Section of the 2007 Human Ecology Core Course Ð Gray Cox
Office on third floor of Davis Center
Class MTh 11:10-12:35,
Turrets I
Office Hours MTh 1:30- 4:00
and by appointment
ext. #326, gray@coa.edu
Our Ways of Wealth:
This
interdisciplinary seminar is designed to provide students with an introduction
to human ecology. The focus of this year's class will be the topic of
wealth. We will take an interdisciplinary approach to this topic, drawing
upon the work of novelists, philosophers, political theorists, economists,
artists, and others.
In
so doing, our aim is to provide a model for a human ecological approach to a
complex social phenomenon, and to give students experience in defining and
addressing a complex subject. An additional goal of this course is to
introduce students to critical reading, writing, and discussion skills that are
an essential ingredient for success at COA.
Evaluation will be based on class discussion and
participation, several short papers and problem sets, and other presentations
determined by each section. Introductory. *HE* Lab fee $25.00
for field trips, photocopying, speakers, etc.
Guiding questions for this section of the core course include the following: How do
culture, history, politics and economics provide the frameworks for people to
experience wealth of different kinds? How can and should these be transformed
to better our world? In particular, how can we reduce or eliminate the
ecological damages and social injustices so often associated with the creation
and control of material wealth? We will look at the practices of wealth making
and distribution among non-Europeans (including the Algonquin tribes), in
pre-industrial New England, and in industrial capitalist society. We will look
at some classic formulations of the relations between wealth practices and
human ecology including Òthe tragedy of the commonsÓ and Òthe land ethicÓ and,
finally, explore alternatives for the
future.
Readings will include The Pickup by Nadine Gordimer, Changes in the Land by William Cronon, The
Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx (and Friedrich Engels), Confronting Consumption by Thomas Princen et. al.,Nickel
and Dimed by
Barbara Ehrenreich and The
Tipping Point
by Malcom Gladwell -- as well as short selections
from other authors. Specific skills we will focus on developing and
practice integrating in interdisciplinary approaches to the problem of wealth
include: textual analysis of narrative and argument, the philosophical
elucidation of concepts, and the historical and social analysis of social trends and transformations.
Evaluation will be based on class discussion and participation, short homework activities, several short papers, and a final paper. The weighting of these will be 40% for participation and homework, 35% for short papers and 25% for the final paper. The format for feedback on the first two short papers will be one on one meetings during the week after they are turned in. You should turn in two copies, one of which I will hang on to. The third short paper will be a report on some social change project for addressing some aspect of the problem of wealth. The final paper will be of medium size, 5-7 pages, and should provide a proposal for how some social change project addressing the problem of wealth could reach a tipping point and achieve major success. The standard format for this course is Credit/No Credit.
NOTE: There will be extra sessions for a movie and for a field trip.
Schedule for Classes
and Assignments
9/6 Introductions,
syllabus review and key themes and questions for course
Open
Discussion: What is (are) the problem(s) of wealth?
9/10 THE PICKUP pp. 1-71
Sidebar
discussion: What is Human Ecology?
9/13 THE PICKUP pp. 72-141
Homework:
Sharing information about each other
Sidebar
discussion: What are the problems of wealth?
9/13 NOTE: Thursday Evening Movie at 6:45
9/17 THE PICKUP pp. 142-205
Homework:
Bring four written questions on the book and the issues it raises that interest
you for further discussion
Sidebar discussion: What is interdisciplinary study?
9/20 THE PICKUP 206-268
Sidebar
discussion: What is the nature of narrative truth in fiction?
DUE:
short paper on wealth, status and character in THE PICKUP and the movie
9/24 CHANGES IN THE
LAND, Preface and pp. 1-53
Recommended:
selections from Robert HeilbronnerÕs THE WORLDLY PHILOSPHERS (Xerox handed out)
9/27 CHANGES IN THE LAND, pp.
54-126
field
trip 11-12:30, Abbe Museum
10/1 CHANGES IN THE LAND, pp. 127- 185
In
class role play on land use disputes across cultures
10/4 CONFRONTING CONSUMPTION
Ð Ch.. 3
ÒThe
Tragedy of the CommonsÓ by Garrett Hardin http://www.bostonreview.net/BR27.3/bollier.html,
David Bollier ÒReclaiming the CommonsÓ
10/8 CONFRONTING CONSUMPTION
Ð Ch. 4, Gray Cox ,ÒMeeting God
HalfwayÓ
Aldo
Leopold, ÒThe Land EthicÓ, recommended: Peter Singer article on poverty in NYT
10/11 CONFRONTING CONSUMPTION Ð Ch.9
& 10 with initial reports on social change projects
Due:
Paper Comparing and Contrasting 2
Views on Wealth, Property and Rights
10/15 CONFRONTING CONSUMPTION Ð Ch. 11
& 12
10/18 Nickeled and Dimed p. 1-10 and
51-120
(recommended pp.11-50)
10/22 Nickeled and Dimed p. 193-221,
(recommended:
pp. 121-191)
10/25 No Class - Faculty Retreat
THE
TIPPING POINT, pp. 1-99
10/29 THE TIPPING POINT pp. 99-168
Due: initial reports on social change projects
11/1 THE TIPPING POINT pp.
169-215
11/5 THE TIPPING POINT pp. 216-280
11/8 THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO
11/12 THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO
11/15 Closing, course evaluation DUE: Final paper
First
Homework Assignment:
Pick
a specific passage in THE PICKUP
that interests you because it is revealing or obscure or important to
the plot or funny or poetic or . . . interests you for some other reason. Write
a paragraph on why you find it to be of interest. We will use these in class
discussion and then you will turn them in at the end of class.