GNST 500 L01

Heritage II

Fall 2008

MWF 11:00 - 12:50

 

Instructor:	Dr. Marcia J. Epstein
Office Location:	SS332
Office Phone:	(403) 220-4848
E-Mail:	epstein@ucalgary.ca
Office Hours:	By appointment

 

Additional Information

This section of GNST 500 meets 6 hours per week . Be prepared for a large quantity of reading and a fast pace. If you want to be immersed in the course, this may be a good section for you. If you think it's an easy way to get GNST 500 out of the way, your expectation may not be realistic.

The course has been substantially revised this term in order to update the content with some very recent readings.

Course Description

In Heritage I, "Perspective", you were presented with an overview of how Western and other civilizations developed their core beliefs. In Heritage II you will pick up the threads at the 19th century and follow them into the 21st. The first unit of the course will focus on major socio-political events and structures. The next sections will examine ideas, assumptions and decisions that shaped and followed from the events and structures. Finally, we will work with some alternative futures that just might give you the tools you need to save the planet. Please come to class with healthy doses of idealism and cynicism: you will need both.

Note: The skills you will develop in this course are not designed simply to help you pass the course and get that prize job in the ad agency or the law firm. They are survival skills for your future. The degree to which you can weigh evidence, recognize specious arguments, analyze fundamental assumptions, decode cultural signs, defuse hostile confrontations, AND recognize historical patterns may ultimately determine your society's health, as well as your individual success.

Format

Lectures will be a significant part of the course, but not its entire content. At times, the class will divide into small groups for discussion purposes. There may be occasional guest speakers and subversive films as well.

THIS IS IMPORTANT :

You are encouraged at all times to exercise the following skills:

1) Recognition of fundamental assumptions: What is the cultural background of the writer or speaker? What conscious beliefs does s/he hold? What unconscious assumptions might underlie those beliefs?

2) "Zooming out" (objective stance): Taking a wide comprehensive view of history, where does the writer/ speaker fit? What objective criteria can be used to evaluate his/her words? What historical patterns are being activated? What prejudices are shown?

3) "Zooming in" (subjective stance): Place yourself in the mindset of the writer and her/his cultural background. What subjective impressions help you to understand the viewpoint being expressed? (This technique is especially useful if you don't agree with the person.)

You will not agree with everything you read or hear in this course. That's fine, so long as your methods of evaluation are clearly defined (e.g., "I disagree with X because his/her assumptions about certain ethnic groups are inaccurate" is a more clearly-defined response than "X is a rotten racist".). This doesn't mean that you can't have gut-level opinions. You will simply be encouraged to sharpen your analytical skills so that the head can explain what the gut is feeling, which will make your arguments more persuasive.

It is likely that each of you, presented with the same evidence as the next person, will come to a different conclusion. That's fine. Each member brings to the group a unique set of beliefs, opinions, and experiences. Consensus is not our final goal. Awareness is.

Objectives of the Course

"Writing skills are not exclusive to English courses and, in fact, should cross all disciplines. The University supports the belief that throughout their University careers, students should be taught how to write well so that when they graduate their writing abilities will be far above the minimal standards required at entrance." (University of Calgary Catalogue, p. 54)

Participants in GNST 500 will be expected to demonstrate the following skills during the course:

-Ability to comprehend, evaluate, retain, and comment meaningfully upon assigned readings;

-Ability to work effectively alone and in groups;

- Ability to write clearly, coherently and grammatically in English. Those whose writing does not meet a reasonable standard will be expected to attend some Effective Writing Service tutorials.

NB: If English is not your first language and you did not write English in high school, please let me know. I can't tell by looking at you.

Textbooks and Readings:

Classics of Western Thought, vol.3 (from GNST 300)

Gochberg, Classics of Western Thought, vol.4

Reading Package (at Bookstore)

Materials Suggested (not required) for additional perspectives:

Fritjof Capra, The Turning Point

Thomas Carroll,Constantine's Sword

Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel; The Third Chimpanzee; Collapse

Ursula Franklin, The Ursula Franklin Reader

Marilyn French, Beyond Power

Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine

Sam Harris, The End of Faith

David Korten, The Great Turning

Paul Rogat Loeb, Soul of a Citizen

Jerry Mander, In the Absence of the Sacred

John Raulston Saul, Voltaire's Bastards; The Unconscious Civilization

Naomi Wolf, No Logo

Thomas de Zengotita, Mediated

Films: The Corporation, The Take, The End of Suburbia.

Assignments and Evaluation

Project outline and contract (5% ) September 17 - October 3

Between the first day of classes and October 3 you will form your project group, decide on a topic and determine what information resources are available for it, divide tasks, and request a week for presentation (an exact date will be assigned within the requested week). All group members will sign an agreement to share the tasks involved.

Midterm (30%) October 8 (panic date: October 10)

Short essay on readings/seminar (20% ) Due by arrangement :TBA

This is a writing assignment, involving your commentary on readings from the course. Details will be given to you.

Course Project (20% ) Due before December, by contract.

See instructions below.

Participation (15% ) Blackboard, class discussions, study groups.

Final Exam (10%) December 5 in class.

Blackboard (Bb): Online, get there from your "My UofC" portal.

Options: Discussion questions, notices, links, supplementary readings, blogs, arcane professorial comments, etc.

OPTIONS FOR COURSE PROJECTS:

-Most projects will be done in groups of 2 to 4 members.

-All projects must include a defined problem and a possible solution. This project is an exercise in problem SOLVING, not just problem identification.

Format:

Class presentation (hand in script and sources, plus comments on what you learned by doing the project) or research paper (hand in formal document).

You will be evaluated on reasoning, depth of analysis, use of evidence and examples, applicability of solutions, documentation of sources, AND writing or presentation style. Sincerity counts, so choose a topic you can believe in.

Project Content:

OPTION A (Theoretical): You may apply course authors to a defined problem and a recommended solution on an abstract level, e.g. a problem of ethics, social justice or environmental sustainability.

Recommended Topic Areas for 2008/09 (Option A):

- Sustainable food sources, transportation, or housing (choose one);

- Media portrayals of subcultures ( race/ethnicity, age, appearance, religion, or sexual orientation: choose one) ;

- Internet neutrality and Bill C-61: how it will effect your education.

OPTION B (Experiential) You may use community volunteer work as part of your project research. If you already volunteer for an organization promoting health, education, or social welfare, you may focus your project on that. Be sure to go beyond giving a summary of what the agency already does. How might they do even better work, and what would be required for that to happen? What would best benefit their clients? (Hint: it might involve social change)

Requirements:

--ALL projects must be discussed with me before they are completed.

--Research Sources must include library and/or live sources as well as Internet!

--The methodology will vary according to your topic. More information about the requirements for and mechanics of the projects will be given to you later.

Faculty requirements:

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.
Note: Please hand in your essays directly in class. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: NO

Policy for Late Assignments

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre. Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

(Revised, effective September 2008)

 

	Grading Scale
A+	96-100
A	90-95.99
A -	85-89.99
B+	80-84.99
B	75-79.99
B-	70-74.99
C+	65-69.99
C	60-64.99
C-	55-59.99
D+	53-54.99
D	50-52.99
F	0-49

 

 

Where a grade on a particular assignment is expressed as a letter grade, it will normally be converted to a number using the midpoint of the scale.  That is, A- would be converted to 87.5 for calculation purposes.  F will be converted to zero.

 

NB: 1) You are graded on results as well as effort: hard work does not merit an A unless it produces outstanding results.

2) If something is going on that prevents you from doing your best on the course, please let me know BEFORE it becomes a disaster. No details are required, just a categorical alert (illness? family issue? excessive stress? etc.). That way the disaster can be prevented.

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines. Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research. For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see the U of C Research Ethics "Information for Applicants," sections 3.0 to 9.0, inclusive:http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/research/html/ethics/info_undergrad.html

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

NB - 1) The schedule may be subject to occasional changes to accomodate guest speakers, subversive films, and the annual flu epidemic. All such changes will be announced in class and on Blackboard.

2) The schedule starts with a formal structure and gets flexible toward the end of term. In either case, you are responsible for your own familiarity with course materials.

Abbreviations:

CWT 3 = Classics of Western Thought, vol. III

CWT 4 = Classics of Western Thought, vol. IV

RP = Reading Package

GNST 500 Schedule Fall 2008

LEVEL 1: EVENTS and STRUCTURES

Sept.8 : Introduction: Where we are and how we got here.

Review John Locke, Adam Smith (CWT 3) .

Sept. 10: The Concepts of Social Revolution and Social Evolution :

CWT 3 De Tocqueville ("Democracy in America"); CWT 3 Hegel ; RP Robespierre

Sept. 12: Introduction to Romanticism.

CWT 3, 19th c. poetry. RP Goethe ('Werther').

Sept. 15: Romanticism and the Hero; CWT 3 Goethe (' Faust').

Sept. 17: Conservatism --the Value of Continuity :

CWT 3 Burke.

Sept. 19: Liberalism -- the Value of Liberty:

CWT 3 J.S.Mill ('On Liberty' and 'Utilitarianism').

Sept. 22: Communism -- the Value of Equality:

CWT 3 Marx and Engels; RP -- Engels

Sept. 24: Anarchism -- the Value of Ethics:

CWT 3 Bakunin.

Sept. 26 World War I and its Cultural Significance;

CWT 3 -- 20th c. poetry.

Sept. 29 World War II, Fascism and Genocide:

CWT 3 Hitler. RP-- Rocco.

 

At this point the study groups go into action to share readings.

Level 2 : WHAT IS HUMAN NATURE?

Oct. 1 , 3: The Politics of Nationalism & the Darwinian Paradigm:

CWT 3 Darwin (' Origin of Species' and 'Descent of Man').

CWT 3, pp. 546-559 --Freud, (Why War?); RP Malthus ;

RP Pearson/Treitschke/Chamberlain; RP Equiano, Black Elk ('Wounded Knee ')

Oct 3,6 : Exploring Inner Space: The rise of psychology.

CWT 4 Freud; CWT 3 and CWT 4, Jung; CWT 4 Dobzhansky .

(Oct 6 or 8: review)

Oct. 8 Midterm

(Oct. 10 TBA)

Oct. 13: no class

Level 3: SOCIAL RIGHTS and RESPONSIBILITIES

Oct. 15: Radical Individualism -- the Value of Disobedience:

CWT 3 Thoreau ('Walden' and 'Civil Disobedience').

Oct. 15, 17 : The Critique of Democracy:

CWT 3 Nietzsche; CWT 3 Dostoevsky.

Oct 20: Existentialism :

CWT 3 and 4 Sartre; CWT 4 Bettelheim.

Oct. 22: Reflections on the Concept of Evil.

CWT 4 Arendt; RP Peck; RP Harris

Oct. 24, 27 Racial, Ethnic and Gender Liberation :

CWT 3 Woolf; CWT 4 de Beauvoir, Fanon .

Oct. 27, 29 Identity in Mass Society and the Crisis of Public Morality:

CWT4--Ellul ('The Technological Society'); CWT4 Galbraith, ('The New Industrial State'); CWT 4 C. Wright Mills; CWT 4 Commoner ; RP Mander

Oct. 31: Flex Day

Project Reports in November; Dates by arrangement November 7, 12, 14, 17, 19, 26

Level 4: INTEGRATION

Nov. 3, 5, 7 The Subjective in Science, Culture and Education:

CWT 4 Heisenberg; Maslow; Cox; Kandinsky.

CWT 4 -- Farber; Brustein; Huxley; RP De Zengotita

Nov. 10 Reading Day

Nov. 12, 14: Re-evaluating the Western Heritage

CWT 4 Brzezinski; RP French ('Beyond Power'); RP Capra;

RP Saul

 

Level 5: IMAGINATION and INVOLVEMENT

Nov. 17, 19, Social Health and Sustainability:

CWT 4 Toffler; Bell; Heilbronner

Nov. 21 What to Avoid?

RP Diamond; Davis

Nov. 24-28 Building a Fearless Future:

RP Mahoney; Franklin; Loeb; Korten; Peace Contract

Dec. 1, 3 TBA/REVIEW

Dec. 5 FINAL EXAM