CRF 27799, Soc. 395-05, 3 units
Alternating Wednesdays and Thursdays
SBS B-326., and Jeanne Curran.

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California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Soka University Japan - Transcend Art and Peace
Created: March 8, 2003
Latest Update: April 12, 2003
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

Sociology of Reality, Spring 2003

1. Announcements

   Schedule change: Jeanne plans be in on Wednesday, April 16, 2003.

2. Suggestions for Submissions

   • Weeks of April 7 and April 14, 2003:

     • April 12, 2003: Cats: Love 'Em or Leave 'Em? by Ariana Rivera. Excellent submission for explaining how and why our measures of learning are different on Dear Habermas. Please read as a sample. jeanne

     • April 10, 2003: Arnold Rock Climbing in Yosemite. A photo essay, designed to illustrate ways of creating such an essay, and ways of creating an academic climate in which shared collaboration can flourish. Discussion questions included.

     • April 10, 2003: Virtuality in Africa: Photo essay by Wim van Binsbergen, Professor at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. No discussion questions up yet, but there are several photo essays on Prof. van Binsbergen's site. Try creating a photo essay on a sociological issue relating to the war as we have experienced it.

     • Weeks of March 24 and March 31, 2003:

       • March 24, 2003: A Psychoanalytic Approach to War Discussion questions included.

       • March 22, 2003: Attitude Persuasion: What Do We Do Now That We're at War?
       • March 22, 2003: The Trusted Representative of a Shared Value, Colin Powell. Summary of some of the social-psychological theories on which we rely to understand human discourse.
       • March 22, 2003: Classical Theory: Attitude Change and Persuasion. These are some of the concepts on which you'll want to rely as you comment on the war.
       • March 22, 2003: "Where has all the reason gone? Long time passing." Application of attitude persuasion theory to Powell's role in war with Iraq.

       • March 22, 2003: Stress and Control Looking at anorexia, as it develops in older women, and recognizing that the problem may lie in the culture instead of in the individual.

       • March 22, 2003: What's New for KIDS? For Weeks of March 24 and March 31, 2003Started a new page for our kids to follow along with some of these discussions. Started it this week with a Jewish Museum of New York page on Camels and Caravans in Ancient Jerusalem. From there, I found sites that would let our kids have some of the fun, even if they can't make it to New York right now. More to come. jeanne

       • March 23, 2003: Sargent's Mistake (Or Maybe Not) NY Times article by Miles Unger on John Singer Sargent's murals, especially one at the Boston Public Library, called the Triumph of Religion. Backup.

       • March 23, 2003: Sargent's Portraits Shows some of the effects of Monet on his paintings. He was greatly influenced by the impressionists.

       • March 23, 2003: Backup of material from Jewish Museum Exhibit on Wertheimer family portraits.

     • Weeks of March 10 and march 17, 2003:

       Some choices for a later submission:

       • Required: I'd like all of you to send some sort of submission or participate in a discussion on interpreting common charts. It's stuff you gotta know as part of civic understanding.

         Interpretation of a New York Times Chart on the Job Market Discussion questions included.

       • Another kind of interpretation - the use of visuals. Visual Interpretation Discusson questions included.

       • March 7, 2003: Oil and Gas Prices and Social Justice Discussion questions and further readings included.

       • February 23, 2003: Some computer practice: Searching for Lost Links Try this. It's fun, and it should help improve your computer skills. jeanne

       • March 11, 2003: The Haunting Image of Youth: Eating Disorders Discussion questions and theoretical concepts included.

       • March 13, 2003: Clustering in Cities, Asians Are Becoming Obese New York Times article on March 13, 2003, by Seth Mydans. Backup Discussion questions and theoretical concepts not up yet. jeanne

       • March 13, 2003: Natalie Merchant, No Strings Attached The Arts Section, at p. B 1. Backup. Discussion questions and theoretical concepts not yet up. But note her reference to songs as social documents. jeanne

         March 13, 2003: Natalie Merchant's Website Questions and Answers. Explains some of her interest and understanding of songs as social documents. Discussion questions and theoretical concepts not yet up. But note her reference to songs as social documents. jeanne

     • Week of March 3, 2003:

       Some choices for a beginning submission:

       • Rescuing a Boy From the Streets Illocutionary Understanding that Produces Change.

         The questions are for discussion. DO NOT send me answers to all the questions. For a submission choose an aspect of the story that interests you, connect it to concepts we have studied, and send me a couple of paragraphs on what that piece of the story means to you in your lived experience. That's your first essay submission. (Unless you're already caught up and have done this.)

       • Motivation to Achieve: The Long Wall Discussion questions included.

         The questions are for discussion. DO NOT send me answers to all the questions. For a submission choose an aspect of the concept of the long wall that interests you, connect it to concepts we have studied, and send me a couple of paragraphs on what that piece of the story means to you in your lived experience. That's your first essay submission. (Unless you're already caught up and have done this.) You might want to consider how the concept applies to motivating students to study.

       * * * * *

     For those of you who feel more comfortable with specific guidelines, try this:

     1. Do the Required Submission: I'd like all of you to send some sort of submission or participate in a discussion on interpreting common charts. It's stuff you gotta know as part of civic understanding.

        Interpretation of a New York Times Chart on the Job Market Discussion questions included.

        That can count as your first submission, if you wish.

     2. Then do another submission around late mid-term.

     3. Then do a final submission near the end of the term.

     Remember that you can do some of your submissions orally, but you should send me a short e-mail reminding me of your topic when you do that. Submissions should be no more than a few paragraphs, because you are NOT answering all the discussion questions, you are choosing something you learned that intrigued you and/or relates to your lived experience.

     No, I can't tell you how many submissions equal an A for all of the reasons given above. That's why you have to stay in touch with me over the semester. jeanne

   • Syllabus

     Sociology of Reality Syllabus, Spring 2003.