Syllabus for

L 363 Global Village: Personality & Culture

Fall 2001:  Mon / Wed / Fri 

Barbara Kimmelman, Ph.D.  Phone O: 215-951-2612  & H: 610-622-0778 kimmelmanb@philau.edu 
Office Hours: Tue 1:15-2:30, W 2-3:30, and by appointment
Office: Room 306 Ravenhill Mansion

Russ Kleinbach, Ph.D.  Phone:  O: 215-951-2606  &  H: 215-848-2308 KleinbachR@PhilaU.edu 
Office Hours Mon & Wed: 1:00–3:00, and by appointment
Office:  Room 308 Ravenhill Mansion  http://faculty.philau.edu/kleinbachr/ 

Prerequisites:  At least sophomore status

Texts:

Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents.  New York: W.W. Norton, 1961, paper.

Barbara D. Miller, Cultural Anthropology.  2^nd. Edition, Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2002, paper.

Colin M. Turnbull, The Mountain People.  New York: Simon & Schuster, 1972, paper. 

Course Description:  This course will introduce students to the social sciences as a distinct form of inquiry through the focused study of personality and culture. Material in this course will illustrate quantitative and qualitative methods of social science research, and will address both selected personality traits and characteristics, and the social and cultural contexts in which they develop. Together we will explore concepts, theories and research representing psychological and anthropological approaches. Students will gain an appreciation of cross-cultural variability in personality formation and configuration. 

Introduction:  The concept of the Global Village assumes that we share not only an ecological environment and a mutual relationship to the same earth but that we live in a world in which groups and individuals with different assumptions, attitudes, beliefs, values, communicative styles, economic systems, and political systems live in contact with each other.  It recognizes that discrete events in the world today have global ramifications and seeks to examine relations between causes and consequences.

      The course is a systematic study of theories, concepts, and methods of the social sciences, focusing on the inter-relationship of individual personality and culture in the U.S. and societies in other parts of the world.  The course is designed to enable us to understand and to be able to use social science categories, concepts, theories and methods to analyze and influence social situations and environments. 

      In the course we will make some theoretical assumptions:  (1) the context of our study is the world, (2) reality (including social facts, knowledge and individuals) is historical and social, and (3) social existence precedes human personal experience. 

Organization:  The course will be structured around the assigned reading, lectures by the instructors, student written work and class discussions.  We will read and study the assigned material and bring to class comments and questions (written and footnoted in your journals) on issues and categories on which we wish to elaborate, expound, raise questions and/or disagree.  Thus a good deal of responsibility for what happens in the class periods rests with the students.  We will spend much of our class time in discussion; examining the assumptions, concepts and conclusions of the reading, and we will evaluate the reading in terms of issues which it addresses and the world view which it presupposes and/or projects.  We will try to probe the presuppositions and implications of what we read, and in so doing we will also probe the presuppositions from which we read. 

 NB: Students are expected to take notes on class discussions, films and speakers as well as on the textbook and lectures.                 NB = nota bene (note well) 

Etiquette request:  We request that students not chew gum or wear hats in class, unless for religious reasons.

Requirements:

(a)   Class attendance and contribution to class discussion. (20% of grade)

(b)   First exam  (15% of grade)

(c)    Second exam will be cumulative: (15% of grade)

(d)   Final exam will be cumulative:  (20% of grade)

(e)   Research essay:  (30% of grade) 

Exams must be taken and the paper turned in the day they are scheduled, except in cases of prior arrangement or personal emergency.  An unexcused make-up exam or late paper may be penalized 1/2 letter grade each day it is postponed.  Late exams will be made up at the convenience of the instructors! 

In class discussion, papers, and exams students should (a) demonstrate knowledge of the data of the subject, i.e., the available information, theories, problems and questions related to the subject, (b) demonstrate the student’s ability to be theoretical, i.e., to address the subjects in terms of the related abstract propositions and theories, (c) demonstrate the student’s ability to discuss the subject critically and reflectively, and (d) demonstrate the student’s ability to organize material coherently with a good balance of specificity, generalization and opinion.  

Exams will include short answer and essay questions, as well as some T/F and multiple choice, and will cover material in the readings, films, material contributed to the class by the students and the instructors, and possibly questions on this syllabus.  

Contribution to class meetings will be evaluated in terms of the following: 

(a) the student’s critical evaluation and questioning of, and responses to the readings and comments of other students and the instructor, (b) the student’s contribution to the learning of fellow students and the instructor; this includes listening to and responding to others in such a way that all involved are encouraged to listen, to learn and to express our questions and views during class, and (c) the student’s demonstrated knowledge of the material.  Attending w/o active participation is the same as coming to take an exam and not writing anything except your name.

Course Journal. A course journal will be kept by all students and both instructors. You should bring it with you to the second class session and to all subsequent class sessions.  You may keep the course journal separate from your class notebook, or you may keep the journal in your class notebook but we wish you to distinguish between your class notes and your journal work in some significant way, e.g., front and back of the notebook, right page v. left page, etc. We will not be collecting and grading your journals routinely but we will use your ability to respond in class while referring to your own written journal work as part of the criteria for evaluating class participation.  So students should be prepared at each class session to respond immediately to requests from the instructors to refer to their journal notes for that class session. 

Work in the journal should be done routinely as the readings are done, so that you may prepare well for class discussions.  It is in your journal that you should write down key concepts or questions that you would like to bring up in class (with reference page numbers!), where you should write your own reactions to the readings so that you may raise them in the class (again accompanied by page references), and where you should respond to any specific questions or assignments that the professors have presented for your consideration.  This work should be done prior to the class for which the readings are due. 

Also, because we will be asking you to develop a research essay topic based on concepts and issues raised in course readings, your should do your class readings and your journal work with your research essay in mind.  Record ideas for paper topics in your journal as you read, highlight those parts of your own journal work that refer to your research essay topic, note the page numbers in the required texts that you will want to refer to in your research essay, and perhaps “try out” paragraphs, intros, conclusions, summaries of outside readings, in your journal as well.  In other words, do not consider your journal as “extra work” bur rather use it as an ally in your effort to succeed in the course! 

Research Essay: We are requiring one “term paper,” a research-based essay on a topic that especially interests you that has been raised in course readings and class discussions. The final paper should be 6-8 pages in length.  The usual criteria that apply to written work apply to these papers - they should be clear, shows signs of some logical development, be free of logical contradictions, have a consistent theme, be readable and intelligible, and they should not be burdened by mechanical errors.  Papers should have introductory and summary paragraphs.  Be careful to use plural pronouns with plural nouns and singular pronouns with singular nouns.  Papers that do not complete the assignment or do not receive a grade of “C” or better will be rewritten.  Papers should be typed, preferably on a word processor, follow good essay form, have page numbers and be properly footnoted.  Students should always keep a copy of the paper. Please, no plastic covers or blank pages. 

[See detailed assignment sheet for more detailed information.] 

“Properly footnoted” means that whenever you use a resource to gain information or ideas which are not general knowledge, you must provide documentation in order to give credit to the authors of the information and to allow anyone reading your paper to either check your research or read more of the work from which you are drawing.  Footnotes are required when items of information or ideas are drawn from a source, when material is paraphrased, and when material is quoted directly.  For information concerning proper documentation see any textbook on college writing or your expository writing text.   Incomplete documentation is called plagiarism.  Plagiarism is theft, and partially or totally stolen papers will not be accepted.  

Communication skills:  It is school policy that in all disciplines, and at all course levels, in the School of General Studies, instructors incorporate into their courses the opportunity for students to develop their ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.  In particular, essay exams or some form of written assignment (i.e., short analytic papers or a research paper) should be included in all courses offered in the School.  In this course these requirements will be met through the extended class discussions, the research essay, and essay examinations.

 Information literacy skills: It is crucial to keep in mind at all times, in your academic life and in your professional life, that sources of information are NOT all equal. It is University policy that all graduates leave the institution with the skills required to find information as you need it in your professional lives, and the skills to evaluate the sources of information you use and the soundness of the information you collect.  We will therefore be providing structured assignments that will build your research and evaluative skills with regard to information databases, search engines, and web sites.

 Academic integrity and honesty is expected in all forms of course work.  Any dishonesty or cheating may result in the student failing the course, or being brought before the Student Conduct Committee, which could lead to dismissal from the University.  The primary forms of academic dishonesty to be avoided are
(a) plagiarism:  taking the ideas or words of another without giving due credit to the source, and
(b) cheating:  giving or taking information during an examination.

Fall 2001: Monday / Wednesday / Friday

Tentative Schedule and Reading Assignments 

 RESEARCH ESSAY ASSIGNMENT

We are requiring one “term paper” this semester, a research essay that explores a topic raised in course readings and class discussions in which you find yourself especially interested

 The assignment and its goals. Each student will examine and compare, in a well-researched and coherently organized essay, various ways in which social scientists have identified, researched, and drawn conclusions about a particular topic. There are two primary goals of this assignment.  The first goal is to help students understand how social scientists apply theory, concepts and methods in their study of specific problems.  The second goal is help students understand how to access, evaluate, and compare scholarly and popular writing on a specific topic in the social sciences. The assignment also offers students the opportunity to explore topics of special interest to them. 

 To do this assignment effectively, you should: choose a topic that especially interests you and is based on our required course readings, class discussions, and your understanding of social science problems. The topic should be narrowly defined but with broad implications within the social sciences.  You should read and analyze articles written by social scientists and published in scholarly journals. You should use both paper-based and electronic sources of information (for example, access to many scholarly journals in the social sciences is provided through our Gutman Library databases). You may also seek additional information about the topic from our required texts and from news-based and web-based sources.

Your final submission should present to the reader a clear exposition of the topic and specific problems under discussion, provide a comparative analysis of the different assumptions, concepts, theories, methods, and conclusions of the social scientists whose work you have read, and convey awareness of how differing assumptions, concepts, theories, and methods shape conclusions drawn by researchers.  Thus, your own conclusions should focus not only on your topic but also on the ways public awareness of your topic is shaped by social science research.

 Organizing your paper. Your paper should be structured strictly in terms of the modes of analysis we apply throughout our readings and class discussions where we will give special attention to the assumptions, theories, concepts and methods applied by social scientists in their analysis of social problems, Thus, although topics may differ widely, the organization of essays should be quite similar, and follow the following model: 

I.  Introductory paragraph(s) presenting the topic and its general significance, the kinds of         questions social scientists have asked about the topic, and some detailed factual discussion.
II.  Comparative discussion of assumptions applied by the scholars you are discussing.
III.  Comparative discussion of concepts applied by the scholars you are discussing.
IV.  Comparative discussion of the theories applied by the scholars you are discussing.
V.  Comparative discussion of the methods applied by the scholars you are discussing.
VI.  Comparative discussion of the conclusions drawn by these scholars concerning the topic under study, including an analysis of how each scholar’s assumptions, concepts, theoretical viewpoint and methods are related to the conclusions s/he draws.
VII. Summative discussion and your own evaluation of the effectiveness of social science scholarship in examining and drawing conclusions about your topic.

 Organizing your time.  Although we are requiring only one “outside” paper, you should consider this a semester-long project. In order to help you organize your time effectively, we will routinely prompt you, either informally or through formal journal assignments, to explore our texts with your research essay in mind. Begin thinking about it immediately, and keep track of the due dates and specific requirements of each required submission.  Use your journal to note down page numbers of topics that particularly interest you.  If at any point in the semester you have questions about what is required for this essay, or about the instructions presented here, IMMEDIATELY ask one of the instructors.

 We have also divided the work into three separate but related submissions that progress from exploration and selection of themes and topics, to conducting research and summarizing some of your sources of information, to preparing and submitting the final essay.

 Monday October 1: Preliminary presentation of topic//concepts/problems.

In this submission your should provide: an introductory paragraph explaining to the reader the topic you hope to research and any specific problems or issues within that topic that you hope to address.  Explain both why this topic interests you and why you feel it is an important topic/problem within the social sciences. Make it as polished as possible; more work now means less work later! 

Subsequent paragraphs should explain why this topic interests you and should also present discussion of specific places in our required course texts relevant to this topic/problem that contributed to your interest in this topic.  Summarize the information provided in the texts and how you feel it relates to your topic.  Select 3-4 such places, in whatever texts we have read, for this purpose. Citations are required, you must provide the name of the author and the page numbers where the reader can find the sections you are discussing. 

Specifications: 1-2 pages typed or word-processed, 10-12 pt. readable font. Citations and bibliographic references required. Sources may include course readings, class discussions, outside readings that have come to your attention (such as newspaper articles, work for other courses, radio or television reporting.

Friday October 26: Presentation of research sources.
In this submission your should provide a more fully developed and polished introductory paragraph(s) introducing the reader to the topic you address and the problems/questions you will be examining.  Then, for each source you include, provide a full bibliographic citation to the source as it will appear in your bibliography, followed by at least one, and preferably two, paragraphs summarizing the key points of that reading and linking those points to the topic and problems under discussion. Focus strongly on both content summary and on using that content to illuminate the problem you have chosen to explore.  To do this effectively, you may find that your paragraphs need to be lengthy.  Divide them appropriately if the content of your articles is particularly complex.  Do not be afraid of writing a lot!

 Specifications: 2-3 pages typed or word-processed, 10-12 pt. readable font; at least four (4) “outside” sources based on research in university databases. At least two sources must be from scholarly journals in either psychology, anthropology, or both, depending on your topic; one must be a news-based source, also accessed through the university databases; one may be, but needn’t be, a website relevant to the topic you have chosen. 

Wednesday November 21: Final research essay submissionThis submission should be a well organized and polished essay that provides both introduction and concluding reflections, and not only summarizes but links effectively the information gained from the sources and the insights they provide with reference to your topic.  Your essay should convey your understanding of the goals and methods of the social sciences, how your topic relates to those goals, and how your sources contribute to your understanding of BOTH your topic and of goals and methods of the social sciences.  Specifications: 6-8 pages typed or word-processed, 10-12 pt. readable font.  At least 6 outside sources should be used, as well as course texts.  A full bibliography should follow the paper, and in-text references to the sources should be provided using parenthetical reference to authors’ names and page numbers.