Issues
in Modern America: The Information Wars
Syllabus, Spring 2002
Jeff Gundy
Centennial Hall 318—ph. 3283 or 358-5425 (before 10 p.m.)
e-mail: gundyj@bluffton.edu
Course web page: http://www.bluffton.edu/~gundyj/ModAm/Modamer.html
Life
in the Information Wars. To act responsibly in the world, we need reliable information. There is
no shortage of information in These Modern Times; in fact, as we all know,
there’s too much—no one person can possibly read/view, much less assimilate,
all the data that is produced and transmitted daily through the various media,
much less catch up with the vast and ever-increasing stockpile of earlier
knowledge and information. Much of the data available is produced by people
with some kind of vested interest—political, economic, religious, etc.—in
influencing our images of the world. But those vested interests are often not
made clear.
We
can’t know everything, and yet we have to act in the world. Without knowledge
we’re merely blundering through the dark without a map or a light. Ignorance is
no excuse, according to the law, but how do we avoid it? If we want to be
responsible members of American society and the human community, I would suggest, we need somehow to be
intelligent bystanders, if not actual participants, in the information wars. We
must learn to sort out what’s reliable, relevant, and useful from what isn’t.
This
course will consist of an experiment in exploring information. I will provide
some of it, through the assigned texts and films. You all will contribute, not
only by reading and viewing those sources but by exploring, evaluating, and
sharing other sources of information. By the end of the course we will have
created an expanded set of resources on issues in modern America, still
relatively small but chosen with some self-awareness, that we have found to be
valuable and at least relatively trustworthy.
Some
premises.
First, I assume that all sources of information and opinion are “situated”
somewhere, come from a person or organization with some particular set of
reasons for producing and distributing information. Thus there are no totally
“objective” sources.
Part
of our task as consumers of information, then, is to evaluate sources, to
examine their assumptions, premises, values, and biases. What sources do they
use? How careful are they to provide evidence for their claims, and how
convincing is that evidence? What do we find when we check into their ideas and
look for our own evidence to confirm or counter what they say?
I
trust most those sources that are clear about their own biases and make an
effort to provide evidence for their assertions that I can check out on my own.
Like everyone else, I also tend to trust most those sources that share my own
values and opinions. Thus I personally find sources that favor reconciliation
over militarism and define “us” as widely as possible more congenial than those
that recommend unilateral violent strategies for dealing with problems. But I
try my best to pay close and respectful attention to sources that challenge my
own views; that is, indeed, one of the main things that education is about.
Procedures: We will begin with the
Juhnke and Hunter book The Missing Peace, and spend several weeks
reading through it. It presents a view of American history that is frankly
unusual, that challenges the kind of history most of us learn in school. We
will read it not as “the truth” but in light of the approach outlined above: as
a source of information to be examined, discussed, and tested against what else
we know and can find out.
Special
Note: Jim Juhnke will be presenting the Keeney Peace Lecture at Forum on Oct.
29, and will also visit our class on that day. Please plan now to attend both
events.
See
Appendix A for information about the course journals, an important part of
class.
We
will read three other books: The Color Purple by Alice Walker, War
Memorials by Clint McCown, and Honky by Dalton Conley. As we read
and discuss these texts, we will also use them as the basis for discussing the
wider issues and realities that they contain and suggest. Color Purple,
for example, deals with race, but gender, family structure, and economic issues
are perhaps even more important to it. War Memorials will lead us into
discussion of the lingering effects of wartime experience—even when that
experience is rarely mentioned aloud. Honky will enable us to explore
issues of urban environments,
economics, and race in contemporary America.
We
will also view the films Platoon, Michael and Me, and Do the Right
Thing, each of which presents its own provocative set of images and
information about issues in modern America.
A
Side Note: I
hope and expect that some of you will sometimes be skeptical of the
perspectives of Juhnke and Hunter and the other authors we read, and will
search out sources that call their versions of American history and society
into question. I hope that we will accumulate a wide range of perspectives and
ideas. All I ask is that you look for responsible, well-documented, well-argued
materials, and that you be willing to consider adjusting your own views in
small or large ways in response to what we find. I expect the same of myself.
The
other major class activities will include a research project or service learning project (see
Appendix B1 and B2) and a poster presentation of the results of that project
(see Appendix C).
The course web site, located at http://www.bluffton.edu/~gundyj/ModAm/Modamer.html, has a wide variety of links and information: this syllabus, many research and news links, and lesson plans and materials from earlier courses, including a very similar version I taught in spring 2002.
Regular attendance and timely completion of all course assignments are expected. Grades will be lowered for late assignments, and more than minimal absence will affect your grade.
This course takes place under the Bluffton College Honor System; it is expected that you do your own work on all course activities and give proper credit for all sources that you use.
Evaluation will be based on these activities:
Five Responses 20%
Project sections (3x5%) 15
Complete Project 15
Poster Presentation 10
Midterm Exam 15
Final Exam 25
Total 100%
The
class will be divided into four groups, and members of one group will respond
to the reading every fourth class day (i.e. every other Tuesday or Thursday).
Email your response (ca. 300-400 words) to the reading for that day, and the web address of at least one web site related to that reading, to gundyj@bluffton.edu by 8:00 a.m. Beginning with your second response, you
will also email your response to the others in your group—I will distribute
address lists..
These
responses will serve at least three purposes: first, they will encourage you to
read actively, to respond to the readings before we consider them in class, and
to explore for materials related to the events and ideas that the readings
present. Second, they will help me to prepare for class and to shape the
discussion in light of your reactions and the materials you discover. Third,
they will help you to take a more active part in class discussions.
The
responses should be similar to the journals many of you have done for First
Year Seminar or other classes. They need not be carefully constructed essays,
but should be thoughtful and substantial responses to whatever elements of the
reading seem most interesting or controversial to you. “I liked it” or “I
didn’t like it” may be a starting point, but the focus should be on analysis
and reflection rather than simple evaluation. I especially encourage you, given
the nature of this course, to think about the readings in connection with
current events and issues. A good deal of our class time will be spent
exploring such connections as well.
The
web site aspect of the assignment will encourage you to weigh the readings
against other sources of information. If you have not done much web searching,
this will also be a chance to practice. It’s simple enough: go to a search
engine (my favorite is Google.com, but there are a number of other good ones),
type in the terms you want to look for, and then go to the sites that come up
until you find something worthwhile. You might also explore the links posted on
the course web page. These web sources may address alternate versions or
interpretations of historical events or social phenomena in the readings, or
current events that relate to the reading. Your response should discuss both
the assigned reading and the web source; the proportions may vary as long as
you demonstrate that you have read and understood both.
One
example: in The Missing Peace Juhnke and Hunter discuss alternatives to
the Revolutionary War that might have enabled the American colonies to become
independent without armed struggle. I wondered if I could find other sources
that took a similar perspective, so I did a google.com search for
“revolutionary war nonviolence.” I came up with a large number of sites, spent
five minutes browsing half a dozen of them, and among a large number of
informative, relatively traditional sites about the war found a short but
substantial article by Howard Zinn which deals briefly with the role of
nonviolent civil disobedience in American history at http://www.nonviolence.org/vitw/htv7.html.
I will use your responses and the sites you find to prepare for class, and will often ask you to talk to the whole class about what you said and what you found, so print out a copy of your response and bring it with you. I will also place these responses and links on the course web site, so that we will accumulate a set of resources that we can all make use of.
Group
members:
Group
A (all on this page)
Anderson,
Laura Dee
Austin,
Aaron Lee
Bauman,
Suzanne Elizabeth
Boenker,
Anthony L
Boldman,
Tim L
DeNero,
Derek A
Dickson,
Katherine Jean
Dugger,
Alexander Gray
Eberly,
William A
Group
B
Fisher, Ronald
Flores, Norma Lisa
Gingerich,
Jennifer Lyn
Goin,
Jacob
Herr,
Stacy
Hoffman,
Kristine
Hostetler,
Brice A
Kovalenkov,
Yevgeniy
Lehman,
Laura Beth
Lindow,
Jonathan Martin
Group
C (continued in next column)
McMillen,
David
Miller,
Erin
Nussbaum,
Jeremy
Parker,
Sarah
Parks,
Amy
Riak,
Akuch
Rush,
Stephanie
Shepard, Samuel
Simon,
Amy Christine
Group
D
Skare, Garrett
Smith,
Darin
Steiner,
Brian
Stutzman,
Kristin
Super,
Adam
Terbova,
Galina
VanAusdal,
Melissa
Wahl,
Erin Renee
Wiechart,
Aaron Lane
Yoder,
Rebecca Marie
Due dates are noted on the syllabus.
Appendix B1. Paper Assignment and Guidelines.
A. The
paper itself: This assignment will
culminate in a 12-14 page term paper on some contemporary American social
issue. This paper will describe the issue, including its historical origins,
and will present some possible solutions or new representations that have been
offered to solve this problem. Lastly,
the paper will evaluate both the issue and these different solutions in light
of your own ethical/religious framework. You will be free to decide on the
particular problem you would like to analyze, and the particular angle you'd
like to explore, but choose a significant topic and focus it carefully. This
should be a substantial piece of research and thinking. For instance, you might
examine:
·
the
rise (and recent decline) in crime rates; or more specific aspects, such as the
problem of crime in the African American community or the ways crime and
violence are represented in the media.
·
fictional
violence in American media (movies, tv, etc.) and its relation to “real”
violence.
·
the
causes and shape of homelessness in America, or a focus on the homeless in
particular.
·
the
moral and policy implications of homosexuality and the struggle to represent
gays, lesbians, and other non-heterosexuals orientation in various ways (e.g.
the “God hates fags” movement and the Gay Pride movement).
·
the
continuing effects of Vietnam as a powerful symbolic event in recent American
history, social experiences of Vietnam veterans during the war and its long
aftermath, resistance to the war and its ongoing effects.
·
the
rise and (seeming) fall of affirmative action, or the current argument that
race no longer matters.
·
issues
related to gender, feminism, the “men’s movement,” and related matters.
·
issues
related to the Sept. 11 attacks, the “war on terrorism,” domestic security policies,
etc.
Whatever
the topic, pick something that interests you; you will spend a lot of time on
it this semester. Also, consider your
approach to the topic carefully. The
course will explore numerous disciplinary approaches to issues (history, sociology,
psychology, literary studies, communication, etc.). Your paper should use whatever combination of approaches you find
most useful in developing a deep understanding of your particular issue and
possible solutions.
B.
Stages of the paper: This paper is due in FOUR
stages; please make a note of these due dates and adhere to them
faithfully. Your final grade on this
assignment will be lowered for every day that you are late for any one of these
due dates.
1.
The
first stage, 1-2 typewritten pages: a
topical statement. What is the particular contemporary social issue you'll
be focusing on? Why does it interest you?
What directions do you envision your study taking? What particular aspects of the problem will
you consider, and why? What do you already know about the topic, and what do
you still need to discover? MOST
importantly, this statement must include 3-5 bibliographical citations
of sources beyond the class material that you might rely on in your
research. (Use standard MLA format.) Browse
these sources before writing your topic statement to get an overview of the
subject, what kinds of information are available, what the main issues/debates
in the area are, etc. This topical
statement is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
NOTE: Material found on the Internet (World-Wide
Web) must be evaluated rigorously and used carefully. Web sources will enrich many of your projects, but do not expect to rely solely, or even
mainly, on Web sources. Because
Musselman Library is now part of OhioLink, books and journal articles are
easily available from other libraries, usually in two or three days, and a wide
range of data-bases are also easily accessible. You can access the OhioLink catalog through the library’s web
page; for further help, contact the library staff.
2.
The
second stage, 3-4 typewritten pages: historical
overview of the issue. What are the
historical roots of the problem you are exploring? How and why did the issue develop into a pressing one in
contemporary America? What depictions
of the issue have been most important in creating the public image of the
problem? This overview should take the
shape of a smaller paper in itself, with an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Cite your sources clearly and include a Works Cited list. (Please note that you
should focus on more recent historical developments – WWII and
afterwards.) Due at the beginning of
class on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
3.
The
third stage, 3-4 typewritten pages: lay
out possible solutions and/or policy options that have been offered for
the issue you are exploring. In describing and summarizing these options,
present opposing or conflicting solutions and representations. You should convey a sense of the range of
solutions and policy options that have been offered, and present the various
options clearly and objectively. Again, cite your sources and include a list of
Works Cited. Due at the beginning of class on Thursday, Nov. 14.
4.
The
fourth stage, 12-14 typewritten pages:
the final paper. For evidence,
this paper should draw on both the class material and AT LEAST SIX OTHER
SOURCES BEYOND THE CLASS MATERIAL
(again, web sites must be evaluated rigorously and used carefully). The final paper should have four main
sections: an introduction; a historical overview of the issue; a description of
possible solutions and policy options; and an evaluation of these options and
controversies in light of your own value framework (which of these
solutions/options do you find most acceptable or most objectionable? why?
how does your response evolve out of your own value framework?); and a
conclusion. NOTE: You should be able to
integrate material that you have written in stages one, two and three into the
first three sections of your final paper, and make use of comments on the
pieces you submit during the quarter to improve the final paper.
The
final paper is due at the beginning of class on Thursday, Dec. 5.
Appendix B2: Service Learning Assignment
This option is to do tutoring at the
WORTH Center in Lima or another site as an alternative to the four-stage term
paper described in Appendix B1. Since
this assignment replaces the research paper, it will also be worth 30% of your
grade in total.
The WORTH (Western Ohio Regional Treatment and
Habilitation Center) Center provides education in academic subjects and life
skills, as well as chemical dependency counseling if needed, to residents who
have committed a felony but are non-violent, often first-time offenders. These
often include people arrested for DUI, first offense trafficking in drugs, and
other crimes who are not considered high-security risks and are good candidates
to get their lives back on track. It is
located at 243 E. Blue Lick Rd in Lima,
(across the street from Lima Correctional Institute). The Center needs tutors to help its residents in basic reading
and writing skills, mostly in preparation for the G.E.D.
If you would like to pursue this option instead of the
term paper, then you will need to decide so within the first two weeks of the
course. Here are the criteria that you’ll need to meet:
1.
Complete 10-15 hours of tutoring/service work over the course of the semester
(students who complete nearer to 15 than 10 hours can expect to see this
reflected in their grade. You will have some flexibility in arranging when
you’re able to tutor, but once you’ve made a commitment to a certain number of
hours and a particular schedule, we will expect you to keep that
commitment.
2.
Keep a course journal on your
experiences there. The general rule of thumb will be to journal 1-2
pages for each of your tutoring sessions.
Here are some questions you might address in your journal:
What kind of people did I expect to encounter at the Worth Center, and
are my initial expectations being fulfilled?
What surprises have I encountered?
How did my students end up in trouble -- what factors in their lives led
them to this place? How do those factors contrast with the circumstances that
led me to Bluffton College? What are
their attitudes towards education? Can
I perceive any changes in these attitudes?
What specific events or encounters seem most important, confusing, or
meaningful? What might what I observe teach me about the American criminal
justice system? About matters of class,
race and gender? Are these students being rehabilitated – what do you make of
their future life chances? Do you think
this program is successful -- is it a good use of taxpayer money? Do you see changes in the residents?
I will collect your journals at three
different points in the semester (the same days that I collect parts of the
research paper assignment). Your
completed journal will be due on the last day of class, Wednesday, Dec. 5.
3. You will also write a short (4-5 page, typewritten,
double-spaced) paper in which you evaluate your experience and connect it to
some of the wider issues in Modern America that we’ve been discussing as a
class. For example, you are quite
likely to encounter issues like drug addiction, racism, poverty, child abuse,
or the limitations imposed by social class.
Stated another way, in this paper you should
explore how you saw issues we’ve been talking about in an academic way –
racial, gender, or economic injustice, cultural deprivation, drug abuse, etc. –
displayed in your experiences. In this
paper you may want to quote selectively from your journal, but you also will
want to make explicit connections to the course material.
In
sum, this option provides you with a different but equally rewarding avenue to
learning about Issues in Modern America.
If any aspects of this assignment are unclear, or if I can be of any
help to you as you complete this assignment, please don’t hesitate to contact
me.
Appendix C. Guidelines for Poster Presentation & Poster Presentation Days
Designing
your poster presentation….
On
the day that you’re presenting your poster….
1.
The
posters will be displayed on bulletin boards in the Marbeck Center Kiva. Pushpins will be provided. You should be at Marbeck Kiva at 1:00 p.m.
to set up your poster.
2.
You
will need to be available in the Kiva from 1:15 p. m.-2:00 p.m. to discuss your
paper with your classmates and with any other visitors to the exhibit.
3.
You
should exhibit a professional attitude when discussing your topic with
others.
Grades
for poster presentations will be based on….
Course Outline Fall 2002 (Revised September 12, 2002)
Tuesday Thursday
8/27
Course Introduction |
8/29
Introduction, continued |
9/3
Zinn et al. |
9/5
Iraq debate/discussion |
9/10
Iraq debate |
9/12 MP 9-34 A |
9/17
MP 77-122 B |
9/19
MP 139-174 C |
9/24
MP 197-214 D Topic Statements Due |
9/26
Roger & Me: 9:20-10:50 *Please
plan to come early and stay a bit late! |
10/1
MP 215-254 (also discussion of Roger & Me) |
10/3
Color Purple A
and B |
10/8
CP C |
10/10
CP D |
10/15
Fall Break |
10/17
Midterm Exam Platoon showing(s) over weekend |
10/22
Platoon discussion |
10/24
War Memorials A
and B |
10/29
Jim Juhnke class visit Keeney
Peace Lecture, 11:00 Historical Overview Due |
10/31
WM C and D
|
11/5 War Memorials |
11/7
Honky Do the Right Thing showing(s) over weekend A
and B |
11/12
Honky and Do the Right Thing C |
11/14
Honky D Possible Solutions/Policy Options Due |
11/19
Catchup/open |
11/21
Poster Sessions |
11/26 Poster Sessions |
11/28 Thanksgiving Break |
12/3
Final Explorations and Conversations |
12/5
Final Explorations and Conversations Final Paper Due |
FINAL
EXAM 10:30 Thursday, Dec. 12 |
|