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The Good Citizen: the "social contract" reconsidered

Spring 2003

Project Presentations: schedule

The web-x sites are now available for posting the revised Project Descriptions. Please turn in two hard copies, as well.

Wednesday, June 4, 9-12, Project Presentations will be in Library 4300.

Thursday, June 5, 10-1, Project Presentations will be in LH 3.

     
Syllabus

Current Week



Section I: Citizens, Sovereigns and "Human Nature"


Week 1, March 31-April 4

Assigned readings:

Hobbes, excerpts from Leviathan

Introduction by McPherson, pp. 9-63 (optional, but worth it)

Part II, "Of Commonwealth," chs. 17-21, pp. 223-274 (Penguin Classics edition)

Locke, Second Treatise of Government

"Of the State of Nature," "Of the State of War," "Of Property," pp. 269-282; 285-302 (Cambridge UP edition)

Gingrich,Newt. Contract with America (excerpts, on reserve) [Bring your own copy to seminar]

Monday, March 31

Handouts:

George W. Bush, "State of the Union Address, 2003"

"Introducing Ethics"

All program meeting, 9-11

Welcome back/overview of curriculum

Workshop: Current perspectives on citizenship

Seminar, 12:30-3

Getting organized, discussion of projects, other nuts and bolts

Tuesday and Wednesday, April 1-2

11:00 – 12:30, Tuesday and Wednesday, GCC (Acad. Computing)

This week only, Chuck will give a short workshop on using Web-X. If you are new to this software, have never registered for it, or want a refresher, please come. Using Web-X is required in our curriculum. (You need come only once.)

These days, throughout the quarter, will be your study days: time for reading, writing, project work… Do not plan them as “free” time.

Thursday, April 3

Morning Seminar, 10–11

Prepare seminar email list and attendance cards

In this first hour we will review the reading and set the agenda for the afternoon discussion. Please use the break to prepare specifically for the afternoon.

Afternoon Seminar, 12:30–3

Small group discussion of the assigned reading: Hobbes, Leviathan, all assigned pages

Friday, April 4

Seminar, 11-2

Discussion of Locke, Second Treatise; Gingrich, Contract with America, all assigned pages


Week 2, April 7-11

Assigned readings:

Rousseau, The Social Contract (excerpts)

Introduction by Cranston, pp. 9-43 (optional, but worth it)

All of Book I except ch. 4, "Slavery" (assigned later), pp. 49-68

Locke, Second Treatise on Government

Ch. VIII, "Of the Beginning of Political Societies," pp. 330-336, skim pp. 337-349

Ch. IX, "Of the Ends of Political Society...," pp. 350-52

Evergreen’s "Social Contract"

University of North Carolina student governence documents (handouts)

Orwell, “Politics and the English Language” (on reserve)

Monday, April 7

All program meeting, 9–11

Workshop: "The Prisoner's Dilemma"

Seminar, 12:30-3

Discussion of Rousseau, The Social Contract (excerpts)and Locke (additional pages)

Tuesday and Wednesday, April 8-9

Study days

Thursday, April 10

Morning Seminar, 10–11

Writing workshop using Orwell

Afternoon Seminar, 12:30–3

Discussion of Evergreen's Social Contract, U. of N.C. doc's and Orwell essay.

Friday, April 11

Workshop, 11-2

Discussion of student projects



Section II: Whose Social Contract? Race, Citizenship and Civil Disobedience


Week 3, April 14-18

Assigned readings:

Rousseau, The Social Contract

"Slavery" from Book I, pp. 53-58

Locke, Second Treatise of Government

"Of Slavery," pp. 283-285

"Of Conquest," pp. 384-397

"Of Usurpation, " pp. 397-398

"Of Tynranny," pp.398-405

"Of the Dissolution of Government," pp. 406-428

Monk, Linda R.,The Words We Live By: Your Annotated guide to the Constitution (excerpts on reserve)

"The Civil Rights Movement" from Civics for Democracy

U.S. Declaration of Independence

Monday, April 14

All program meeting, 9–11

Workshop: “Race” and talking about “race”

Seminar, 12:30-3

Discussion of Rousseau, "Slavery" from The Social Contract and Locke, "Of Slavery" from the Second Treatise, and all other assigned pages

Tuesday and Wednesday, April 15-16

Study days

Thursday, April 17

Morning Seminar, 10–11

Discussion: U.S. Constitution; "The Civil Rights Movement"; U.S. Declaration of Independence

Afternoon Seminar, 12:30–3

Continuation of morning discussion.

Friday, April 18

Film and discussion, 11-2

“Jefferson’s Blood”


Week 4, April 21-25

Assigned readings:

Plato, "The Apology" from The Trial and Death of Socrates; "Crito" also recommended

Martin Luther King Jr. "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (on reserve)

Villa, Dana. "What is Socratic Citizenship?" from Socratic Citizenship (on reserve)

Thoreau, “On Civil Disobedience”

Monday, April 21

All program meeting, 9–11

Workshop: Dissent, disloyalty and disorder

Seminar, 12:30-3

Discussion of Plato, "The Apology" from The Trial and Death of Socrates and Martin Luther King Jr. "Letter from Birmingham Jail"

Tuesday and Wednesday, April 22-23

Study days

Thursday, April 24

Morning Seminar, 10–11

Discussion of Villa and Thoreau

Afternoon Seminar, 12:30–3

Continuation of morning discussion.

Friday, April 25

Film and discussion, 11-2 (Meet in LH 4)

"Eyes on the Prize: Episode no. 4"


Section III: Women and Citizenship


Week 5, April 28-May 2

Assigned readings:

Locke,Second Treatise of Government

"Of Paternal Power," "Of Political or Civil Society," pp. 303-330

Pateman "The Fraternal Social Contract" (on reserve)

Fraser "Beyond the Master/Subject Model: On Carole Pateman's The Sexual Constract" (on reserve)

"The Womens Movement" from Civics for Democracy

John Stuart Mill, "The Subjection of Women" (on reserve)

Monday, April 28

All program meeting, 9 – 11

Workshop: Presentation by Bellamy Pailthorp, reporter for KPLU, on Washington State ERA

Seminar, 12:30 - 3

Discussion of Locke, "Of Paternal Power," "Of Political or Civil Society," from the Second Treatise; Pateman "The Sexual Contract"; Fraser "Beyond the Master/Subject Model: On Carole Pateman's 'The Sexual Constract'"

Tuesday and Wednesday, April 29 - 30

Study days

Thursday, May 1

Morning Seminar, 10 – 11

Discussion of "The Women's Movement" and J.S. Mill

Afternoon Seminar, 12:30 – 3

Continuation of morning discussion.

Friday, May 2

Workshop, 11-2

Military Conscription


Section IV: Public Citizens and Private Individuals


Week 6, May 5-9

Assigned readings:

Emerson "Self Reliance" (on reserve)

Coontz “My Mother was a Saint: Individualism, Gender Myths, and the Problem of Love," and "We Always Stood on our own Two Feet: Self-reliance and the American Family" and "Strong Families, the Foundation of a Virtuous Society" Chapters 3-5 from The Way We Never Were

Fraser and Gordon, "A Genealogy of Dependency:Tracing a Keyword of the U.S. Welfare State." (on reserve)

Monday, May 5

All program meeting, 9 – 11

Workshop: "Explaining Human Behavior" - Maya

Seminar, 12:30 - 3

Discussion of Emerson, "Self Reliance"

Tuesday and Wednesday, May 6-7

Study days

Thursday, May 8

Morning Seminar, 10 – 11

Discussion of Fraser and Gordon; Coontz, chapters 3-5 from The Way We Never Were

Afternoon Seminar, 12:30 – 3

Continuation of morning discussion.

Friday, May 9

Film and Discussion, 11-2 [LH 4]

"Welfare" by Frederick Wiseman

Week 7, May 12-16

Assigned readings:

Sennett, Richard "The Public Domain" Chapter 1 from
The Fall of Public Man.

Putnam, Chapters 1-9, 15 of Bowling Alone.

Monday, May 12

All program meeting, 9 – 11

Workshop: "Person, Self and Citizen" - Chuck

Seminar, 12:30 - 3

Discussion of Putnam, Bowling Alone, chs. 1-4 and Sennett, "The Public Domain"

Tuesday and Wednesday, May 13-14

Study days

Thursday, May 15

Morning Seminar, 10 – 11

Discussion of Putnam, Bowling Alone, chs. 5-9 & 15; Sennett, "The Public Domain"

Afternoon Seminar, 12:30 – 3

Continuation of morning discussion.

Friday, May 16

Film and discussion, 11-2

"Bible Jim"


Section V: Community

Week 8, May 19-23

Assigned readings:

Selznick "In Search of Community" Ch. 13 from The Moral Commonwealth

Sennett, Richard "Collective Personality" Ch. 10 from The Fall of Public Man

Monday, May 19

All program meeting, 9–11

Workshop: Fairley Parson on gender and Green Anarchy in Eugene, Oregon

Seminar, 12:30-3

Discussion of Selznick, "In Search..."

Tuesday and Wednesday, May 20-21

Study days

Thursday, May 22

Morning Seminar, 10–11

Discussion of Sennett, "Collective Personality"

Afternoon Seminar, 12:30–3

Continuation of morning discussion

Friday, May 23

Film and discussion, 11-2

"Footloose"


Section VI: The Global Citizen

Please note: we will have class on Wednesdays during the last two weeks of the quarter.

Week 9, May 26-29

Assigned readings:

Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse Five

Monday, May 26

Campus Holiday: no classes

 

Wednesday, May 28

4th Floor Library,10-2

Presentation of Project Posters and Potluck

Thursday, May 29

Morning Seminar, 10–11

Discussion of Vonnegut novel

Afternoon Seminar, 12:30–3

Continuation of morning discussion

Friday, May 30

Project Presentations, Day 1, 11-2

 

Week 10, June 2-6

Assigned readings:

Peltman, Jan Jindy, "Globalization and the Gendered Politics of Citizenship" (on reserve)

Tomlinson, "The Possibility of Cosmopolitanism" from Globalization and Culture (on reserve)

Readings on the World Social Forum

Monday, June 2

All program meeting, 9–11

Workshop: Making social change and new social contracts

Seminar, 12:30-3

Discussion of all assigned readings

Wednesday, June 4

Morning, 9 –12 Library 4300

Project Presentations, Day 2,

Thursday, June 5

Morning, 10–1 Place LH3

Project Presentations, Day 3

Afternoon

no class

Friday, June 6

No class

 

EVALUATION WEEK: JUNE 9-13

faculty contact info.
last updated: 6/1/2003