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:
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 a kind of library, relatively small but chosen with some self-awareness, of the kinds of information about issues in modern America that we have found most important, interesting, and 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 violent strategies for dealing with problems. But I consider it my responsibility 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.
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 9:00 a.m.
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. (An example: Juhnke and Hunter discuss alternatives to the Revolutionary War that might have enabled the colonies to become independent without armed struggle. What if you do a google.com search for “revolutionary war nonviolence”? I spent five minutes browsing, and among a large number of sites about the war found http://www.nonviolence.org/vitw/htv7.html this link, which deals briefly with the role of nonviolent “civil disobedience” in American history.)
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 (with the aid of my Learning Circle assistant) archive 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. Information.
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.
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.
Another side note: Clint McCown, author of War Memorials, will be with us on March 14 for a class visit and a special 7 p.m. Forum presentation. Plan now to attend both presentations; I will send around a note asking that those of you with evening conflicts be excused.
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.
The other major class activities will include a research project (see Appendix B) and a poster presentation of the results of that project (see Appendix C).
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 9:00 a.m.
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 somewhat 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 responses to whatever elements of the reading seem more 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 substantial reflection rather than simple evaluation.
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 (with the aid of my Learning Circle assistant) archive 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 and dates your responses are due:
Group A (1/10,
1/24, 2/14, 3/12, 3/26, 4/2) Group B (1/15, 1/29, 2/19, 3/12,
3/28)
Lisa Bard Adam Drake
Ewa Budzynska William Fisher
Eric Burdette Bradley Immel
Jamie Burke Jennifer Jones
Matthew Chiles Erika Keegan
Anthony Cleveland Jill Kerlin
Kyle Cutnaw Lisa Langood
Group C (1/17, 1/31, 2/21, 3/19, 4/2) Group D (1/22, 2/5, 2/26, 3/21,
4/4)
Angel Lombardo-Edwards Steven Roach
Rachel Mack Kelly Sander
Amanda Mills Brittney Selden
Magdalena Perz Jon Spradling
Lori Pongtana Scott Van Eman
Nicole Radde Philip Whitley
Darin Riffle Ryan Zeman
Due dates are also noted on the syllabus.
Appendix B. 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 Thursday, Feb. 7.
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 Thursday, March 14.
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, March 28.
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, April 18.
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 Schedule Spring 2002 (REVISED)
Tuesday Thursday
|
1/8
Course Introduction |
1/10
The Missing Peace 9-34 Group
A responses |
|
1/15
MP 35-76 Group
B responses |
1/17
MP 77-102 Group
C responses |
|
1/22
MP 103-138 Group
D responses |
1/24
MP 139-174 A |
|
1/29
MP 175-214 B |
1/31
MP 215254 C |
|
2/5
Platoon (showing
to be scheduled) D |
2/7
MP 255-276 Topic Statements Due |
|
2/12
Roger & Me (showing
to be scheduled) |
2/14
Color Purple A |
|
2/19
CP B |
2/21
CP C |
|
2/26
CP D |
2/28
Midterm Exam |
|
3/5
SPRING BREAK |
3/7
SPRING BREAK |
|
3/12
War Memorials A
& B |
3/14
WM Special Forum with Clint McCown,
7 p. m. C & D
|
|
3/19 Class, No Reading Assignment Historical Overview Due |
3/21
Honky A
|
|
3/26
No Class |
3/28
Honky B,
C Possible Solutions/Policy Options Due |
|
4/2
Do the Right Thing (showing
to be scheduled) D |
4/4
Planning Last Weeks |
|
4/9 Poster Sessions |
4/11 Poster Sessions |
|
4/16
Final Explorations and Conversations |
4/18
Final Explorations and Conversations Final Paper Due |
|
4/23
Final Explorations and Conversations |
FINAL
EXAM |