Western Civilization I Research Paper
Outline
You must a write a five-page (ten-paragraph) analytical paper about a specific problem in Western Civilization from Ancient Greece to the Protestant Reformation. This may include any political problem from Ancient Greece or Rome such as the flaws of direct democracy or the social inequality during the Roman Republic. You may choose to examine the specific reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire or the impact of Diocletian reforms. You may consider the cultural impact of the Christian Church and how it controlled social, political, and religious life between 1000 and 1300. You must employ primary source documents and scholarly articles to support your contentions. You may use your text as a means to ignite any of your ideas, but you may not use the textbook as a reference for the project. You may choose your own topic, but your subject must be cleared with me. The paper will begin with an introductory paragraph and a detailed thesis statement. Over the body of the paper, you will need to support the reasons for your thesis with appropriate examples and citations from at least four different sources. You must conclude your paper by showing how the long-term effect of this policy and/or problem has influenced the current state of Western Civilization in the 21st Century. You must provide at least four in-text citations via APA style from at least four different scholarly sources. You must include a References page with a complete list of all in-text citations at the end of the paper.
Essay Structure
Introduction (one paragraph)
Lead-in (Question, quote)
Transition (Build a bridge to thesis)
Thesis Statement
Reasons for thesis (four)
Brief explanation
Body (eight-paragraphs)
Topic sentence
Key reason
Specific example
Cite expert
Rationale
Conclusion
Conclusion (one paragraph)
Summary Statement
Short-term vs. Long-term impact
Benefits v. Consequences
Potential Research Topics and Questions
How did Greek encounters with Near East and Middle East shape the political, economic, and cultural developments of the Hellenistic world?
How and why did the policies of Augustus help shape the future of the Roman Empire?
How and why was Diocletian able to restore order to the Roman Empire?
How and why was the Christian church able to survive and prosper after the collapse of the Roman Empire?
How did the Christian Church control the political, social, and religious life of Europe between 1000-1300?
How and why did the universities emerge as centers of medieval learning after 1000?
How and why did the Black Death transform Europeans’ political, religious, and cultural practices and how did it impact the economy?
What is humanism? How did it help shape the literary and artistic developments of the Italian Renaissance? Identify key advocates and how humanist thinking transform culture in the cities versus the countryside.
How and why did European encounters in the Americas after 1500 transform economic and social life in both the Americas and Europe?
How and why did European encounters with Africa before 1500 help shape the West?
How and why did Martin Luther break with the Roman Catholic Church after 1517? Explain the cultural, political, and religious reasons for the appeal of Martin Luther’s spiritual insights and his criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church.
Compare and contrast the religious beliefs of Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists, Unitarians and Anabaptists. Explain how the specific rituals of each distinguish one from the other and the impact on modern society.
How and why did the Protestant Reformation develop in Switzerland? Identify key reform movements and how the leaders of each helped shape a new form of Christianity and culture.
How and why did both Protestants and Catholics try to regulate popular culture between 1550 and 1650? How may we explain witch-hunts of late 16th and 17th centuries?
***You are not limited to these aforementioned research topics and/or questions.
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