This is a reading-intensive course. I choose my books carefully. By putting many of our readings on this syllabus and providing others as hand-outs, I hope to save you money. Please treat your books and other readings as objects of quasi-religious devotion. Because these are sacred texts, I expect you to read everything as closely and as carefully as you have ever done before.
BOOKS
You must purchase hard copies of the following books.
Roy Scranton, War Porn
David Randall, Black Death at the Golden Gate
Matthew Desmond, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
Luis Alberto Urrea, The Devil’s Highway
In addition to these books, we will read excerpts from the works of other great writers, such as Dante Alighieri, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Hannah Arendt, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Pope Francis.
CLASS DISCUSSIONS
Class discussions are an integral feature of this seminar. They will only succeed if each of you participates on a regular basis. I realize that we all have different personalities; some of us are talkative, others are quiet; some are more outgoing, others more reserved. In asking that you to participate regularly, I don’t aspire to change your personality. Rather, I will work with each of you on an individual basis to ensure that you contribute to our common endeavor in the fullest way possible.
Our discussions will only work if you have physical copes of the readings in front of you. Therefore, you are required to do two things:
1) Copy and print all of the readings on this site that are marked PRINT (otherwise, you do not need to copy them, but you must still READ them)
2) Bring the required reading to class on the day we are to discuss them. To support your arguments, I will expect you to cite your readings directly.
GRADING
It is a special privilege to take a seminar. Seminars are small and allow for intimate and lively discussions. They also provide me with the pleasant opportunity to work closely with each of you as individuals.
My aspirations are modest. I simply aspire to teach you to speak, read, write, think critically, and persuade. If I can accomplish these tasks in working with each of you, I will be pleased. These objectives are reflected in the breakdown of your grades.
Participation and short paragraphs (35%)
Two reflective essays (15% each).
A final essay (35%)
It is important that I apply the same fair standards to all of your classmates. Thus, I will reduce your grade by 1/3 of a letter grade for every day your assignments are late. If you are sick, let me know and please provide a note from the Health Center.
All of the major assignments, such as essays, will be on the Syllabus. However, I will frequently make paragraph assignments. These assignments will not necessarily be on the Syllabus since I often develop them while I am listening to your class discussion. You must turn in these paragraph assignments on the Google documents I have provided for each of you.
If we have a debate or any other kind of class undertaking, you will be responsible for participating vigorously on the Google document I share with all of you. This will be a part of your discussion grade.
You must type and double-space all of the above assignments, and put your name on top. No exceptions. Unfortunately, I will not be able to read any assignment that is handwritten.
To receive a passing grade in this class, you must visit me during my office hours at least one time this semester.
ATTENDANCE
Class attendance is MANDATORY. If you are ill, please send me an email as well as a statement from the health clinic so that I do not worry about you. Unless you are ill, you must consult with me beforehand if you know you will miss a class and provide a very good reason for your absence. Of course, university-approved absences are fine. Please remind me beforehand if you will be gone.
Have no fear! I will definitely notice if you are not in class.
HONOR CODE
This course is all about communication. Therefore, I welcome all of the conversations you have with each other, inside or outside class. With the exception of your final essay, you may discuss your readings and writing assignments with each other. In fact, I encourage it. However, every writing assignment you turn in to me must be clearly, unmistakably, and unequivocally your own work. Everyone writes with a distinctive voice and I look forward to hearing yours.
If you use ChatGPT or any of its kin in completing your assignments, I will ask you to drop the course.
OFFICE HOURS
I enjoy meeting with students. I hope to see each of you on a regular basis. Because I view your education holistically, you do not need to have specific questions about the class. I am open to any subject you want to discuss.
I hold my office hours on Tuesdays from 2:00-3:00 and on and Wednesdays 2:00-4:00, & by appointment (either in person or by Zoom). My office is 2080 Nanovic Hall, close to the main office of the Political Science department.
Effective teaching is always based on a one-on-one relationship with each student. Thus, each of you is required to visit me at least once during the semester. Please do not make me sweat over whether you live up to this requirement.
NOTE: Please leave your technology at home. This includes electronic devices of any kind, such as laptops, Kindles, iPads, Iphones, video cameras, video games, dog fences, or other personal digital devices. These media impede learning. They are bad Karma, too.
My class is a no tweet, no Musk zone. Some behavior is just not dignified!