Social Science: 1999-2000 ProgramsReturn to IndexAlternatives and Resistance to Neoliberalism Alternatives and Resistance to Neoliberalism Spring/Group Contract As we prepare to enter the 21st century, the dominant ideology is that there are no alternatives to capitalism and that the only path for countries to take is one that worships the “free market,” and that is totally open to the products and investment of multinational corporations. In this one-quarter group contract, we will research social movements in a variety of countries that are actively resisting this neoliberal model and the related structural adjustment policies of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank; and that are in theory and practice putting forward alternative visions and models for meeting human needs. We will examine the concept of economic development as well as differing contemporary theories of development. We will study noncapitalist alternatives in the context of the global capitalist system. The bulk of this program will be researching relevant case studies. The particular ones selected will be based on the interests of the students and faculty. Possibilities include but are not limited to Cuba, the United States, Mexico, Vietnam, South Africa, Nicaragua and Guatemala. Students will form groups to research, write up and present to the class the particular country and social movement they have chosen.
Black and Green 2000: The Struggle for Community and Equality in the United States Spring/Coordinated Study Most of us are aware that the official story of our nation’s past, as told in the school history texts, is just one version of what happened, a socially constructed version designed to serve certain purposes. We may also have become aware that this version is too narrow or exclusive to serve the democratic aspirations of our increasingly multicultural democracy. This program, drawing upon the experience of the instructors, will focus in its readings and lectures on the “hidden histories” of two peoples in the United States: the African American and the Irish American. In terms of time periods, the foci will be (1) the “founding” or colonial era; (2) the afterbirth of the nation, with attention to such topics as post-famine migration from Ireland, minstrelsy, the Civil War and Reconstruction; and (3) the postwar era in which the American “community” is consolidated in the face of civil-rights struggles, the labor movement and the emergence of North-South conflict. Special attention will be given in a quarter-ending conference to the often strained relations between peoples like Irish Americans and African Americans whose shared experience of catastrophe might have yielded (and may yet yield) a more cooperative struggle. Student work will build on the work of students in previous offerings of the program and will be shelved in the Library as contributions to the new multicultural narrative vital to the future of the nation. Students will be required (1) to do extensive research into some aspect of hidden histories, (2) to enter into collaborative dialogue with differently focused students in the program, (3) to present one’s own research and respond to the research of others in end-of-the-program public conferences, and (4) to assist us all in framing the inclusion of those histories in an ultimately comprehensive multicultural narrative that enables us to live together with respect for and appreciation of our differences.
Cultural Crossings: Labor and Migration in the Americas Fall, Winter/Coordinated Study Over the last 150 years, the Americas have become increasingly intertwined economically, politically and culturally. This program will study historical and contemporary experiences of Mexicans and Puerto Ricans, in their countries of origin and in the United States. We will explore how uneven colonial, class, ethnic and gender relationships within and between countries played themselves out in a series of displacements. These have ranged from the more literal pushes and pulls of migration patterns and labor relations to the more metaphorical transformations of cultural forms and group identities over time. In the fall, we will focus on the interconnectedness of economics, politics and culture in Mexico and Puerto Rico, in the context of phenomena as diverse as: 1) economic “development” models; 2) political and cultural resistance movements; and 3) migrations to and from the United States. In the winter, we will migrate into the United States, where Mexican Americans and mainland-born Puerto Ricans, as well as recent migrants, have created vibrant synthesizing forms of political, economic and cultural action and protest. Topics may include: 1) the history of U.S. immigration; 2) the farmworkers’ movement and recent labor struggles; and 3) the emergence of distinctive Chicano and Puerto Rican literary and theatrical forms. Students will learn to interpret literary and visual texts in social contexts and to use political, economic and legal models to address social questions. Each student will also conduct a two-quarter research project that will hone skills in prospectus and report writing, library and community-based research and oral presentation. This is an integral two-quarter sequence; no new students will be admitted in the winter.
If You Weren’t Listening . . . . Say, “Yes, Go On” Fall, Winter, Spring/Group Contract This program will explore some of the myths and realities of psychology, concepts of mental health, the mental health system and psychological counseling. The title of this program was taken from a cartoon Nonsequitor by Wiley. It shows an analyst sitting behind a client on a couch. Taped to the back of the couch is a set of instructions the client cannot see. Our program title is the first set of instructions. If you take this program, you’ll learn what the other set just happens to be. There will be a strong emphasis on our personal values and attitudes toward people who have traditionally been marginalized within American culture: women, people of color, lesbian, bisexual and gay people, people with disabilities, individuals with lower socioeconomic status and religious groups. Too often, our life stories are seen as adjuncts to the central themes of psychology and psychotherapy as the object of study. An examination of the constructs and structures within the discipline of psychology, the mental health field and psychological counseling is necessary to explode the current perspective used to embark on a study of this field and to create a new psychology. Within the context of this exploration, the areas of abnormal psychology; personality theory; individual, dyadic and family and group dynamics; community psychology and the mental health system in the United States; and ethics will be considered. Collaborative learning, lectures, workshops, speakers, seminar, films, research and communication skill lab will be the format used for increasing our understanding of this material. We will use challenge and experiential learning as an integral component of the program to expand our understanding of the “self” along with autobiography. Program participants will study basic counseling theory and techniques for both individual and group counseling, gain an historical perspective of psychology, obtain experience that may be applied toward a future job placement or graduate study and examine the dynamics of oppression and discrimination in shaping human behavior. Internships of 20 hours per week are required during winter and spring quarters. Supervision will be provided by professionals at the setting. Program participants and the instructor, using a group format, will utilize our personal experiences and expertise for further supervision. Both the program participants and the instructor will determine the most appropriate internship based on the program participant’s needs and available resources. This program is not for the faint of heart, those not willing to explore their own identities and values, people who want to save the world, students who understand their education as commodities or any others whose hearts are in the right place but are unwilling to reveal their own drives and desires.
Interrogations: Whiteness, Maleness and the Morality of Wealth Fall/Coordinated Study This program will examine a body of Third World theory and First World thought that interrogates Western concepts and social relations of Capitalism. It will use the lens of the dominated to describe society and social relations, exploring globalization of the economy and the reinvestment in patriarchy; internationalization of American paradigms about race; the growing struggles between nationalisms and ethnic renewal; international sex trade as a problem of migration, human rights and the struggle for meaningful work; and other themes. The readings will include subaltern studies from South Asia and critical race theory by theorists such as Richard Delgato, Mari Matsuda, Patricia Williams and Kimberle Crenshaw. The program will also examine the languages of political theater, dance and film as the voice of the subalterns.
Modern American Capitalism Fall, Winter/Coordinated Study This program will provide an historical and theoretical context for understanding the shape of the modern U.S. economy. In fall quarter we will trace the development of the economy from reconstruction to the Depression. Principles of microeconomics will be included as part of the program. In the winter, the program will discuss the development of the modern economy from the Depression to the present. Emphasis will be placed on marking the significance of political and social influences on that development. Additionally, there will be a focus on the macroeconomics principles that shape the policies utilized to reduce economic instability. Accordingly, principles of macroeconomics will be included as part of the winter offering.
On Interpretation: Foundation Work in the Humanities and Interpretive Social Sciences Fall, Winter/Coordinated Study What does it mean to understand a poem, or a picture, or what happened a hundred years ago, or why someone keeps acting in a stupid way? Is it just a matter of opinion or somebody else’s guess? Do some people really see and know a lot more than others about such things? This program involves ongoing practice in trying to answer questions like these better, as well as careful exploration of theories about what, if anything, can be known about the meaning of others’ actions. This program prepares students for sophisticated work in the humanities and interpretive social sciences (fields like anthropology, sociology, history and some types of psychology). Such disciplines attempt to understand human acts — from slips of the tongue to religious rituals, sonnets to political choices, cartoons to painted church ceilings. They all involve the same fundamental intellectual process — interpreting situations that have multiple sources of meaning, including the intentions of the actor, what some audiences make of those actions and other contexts as well. We will pay close attention to the methods and tools of various disciplines, to ideas about the functions and values of art and to analyzing and critiquing philosophical arguments about what is involved in claiming to understand someone else’s actions.
Perspectives from the Quarterdeck Fall, Winter, Spring/Group Contract While afoot and afloat, rain or shine, we will examine some of Puget Sound’s most inter-esting waterfront communities, their history, economy, politics and demography, tailoring our studies to the interests of you, the crew of the Resolute, Evergreen’s 44-foot yawl. While exploring Puget Sound, we will often conduct classes on the deck of one of the last of the Annapolis 44s. Crew members will learn power cruise and sail seamanship, how to get along with crewmates, rules of the road, about tides and currents, weather, boating safety and regulations, the use of the compass and nautical chart and various sailor’s arts. All decisions on board will be made by the skipper and strict rules of discipline will be followed. In addition to specific assigned duties, crew members are expected to help with vessel maintenance. This may involve several hours a month of hard work. Each crew member will develop his or her own research proposal (in coordination with the faculty and other crew members) for community study and possible community activities, focusing on the way things are now in the context of the past, and particularly from the perspective of the Water Link, the Puget Sound. Class activities will include field trips to organizations and shore-side installations to observe and learn how Puget Sound inhabitants participate in the regional and global economy. These trips may require appropriate apparel and other digressions and deferrals commensurate with and respectful for the environs and individuals visited. Students may develop part-time internships during the winter and spring quarters as they become more focused on a specific activity. Students should plan on at least one very long day per week on board the vessel. Applicants must pass a swim test and the requirements and judgment of the skipper for building a balanced crew. Applicants will be interviewed by John Filmer and should be willing to contract full time for the entire academic year. Admittance will be based solely on the determination of the skipper.
Philosophy of Religion Spring/Group Contract This program will pursue questions about religious belief that can be answered with the use of unaided (by faith) human reason. This is not an inspirational offering, nor does it support any particular position on religious belief. It focuses exclusively on Western philosophy and religion. There will be four principal foci: • We will examine some of the classical arguments of natural theology, i.e., some of the best known proofs and disproofs of God’s existence. • We will study the philosophy of religion of some of the followers of the distinguished 20th century philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. • We will examine the moral and religious philosophy of Simone Weil. Both Wittgenstein and Weil offer profound reflections on the place of religion in human life, which are quite at odds with the mainstream tradition in Western philosophy. • In contemporary American culture, religion plays an important role in political discourse. The theological fundamentalism of the “religious right” is a significant force in discussions of social, political and economic issues in this country. In other parts of the world “liberation theology,” a left/progressive religious orientation, is alive and well. We will study both left and right political uses of religious beliefs and practices. This academic and predominately analytic program emphasizes the careful and detailed study of demanding texts. This program is geared to juniors and seniors only.
Political Economy and Social Movements: Race, Class and Gender Fall, Winter/Coordinated Study Political Economy and Social Movements is a two-quarter program for students with sophomore-level standing and above. We will examine the historical construction of the U.S. political economy, the role social movements have played in its development and future possibilities for social justice. Our goal is to gain a clear understanding of how the U.S. economy has been organized and reorganized over time, how it has been controlled and who has benefited from it, the nature of racism and sexism and how social movements, particularly those based on race, class and gender, have resisted and shaped its direction. We will also examine the current and future direction of the U.S. economy and society and how various social movements are responding to the changing global order, nationally and globally. Fall quarter’s work will focus primarily on the historical development of the U.S. and on learning and critiquing various ideologies and frameworks such as liberalism, various feminist theories, Marxism and neoclassical economics. Current economic restructuring efforts and the reorganization of the social welfare state will be examined. Key issues and topics — such as the growing inequality of income and wealth; the changing nature of technology, work and unions; poverty, public education, youth, immigration and prisons —will be studied historically and as we prepare to enter the 21st century. For each of these topics the role of race, class and gender will be examined, as will short-run and longer-run solutions to related social problems. Winter quarter’s work will center on the interrelationship between the U.S. economy and the changing global system. We will study the causes and consequences of the growing globalization of capital; the role of international organizations such as the World Bank, the IMF and the World Trade Organization; the meaning of various trade agreements and regional organizations such as NAFTA, APEC and the European Union; and the response of social movements and civil society who oppose this emerging global order. We will pay particular attention to the human consequences of this new order, as well as resistance to it in some case studies in the South, such as Mexico and South Africa. We will look at alternative ways of organizing society for the United States and beyond. Films will be shown throughout the program, and there will be a substantial amount of reading in a variety of genres.There will be workshops in economics, writing and organizing for social change. During fall quarter, students will write a series of short, primarily analytical papers. During winter quarter, students will complete a research project or participate in a social change group or do relevant community service. Students taking this program should have an interest in the social sciences, in theory of social movements and/or principles of organizing.
Property Spring/Group Contract Property will explore the origins and present nature of property in private and public contexts. The program will include an examination of the relationship of property to personal identity, justice and power. Other topics that might be explored include property rights, intellectual property, entitlements, ownership of one’s body, money, living without property and the role of government in legitimizing the acquisition and distribution of property. Students will be encouraged to lead the way. Forms for program work will include lectures, large and small book seminars, small group projects, oral presentations and writing, in class and out. The small-group projects will concern local property disputes. The oral presentations and writing will be largely self-directed.
Science of Mind Fall, Winter, Spring/Coordinated Study Philosophers, psychologists, neurobiologists, computer scientists, linguists and anthropologists have raised questions about the human mind. What is its structure? What is the relationship of mind and brain? Does the brain work like a computer; if so, what kind of computer? How do culture and biology affect the development of the mind? To what extent is the mind rational? A “cognitive revolution” has transformed the study of these questions. Science of Mind will explore the nature of this revolution. It will consider theories from past and contemporary cognitive psychology and neurobiology, issues in philosophy of science and mind, as well as computer models of mental activity. Emphasis will be placed on theories about the nature of perception, attention, memory reasoning, and language as well as current developments in the study of neural nets. The program will cover basic cellular neurobiology, application of neural network models, theory and practice of experimental cognitive psychology, research design in psychology, descriptive and inferential statistics with psychological research applications, use of the computer for data analysis and computer simulation mental activity. Fall and winter quarters: considerable work in statistics and research design, as well as a survey of research in cognitive psychology, neurobiology and related philosophical fields. Spring quarter: an extensive research project in experimental cognitive psychology, neurobiology, computer modeling or library research and reading in these areas or the philosophy of mind.
Self and Community Fall, Winter/Coordinated Study A defining characteristic of our culture — i.e., of contemporary U.S. culture — is a firm belief in the dignity of the individual and the value of personal or individual liberty. This stance carries with it a correlative conception of society as something that at least potentially threatens to smother or constrain personal freedom. Indeed, this way we think of society is largely a function of our culture’s more fundamental commitment to the dignity and liberty of the individual. But what is the individual self and what exactly is its relation to the society — community? — in which it lives? Are self and society mutual antagonists? In this program we will pursue both psychological and philosophical investigations into the way our culture conceives of the individual, society and the relationship between the two. We shall examine types of personality theory, with special emphasis on the contrast between trait vs. narrative approaches to personality. A key question we will address in this context is: Is personality something that carries over across social situations or is personality situationally constituted? When we seek to explain behavior, what roles do individual differences among persons, as opposed to social, historical and cultural context, play in these explanations? These issues in turn raise crucial psychological and philosophical questions about the very idea of studying the self. What methods do psychologists use in the study of the self, and how do they evaluate their own methods? We shall also examine some key controversies surrounding the practice of psychotherapy. What exactly is a “mental illness?” How has it come to pass that the number of legitimate and certified categories of mental illness has exploded in the past decade or two? The vast proliferation of “mental disorders” has coincided with a pervasive cultural preoccupation with the risks and dangers that are supposed to plague everyday life. Is this merely coincidental or are deeper historical and cultural currents at work? Everything we study in this program will be considered in historical and cultural context. That is, we shall inquire into the social, historical and cultural circumstances that make the questions we ask in this program possible.
Social Work Practice Fall,Winter/Group Contract This is a two-quarter, upper-division group contract to explore social work as both a social movement and a helping profession. During fall quarter, our focus is on the philosophical and historical evolution of social work from a social movement to a contemporary professional community practice. During winter quarter, we explore two fundamental professional skills used by social work practitioners: social work research methods and social work counseling methods. Both skills are examined from a generalist, multicultural, interdisciplinary perspective.
Strategic Business Policies for the 21st Century Fall, Winter, Spring/Coordinated Study This program is shaped by the belief that liberal arts graduates bring a special talent to the study and practice of business management. They are “big picture” thinkers, skilled at framing the larger issues that often drive strategic thinking in public and private organ-izations. Evergreen graduates, in particular, learn collaborative processes that enable them to span and build on differences between theory and application, ethnicity, gender and discipline. Liberal arts graduates become strong critical thinkers and active listeners. They communicate ideas clearly and reason about ethical principles and moral outcomes. They know enough about finance, marketing, organizational behavior and other disciplines to know how to get specialized expertise when needed, but will not devote the bulk of their education to one area. Their talent is putting elements together into a comprehensive strategic plan that will be competitively successful and ethically consistent with their sense of what is right, just and fair. This program aims to make meaningful progress toward these learning objectives: (1) writing clear and well-structured essays and reports; (2) listening actively and reading effectively; (3) expressing ideas clearly and supporting argumentation; (4) developing strategic planning skills; (5) refining small-group interaction skills; (6) defining ethical parameters for business policy-makers. Spring work will emerge from computer models: student groups will simulate strategic planning and implementation in a competitive industry with operations in several countries. Workshops will focus on reading financial statements and budgets, understanding economic data, interpreting organizational behavior patterns and effective writing. The program seeks to identify the social, political, economic and environmental issues shaping business policy as we enter the 21st century. Week activities include two seminars, a lecture and discussion period and two work-shops. Weekly seminar papers and periodic workshop submittals are required. A research paper is required each quarter (individual submittals in fall; group submittals in winter). Conferences with faculty are expected.
Turning Eastward: Explorations in East/West Psychology Fall, Winter/Group Contract Western psychology has failed to provide a satisfactory understanding of the full range of human experience. It has largely overlooked the core of human understanding — our everyday mind, our immediate awareness of being with all of its felt complexity and attunement to the vast network of intercon-nectedness with the universe around us. Instead it analyzes the mind as though it were an object independent of the analyzer, consisting of structures and mechanisms that cannot be directly experienced. This neglect of the living mind has led to an upsurge of interest in the ancient wisdom of the East, particularly Buddhism, which does not divorce the study of psychology from the concern with wisdom and human liberation. Eastern psychology shuns any attempt to objectify human life from the viewpoint of an external observer, instead studying consciousness as a living reality that shapes individual and collective perception and action. The primary tool for directly exploring the mind is meditation or mindfulness, an experiential process in which one becomes an attentive participant-observer in the unfolding of moment-to-moment consciousness. This program will take a critical look at the basic assumptions and tenets of the major currents in Western psychology, the concept of mental illness and the distinctions drawn between normal and abnormal thought and behavior. We will then investigate the Eastern study of mind that has developed within spiritual traditions, taking care to avoid the common pitfall of most Western interpretations of Eastern thought — the attempt to fit Eastern ideas and practices into unexamined Western assumptions and intellectual cate-gories. Lastly, we will address the encounter between Eastern and Western psychology as having ramifications for the human sciences in the future, potentially leading to new per-spectives on human experience and concerns.
*indicates upper-division credit |