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—submit papers by 4:00 p.m. to my mailbox in Ballantine 704
—papers should be 10-12 pages, double spaced; standard margins
—it is impossible to indicate definitively "how many sources?" you should use, but I would generally expect there to be at least five items in your bibliography
For FURTHER GUIDANCE on paper writing, including bibliography and note formatting, click here.
Paper Topics
1. Compare the popularity and use of LETS schemes (local currencies) with that of Lindendollars.
Many kinds of money
Local money, better money?
2. Viviana Zelizer's study of women's access to money covers roughly the period described in Georg Simmel's analysis of money in the modern world. How does thinking in terms of gendered access to (and use of) money complicate Simmel's account?
Ancient money, modern money
Money in the family
3. To what extent is the definition of "real" money historically specific? (NOTE: this is a very broad question, so answering it effectively will in part require narrowing the question to focus on a case study you find especially relevant--such as transformations in the US dollar, or the money of the Roman Empire compared to the euro.)
Many kinds of money
Money, money, money
Making money real
4. L. Frank Baum wrote many Oz books after The Wonderful Wizard of Oz but the others have not been so systematically read as monetary allegories. In your interpretation, what do the other books contribute to the idea of Oz as a political parable? I would personally recommend you start with Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz and The Emerald City of Oz but please feel free to draw on any of the books (or Baum's other writings).
Greenbacks and silver bugs
Silver slippers on the yellow brick road
5. Write your own question and answer it. If you do this, you MUST clear the question and your bibliography with me first. If you submit a paper on an un-approved topic, I will give it a failing mark, no matter how good the paper is.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THIS--please come talk with me or send me an e-mail. I try to answer my e-mail within twenty-four hours but please do not expect me to write the paper for you (that is, answer questions of the form "What should my paper say?") or deal with last minute crises caused by poor planning on your part.
Policy on Academic Honesty: Every paper must include consistently formatted endnotes or footnotes and a full bibliography. Ignorance of scholarly reference form is no excuse and papers submitted without full references will be returned unmarked. Plagiarism and misuse of sources constitute intellectual theft and will not be tolerated under any circumstances. If you have any doubts or concerns, consult the College website's page on avoiding plagiarism. REMEMBER: You must provide a reference for anything in your essay that is neither "common knowledge" nor your OWN original argument.
Policy on Deadlines and Extensions: Papers should be placed in my mailbox in the History Department by 3:00 on the afternoon of the due date. Extensions to the deadline will only be granted in the case of serious illness (with medical documentation), bereavement, or other grave personal circumstances. Students facing such circumstances should notify me as soon as possible. In the absence of any valid excuse, late papers will be marked down 1/3 of a letter grade for each day late (e.g., submitted one day late, a “B” paper will receive a “B-“). I am always willing to accept papers early, if that helps you to manage your overall workload.
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