General
Education Cohort/Learning Community Theme:Class,
Gender, and Politics
Fall
2001Dr. Leaman’s Office: CLS 2050
Tuesday
and Thursday 12:15-1:30 PMOffice Hours:
TR 8:50-9:20 AM &
Room:
A-1194:15-5:30
PM; W 1:30-3:00 PM;
Telephone:
773-442-5657or
by appointment with Dr. Leaman.
E-mail:
d-leaman@neiu.eduWebsite: www.neiu.edu/~dleaman
DESCRIPTION:
In this course, we will explore the institutions, processes, and individual
and group actors that have shaped American national government and politics.Following
the lead of our main textbook authors, we will organize our exploration
around the theme of democracy, especially the ongoing debate between elite
democracy and popular democracy.What
kind of “democracy” does the U.S. currently have?What
kind of “democracy” would you like it to have?While
we learn many important facts and concepts during this course, we will
also have the opportunity to think about and form our own philosophy of
government and politics.
Besides
the main textbook, this course includes two other important “texts”.Barbara
Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America gives
us a critical journalistic look at the current U.S. economy and raises
important questions about class, gender, economic opportunity, and political
power.Also, the Crosstabs computer
software exercises that we will engage at several points in the course
will expand our understanding of American society and government through
basic data analysis of public opinion and Congressional voting.
The
goals of this course include, first, providing a broad foundation for understanding
and participating in American politics and, second, strengthening your
competencies in essay writing and data analysis.As
we work our way through this course, I hope that we all will come to be
more knowledgeable (rather than overwhelmed), more intellectually critical
(rather than cynical), and more empowered (rather than apathetic).Good
luck to all of us.
LEARNING
COMMUNITY/COHORT: This PSCI 216 course will be linked this semester
with Dr. Wamucii Njogu’s Sociology 105: Women, Men, and Social Change.The
two courses form a “learning community” that we are calling “Class, Gender,
and Politics.”This integrated learning
community continues your participation in your General Education Cohort,
the purpose of which is to increase interaction and participation among
students and professors and to promote serious and spirited intellectual
conversation and connections.While
these two courses have separate content and organization, some of the themes
that will integrate the two courses include: political socialization, the
media, work and economy, and gender and politics:With
these two courses running back-to-back in the same classroom, we also expect
that there will be a couple occasions when Dr. Njogu and I will meet with
you together (including the first day), when a special event (e.g. a guest
speaker or a video) will run for more than one class period, and when we
will switch the order of classes.In
addition, you will see that 25% of your final grade (10% for WebBoard writing
and 15% for your final paper) is the same for both classes.This
is designed to facilitate the integration of the two courses and to reduce
the overall workload in this learning community.Since
you are future teachers, we will also continue school “clinicals” and take
time to discuss various teaching methods and why and what teachers need
to know about sociology and politics.
TEXTBOOKS:
There are two texts to buy for this class.Please
purchase them immediately.
Bruce
Miroff, Raymond Seidelman, and Todd Swanstrom, The Democratic Debate:
AnIntroduction to American Politics
(1998).
Barbara
Ehrenreich, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America (2001).
WRITTEN
EXAMS:Each of the three exams, consisting
of short answer, short essay, and multiple choice questions, will cover
four chapters of the main textbook (chs. 1-4; chs. 5-7 and 9; and chs.
10-12 and 14).There will also be
a few questions from the Ehrenreich book on each exam and a few review
questions on the final exam.Exam
dates are listed on the calendar.
ESSAYS:
In Essay #1, you will have the chance to engage the debate between “elite
democracy” and “popular democracy” by examining how these competing principles
play out in a concrete situation in the educational system (e.g. in different
teaching approaches; in a primary, junior high, or high school classroom;
in Parent Teacher Associations, etc.).You
will present your analysis in a 3-4 page essay, typed and double-spaced.Essay
#2 will be your thoughtful and personal integration of Nickel and Dimed
and Dr. Njogu’s course readings on “Work and Economy,” responding to a
list of questions provided to you by your two instructors.Essay
#2, which counts as the final essay for both courses, will be typewritten,
double-spaced, 5-7 pages, and will go through a first draft and revised
final draft..
WEB
BOARD:One of the goals of this learning
community, following on your two writing courses last year, is to give
you many opportunities to write, and also to discuss course topics with
each other outside of class.To make
that possible, we will all be subscribed to a “threaded discussion” group
called WebBoard.WebBoard questions
will be posted by Dr. Njogu or myself.You
will generally receive your WebBoard question on Tuesday.Half
of you will be expected to respond to the question by Thursday and the
other half of you will respond to your classmates’ responses by the following
Tuesday.The next week the discussion
roles will be reversed.The WebBoard,
your weekly computer “journal”, can be accessed through Dr. Leaman’s home
page: www.neiu.edu/~dleaman.Please
go there and subscribe right away.
UNIVERSITY
EVENTS:Class members are encouraged
to attend NEIU events that relate to politics and sociology, including
Politics Club and Sociology Club activities.Written
responses to such events can earn up to four extra credit points apiece,
no more than sixteen total points.
GRADING:The
various components of your grade have the “weights” listed below.Your
final grade is calculated according to the standard percentages listed
in the college catalogue (A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69%;
F = Below 60%).
Three
written exams160 points (50/60 points
each)40%
Essay
#140 points10%
Essay
#2* 60 points15%
Crosstabs
exercises60 points (15 points each)15%
WebBoard
writing*40 points10%
Attendance/participation40
points10%
TOTAL400
points100%
*These
assignments and grades are common to both classes -- and will count for
both!
***************
COURSE
CALENDAR AND TOPICS
Week
1Understanding
and Evaluating American Politics:The
Democratic Debate
Aug
28 and 30
READ:Miroff,
et al., chapter 1
Ehrenreich,
pp. 1-21
Week
2The
Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation, and the U.S.
Sep
4 and 6Constitution: Origins of
the Democratic Debate
READ:Miroff,
et al., chapter 2
Ehrenreich,
pp. 22-44
Computer
Day on Tuesday, September 11: Learning WebBoard and Crosstabs
Begin
working on “Democratic Debate” Essay #1
Sep
11 and 13
READ:Miroff,
et al., chapter 3
Ehrenreich,
pp. 42-62
WebBoard
Entries due on Thursday, Sept. 13 and Responses due on Tuesday, Sept. 18
Week
4The
American Political Economy
Sep
18 and 20
READ:Miroff,
et al., chapter 4
Ehrenreich,
pp. 62-82
WebBoard
Entries (Sample Exam Questions) due on Tuesday, Sept. 25
Continue
working on “Democratic Debate” Essay #1
Exam
#1 on September 27
Week
5EXAM
WEEK
Sep
25 and 27
READ:Ehrenreich,
pp. 82-101
Crosstabs
Exercise #1
Week
6Voting,
Non-Voting, and Elections
Oct
2 and 4
READ:Miroff,
et al., chapter 5
Ehrenreich,
pp. 101-119
Crosstabs
Exercise #2
WebBoard
Entries due on Thursday, October 4 and Responses due on Tuesday, October
9
Computer
Day on Tuesday, October 9: Moving Forward with Crosstabs Exercises
Week
7The
Politics of Corporate Mass Media -- and the Alternatives
Oct
9 and 11
READ:Miroff,
et al., chapter 6
WebBoard
Entries due Thursday, October 11 and Responses due on Tuesday, October
16
“Democratic
Debate” Essay #1 due on October 18
Week
8Political
Parties and Political Party Systems
Oct
16 and 18
READ:Miroff,
et al., chapter 7
Ehrenreich,
pp. 141-161
Guest
Lecturer on “Women and Labor Organizing”
Week
9Interest
Groups and the Interest Group System
Oct
23 and 25
READ:Miroff,
et al., chapter 9
Ehrenreich,
pp. 161-180
WebBoard
Entries due Thursday, October 25 and Responses due on Tuesday, October
30
Exam
#2 on November 1
Week
10EXAM
WEEK
Oct
30 and Nov 1
READ:Ehrenreich,
pp. 181-201
Crosstabs
Exercise #3
Begin
working on “Class, Gender, and Politics” Essay #2
Week
11Popular
Social Movements in American History
Nov
6 and 8
READ:Miroff,
et al., chapter 10
Ehrenreich,
pp. 201-221
WebBoard
Entries due on Thursday, Nov. 8 and Responses due on Tuesday, November
13
First
Draft of “Class, Gender, and Politics” Essay #2 due on November 15
Nov
13 and 15
READ:Miroff,
et al., chapter 11
Crosstabs
Exercise #4
Week
13The
Presidency and the Executive Branch
Nov
20 and Thanksgiving holiday
READ:Miroff,
et al., chapter 12 (and parts of chapter 13)
Week
14The
Supreme Court and the Judicial System
Nov
27 and 29
READ:Miroff,
et al., chapter 14
Final
Draft of “Class, Gender, and Politics” Essay #2 due on November 29
Week
15Summing
Up: Class, Gender, Politics, and Education
Dec
4 and 6
READ:Finish
up any missed readings and review for third exam
(Final)
Exam #3: Thursday, December 13, 10:00-11:50 AM