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ID 403 — Senior Seminar: Censorship and Self-Expression |
Spring 2008 Calendar |
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Instructor:
Prof. Donald Wellman |
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COURSE DESCRIPTION: The Senior Seminar offers an advanced interdisciplinary inquiry into a contemporary cultural issue. The issue for this seminar is the relationship between self-expression and censorship, especially the power of social norms to regulate how individuals behave and express themselves. Related topics include access to information, freedom of expression, and self-censorship. We will find that the effects of censorship often “trench” upon individual lives, these effects being justified in the name of a moral code, national security, or and external threat to collective welfare.
The seminar represents an opportunity for your to express yourself and share your ideas on a controversial current topic. I will advance the thesis that social norms, reinforced by media and market forces, operate as a 'disciplinary machine' that we all must negotiate in order to express ourselves; further that this 'disciplinary' power is felt most heavily in the most intimate areas of our lives. It affects our self-image. I do not expect agreement. I do not expect that you will always see censorship as evil. I expect argument supported by reason and evidence. Around midterm, you will have increased responsibilities for structuring our meetings. You will start to shape our discussions, especially as you gain a grasp of the content and direction that you are exploring in your individual seminar papers. Subjects of individual research will range from issues related to morality and censorship to issues related to security and terrorism.
OUTCOMES: Successful students will:
- use evidence and reason for purposes of argument,
- express and defend views on controversial issues,
- share the results of research and inquiry in a responsible and thoughtful manner,
- share in the work of identifying resources, interpreting evidence, developing and stating arguments for various positions,
- understand the relevance of the above outcomes to professional and civic responsibilities.
Required texts:
Saint Joan. George, Bernard Shaw. Viking (Paper), 0140450238.
The Female Nude, Lynda Nead. Routledge, 0-415-2678-4
Ways of Seeing, John Berger. Penguin, 0-14-013515-4
EVALUATION:
Participation: You will keep a class note-book, an organized file of
reading notes, and a file for clippings and other kinds of evidence that you
accumulate over the course of the seminar. One of your tasks throughout the
term is to keep your eyes out for such material and develop a response log.
Sharing these "discoveries" is one form of participation and
engagement with the seminar experience. Timely preparation of note-book
assignments, contributions to class discussion, assigned discussion group activities,
round-tables and oral presentations, all count toward your participation grade.
20%
Portfolio: The portfolio will consist of from 6-8 short writings. Some are identified on the Calendar. You should do these for the class meeting specified. You may rewrite any or all of them for the portfolio due at midterm. 40%
Seminar Paper: The most important assignment of the term is the seminar paper (15 pages). Here, you will develop an in-depth analysis of a specific 'norm' or attitude and the social forces that shape or reinforce that norm.. The seminar paper will include an introduction and a conclusion in addition to the body of the paper proper and the bibliography. In relation to preparing the seminar paper you will be asked to prepare a prospectus, an annotated bibliography of key sources and an oral presentation. 40%
Tips: In all of your writing for this seminar, you will be responsible for a first-hand response to a range of primary sources. I suggest, as a rule of thumb, that you support each point of your development with references to both primary and secondary literature. Try to avoid one-source paragraphs and paragraphs that are purely summary. Try to synthesize information from different sources as you develop each point in your discussion.
You must receive a C on the Seminar Paper in order to pass this course.
INSTRUCTOR'S EXPECTATIONS: I expect you to attend all classes and to participate fully in all seminar activities. Failure to do so will jeopardize your grade. Missing one or more class meetings for two consecutive weeks will be construed as reason for asking you to withdraw from the course. Unexcused absences after 3 will cost at least one point each. I will also take 'penalty' points for failure to submit work on the announced due dates or failure to prepare for presentations or class activities. Such penalty points are deducted from your raw numerical score for the term.
SEMINAR PROTOCOLS: These protocols are designed to enhance the academic freedom of all seminar participants. Failure to observe these protocols may result in a request that you withdraw from the seminar:
- Language: If necessary for purposes of critical inquiry, discussion of "explicit" material will employ an appropriately professional level of language.
- Courtesy: Discretion and decorum will be our by-words when considering either textual or visual material of an "explicit" nature.
- Plagiarism will be reason for an Administrative F
There will be no final exam.
I reserve the right to alter the syllabus and calendar, if circumstances
warrant such changes.