Lewis Clark State College, Fall 2005
Social Science 150: Introduction to the Social Sciences

Prof. Eric Martin
310 Spalding Hall (Office Hours: m/w 10:30-11:45, t/th 12-1:15, and by appointment)
Phone: (208) 792-2281 Email: elmartin@lcsc.edu Website: www.lcsc.edu/emartin

Course Description: This course will be focused on developing an answer to the questions: What are the social sciences? In what ways can the social sciences be utilized to better understand the world around us? How can the social sciences help us to better understand issues in our society? How can the social sciences be utilized to improve the communities that we live in? What can the social sciences tell us about: ourselves as individuals, our families, the communities we live in, our societies, and the world around us? Each week through our readings, class discussions, videos and lectures we will examine different elements of the social sciences (anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology). It will be up to you to determine how these different elements fit together and to utilize them to answer the kinds of questions your interested in..

Objectives/Goals: It is my intention that you leave this course with an intellectual tool that you can utilize (and customize) to better understand the dynamics of the world around you. By the end of this course you will strengthen/develop your ability to:

Required Readings

Grading and Evaluation

Course Requirements

Attendance: Excessive absences will have a detrimental impact on your grade (see paragraph below). It is your responsibility to make arrangements if an emergency prevents you from turning in an assignment on time or requires you to be away from class for an extended period. Get any missed notes from a classmate. No assignment will be accepted late without a previous arrangement or a paperwork trail as indicated in the LCSC handbook. Additionally, be in class on time.

Social Science in the News File/Analysis (10% of overall grade): Each week you are to bring one New York Times article that relates to the social sciences or the issues being discussed in class and you are to be prepared to discuss your article. You will keep your articles organized in a file and turn them all in at the end of the semester with your formal essay.

Classroom Participation (15% of overall grade): This course is heavily based on discussion and depends upon your active participation. Fifteen percent of your overall grade will be based on your daily participation in our various classroom discussions over the week's assigned readings and topics. Most of our discussions over the assigned readings this semester will be student led

Almost Weekly Thought Pieces (15% of overall grade): Most weeks you will write a one page (typed, double-spaced) "thought piece" based on the assigned reading material. These essays will be focused on a question or issue that I will give you before hand. In addition to any specific questions you are asked about the reading, your thoughtpieces should: 1) summarize the author's main point 2) critique her/his argument. (Did they successfully make their point(s)? Did you agree/disagree with it? Why?) 3) address what you think the assigned reading has to do with the social sciences? Conclude your essay with a question that you think would be a relevant discussion question for the class over the assigned readings.

The care taken in creating these assignments will be reflected in the grade. In other words, I expect them to be well-written, properly formatted and proofread. These pieces will be graded based on thoughtfulness and clarity; there are no right or wrong answers. Late papers are not an option and your essays are due in class. Each thought piece should be dated and contain a title (be creative). Also, don't forget your name.

1984 and Brave New World Outline and Discussion (10% of overall grade each): you will develop a formal outline for discussing these readings. More details in the near future.

Class Project/Presentation (20% of overall grade): You will develop a 10 minute presentation focusing on applying one of the social sciences to a global issue that impacts you personally, your family, or the community you live in. Your main objective in this presentation will be to communicate how the global and the local are connected and influence each other by using the social sciences. You may interpret the term "presentation" simply as "effective communication of information." If you wish to stand up in front of the class and lecture, fine. However, you might also consider creating a video project, radio show, photo essay, web page etc... I am willing to listen to any proposal you have, but all projects must be approved by me. You will receive a detailed set of guidelines in the near future.

Formal Essay (20% of overall grade): You will write a 4-6 page (typed-double spaced) essay that answers one of several questions that I will provide you with. You will receive the details concerning this assignment in the near future.

Academic Honesty: You are on your honor at all times and my presumption is that each of you is honest. However, the College does not tolerate academic dishonesty of any sort. All written work that you hand in -- essays and examinations -- must be exclusively your work. Contact me if you are not clear on this point.

 


(Tentative) Schedule

Part I: Theory -- Six Approaches to Understanding Society

Week One 8/31 Intro to Class, Each Other and the Social Sciences, The (Social) Scientific Method
Readings: None

Week Two 9/7 (9/4 Holiday)
Required Online Readings: Anthropology, History, and Sociology

Additional Online Resources:

Required Readings: Wobblies Ch. 1.
Thoughtpiece: Select one of the main historical characters from Wobblies Ch. 1. or focus on the early Wobblies as a whole and write a 250 word thought piece that compares the way two of this weeks social sciences (Anthropology, History, Sociology) would go about examining your selected characters or the early Wobblies in general. It might be useful to focus on Franz Boas for Anthropology, Marc Bloch for History, and Emile Durkheim for sociology since they are discussed in detail in the "biographical focus" portion of this weeks online readings or you could use any of the other social scientists/school of thought discussed in the online readings. .What kinds of questions would they be interested in? What kinds of materials would they use to collect data from? How do you think they would go about researching the topic of the Wobblies? Conclude your thoughtpiece with a question that you think would be a relevant discussion question for the class over chapter one of Wobblies.

Since Monday is/was Labor Day your article from the New York Times this week should deal with labor in some way.

Optional Labor Day Links


Week Three 9/14
Required Online Readings: Economics, Political Science, and Psychology

Additional Online Resources:

Readings: Wobblies Ch. 2.
Thoughtpiece: Select a "school of thought" or a social scientist from two of the disciplines for this week (Economics, Political Science, Psychology) and write a 250 word thought piece that compares the way your chosen disciplines would go about examining the issues presented in Wobblies Ch. 2. Again, what kinds of questions would the various disciplines be interested in? What kinds of materials would they use to collect data from? How do you think they would go about researching the topic of the Wobblies? How would they explain what happened? Conclude your thoughtpiece with a question that you think would be a relevant discussion question for the class over chapter one of Wobblies.

Your selection from the New York Times this week should connect with your thought piece in some way. .


Week Four 9/21 Initial Topic and Approach for Class Project/Presentation Due, Documentary: Union Maids
Readings: Wobblies Ch. 3. and Ch. 4
Thoughtpiece: 1-2 pages.

I. What social issue to you plan to examine? Describe the social issue that you plan to examine. How does this issue impact your local community? In what ways is it a broader (national and/or global) social issue? What is the importance of developing a deeper understanding of this issue?

II. What methodology to you plan to use? This is where you explain what social science approach(s) you plan to utilize to examine this issue. This is also where you decide whether or not to work alone or as a group (2-4). You are strongly encouraged to use at least two of the social science approaches in your project, if you are working in group you are required to use as many social science disciplines as there are people in your group. All disciplines need not be given equal treatment.

III. How do you plan to present your finding to the class? Standing up in front of the class and talking is one way to present your findings to the class. However, your imagination is the only limitation to the kind of presentation you might design. You are strongly encouraged to work in video, radio, and digital media forms as well as to utilize whatever kinds of creative talents you might have. Create a 10 minute video/radio documentary about your issue, design a web-page that illustrates how your community is connected to other communities around the world, write a one-act play on the issue you select, conduct a survey of people in your community. I am sure you can think of a lot of other options as well.

IV. What sources do you plan to use? What kinds of sources do you plan to use for your project and how do you plan to access them? This is one of the most important things to figure out. Would you like to design a survey and conduct it to discover peoples opinions on some issue? Would you like to work with the statistics created by the U.S. government? Would you like to work with some local history materials (perhaps in your grandmothers closest) to find out more about the history of the IWW in this area? Would you like to work with old newspapers? etc.

Your selection from the New York Times this week should connect with your proposed project in some way if possible.


Part II: Application -- The Social Sciences in Action

Week Five 9/28 : Sociology: American Mullet
Readings: Wobblies Ch. 5. and 6
Thoughtpiece: Write a one page thoughtpiece that examines the strengths/weaknesses of Wobblies: A Graphic History of the Industrial Workers of the World as a tool for gaining understanding about the social sciences (Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology). Conclude your essay with your recommendations for using/or not using this book in a future SS 150 course.

Your selection from the New York Times this week should connect with your proposed project in some way if possible.

Week Six 10/5 : Anthropology: Ongka's Big Moka
Readings: 1984
Thoughtpiece: Write a one page thoughtpiece that analyzes the documentary "American Mullet" as a piece of social science research. Explain which two of the social sciences you think this documentary best reflects making reference to the online reading materials of those social sciences we did at the beginning of the semester ( Anthropology, History, Sociology , Economics, Political Science, and Psychology ). Which "schools of thought" do you see being applied in the film? (Some things to keep in mind: what data was used? How was it collected? How was it analyzed? How was it presented? What other kind of data might have been used? Do you see the potential for any similar data in your class project?)

Your selection from the New York Times this week should connect with your proposed project in some way if possible.

Week Seven 10/12 (10/10 Columbus Day) 1984 Outline Due
Readings: 1984

Week Eight 10/17 Psychology: The Ad and the Ego
Readings: Brave New World
Thoughtpiece: All of the social sciences, with the perhaps the exception of anthropology, are portrayed in 1984 as tools for acquiring and/or maintaining power. Pick one social science and write a one page thoughtpiece that examines Orwell's vision of how that knowledge could be used for establishing and maintaining power. Be sure to use a few direct quotes from the text to demonstrate your points. How realistic do you think Orwell's concerns are?

For extra credit -- make this a two page assignment and examine two social sciences.

Week Nine 10/26 (22-23 NWWHA, Portland) Economics and Political Science: Trading Democracy
Readings: Brave New World
Thoughtpiece: Write a one page thoughtpiece that analyzes the main point(s) about the role of advertising presented in The Ad and the Ego. What was/were the main point(s) presented? What evidence was used to support these points? Were you convinced by the evidence? Explain. What social sciences did you see in The Ad and the Ego? Did you think the material in The Ad and the Ego shed any light on the issues presented in 1984?

Week Ten 11/2 Brave New World Outline Due
Readings: Brave New World

Week Eleven 11/9 (11/11 Veterans Day) Class Presentations
1. Jessica - Poverty/Welfare
2. Andy - " "
3. Chris - " "
4. Bryan - Binge Drinking
5. William - " "
6. Rachel - FCC
7. Julie - Education
8. Savanna - ?

Thoughtpiece: Submit a question to me via email (elmartin@lcsc.edu) that you think would be a reasonable question to write a 4-6 page essay on that discusses the social sciences. The topic of your essay must allow you to use the following sources: 1984, Brave New World, some of our online readings, and a couple of the films we have examined in this course. Your previously submitted thoughtpieces should help provide some guidance on this. In order to discuss the topics you submit, this assignment is due by midnight Tuesday 11/8.

Week Twelve 11/16 Class Presentations
1. Lydia - Advertising to Kids (Part I)
2. Susan - " "
3. Kim - Advertising to Kids (Part II)
4. Dustin - Hurricane Katrina
5. Allision - " "
6. Ed - Globalization
7. Anna - Mexican Immigration
8. JoAnne - ?

11/22 & 11/24 Thanksgiving Break

Week Thirteen 11/30 Four Page Draft of Formal Essay Due for Required In Class Peer Review.

Week Fourteen 12/7 Formal Essays Due

Week Fifteen 12/14 TBA

 

 

 


Learning through Discussion - Outline Preparation


Step One
Definitions: List three to five words of which you are unsure. Look them up and write down the
definitions of them.

Step Two
Main Topic Identification: Write down your version of a general statement of the author's message.

Step Three
Subtopic Identification: Identify three to four subtopics.

Step Four
Subtopic Explanation & Questions: Write a brief statement of the subject matter of each subtopic.
Design a question that you would ask for each.

Step Five
Integration with Other Materials: Write down the meaning or usefulness the material has for
understanding other concepts and materials. This step should include concrete concepts and evidence
from the reading related to an outside reading, lecture, film or other material. The analysis should talk
about the concept, the two sets of evidence, and the significance of the comparison.

Step Six
Application: Write down how the material can apply to your own life situation - past, present or future.
What implications does the material hold for your own intellectual pursuits or interests?

Step Seven
Evaluation: Write down your reactions and evaluation of the assignment.

[Adapted from Hill, Wm . Fawcett, Learning Thru Discussion (Sage Publications, 1969)]