citations and references).
2 pts
Paper is improperly formatted in APA style throughout.
0 pts
No effort
5 pts
Total Points: 100