san josé state university humanities department 177ab_syllabus.pdf · chris mooney, storm world:...
TRANSCRIPT
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 1 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
San José State University Humanities Department
-- SEMINAR SYLLABUS DRAFT-- Humanities 177A, ADVANCED HONORS IN INTEGRATED
SCIENCE, SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES, Fall, 2014
Contact Information
Instructor: James Lindahl, David Mesher, Lawrence Quill, Cynthia
Rostankowski, Janet Stemwedel, Bradley Stone (There will be
three instructors for this team-taught course; each will have
his/her own seminar syllabus. The lecture syllabus for the
course will include all lecture information, as indicated below.)
Office Location: Clark Hall 441
Telephone: (408) 924-4508
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., Wednesdays 12:00
to 3:00, and by appointment.
Class Days/Time: Lecture: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30 -11:45
Seminar: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:00-1:15
Classroom: Lecture: Washington Square Hall 207
Seminar: Dudley Moorhead Hall 208
Prerequisites: Successful completion of WST with an Objective score of 60 or
above and essay score of 8 or above; cumulative college GPA of
3.0 or above. 100W is a prerequisite, or co-requisite for the
course.
SJSU Studies Category: Over the two semesters of the course, the Studies Honors
Program satisfies areas: R (Earth and Environment), S (Self,
Society, & Equality in the US), and V (Culture, Civilization &
Global Understanding)
Faculty Web Page and MYSJSU Messaging
Copies of the course syllabus and major assignment sheets may be found on my faculty web page
at http://www.sjsu.edu/people/cynthia.rostankowski/courses/StudiesHonors/ accessible through
the quick links/faculty web page links on the SJSU home page after the first week of classes. You
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 2 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
are also responsible for regularly checking with the messaging system through MySJSU. This
will be used for updates, etc. I encourage you to check your MySJSU site at least once a week.
Course Description
SJSU Studies Honors is an integrated course that cultivates scientific study of the physical
universe and its life forms, studies individuals and groups with respect to their diversity, equality,
and the inequalities of institutions and practices of the USA, and develops appreciation for human
cultures and their diverse development globally over time. The upper division honors program,
SJSU Studies Honors, aims to accomplish several goals: 1. satisfaction of SJSU Studies
requirements (areas R, S, V) in a two-semester, lecture/seminar course sequence, 2. cultivation of
a learning community among students and the three-member faculty teaching team, 3. integration
of learning by disciplines and methodologies, 4. incorporation of the guidance and services of the
SJSU Career Center to prepare students optimally, and 5. effective retention and graduation of
both native and transfer upper division students.
Course Goals and Learning Objectives
SJSU Studies Learning Outcomes (SLO)
Area R - SLO1: Demonstrate an understanding of the methods and limits of scientific
investigation; distinguish science from pseudo-science; and apply a scientific approach to answer
questions about the earth and environment.
Area R - SLO2: Writers must understand material, be able to organize it logically, compare and
contrast facts and ideas, and draw conclusions. Students will apply their comprehension and
thinking skills in working with research materials to help them reach a level of understanding that
leads to clarity, conciseness and coherence in writing.
Area R - SLO3: Encourage students to act, listen and speak with open minds; to value individual
experiences and perspectives; to develop skills to work together in a cooperative manner on
behalf of the common good; and to appreciate differing viewpoints and ways of knowing, for the
purpose of promoting the free exchange of ideas that fosters a healthy and productive society.
Area R - SLO4: Issues of diversity shall be incorporated in an appropriate manner.
Area R - SLO5: Apply a scientific approach to answer questions about earth and the environment.
* * *
Area S - SLO1: Understand the issues of diversity, equality, and structured inequality across U.S.
cultures and institutions via perspectives from the social sciences, humanities and the arts.
Area S - SLO2: Students must satisfactorily complete a set of in-class/out-of class writing
assignments. Students will also be able to articulate their own cultural values and practice
engaging in civi1 discourse.
Area S - SLO3: Analyze issues of culture, diversity, equality, and structured inequality in the U.S.
context. In addition, students are able to take this knowledge and recognize, appreciate and
facilitate constructive interactions between people from different cultural, racial, and ethnic
groups within the U.S.
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 3 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
Area S - SLO4: From a macro perspective, students are able to examine and describe ethical
issues related to historical, social, political and economic processes that produce diversity,
equality, and structured inequalities in the U.S. On a more personal level, students examine the
ethical limits of interacting with culturally different persons.
Area S - SLO5: Satisfactory completion of writing assignments and assignments that require
library research and oral communication skills.
Area S - SLO6: Describe historical, social, political, and economic processes that produce
diversity, equality, and structured inequalities in the U.S.; describe social actions which have led
to greater equality and social justice in the U.S.; and recognize and appreciate constructive
interactions between people from different cultural, racial, and ethnic groups within the U.S.
Area S - SLO7: Examine how different identities (religious, gender, ethnic, racial, class, sexual
orientation, disability, and or age) are shaped by cultural and societal influences within contexts
of equality and inequality; and articulate and share their own cultural values with one another.
Area S - SLO8: Gain a deeper understanding of cultural identity, diversity, equality and
structured inequality in the U.S.; and reflect upon, analyze, and address the complex issues of
diversity and inequality in society.
* * *
Area V - SLO1: Appreciate human expression in cultures outside the U.S. and understand how
that expression has developed over time.
Area V - SLO2: Completion of writing requirement and demonstration of oral communication
skills.
Area V - SLO3: Compare systematically the ideas, values, images, cultural artifacts, economic
structures, technological developments, and/or attitudes of people from more than one culture
outside the U.S.
Area V - SLO4: Demonstrate their ability to articulate and discuss their values and engage in civil
discourse.
Area V - SLO5: Identify the historical context of ideas and cultural traditions outside the U.S. and
how they have influenced American culture. Assignments must utilize library research.
Area V - SLO6: Appreciate human expression in cultures outside the U.S. and understand how
that expression has developed over time.
Area V - SLO7: Appreciate human expression in cultures outside the U.S. and understand how
that expression has developed over time. An increased understanding of how traditions of cultures
outside the U.S. have influenced American culture and society, as well as how cultures in general
both develop distinctive features and interact with other cultures.
Area V – SLO8: Understand and appreciate different ideas, cultures, values, religions,
institutions, languages, and peoples of the world.
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 4 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
Required Texts/Readings
Your SJSU Studies Honors Reader is required for this course, and is available exclusively online
at my faculty website: http://www.sjsu.edu/people/cynthia.rostankowski/courses/1??A2013/
(please note, Reader is not yet available)
You will be asked to have reading assignments from this source available to you for class
discussion during seminar sessions. Please make sure you do so either by printing the
relevant material for the day, or having your electronic copy available in class. Class
participation will be negatively affected when students do not bring assigned readings to class.
Textbooks
Please note, students will read selections from many the works listed below. In some cases,
several books are listed, but readings from only one may be chosen. The aim is to provide a set
of rich and varied possibilities from which the teaching team may choose.
George J. Annas and M. A. Grodin (eds.), The Nazi Doctors and the Nuremberg Code
H. Arendt, Lying in Politics
C. Baudelaire, The Flowers of Evil
Z. Bauman and Lyon, D. Liquid Surveillance
E. Bernays, Propaganda
S. Bok, Lying
M. R. Calo, The Drone as Privacy Catalyst
Aimé Césaire, “Mississipi”
Robert Chambers, Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation
Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species
Adrian Desmond and James Moore, Darwin: The Life of a Tormented Evolutionist
John Dewey, The Public and its Problems
Dingxin Zhao, The Power of Tiananmen: State-Society Relations and the 1989 Beijing Student
Movement
Martin Duberman, Stonewall
W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folks
Esi Edugyan, Half Blood Blues
Ralph Ellison, Living with Music: The Jazz Writings
D. Ellsberg, Secrets
Buchi Emecheta, The Joys of Motherhood
Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth
Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Disicontents
Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique
Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom
Peter Galison, Einstein's Clocks, Poincare's Maps
M. K. Gandhi, Hind Swaraj
Tejaswini Ganti, Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema
Peter Godfrey-Smith, Theory and Reality
Alice Gorman and Beth O’Leary, A Fearsome Heritage: Diverse Legacies of the Cold War
John Gribbin, The Scientists, Random House, 2001
Paul Griffiths, A Guide to Electronic Music
Vaclav Havel, “A Call for Sacrifice: The Co-Responsibility of the West”
J.T. Howard and J. Lyons, 1942, Crowell, Modern Music: A Popular Guide to Greater Musical
Enjoyment
Langston Hughes, First Book of Jazz
A. Huxley, Brave New World
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 5 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
T. Huxley and Matthew Arnold, The Debate over Literature and Science
Mara Hvistendahl, Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a
World Full of Men
James H. Jones, Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment
LeRoi Jones, Blues People: The Negro Experience in White America, and the Music That
Developed From It
Maynard Keynes, The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money
Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Stephen Kent, Ultimate History of Video Games
Philip Kitcher, Abusing Science: The Case Against Creationism
F. Kleiner, Garner’s Art through the Ages, 14th ed.
Thomas S. Kuhn, Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Keith J. Laidler, To Light Such A Candle, Oxford University Press
Timothy Lenoir, The Strategy of Life: Teleology and Mechanics in Nineteenth-Century German
Biology
Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt
W. Lippmann, The Phantom Public
Wynton Marsalis, Moving to Higher Ground: How Jazz Can Change Your Life
Chris Mooney, Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle Over Global Warming
G. E. Moore, Principia Ethica, on the Naturalistic Fallacy
Toni Morrison, Jazz
Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science and Twilight of the Idols
Michael Ondatjee, Coming through Slaughter
G. Orwell, 1984
Marvin Perry, M. Berg and J. Krukones, Sources in European History Since 1900
Gerard Piel, The Age of Science, Basic Books, 2001
Karl Popper, “The Problem of Induction”
T. Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49
L. Quill, Civil Disobedience – (Un)common Sense in Mass Democracies
John Rawls, A Theory of Justice
Dagobert D. Runes (ed.), Twentieth Century Philosophy: Living Schools of Thought Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy
Gene Santoro, Stir It Up: Musical Mixes from Roots to Jazz
Sapir-Worph Hypothesis
J. P. Sartre, Existentialism is a Humanism
Katherine Sharpe, Coming of Age on Zoloft
Léopold Sédar Senghor, “Black Woman,” “To New York”
P.W. Singer, Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century
Rebecca Skloot, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Tolstoy, “How Much Land Does a Man Need?”
M. Walzer, Political Action and the Problem of Dirty Hands
Booker T. Washington, Up from Slavery
James D. Watson, The Double Helix
H.G. Wells, J. Huxley, G.P. Wells, The Science of Life, 1929, The Literary Guild
Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations
Malcolm X and Alex Haley, Autobiography of Malcolm X
Library Liaison
The Humanities Librarian is Peggy Cabrera . Please feel free to contact her and make an
appointment for advice and assistance as you research your essay. Her email address is
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 6 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
[email protected]. She is also available by appointment in the King Library, at 408-808-
2034. Additional information about humanities research is available at:
http://libguides.sjsu.edu/humanities.
Classroom Protocol
Each person is of intrinsic worth and is thus worthy of respect in all interactions; please keep this
awareness at the forefront of your considerations as you enter and exit your lecture and seminar
classrooms, and as you comport yourself in those classes (and in all of your other classes as well).
Treat guests with respect and courtesy. Respectful behavior includes silence when others are
speaking, entering the room quietly and inconspicuously, leaving the room during session only as
a matter of greatest urgency, being attentive to the class in progress, raising your hand if you wish
to be acknowledged, and refraining from all other interactions (personal and electronic) while
class is going on. This specifically includes refraining from cell phone use in any way during
class, and engaging in the use of your computer only for note-taking and referencing electronic
readings assignments. Please note that University policy recognizes any unauthorized use of a
cell phone or other technological device during an examination as grounds for failing the
examination.
Course Requirements, Grading Policy, and Assignments
SJSU classes are designed such that in order to be successful, it is expected that students will
spend a minimum of forty-five hours for each unit of credit (normally three hours per unit per
week), including preparing for class, participating in course activities, completing assignments,
and so on. More details about student workload can be found in . at
http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-3.pdf.
This course requires a significant amount of reading. Students are asked to read each scheduled
assignment prior to coming to class. This means that the readings listed by date on the reading
assignment schedule are to be read before the day those readings are listed. This also means that
students are to strive to understand the readings as well, not merely go through the motions of
poring over pages. Since the readings are often challenging, they should also be a source of
questions to keep in mind while listening to lecture, and to ask about during seminar. Expect to
spend approximately four to six hours per week in doing only the readings for this course. It is
not possible to work effectively in this course if one were to rely on the lectures and class
discussions alone. A variety of writing assignments will be assigned for this course, and they will
differ among instructors, but all instructors will assign topics that meet the writing requirements
for the various core areas. Please see the chart in this section for additional information about
the specific kinds of written assignments you will be asked to accomplish. Students will also be
asked to complete a lecture mid term examination, and final examinations for both the lecture
component of the class as well as the seminar component. In SJSU Studies Honors, one speech
during the first semester will be required. The speech during the seminar will be a persuasive
speech, four to five minutes in length, related to topics of the semester, and requiring research.
Examples might include advocating the acceptance of a new mode of governance in a developing
nation, or advocating new occupations and opportunities for women. A complete full sentence
outline of at least two pages is required, as well as a bibliography of sources. In preparation for
their speeches, students will be provided with evaluation guidelines to help prepare and assess
work. Explanations of the speech requirements are described in the SJSU Studies Honors 1??A
Reader, as well as in seminar discussions.
Written Assignments
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 7 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
Your written assignments for this course are listed in the table below. Some are indicated as
“required,” that is, they must be completed and turned in to your instructor in order for it to be
possible for you pass the course (although completing them is, of course, no guarantee of passing).
Other assignments are indicated as both “required and rewritable” and are both required and may
be re-written so you may have the opportunity to improve your work. You will be required to
present a speech, and you must turn in an outline for your speech on the day of your presentation.
Although completing journal assignments is not required, it will be difficult to succeed well in
class without accomplishing them, since they are based upon the scheduled readings, and their
cumulative worth becomes significant in determining your end-of-semester grade. Failure to
complete and turn in a journal in a timely manner will be recorded as an “F” for that work. Due
dates for journals will be listed in the journal assignment handout.
Please note that the professor may change any of the following information for the benefit of the
class, should the need arise. Any change will be announced in class, and via MySJSU, if
necessary.
Table 1 Assignments Assignments Due
Date Value
Speech (outline about 2 pages) required day of 5%
Mid-term examination (in seminar) required 15 Oct. 10%
Final Exam (Lecture) required 12 Dec. 10%
Final Exam (Seminar) required 11 Dec. 10%
Reasoning in the Social Sciences Essay (4 pages) required and
rewritable
26 Sept. 10%
Research in Sciences Essay Project Topic (1-2 pages) required
and rewritable
10 Oct. 5%
Research in Sciences Essay Project: Annotated Bibliography (1-2
pages) required and rewritable
24 Oct. 5%
Research in Science Essay Project: The Essay (4-5 pages)
required and rewritable
11 Nov. 10%
Experiencing Art and Culture essay (3 pages) required and
rewritable
26 Nov. 5%
Reading Journals, quizzes, etc. (ten in all, 1.5% of grade each) day of 15%
Class participation 15%
Please note, this course must be passed with a C or better as a CSU graduation requirement to
complete each SJSU Studies Honors semester successfully. If a course grade of less than C is
earned, the student must repeat the course. Note that University policy F69-24 states, “Students
should attend all meetings of their classes, not only because they are responsible for material
discussed therein, but because active participation is frequently essential to insure maximum
benefit for all members of the class. Attendance per se shall not be used as a criterion for grading.”
All coursework will be evaluated in terms of letter grades A+ through F, with the values of the
letter grades as follows:
Table 2 Grade Values
A+ = 4.3 A= 4.0 A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3 B = 3.0 B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3 C = 2.0 C- = 1.7
D+ = 1.3 D = 1.0 D- = 0.7
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 8 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
F+ = 0.3 F = 0
University Policies
Dropping, Adding, Grade Forgiveness and Incompletes
Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade
forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester’s catalog policies section at
http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html for University policies information. Specific
add/drop deadlines can be found under current academic calendar at
http://blogs.sjsu.edu/mysjsu/2011/08/17/fall-2011-registration-and-deadlines. Additional
Registrar’s calendar information for this semester can be found at this link
http://www.sjsu.edu/registrar/calendar/2114/index.htm. Late drop policy is available at
http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware of the current
deadlines and penalties for dropping classes. Grade forgiveness policy is available at
http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/static/soc-spring/forgiveness.html. Information about the
latest changes is available at the Advising Hub, http://www.sjsu.edu/advising.
Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material
University Policy S12-7, http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-7.pdf, requires students to obtain
instructor’s permission to record the course.
Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are
recording him/her. You must obtain the permission of the course instructor to make audio or
video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private,
study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not
been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material. If you wish to record a class
presentation, or specific material from the course, please discuss the specific request with your
instructor, and your request will be specifically approved or denied at that time. In classes where
active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or
guests should be obtained as well.
Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and
cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload
instructor-generated material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework
solutions without specific and explicit instructor consent.
Academic integrity
The University’s Academic Integrity Policy S07-2 is available at the following website:
http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S07-2.pdf . Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by
your enrollment at San Jose State University and the University’s integrity policy, requires you to
be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions
to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The website for Student Conduct and
Ethical Development is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/.
Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism
(presenting the work of another as your own, or the use of another person’s ideas without giving
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 9 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
proper credit), and use of unauthorized electronic technology during examinations will result in a
failing grade and sanctions by the University. For this class, all assignments are to be completed
by the individual student unless otherwise specified. If you would like to include in your
assignment any material you have submitted, or plan to submit for another class, please note that
SJSU’s Academic Policy S07-2 http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/S07-2.htm requires approval of
instructors.
Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make
special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with
me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 at
http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf requires that students with
disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Accessible Education Center
(AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec to establish a record of their disability.
In 2013, the Disability Resource Center changed its name to be known as the Accessible
Education Center, to incorporate a philosophy of accessible education for students with
disabilities. The new name change reflects the broad scope of attention and support to SJSU
students with disabilities and the University's continued advocacy and commitment to increasing
accessibility and inclusivity on campus.
Student Technology Resources
Computer labs for student use are available in the Academic Success Center at
http://www.sjsu.edu/at/asc/ located on the 1st floor of Clark Hall and in the Associated Students
Lab on the 2nd floor of the Student Union. Additional computer labs may be available in your
department/college. Computers are also available in the Martin Luther King Library.
A wide variety of audio-visual equipment is available for student checkout from Media Services
located in IRC 112. These items include DV and HD digital camcorders; digital still cameras;
video, slide and overhead projectors; DVD, CD, and audiotape players; sound systems, wireless
microphones, projection screens and monitors.
SJSU Peer Connections
Peer Connections, a campus-wide resource for mentoring and tutoring, strives to inspire students
to develop their potential as independent learners while they learn to successfully navigate
through their university experience. You are encouraged to take advantage of their services
which include course-content based tutoring, enhanced study and time management skills, more
effective critical thinking strategies, decision making and problem-solving abilities, and campus
resource referrals.
In addition to offering small group, individual, and drop-in tutoring for a number of
undergraduate courses, consultation with mentors is available on a drop-in or by appointment
basis. Workshops are offered on a wide variety of topics including preparing for the Writing
Skills Test (WST), improving your learning and memory, alleviating procrastination, surviving
your first semester at SJSU, and other related topics. A computer lab and study space are also
available for student use in Room 600 of Student Services Center (SSC).
Peer Connections is located in three locations: SSC, Room 600 (10th Street Student Services
Building on the corner of 9th and San Fernando Street), at the 1st floor entrance of Clark Hall, and
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 10 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
in the Living Learning Center (LLC) in Campus Village Housing Building B. Visit Peer
Connections website at http://peerconnections.sjsu.edu for more information.
SJSU Writing Center
The SJSU Writing Center is located in Clark Hall, Suite 126. All Writing Specialists have gone
through a rigorous hiring process, and they are well trained to assist all students at all levels
within all disciplines to become better writers. In addition to one-on-one tutoring services, the
Writing Center also offers workshops every semester on a variety of writing topics. To make an
appointment or to refer to the numerous online resources offered through the Writing Center, visit
the Writing Center website at http://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter. For additional resources and
updated information, follow the Writing Center on Twitter and become a fan of the SJSU Writing
Center on Facebook. (Note: You need to have a QR Reader to scan this code.)
SJSU Counseling Services
The SJSU Counseling Services is located on the corner of 7th Street and San Fernando Street, in
Room 201, Administration Building. Professional psychologists, social workers, and counselors
are available to provide consultations on issues of student mental health, campus climate or
psychological and academic issues on an individual, couple, or group basis. To schedule an
appointment or learn more information, visit Counseling Services website at
http://www.sjsu.edu/counseling.
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 11 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
HUM 1??A, SJSU Studies Honors, Fall Semester, 2014 Course Schedule
Electronic Devices Policy – Required – Please read
To help foster the best possible learning environment for yourself and those around you, please avoid doing
anything in class that might distract the attention of others. Mobile technology can be especially
disruptive. During lectures, portable electronic devices may be used only for class-related purposes such as
taking notes; otherwise, they must be turned off. During seminars, portable electronic devices may only be
used in accordance with your seminar instructor's guidelines. During examinations, portable electronic
devices may never be used (except under supervision at the Disability Resource Center).
http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S07-2.pdf
Table: Seminar Sections
Professor Location
Professor Mesher (tentative) Clark Hall 216
Professor Quill (tentative) Clark Hall 306
Professor Stone (tentative) Dudley Moorhead Hall 149B
What is listed below is a working schedule of projected lectures for SJSU Studies Honors,
1??A. Indications (by initials) of who would give which lectures is hypothetical, as are
dates, but the entire arrangement of this part of the syllabus suggests our current working
plans.
Course Schedule
Class Date Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
1. LQ
22
August.
Introduction to SJSU Studies Honors; explanation of the course, introductions of faculty. Our narrative plan for the course: Nature and Society – Who are we, and how do we make sense of our world? What do we endorse within our community, other communities? What is shared? n.b. Reading assignments for each lecture will be listed at the bottom of each cell.
2. BS
1859-1918
27
August.
The evolution of Evolution: a perspective on the development of theories of the
origin of our species, and the transformations of Social Darwinism.
Readings:
Darwin, On the Origin of Species, Chapter II “Variation Under Nature,” Chapter
III “Struggle for Existence,” Chapter IV “Natural Selection,” Chapter XIV
“Recapitulation and Conclusion;” Desmond and Moore, Chapter 21 “Murder;”
Lenoir, Chapter 6 “Teleomechanism and Darwin’s Theory;” Kitcher, Chapter 1
“Evolution for Everyone,” Chapter 3, “Darwin Redux.”
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 12 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
Class Date Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
3. DM
29
August.
Nietzsche: The demise of Metaphysics and the Re-valuation of Values: “God is dead,” and the critique of morality. Readings: Nietzsche, “The Madman” and “Critique of Morality”
4. DM
3 September.
The Natural world in Literature and Art : the shift from Romanticism and Transcendentalism (i.e. American Romanticism) to Realism and Naturalism Readings: Wordsworth, “Tintern Abbey;” Tennyson, “In Memoriam A.H.H.;” Matthew Arnold, “Dover Beach;” Whitman, “Passage to India;” Chambers, Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation (selection)
5. LQ
5
September.
The Sources of the Unhappy Self: The ‘scientific’ discovery of modern notions of selfhood – the impact of the first world war on ideas of ‘progress’ – the unconscious – reason and irrationality – why we all speak ‘Freud’ now. Reading: Freud, Civilization and its Discontents
6.
BS
10 September.
How to understand artworks one has never encountered before: New Ideas of Creativity – Music doesn’t have to be pleasing, Art doesn’t have to be beautiful. Music: Classical music in the modern era: atonality, radical harmony, and the birth of electronic music Art: Van Gogh, Japanese prints, African masks, Australian Aboriginal art, Indonesian Gamelan music Readings: Griffiths, A Guide to Electronic Music (selections),; Kleiner, Gardner’s Art through the Ages (selections)
7. LQ
12 September.
Education and Society: Shifting sense of place of the USA in the world; Herbert Spencer, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Booker T. Washington and the Huxley-Arnold Debate – science vs literature. Readings: DuBois, Souls of Black Folks (selections); Washington, Up from Slavery (selections); Huxley and Arnold, The Debate over Literature and Science (selections)
8. DM
1919-1939
17 September.
World War I: Technology changes the way people make war, but the ways of the military change slowly; colonialism coming home to roost. Readings: Perry, Berg & Krukones; Sources in European History Since 1900 (selections)
9. JL 19 September.
The Roaring 20’s and the rise of Consumer Culture Readings: Time Magazine, vol.1 (1923) (a facsimile); S. Lewis Babbitt; Perry, Berg & Krukones; Sources in European History Since 1900 (selections)
10. BS
24 September.
The light bulb goes on: electricity, quantum theory and the startling changes they caused.
Readings: Laidler, To Light Such A Candle (selections); Gribbin, Chapter 11 “Let there be
Light;” Piel, Chapter 3 “Light and Matter;” Galison, Einstein's Clocks, Poincare's Maps (selections)
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 13 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
Class Date Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
11. DM
26 September.
The Vienna Circle: science as a path to verifiable knowledge, and as a model for human interaction in an increasingly divided world, and Karl Popper: the role of falsifiability in the scientific method, the line between science and pseudoscience Readings: Godfrey-Smith, Ch. 2 “Logic Plus Empiricism;” Runes (ed.), Feigl, “Logical Empiricism,” and Popper, “Science: Conjectures and Refutations;”Popper, “The Problem of Induction”
12. DM
1 October. Modernism in the Arts and Literature – Modernism as rejection of pre-WWI world, Victorian values. De-humanization: Art influenced by new science and technology – the world no longer viewed on a human scale. Modernism as messenger of Quantum theory, etc. And in that role, rejected as decadent. Form follows function, Bauhaus, Cubism; Realism in the arts – German Expressionism and Hitler’s “degenerate art,” Political art in the USA: the WPA and the professional artist; Art in the Soviet Union and Communist China, populist art, Diego Rivera and Freda Kahlo Readings: Joyce, “Araby”; Kafka, “Metamorphosis”; Mann, “Death in Venice”; Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily”; poems by Amy Lowell, H.D., T.S. Eliot, E. E. Cummings. Colette, “Gribiche.” Kleiner, F. Gardner’s Art through the Ages, 14th ed. Chapter 29, “Modernism in Europe and America, 1900-1945”
13. BS
3 October. The Rise of analytic philosophy: Bertrand Russell, G.E. Moore and the Naturalistic Fallacy; Wittgenstein and new models of language and Linguistics; the Sapir-Worph hypothesis and linguistic relativity. Readings: Russell, The Problems of Philosophy (selections); Moore, Principia Ethica on the Naturalistic Fallacy; Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations (selctions); The Sapir-Worph Hypothesis (selections)
14. LQ
8 October. The Science of Emotion Management: How emotion displaced reason in politics – ‘constantly moving happiness machines’ – how cigarettes were sold to women – why Better Crocker says ‘add an egg’ – how citizens became consumers and loved it Readings: Bernays, Propaganda (selections), Dewey, The Public and its Problems (selections) Lippmann, The Phantom Public (selections) Seminar: MIDTERM EXAMINATION
15. BS
1940-
1960
10 October. Scientific Achievements and Shifting Paradigms: Kuhn on scientific paradigms and scientific revolutions ; Biology: discovery of the structure of DNA; Psychology: the birth of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) Readings: Watson, The Double Helix (selections), Sharpe, Chapter 2 “A Short History of Medication;” Kuhn, Chapters II through IV, and Chapter X .
16. DM
15 October. Twentieth Century Economics - Keynes vs Friedman, and the rest of the World Readings: Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom (selection); Keynes, The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money; readings on twentieth century Communist economies.
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 14 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
Class Date Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
17. LQ
17 October. Choice is not an Algorithm: ‘To be or not to be?’ Why making choices is what makes us human – How freedom survives in dark times – Why existentialism won and lost – Whither the humanist self? Readings: Sartre, Existentialism is a Humanism
18. BS
22 October. Human Striving, Human Rights: The Holocaust and other 20th century genocides. Harms done to humans in the name of scientific research (Nazi medical experiments, Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, U.S. government syphilis research in Guatemala) Statements of human rights and the rights of human subjects of scientific research (Nuremberg Code, Belmont Report) What do we value as humans? What keeps us from seeing each other as fully human? Readings: Annas and Michael A. Grodin (eds.), T. Taylor, "Opening Statement of the Prosecution, December 9, 1946," "Judgment and Aftermath" J. Jones, Chapter 1,"A Moral Astigmatism,” Chapter 12 "Nothing Learned will Prevent, Find, or Cure a Single Case;" The Belmont Report.
19. LQ
24 October. The arts after WWII; film as art, avant-garde, cinema verite, new wave; abstract expressionism and the new center of the Artworld: the USA; world architecture responds to the wars. Readings: Kleiner, Gardner’s Art through the Ages, 14th ed. Chapter 30, “Modernism and Postmodernism in Europe and America, 1945-1980,”
20. BS
29 October. Jazz: American classical music, or the ultimate world music? Ragtime and Other Origins, From New Orleans to Kansas City, Soundtrack for the Harlem Renaissance, Race in the Big Band Era, Bebop and Free, Birth of the Cool, Latin Impact from Orfeu Negro to Buena Vista Social Club, European Recognition and American Reaction, Back to Africa – and Back. Readings: L. Jones, Blues People: The Negro Experience in White America, and the Music That Developed From It; Santoro, Stir It Up: Musical Mixes from Roots to Jazz; Esi Edugyan, Half Blood Blues; Toni Morrison, Jazz; Michael Ondatjee, Coming through Slaughter.
21: LQ
31 October. The Politics of Disobedience: Imperialism and colonialism – terrorism – non-violent resistance – technology and politics – non-violence today. Readings: Gandhi, Hind Swaraj, Quill, L. Civil Disobedience – (Un)common Sense in Mass Democracies (selections)
22: DM
1961-1980
5 November.
Revolutions of Resistance: Civil Rights Movements in the US. From Harlem Renaissance through March on Washington to present day issues. (International dimensions of civil rights struggle in US (Negritude, Malcolm X; AIM, Stonewall, other civil rights movements) Readings: King, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” “I Have a Dream” Speech Autobiography of Malcolm X, “Mecca,” Ellison, Invisible Man, Prologue and Chapter 1; Duberman, Stonewall, Part Six, “1969,” Léopold Sédar Senghor, “Black Woman,” “To New York”; Aimé Césaire, “Mississipi.” Documentary: Stonewall Uprising from PBS, The American Experience
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 15 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
Class Date Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
23: DM
7 November.
Science Big and Small: The Race to the Moon and the War on Cancer: Sputnik, manned space flight, the race to the moon and American self-image within international science and geopolitics. The war on cancer and the use of HeLa cells in culture to try to win it. Readings: Gorman & O’Leary. "An ideological vacuum: The Cold War in outer space." In A Fearsome Heritage: Diverse Legacies of the Cold War; Skloot, Chapter 1 “The Exam,” Chapter 4,“The Birth of HeLa,” Chater 17 “Illegal, Immoral, and Deplorable,” Chapter 22 “The Fame She So Richly Deserves.”
24: LQ
12 November.
The Rise of Human Welfare and the New Social Contract as a Political Goal: the Welfare State in the Western World; the Women’s Movement, communism, social re-construction: what should a society provide for its people? What does a thriving society owe other societies? Readings: Rawls, A Theory of Justice (Selections); Friedan, The Feminine Mystique (selections); Emecheta, The Joys of Motherhood (1st half)
25: DM
14 November.
Social Movements: Anti-Colonialism throughout Africa; Fanon, Algeria, and the Necessity of Violence: more influential than non-violence; Models of anti-colonial struggles in Africa: Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa - Post-independence examples. Readings: Emecheta, The Joys of Motherhood, (2nd half); Fanon, “Concerning Violence” and “Conclusion” Film: The Battle of Algiers
26: DM
19 November.
What is Art? Quantum Theory as Popular Culture: The Crying of Lot 49; PONG: the video game is born; Bollywood and the rise of World Cinema; Earth, Pop, and Site Art, Happenings Readings: Pynchon, T. The Crying of Lot 49 ; Kent, “Pong,” Ganti. Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema (selections); Kleiner, F. Garner’s Art through the Ages, 14th ed. Chapter 31, “Contemporary Art Worldwide”
27: LQ
1981-
now
21 November.
The End of Innocence after ’68: Political disillusionment – Vietnam and its aftermath – Watergate – Lying in Politics – Dirty Hands. Readings: Ellsberg, Secrets (selections), Arendt, Lying in Politics (selections), Walzer, Political Action and the Problem of Dirty Hands (selections), Bok, S. Lying (selections).
28: DM
26 November.
New Science or Science Conundrums? The potential for new technologies: if we can make it, should we use it? GMOs, climate theories: political storms and actual storms; new reproductive technologies and the future of the family, and the role of ethics when no one knows you’re there (Ring of Gyges for the 21st century) Readings: Mooney, Storm World, Chapters 7through11; Hvistendahl, Part One, “Everyone Has Boys Now”
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year Page 16 of 16 Please verify all web links are active prior to online publication. Revised on August 6, 2013
Class Date Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
28 November.
Thanksgiving – no classes.
29: LQ
3 December.
iSPY – Big Brother or Brave New World? Surveillance – The rise and rise of ‘risk society’ – drones, micro-drones, nano-drones, and cyborgs – biometric security. Readings: Orwell, 1984 (selections), Huxley, Brave New World (selections), Calo, M. R. The Drone as Privacy Catalyst (selections), Bauman, Z. and Lyon, D. Liquid Surveillance (selections).
30: DM
5 December.
Freedom: Tanzania and Ujamaa, Tienanmen Square, Rwanda and Syria: Global Justice How do we change the world? Readings: Julius Kambarage Nyerere, “Ujamaa,” speech; Vaclav Havel, “A Call for Sacrifice: The Co-Responsibility of the West;” Dingxin Zhao, The Power of Tiananmen: State-Society Relations and the 1989 Beijing Student Movement (selections)
Final Exam
11 December.
Wednesday, December 11, 9:45-12:00 In Seminar Room. Bring green exam books!
Final Exam
12 December.
Thursday, December 12, 7:15-9:30, in Lecture Room, WSQ 207. Set your alarms!
San José State University Humanities Department
-- LECTURE and SEMINAR SYLLABUS DRAFT-- Humanities 177B, ADVANCED HONORS IN INTEGRATED
SCIENCE, SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES, Spring 2015
Contact Information
Instructor: James Lindahl, David Mesher, Lawrence Quill, Cynthia
Rostankowski, Janet Stemwedel, Bradley Stone (There will be
three instructors for this team-taught course; each will have
his/her own seminar syllabus. The lecture syllabus for the
course will include all lecture information, as indicated below.)
Office Location: Clark Hall 441
Telephone: (408) 924-4508
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., Wednesdays 12:00
to 3:00, and by appointment.
Class Days/Time: Lecture and Seminar: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30 -11:45
Classroom: Lecture: Washington Square Hall 207
Seminar: Dudley Moorhead Hall 208
Prerequisites: Successful completion of WST with an Objective score of 60 or
above and essay score of 8 or above; cumulative college GPA of
3.0 or above. 100W is a prerequisite, or co-requisite for the
course.
SJSU Studies Category: Over the two semesters of the course, the Studies Honors
Program satisfies areas: R (Earth and Environment), S (Self,
Society, & Equality in the US), and V (Culture, Civilization &
Global Understanding)
Faculty Web Page and MYSJSU Messaging
Copies of the course syllabus and major assignment sheets may be found on my faculty web page
at http://www.sjsu.edu/people/cynthia.rostankowski/courses/StudiesHonors/ accessible through
the quick links/faculty web page links on the SJSU home page after the first week of classes. You
are also responsible for regularly checking with the messaging system through MySJSU. This
will be used for updates, etc. I encourage you to check your MySJSU site at least once a week.
Course Description
SJSU Studies Honors is an integrated course that cultivates scientific study of the physical
universe and its life forms, studies individuals and groups with respect to their diversity, equality,
and the inequalities of institutions and practices of the USA, and develops appreciation for human
cultures and their diverse development globally over time. The upper division honors program,
SJSU Studies Honors, aims to accomplish several goals: 1. satisfaction of SJSU Studies
requirements (areas R, S, V) in a two-semester, lecture/seminar course sequence, 2. cultivation of
a learning community among students and the three-member faculty teaching team, 3. integration
of learning by disciplines and methodologies, 4. incorporation of the guidance and services of the
SJSU Career Center to prepare students optimally, and 5. effective retention and graduation of
both native and transfer upper division students.
Course Goals and Learning Objectives
SJSU Studies Learning Outcomes (SLO) Area R - SLO1: Demonstrate an understanding of the methods and limits of scientific
investigation; distinguish science from pseudo-science; and apply a scientific approach to answer
questions about the earth and environment.
Area R - SLO2: Writers must understand material, be able to organize it logically, compare and
contrast facts and ideas, and draw conclusions. Students will apply their comprehension and
thinking skills in working with research materials to help them reach a level of understanding that
leads to clarity, conciseness and coherence in writing.
Area R - SLO3: Encourage students to act, listen and speak with open minds; to value individual
experiences and perspectives; to develop skills to work together in a cooperative manner on
behalf of the common good; and to appreciate differing viewpoints and ways of knowing, for the
purpose of promoting the free exchange of ideas that fosters a healthy and productive society.
Area R - SLO4: Issues of diversity shall be incorporated in an appropriate manner.
Area R - SLO5: Apply a scientific approach to answer questions about earth and the environment.
* * *
Area S - SLO1: Understand the issues of diversity, equality, and structured inequality across U.S.
cultures and institutions via perspectives from the social sciences, humanities and the arts.
Area S - SLO2: Students must satisfactorily complete a set of in-class/out-of class writing
assignments. Students will also be able to articulate their own cultural values and practice
engaging in civi1 discourse.
Area S - SLO3: Analyze issues of culture, diversity, equality, and structured inequality in the U.S.
context. In addition, students are able to take this knowledge and recognize, appreciate and
facilitate constructive interactions between people from different cultural, racial, and ethnic
groups within the U.S.
Area S - SLO4: From a macro perspective, students are able to examine and describe ethical
issues related to historical, social, political and economic processes that produce diversity,
equality, and structured inequalities in the U.S. On a more personal level, students examine the
ethical limits of interacting with culturally different persons.
Area S - SLO5: Satisfactory completion of writing assignments and assignments that require
library research and oral communication skills.
Area S - SLO6: Describe historical, social, political, and economic processes that produce
diversity, equality, and structured inequalities in the U.S.; describe social actions which have led
to greater equality and social justice in the U.S.; and recognize and appreciate constructive
interactions between people from different cultural, racial, and ethnic groups within the U.S.
Area S - SLO7: Examine how different identities (religious, gender, ethnic, racial, class, sexual
orientation, disability, and or age) are shaped by cultural and societal influences within contexts
of equality and inequality; and articulate and share their own cultural values with one another.
Area S - SLO8: Gain a deeper understanding of cultural identity, diversity, equality and
structured inequality in the U.S.; and reflect upon, analyze, and address the complex issues of
diversity and inequality in society.
* * *
Area V - SLO1: Appreciate human expression in cultures outside the U.S. and understand how
that expression has developed over time.
Area V - SLO2: Completion of writing requirement and demonstration of oral communication
skills.
Area V - SLO3: Compare systematically the ideas, values, images, cultural artifacts, economic
structures, technological developments, and/or attitudes of people from more than one culture
outside the U.S.
Area V - SLO4: Demonstrate their ability to articulate and discuss their values and engage in civil
discourse.
Area V - SLO5: Identify the historical context of ideas and cultural traditions outside the U.S. and
how they have influenced American culture. Assignments must utilize library research.
Area V - SLO6: Appreciate human expression in cultures outside the U.S. and understand how
that expression has developed over time.
Area V - SLO7: Appreciate human expression in cultures outside the U.S. and understand how
that expression has developed over time. An increased understanding of how traditions of cultures
outside the U.S. have influenced American culture and society, as well as how cultures in general
both develop distinctive features and interact with other cultures.
Area V – SLO8: Understand and appreciate different ideas, cultures, values, religions,
institutions, languages, and peoples of the world.
Required Texts/Readings Your SJSU Studies Honors Reader is required for this course, and is available exclusively online
at my faculty website: http://www.sjsu.edu/people/cynthia.rostankowski/courses/1??A2013/
(please note, Reader is not yet available)
You will be asked to have reading assignments from this source available to you for class
discussion during seminar sessions. Please make sure you do so either by printing the
relevant material for the day, or having your electronic copy available in class. Class
participation will be negatively affected when students do not bring assigned readings to class.
Textbooks Please note, students will read selections from many the works listed below. In some cases,
several books are listed, but readings from only one may be chosen. The aim is to provide a set
of rich and varied possibilities from which the teaching team may choose.
David Z. Albert, Quantum Mechanics and Experience, (Harvard University Press, 1994).
Joseph S. Alper et al. (eds.), The Double-Edged Helix: Social Implications of Genetics in a
Diverse Society.
L. Andrews (2012) I Know Who You Are And Saw What You Did: Social Networks and the Death
of Privacy (New York: Free Press) [selections];
Misha Angrist, Here Is a Human Being: At the Dawn of Personal Genomics
Kwame Anthony Appiah, Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers
Hannah Arendt, World Alienation
J. Assange, State/Terrorist Conspiracies
A. Aspect, J. Dalibard, G. Roger, “Experimental Test of Bell’s Inequalities Using Time-varying
Analyzers” Physical Review Letters 49 1804 (1982).
B. Baack and Ray, E. The Political Economy of the Origins of the Military-Industrial Complex in
the United States
J.S. Bell, “On the Einstein Podolsky Rosen Paradox” Physics 1 #3 195 (1964).
W. Benjamin, “The Work of Art in an Age of Mechanical Reproduction”
Albert Borgmann, Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life
M. Born, The Bohr Einstein Letters, (Walker and Company, 1973).
Fritz Capra, The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and
Eastern Mysticism (Shambhala Publications, 1975)
Bernard Carr, ed. “Observation Selection Effects, Measures and Infinite Spacetimes”, N.
Bostrom (Universe or Multiverse, Cambridge University Press, 2007).
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
Katherine Dahlsgaard, Christopher Peterson, and Martin EP Seligman. "Shared Virtue: The
Convergence of Valued Human Strengths Across Culture and History." Review of General
Psychology 9.3 (2005): 203
Heather Douglas, Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal,
Gwynne Dyer, Climate Wars
A. Einstein, B. Podolsky, N. Rosen, “Can Quantum-mechanical Description of Physical Reality
Be Considered Complete?” Physical Review 41 777 (1935)
Francesco Francioni, "Beyond state sovereignty: the protection of cultural heritage as a shared
interest of humanity." Mich. J. Int'l L. 25 (2003): 1209.
Francis Fukuyama,. Our Posthuman Future (selections)
P. Galison and M. Minow (2005) ‘Our Privacy, Ourselves in the Age of Technological Intrusions’
in Human Rights in the ‘War on Terror’ ed. Richard A. Wilson (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press), 258-94.
Edmund Gosse, Father and Son
John Gribbin, In Search of Schrodinger’s Cat: Updated Edition, (Black Swan, 1985)
Nick Herbert, Faster Than Light: Superluminal Loopholes in Physics, Nick Herbert (New
American Library, 1989)
R. Hofstadter, The Paranoid Style in American Politics (selections)
Jeffrey Johnson, "From Open Data to Information Justice." Midwest Political Science Association
Annual Conference. 2013
Philip Kitcher, Science, Truth, and Democracy
N. David Mermin, “Is The Moon There When Nobody Looks? Reality and the Quantum Theory,”
Physics Today, 85 38 (April, 1985)
Seth Mnookin, The Panic Virus
Nicoli Nattrass, The AIDS Conspiracy: Science Fights Back
Naomi Oreskes, "Science and public policy: what’s proof got to do with it?," Environmental
Science & Policy 7.5 (2004)
Chad Orzel, How to Teach Quantum Physics To Your Dog, (Oneworld Publications, 2010)
Neil Postman, Technopoly: the Surrender of Culture to Technology
Alastair I.M. Rae, Quantum Physics: A Beginner’s Guide, (Oneworld, 1985).
J. Savulescu and Bostrom, N. Human Enhancement (selections).
Gary Snyder, Turtle Island
Richard A. Spinello, and Herman T. Tavani, eds. Readings in Cyberethics. Jones & Bartlett
Learning, 2004. (selections)
Sherry Turkle , Alone, Together
Sharon Welch, "An ethic of solidarity and difference." Postmodernism, feminism, and cultural
politics: Redrawing educational boundaries (1991): 83-99
Noah Zerbe, "Feeding the famine? American food aid and the GMO debate in Southern
Africa," Food Policy 29.6 (2004)
Gary Zukav, The Dancing Wu-Li Masters (William Morrow, 1979).
Library Liaison
The Humanities Librarian is Peggy Cabrera . Please feel free to contact her and make an
appointment for advice and assistance as you research your essay. Her email address is
[email protected]. She is also available by appointment in the King Library, at 408-808-
2034. Additional information about humanities research is available at:
http://libguides.sjsu.edu/humanities.
Classroom Protocol
Each person is of intrinsic worth and is thus worthy of respect in all interactions; please keep this
awareness at the forefront of your considerations as you enter and exit your lecture and seminar
classrooms, and as you comport yourself in those classes (and in all of your other classes as well).
Treat guests with respect and courtesy. Respectful behavior includes silence when others are
speaking, entering the room quietly and inconspicuously, leaving the room during session only as
a matter of greatest urgency, being attentive to the class in progress, raising your hand if you wish
to be acknowledged, and refraining from all other interactions (personal and electronic) while
class is going on. This specifically includes refraining from cell phone use in any way during
class, and engaging in the use of your computer only for note-taking and referencing electronic
readings assignments. Please note that University policy recognizes any unauthorized use of a
cell phone or other technological device during an examination as grounds for failing the
examination.
Course Requirements, Grading Policy, and Assignments
SJSU classes are designed such that in order to be successful, it is expected that students will
spend a minimum of forty-five hours for each unit of credit (normally three hours per unit per
week), including preparing for class, participating in course activities, completing assignments,
and so on. More details about student workload can be found in . at
http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-3.pdf.
This course requires a significant amount of reading. Students are asked to read each scheduled
assignment prior to coming to class. This means that the readings listed by date on the reading
assignment schedule are to be read before the day those readings are listed. This also means that
students are to strive to understand the readings as well, not merely go through the motions of
poring over pages. Since the readings are often challenging, they should also be a source of
questions to keep in mind while listening to lecture, and to ask about during seminar. Expect to
spend approximately four to six hours per week in doing only the readings for this course. It is
not possible to work effectively in this course if one were to rely on the lectures and class
discussions alone. A variety of writing assignments will be assigned for this course, and they will
differ among instructors, but all instructors will assign topics that meet the writing requirements
for the various core areas. Please see the chart in this section for additional information about
the specific kinds of written assignments you will be asked to accomplish. Students will also be
asked to complete a lecture mid term examination, and final examinations for both the lecture
component of the class as well as the seminar component. In SJSU Studies Honors, one speech
during the first semester will be required. The speech during the seminar will be a persuasive
speech, four to five minutes in length, related to topics of the semester, and requiring research.
Examples might include advocating the acceptance of a new mode of governance in a developing
nation, or advocating new occupations and opportunities for women. A complete full sentence
outline of at least two pages is required, as well as a bibliography of sources. In preparation for
their speeches, students will be provided with evaluation guidelines to help prepare and assess
work. Explanations of the speech requirements are described in the SJSU Studies Honors 1??A
Reader, as well as in seminar discussions.
Written Assignments Your written assignments for this course are listed in the table below. Some are indicated as
“required,” that is, they must be completed and turned in to your instructor in order for it to be
possible for you pass the course (although completing them is, of course, no guarantee of passing).
Other assignments are indicated as both “required and rewritable” and are both required and may
be re-written so you may have the opportunity to improve your work. You will be required to
present a speech, and you must turn in an outline for your speech on the day of your presentation.
Although completing journal assignments is not required, it will be difficult to succeed well in
class without accomplishing them, since they are based upon the scheduled readings, and their
cumulative worth becomes significant in determining your end-of-semester grade. Failure to
complete and turn in a journal in a timely manner will be recorded as an “F” for that work. Due
dates for journals will be listed in the journal assignment handout.
Please note that the professor may change any of the following information for the benefit of the
class, should the need arise. Any change will be announced in class, and via MySJSU, if
necessary.
Table 1 Assignments Assignments Due
Date Value
Experiencing Art and Sciences essay (3 pages) required and
rewritable
Mid-term examination (in seminar) required
15 Feb.
15 Mar.
10%
15%
Final Examination required 12 May 15%
Research in Sciences Essay Project Topic (1-2 pages) required
and rewritable
10 Mar. 5%
Research in Sciences Essay Project: Annotated Bibliography (1-2
pages) required and rewritable
24 Mar. 5%
Research in Science Essay Project: The Essay (10-15 pages)
required and rewritable
26 Apr. 20%
Reading Journals, quizzes, etc. (ten in all, 1.5% of grade each) day of 15%
Class participation – (includes three meetings with the Career
Center for evaluation and planning)
15%
NEED TO INCLUDE CAREER CENTER INFO!
Please note, this course must be passed with a C or better as a CSU graduation requirement to
complete each SJSU Studies Honors semester successfully. If a course grade of less than C is
earned, the student must repeat the course. Note that University policy F69-24 states, “Students
should attend all meetings of their classes, not only because they are responsible for material
discussed therein, but because active participation is frequently essential to insure maximum
benefit for all members of the class. Attendance per se shall not be used as a criterion for grading.”
All coursework will be evaluated in terms of letter grades A+ through F, with the values of the
letter grades as follows:
Table 2 Grade Values
A+ = 4.3 A= 4.0 A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3 B = 3.0 B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3 C = 2.0 C- = 1.7
D+ = 1.3 D = 1.0 D- = 0.7
F+ = 0.3 F = 0
University Policies
Dropping, Adding, Grade Forgiveness and Incompletes
Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade
forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester’s catalog policies section at
http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html for University policies information. Specific
add/drop deadlines can be found under current academic calendar at
http://blogs.sjsu.edu/mysjsu/2011/08/17/fall-2011-registration-and-deadlines. Additional
Registrar’s calendar information for this semester can be found at this link
http://www.sjsu.edu/registrar/calendar/2114/index.htm. Late drop policy is available at
http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware of the current
deadlines and penalties for dropping classes. Grade forgiveness policy is available at
http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/static/soc-spring/forgiveness.html. Information about the
latest changes is available at the Advising Hub, http://www.sjsu.edu/advising.
Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material University Policy S12-7, http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-7.pdf, requires students to obtain
instructor’s permission to record the course.
Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are
recording him/her. You must obtain the permission of the course instructor to make audio or
video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private,
study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not
been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material. If you wish to record a class
presentation, or specific material from the course, please discuss the specific request with your
instructor, and your request will be specifically approved or denied at that time. In classes where
active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or
guests should be obtained as well.
Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and
cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload
instructor-generated material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework
solutions without specific and explicit instructor consent.
Academic integrity The University’s Academic Integrity Policy S07-2 is available at the following website:
http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S07-2.pdf . Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by
your enrollment at San Jose State University and the University’s integrity policy, requires you to
be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions
to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The website for Student Conduct and
Ethical Development is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/.
Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism
(presenting the work of another as your own, or the use of another person’s ideas without giving
proper credit), and use of unauthorized electronic technology during examinations will result in a
failing grade and sanctions by the University. For this class, all assignments are to be completed
by the individual student unless otherwise specified. If you would like to include in your
assignment any material you have submitted, or plan to submit for another class, please note that
SJSU’s Academic Policy S07-2 http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/S07-2.htm requires approval of
instructors.
Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make
special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with
me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 at
http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf requires that students with
disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Accessible Education Center
(AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec to establish a record of their disability.
In 2013, the Disability Resource Center changed its name to be known as the Accessible
Education Center, to incorporate a philosophy of accessible education for students with
disabilities. The new name change reflects the broad scope of attention and support to SJSU
students with disabilities and the University's continued advocacy and commitment to increasing
accessibility and inclusivity on campus.
Student Technology Resources
Computer labs for student use are available in the Academic Success Center at
http://www.sjsu.edu/at/asc/ located on the 1st floor of Clark Hall and in the Associated Students
Lab on the 2nd floor of the Student Union. Additional computer labs may be available in your
department/college. Computers are also available in the Martin Luther King Library.
A wide variety of audio-visual equipment is available for student checkout from Media Services
located in IRC 112. These items include DV and HD digital camcorders; digital still cameras;
video, slide and overhead projectors; DVD, CD, and audiotape players; sound systems, wireless
microphones, projection screens and monitors.
SJSU Peer Connections
Peer Connections, a campus-wide resource for mentoring and tutoring, strives to inspire students
to develop their potential as independent learners while they learn to successfully navigate
through their university experience. You are encouraged to take advantage of their services
which include course-content based tutoring, enhanced study and time management skills, more
effective critical thinking strategies, decision making and problem-solving abilities, and campus
resource referrals.
In addition to offering small group, individual, and drop-in tutoring for a number of
undergraduate courses, consultation with mentors is available on a drop-in or by appointment
basis. Workshops are offered on a wide variety of topics including preparing for the Writing
Skills Test (WST), improving your learning and memory, alleviating procrastination, surviving
your first semester at SJSU, and other related topics. A computer lab and study space are also
available for student use in Room 600 of Student Services Center (SSC).
Peer Connections is located in three locations: SSC, Room 600 (10th Street Student Services
Building on the corner of 9th and San Fernando Street), at the 1st floor entrance of Clark Hall, and
in the Living Learning Center (LLC) in Campus Village Housing Building B. Visit Peer
Connections website at http://peerconnections.sjsu.edu for more information.
SJSU Writing Center
The SJSU Writing Center is located in Clark Hall, Suite 126. All Writing Specialists have gone
through a rigorous hiring process, and they are well trained to assist all students at all levels
within all disciplines to become better writers. In addition to one-on-one tutoring services, the
Writing Center also offers workshops every semester on a variety of writing topics. To make an
appointment or to refer to the numerous online resources offered through the Writing Center, visit
the Writing Center website at http://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter. For additional resources and
updated information, follow the Writing Center on Twitter and become a fan of the SJSU Writing
Center on Facebook. (Note: You need to have a QR Reader to scan this code.)
SJSU Counseling Services
The SJSU Counseling Services is located on the corner of 7th Street and San Fernando
Street, in Room 201, Administration Building. Professional psychologists, social
workers, and counselors are available to provide consultations on issues of student mental
health, campus climate or psychological and academic issues on an individual, couple, or
group basis. To schedule an appointment or learn more information, visit Counseling
Services website at http://www.sjsu.edu/counseling.
HUM 177B, ADVANCED HONORS IN INTEGRATED SCIENCE, SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES, Spring
Semester, 2015 Course Schedule
Electronic Devices Policy – Required – Please read
To help foster the best possible learning environment for yourself and those around you, please avoid doing
anything in class that might distract the attention of others. Mobile technology can be especially
disruptive. During lectures, portable electronic devices may be used only for class-related purposes such as
taking notes; otherwise, they must be turned off. During seminars, portable electronic devices may only be
used in accordance with your seminar instructor's guidelines. During examinations, portable electronic
devices may never be used (except under supervision at the Disability Resource Center).
http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S07-2.pdf
Table: Seminar Sections
Professor Location
Professor Mesher (tentative) Clark Hall 216
Professor Quill (tentative) Clark Hall 306
Professor Stone (tentative) Dudley Moorhead Hall 149B
What is listed below is a working schedule of projected lectures for SJSU Studies Honors,
1??B. Indications (by initials) of who would give which lectures is hypothetical, as are
dates, but the entire arrangement of this part of the syllabus suggests our current working
plans.
Course Schedule
Week Date Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
1
Lecture
22
January
Introduction to SJSU Studies Honors, second semester
n.b. Reading assignments for each lecture will be listed at the bottom
of each cell.
2 DM
Lecture
27
January
How Mother Nature became “the environment”: artistic, social and
scientific attitudes and repercussions.
Readings:
Carson, Silent Spring (selections); Dyer, Climate Wars (selections);
Gosse, Father and Son (selections); Snyder, Turtle Island
(selections)
3 BS
Lecture
3
February
Embracing Science, Rejecting Science. What are the factors that
lead people to trust scientific claims and /or scientists? What are the
factors that lead people to reject scientific claims and/or scientists?
What are the risks when non-scientists are unable to evaluate the
credibility of scientific claims or scientists? Particular examples will
include attitudes towards vaccines in the US and in the developing
world, climate science denialism in the US, AIDS denialism in South
Africa, and attitudes towards genetically modified organisms in the
US and in the developing world.
Readings:
Mnookin, The Panic Virus (selections); Nattrass, Conspiracy:
Chapter 2 “AIDS origin conspiracy theories in the United States and
South Africa,” Chapter 5, “Science, Conspiracy Theory, and the
South African AIDS policy tragedy.” Oreskes, "Science and public
policy: what’s proof got to do with it?," Noah Zerbe, "Feeding the
famine? American food aid and the GMO debate in Southern
Africa,"
4 JL
Lecture
10
February
Postmodernism and Quantum Mechanics revisited
Readings:
Pynchon, Crying of Lot 49; and some selections from some of the
following: “The Dancing Wu-Li Masters”, Gary Zukav (William
Morrow, 1979). “The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the
Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism”, Fritz
Capra (Shambhala Publications, 1975). “Quantum Mechanics and
Experience”, David Z. Albert (Harvard University Press,
1994). “How to Teach Quantum Physics To Your Dog”, Chad
Orzel (Oneworld Publications, 2010). “In Search of Schrodinger’s
Cat: Updated Edition”, John Gribbin (Black Swan,
1985). “Quantum Physics: A Beginner’s Guide”, Alastair I.M.
Rae (Oneworld, 1985). “Can Quantum-mechanical Description of
Physical Reality Be Considered Complete?”, A. Einstein, B.
Podolsky, N. Rosen, Physical Review 41 777 (1935). “On the
Einstein Podolsky Rosen Paradox”, J.S. Bell, Physics 1 #3 195
(1964). “Experimental Test of Bell’s Inequalities Using Time-
varying Analyzers”, A. Aspect, J. Dalibard, G. Roger, Physical
Review Letters 49 1804 (1982). “The Bohr Einstein Letters”, M.
Born (Walker and Company, 1973). “Observation Selection Effects,
Measures and Infinite Spacetimes”, N. Bostrom (“Universe or
Multiverse”, ed. Bernard Carr, Cambridge University Press, 2007).
“Faster Than Light: Superluminal Loopholes in Physics”, Nick
Herbert (New American Library, 1989). “Is The Moon There When
Nobody Looks? Reality and the Quantum Theory”, N. David
Mermin, Physics Today 85 38 (April, 1985).
5 LQ
Lecture
17
February
Human Freedom: The Final Act; Genetic determinism –
Technocracy – Social Engineering; algorithms to predict human
behavior, business community using models from social psychology
to manipulate – What is to be done?
Readings: Arendt, H. World Alienation, Fukuyama, F. Our
Posthuman Future (selections), Savulescu, J. and Bostrom, N.
Human Enhancement (selections).
(Area R, SLO 6)
6 LQ
Lecture
24
February
Conspiracy Culture; the origins of conspiracy thinking – the
Internet as Conspiracy Catalyst – Conspiracy Theory as the antidote
to Hypocrisy - The Bible, JFK, the CIA and UFOs –Democracy and
the Military Industrial Complex; too much information but without
sound judgment; e.g. moon landing as “hoax”
Readings:
Assange, J. State/Terrorist Conspiracies, Hofstadter, R. The
Paranoid Style in American Politics (selections), Baack, B. and Ray,
E. The Political Economy of the Origins of the Military-Industrial
Complex in the United States
(Area V SLO, 1, 3, 5,)
7 DM
Lecture
3 March Homo Faber – The new self in the age of Hi-technology; does
technology make you who you are?
Readings:
Turkle, Alone, Together (selections); Borgmann, Technology and the
Character of Contemporary Life (selections)
8
Lecture
10 March Who am I? Who are you? Who are we? How does science shape
how we understand ourselves (as individuals and as communities)?
How do the ways we understand ourselves shape the direction of
science and the ways we use its products? How do we assert our
individuality or make common cause with others? What sorts of
“otherness” present special challenges to our solidarity?
Readings:
Appiah, Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers
(selections); Angrist, Here Is a Human Being: At the Dawn of
Personal Genomics (selections); Alper and Beckwith, “Genetics,
Race, and Ethnicity: Searching for Differences” Douglas, Chapter 4
“The Moral Responsibilities of Scientists.” Kitcher, Chapter 14
“Research in an Imperfect World.”
9
Lecture
17 March Re-thinking the arts; what counts as art in the age of technology?
Readings
Kleiner, F. Gardner’s Art through the Ages, 14th ed.
W. Benjamin, “The Work of Art in an Age of Mechanical
Reproduction”
10
Lecture
24 March Spring Recess – no classes
11
Lecture
31 March Cesar Chavez Day – no classes
12 JS
Lecture
7 April To whom do we have duties in a world of cyberspace?
Readings:
Spinello, Richard A., and Herman T. Tavani, eds. Readings in
Cyberethics. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2004. (selections); Johnson,
Jeffrey. "From Open Data to Information Justice." Midwest Political
Science Association Annual Conference. 2013.
13
Lecture
14 April World Architecture: Iceland, Dubai
Readings:
Readings by and about the following architects: Zaha Hadid, Ieoh
Ming Pei (addition to the Louvre), Frank Gehry, Guenter Behnish,
Renzo Piano & Richard Rogers (Pompidou Ctr), Norman Foster
14 LQ
Lecture
21 April Cybersecurity in the age of Facebook: Who knows who we are, and
why do we let them?
Readings:
L. Andrews (2012) I Know Who You Are And Saw What You Did:
Social Networks and the Death of Privacy (New York: Free Press)
[selections]; P. Galison and M. Minow (2005) ‘Our Privacy,
Ourselves in the Age of Technological Intrusions’ in Human Rights
in the ‘War on Terror’ ed. Richard A. Wilson (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press), 258-94.
15
Lecture
28 April
The new reading: Reading About instead of Reading; Critical
Thinking in the Age of Technology
Readings:
Neil Postman, Technopoly: the Surrender of Culture to Technology,
selections
16
Lecture
5 May Recognizing difference, recognizing shared humanity
Readings:
Tsitsi Dangaremba, Nervous Conditions (about Anorexia in Africa);
Welch, Sharon. "An ethic of solidarity and
difference." Postmodernism, feminism, and cultural politics:
Redrawing educational boundaries (1991): 83-99. Francioni,
Francesco. "Beyond state sovereignty: the protection of cultural
heritage as a shared interest of humanity." Mich. J. Int'l L. 25 (2003):
1209; Dahlsgaard, Katherine, Christopher Peterson, and Martin E.P.
Seligman. "Shared Virtue: The Convergence of Valued Human
Strengths Across Culture and History." Review of General
Psychology 9.3 (2005): 203.
17 DM
Lecture
12 May It is all about you – the students.
Final
Exam 17 May 9:45 a.m. in Seminar