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FALL 2004 COURSE GUIDE
Category VI: Social Issues
These courses focus on the analysis of local, national, and international problems and students development of the analytical and critical skills necessary for understanding a broad range of social questions. Students co-register in linked sections of the Writing Program and attend an evening lecture series on social issues. The goals of the linkage are to convey the idea that writing is an integral part of learning and thinking, and to provide a broad-based, shared experience for entering students. For additional enrollment information, see the Fall 2004 Schedule of Classes. You may also download the course descriptions in pdf version.
AMERICAN STUDIES 101gm
Race and Class in Los Angeles
Professor Saito
TTh, 11:00 - 12:20This course examines the importance of race in relation to major political, gender, social, and economic issues in contemporary Los Angeles. Throughout the course, some of the major theories will be introduced that are used in the social sciences to study: the development of urban regions and how power works (urban ecology and political economy), race (assimilation and the social construction of race), and inequality (functionalism and conflict theory, pluralism and the power elite). We will use these theories to help us analyze particular topics in Los Angeles, including residential segregation, redevelopment policies, environmental racism, suburbanization, income inequality, and economic policies. We will examines these topics and their relation to race, class, and gender inequality and conflict in society. One of the key goals of this course is to equip students -- through course readings, writing assignments, in-depth section discussions, and examinations -- with a working knowledge of a range of constrating theories that they will learn to critically and systematically apply in the process of evaluating diverse topics. When students finish this course, they will then be able to apply these analytical skills to other significant issues in society.
ANTHROPOLOGY 240gm
Collective Identity and Political Violence: Representing 9/11
Professor Jacobs-Huey
TTh, 9:30 - 10:50This course examines the political implications of representing culture(s), with the 9/11 terrorist attacks serving as a topical anchor. Each week we will consider dimensions of representation as they emerged around the events of 9/11 and analyze how these dimensions operate in other cultural contexts. Some of the central questions to be addressed include: How do we "read" visual, textual, and auroral portrayals of 9/11 attacks? How have representations of American identity been refashioned in light of the catastrophic events of 9/11 and how is this reshaping of identity reflected in and across global and local landscapes? What are the political ramifications of certain representations and what implications might they have for the way we view Western and non-Western cultures? These and other questions will be addressed through a critical synthesis of ethnographic, theoretical, and popular films/videos and texts, as well as a series of guest speakers who will continue to comment on topics relevant to the terrorists attacks (e.g., gender roles, U.S. foreign policy in Middle East). This course aims to show how qualitative and historically-situated "ways of seeing" and representing culture can deepen our understanding of 9/11 and its aftermath. More broadly, this course will show how various mediums construct cultural representations that have implications for people's lived experience, cultural identity, and political perspectives.
GRADING
There will be a midterm and a final exam covering assigned readings and/or films. Your score on the midterm will constitute 30% of your grade and your score on the final exam will constitute 40%. Each of the exams will include short-answer and essay questions and will be "non-cumulative." In addition, 25% of your grade will be determined by a 12-15 page essay due to your T.A. during the 10th week. This paper should concern the 9/11 attacks and/or other relevant issues and should adhere to the following format: double-spaced, 12 point-font, 1" margins. The remaining 5% of your grade will be determined by your participation in weekly discussion sections and lectures. As such, you are strongly encouraged to keep up with assigned readings/films so that you are adequately prepared to participate in all class discussions.REQUIRED TEXTS
• ANTH/AMST 240 Reader
• Hall, Stuart (ed.) 1997. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. New York: Sage.
• Lavenda, Robert H. and Emily A. Schultz. 2002. Core Concepts in Cultural Anthropology, 2nd Edition. London: Mayfield Publishing Company.
• Podolefsky, Aaron and Peter J. Brown. 1999. Applying Anthropology: An Introductory Reader, 5th Edition. Mt. View, CA: Mayfield Publishers.For further information about the course, please visit the instructor's website at www-rcf.usc.edu/~jacobshu and click on "Collective Identity and Political Violence: Representing 9/11".
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES 150xg
Environmental Issues in Society
Professor McKenzie
MW, 3:30 - 4:50Environment and Society is designed to provide insights into the major disagreements that exist today between scholars, leaders and citizens regarding today's environmental issues and problems. We will examine the 20th century rift between so much of humankind and nature - a rift that all too often produces in industrial society urbanites a longing for a nearly forgotten and highly romanticized "benign" nature that can never be recaptured and, more importantly, never really existed. We also will examine the nature of controversies between the urbanite and the farmer and inquire into the schism between urbanite and agribusiness which has been intensified as that sector adopts an increasingly industrialized presence. We will look at the differences between the Industrial World and the Non-Industrial World, never so clearly revealed as at Kyoto, as the international community struggles with global environmental issues. At all times we will attempt to respond to specific questions including what are the real environmental issues facing nations and peoples, to what extent have they been exaggerated or discounted, what are the most appropriate and sensible solutions or approaches to these problems and what are the appropriate role(s) which individuals and societies can play. We will combine social, philosophical, religious, political, economic and geographic perspectives to provide an understanding of how the interrelationships between environment and society have evolved over the span of human history. The course explores a variety of methodologies/tools to demonstrate how environmental issues/attitudes may be analyzed on scales ranging from local through national to international bases. Hopefully, students will become sufficiently conversant with these tools that they will be able to use them in analyzing non-environmental but equally highly charged social issues.
Readings and Assignments:
In addition to a half dozen required books it is presumed that students will keep abreast of current environmental issues through a daily newspaper subscription. Two examinations (both subjective) are worth 40% of the course grade and two short inquiry/position/research papers (dates due coordinated with the composition instructors associated with the course) are also worth 40% of the course grade. The remaining 20% of the grade will be assigned by the discussion section coordinators and will be based on a combination of participation/preparation within the discussion sections.
GENDER STUDIES 210g
Social Issues in Gender
Professor Williams
TTh, 2:00 - 3:20The purpose of this class is to analyze social issues of sex, gender and sexuality, especially with the response of social and political institutions to the quest for equal rights by women and sexual minorities. As is clear from contemporary politics in the United States and other nations, issues of gender and sexuality are currently prominent and hotly debated topics. By focusing on the history and current status of issues like women's liberation, sexual liberation, and gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender liberation, this class will encourage participants to think about and make conclusions about the realities of controversy and change in society.
Grading:
Discussion section: 15%
Midterm Exam: 25%
Research Paper: 30%
Final Exam: 30%
GEOGRAPHY 100gm
Los Angeles and the American Dream
Professor Wolch
MW, 2:00 - 3:20The following course description belongs to Professsor Roseman.
Los Angeles (and more generally the Southern California region) has long been the quintessential destination for migrants in search of the American Dream. In the late 19th century, promoters heralded Southern California as a salubrious Mediterranean haven. From then until well after World War II, massive numbers of American flocked to Los Angeles, especially from the Midwest, lured by images of mild weather, citrus groves, and cheap land. Although some sought stardom in Hollywood or riches from the oil fields, most aspired to basic elements of the American Dream; a good job and a home of one's own. All along, people were coming from other countries as well; but their numbers have increased dramatically in recent decades. They too are in search of some version of the American Dream. Ironically, the place sold to millions as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow experiences earthquakes, floods, landslides, and fires. Further, many Angelenos found not the American Dream but instead racism, unemployment, and poverty. This geographical course focuses on Los Angeles, in both its mythical and realized social and physical forms. Alternative perspectives are utilized, drawing concepts from historical and physical geography as well as from economic and social geography.
Required Texts:
• Robert M. Fogelson. The Fragmented Metropolis, Los Angeles, 1850-1930. Berkeley, UC Press, 1993.
• Course Reader available at the USC Bookstore.
• TBA additional reserve readings that may be assigned.Grading and Course Requirements:
- Exercise One 30 points (15%)
- Exercise Two 30 points (15%)
- Midterm Examination 60 points (30%)
- Final Examination 70 points (35%)
- Discussion Section 10 points (5%)
- Total 200 points (100%)
GEOGRAPHY 120g
Geopolitics
Professor Medlicott
TTh, 9:30-10:50The following course description belongs to Professor Dear.
This course examines exactly how the concept and practice of the nation-state came to dominate world politics. It explores notions of turf and territory, nationalism, and the growth of geopolitical awareness. A central focus of the course will be on the "state," and how it has altered its geographical expression since the Industrial Revolution. This historical focus will be used to explain the structure and evolution of the geopolitical map of the modern world into the 21st century. This course explores the state, the geopolitical map of the 'western' world 1750-1980, and the future (or lack thereof) of the nation-state.
Readings and Assignments:
The course employs readings from numerous primary and secondary sources, with a focus on The Geopolitics Reader, O'Tuathail Et. Al. (EDS). Two research papers concentrating on contemporary issues in geopolitical theory will be assigned, in addition to a mid-term and a final examination.
HISTORY 215g
Business Labor in America
Professor Perkins
MW, 2:00 - 3:20Business, Labor, and Government are three of the most critical forces that have shaped the foundation, evolution, and current state of American society. Sometimes they have acted in cooperation with one another, sometimes in opposition. Yet America today is rife with misperceptions about the role each has played in the evolution of our nation. Cliches like "Big Business, Big Labor, Big Government, they're all the same ... bad and corrupt." Such cliches misrepresent the past, the present, and the possibilities of the future.
This course will examine a series of critical issues that have marked the development of business and labor in the United Stated from the Colonial Era to the present -- and the ways in which that development was affected by state and federal governments. One of the key goals of the course is to analyze this history from the distinct points of view of labor and business. Topics such as the use of slaves and indentured servants, the positive and negative impacts of industrialization, the role of strikes and unions, and the rise of multinational corporations will all be examined from the point of view of government officials who attempt to mediate between the two sides. In short, students will be presented a multidimensional view of some of critical issues and conflicts that have shaped the economic, social, and political foundation of our nation.
HISTORY 225g
Film, Power and American History
Professor Ross
TTh, 11:00 - 12:20The following course description belongs to Professor Levine.
Few contemporary institutions have had a greater effect on molding popular understandings of the world than film and television. Yet, most citizens lack the critical tools to contextualize, analyze, and critique the images and ideologies conveyed on the screen. To that end, this interdisciplinary course is designed to join elements of film studies (learning how to "read" films, how to understand the visual and aural constructions of ideology) with various schools of historical thought (social, labor, and political history). Its goal is to provide students with the critical skills needed to analyze the images and ideologies they see on the screen and understand how those images affect our views of the past and present. Movies form the centerpiece of the course. During the semester we will look at the ways in which films and filmmakers addressed many of the fundamental issues and problems that have shaped the twentieth century: industrialization, urbanization, war, poverty, crime, politics, racial, class and gender conflict, and changing notions of happiness and success. The films cover the period from 1900 to 1991. We will spend approximately two weeks per decade. The films we will watch will be films made during that decade that deal with one or more of the major problems of the time. But movies offer only one perspective on the world. Each week will also read works that offer three additional perspectives: readings that discuss the general historical events of the era; readings that discuss what is happening in the motion picture industry; and readings that provide primary documents concerning the period.
CLASS FORMAT
The class will meet twice a week for two hours; there will also be a one hour discussion section.REQUIREMENTS
The course will include a midterm (20% of final grade), a final exam (40%), and a research paper (20%); class participation will constitute an additional 20% of the final grade.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 100xg
The United States and World Affairs
Professor Bender
MW, 2:00-3:20The aim of this course is to introduce students to the fascinating study of relations among countries throughout our large and complex world, with special emphasis on United States foreign policy. Traditionally this subject has been conceived strictly as the study of the relationships among governments but these relations cannot be viewed in a vacuum since they are inextricably determined by other actors and factors, such as international organizations (e.g. the United Nations), multinational corporations, individuals, cultures, economics, geography, and history. All of these dimensions will be covered in each of the three parts of the course.
This subject is a broad, complex one that is constantly shifting, and evolving as scholars try to develop theories to explain it and policy makers try to manage foreign policy from day to day. This course should provide the student with a solid background both in the major trends and issues of current world politics and in the main theories and explanations used by scholars of International Relations.
The course outline follows the structure of Goldstein's textbook. Supplementary readings each week are found in a Reader that I assembled from recent articles published (primarily) in Foreign Affairs. The discussion sections will follow the outline of the course but the lectures will not necessarily follow this outline in order to include additional dimensions not covered in the readings.
In addition to the textbook assignments, each student is expected to read at least one major newspaper every day, (e.g., The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Washington Post,) and to come to class conversant with major foreign events and challenges for U.S. foreign policy. There will be snap (i.e. surprise) quizzes during the semester to test your understanding of the major international issues in the news. We will start each class with an analysis of the major international events in the news - you are responsible for initiating this portion of the class.
JUDAIC STUDIES 211g
The Holocaust
Professor Gillerman
MW, 2:00-3:20This course is intended as an introduction to the ethical issues arising from the Holocaust - Adolf Hitler's attempted genocide of the entire Jewish people, as well as the murder of millions of others, during the years 1933-1945. While the approach taken in many courses on the Holocaust is essentially a historical one, the aim of this class is to identify and evaluate the moral dilemmas and challenges that arise from this event. Of course ethical issues do not arise in a vacuum. Historical, sociological, and psychological factors are of supreme importance in shaping the contours within which ethical decisions are made. Proper attention will therefore be paid to these factors in determining the moral lessons that are to be derived from the Holocaust. In this way the course will achieve its objective of assisting the student in gaining an understanding of the processes and complexities of moral reasoning.
It is hoped that the approach to the class will permit the student to view the Holocaust for what it was and is - a tragedy of immense proportions, not only for the Jewish people, but also for the world. In the minds of many ethicists, the Holocaust and related events are harbingers of the most frightening tendencies inherent in an evermore rational, impersonal, and bureaucratically-oriented world. The grading scheme will be as follows:
* Midterm Examination 25%
* Research Paper 30%
* Final Examination 25%
* Discussion Section 20%Note: The assignments listed here may be subject to change. Please contact the department for verification.
LINGUISTICS 115g
Language, Society and Culture
Professor Copley
TTh, 9:30 - 10:50The following course description belongs to Professor Silva-Corvalan.
This course will look at language as it creates and responds to its cultural and social environments. In it, we will explore (1) how language both reflects and creates social meaning and social identity, (2) the interesting differences in language that are found across variouscultures and social groups, (3) the reasons for the continous existence of reginal and social varieties of a language alongside a variety of greater prestige, (4) the coexistence of more than one language in the same territory, and (5) the practical workings of language in public settings, particularly educational ones.
PHILOSOPHY 141g
Contemporary Moral and Social Issues
Professor Willard
MW, 2:00 - 3:20Please contact the Philosophy department for course description.
POLITICAL SCIENCE 130g
Law, Politics, and Public Policy
Professor Renteln
TTh, 9:30 - 10:50The following course description belongs to Professor Barnes.
This course explores a broad range of social issues through an introduction to law, courts, and judicial processes. We will begin by examining the idea of law, the nature of legal education, the selection of judges, the civil and criminal justice system, and the role of appellate courts. We will then explore a series of debates and case studies that will give us a chance to delve more deeply into the politics of law and the pursuit of justice. This course will also ask the following questions: What is "the rule of law?" Does law serve power or justice? What influences outcomes in civil and criminal justice? Was the "Independent Counsel" act a good idea? When do people deserve punishment or deserve to be held "liable" for their negligent conduct? How broad is "freedom of speech?"
Requirements: 1 short paper, 1 longer paper, midterm, final, participation.
PSYCHOLOGY 155xg
Psychological Perspectives on Social Issues
Professor Jellison
MW, 10:00 - 11:50Prejudice and stereotypes are discussed in relation to social psychological theories and research. General theories related to inter-personal relations, attitude formation and change, conformity, reviewed. Research and specific theories of prejudice are examined in depth. Emphasis is placed on practical approaches for reducing prejudice. The concept of stereotyping (i.e. an over-simplified conception of a group or person) is explored within intimate relationships in regard to conceptions of what it means to be male and female. Finally, the idea that our own self conceptions are a form of stereotype is explored.
Readings and Assignments:
* The Social Animal
* A Lesson Before Dying
* Intimate StrangersThere are multiple brief writing assignments (1-2 pages) in which students apply analytic concepts from the course to their own lives. The discussion section focuses on these practical applications. Examinations are short answer essay. The final is not comprehensive.
RELIGION 140g
Religion and Ethical Issues
Professor Rudisill
TTh, 11:00 - 12:20The aim of the course is to enable you to become conversant with Jewish and Christian ways of addressing ethical issues, and to increase your capability to analyze critically various judgments reached abut hose issues. Since Judaism and Christianity (both Catholic and Protestant) are such major traditions in the U.S., studying the ways in which these traditions deal with ethical issues will take us straight into the heart of American culture, and the mutual influence between religion and culture.
There is no such thing as a Jewish or Christian position on any ethical issue, especially in an age where both traditions are sharply divided between "liberal" and "conservative" camps. (For example, there is often more agreement on ethical issues between liberal Jews and liberal Christians than there is between liberal and conservative Christians.) Nevertheless, there are certain Jewish beliefs and traditions, on the one hand, and Christian beliefs and traditions, on the other hand, both derived from the Bible, which deeply inform the ethical analyses of these faiths. We shall be attentive to these beliefs and traditions, directly in the first part of the course.
SOCIOLOGY 142gm
Diversity and Racial Conflict
Professor Ransford
TTh, 11:00-12:20The following course description belongs to Professor Kaplan.
This course examines the patterns of race relations in the United States. We will examine the relations between the white community and the communities of people of color, particularly African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans and Latinos. We will also discuss white ethnic groups. We will explore the way in which race relations shape our institutions and structures and our daily lives. We will also see the way in which institutional racism operates. Theories personal racism, internalized racism, cross-racial hostility between people of color and the intersection of race, class and gender will also be discussed.
A few of the issues we will be concerned with include: the historical and contemporary expressions of racism in America and the various ways in which racism, sexism, and class are interconnected. We will also consider why these divisions and the accompanying differences in opportunity and achievement continue; how these divisions and differences are reproduced and the reality that lies behind the rhetoric of equality and opportunity and justice for all. For example, how are economic rewards, employment decisions, political electoral campaigns and public policy decisions shaped by racial bias? In what way do these factors influence university admissions, faculty hiring, and relations with fellow students and student groups? Has racism changed over time? On a personal level, how do we cope with our own racism and with racism directed against us? We will also consider the necessary conditions and the processes to bring about effective social change.
Required Reading:
(All books are on 2 hour reserve at Leavey Library. See Reference Librarian for Xerox Reader material.)
• Christopher Bates Doob, Racism: An American Cauldron 2nd. ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1996
• Elaine Bell Kaplan, Not Our Kind of Girl, Unraveling the Myths of Black Teenage Motherhood, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997.
• Harry H. L. Kitano and Roger Daniels, Asian Americans, 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice Hall, 1995.
• Joan Moore and Harry Pachon, Hispanics in the US. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1985
• Xerox Reader (available at USC bookstore)
1. "The Prison of Race and Gender: Stereotypes, Ideology, Language, and Social Control: (Paula S. Rothenberg, Racism and Sexism, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1988.)
2. "How Serious is the Problem of Racism?" (William Dudley, ed. Racism in America: Opposing Viewpoints, San Diego, CA.: Greenhaven Press, Inc. 1991.
3. "The Problem: Discrimination, United States Commission on Civil Rights"SOCIOLOGY 150gm
Social ProblemsProfessor Kaplan
TTh, 9:30 - 10:50Professor Bengtson
MW, 3:30 - 4:50The following course description belongs to Professor Messner.
In Sociology 150 we examine some of the major social problems confronting American society today: crime, violence, drugs, discrimination, environmental pollution, terrorism, the prospect of nuclear war. What can we do about these problems? What does sociological research suggest about their causes and their solution?
In this course we analyze these and other problems using the tools of sociological data and theory. We assess the public policies - laws- that have been passed in order to "solve" these problems, and explore why many of these have failed. We focus on two specific issues that may directly affect your experience as adults in the 21st Century): (1) Urban violence (will there be a repeat of the Los Angeles "riots" of 1992; (2) Population aging (will Social Security and medical care benefits be available for you when you retire?).
Sociology 150 explores contemporary social problems in three categories: (1) Issues involving individual deviance (crime, gangs, rape, sexual deviance, mental illness); (2) Problems of social inequalities (discrimination and prejudice reflected in racism, sexism, and ageism); and (3) Crises reflecting societal changes during the 20th Century (the worldwide population explosion, population aging, environmental pollution, family and health problems, war and terrorism).
The grade for the course is based on: (1) Three exams; (2) Four quizzes; (3) Discussion section participation and assignments throughout the semester; (4) JEP (Joint Educational Project) involvement; (5) Short in-class assignments accompanying each lecture. Extra credit can be earned through participation in class debates, analysis of movies and videos reflecting social problems, or a field trip to the Museum of Tolerance.
SOCIOLOGY 169g
Social Problems
Professor Biblarz
MW, 2:00 - 3:20The following course description belongs to Professor Musick.
Most of us grew up in, enjoyed, and/or survived family life, so we all bring some first hand experience to this class. Few of us, however, understand our families as socially and historically constructed institutions. Why and how do families change over time? This course will explore linkages between family life and society, examining, for example, how families are shaped by social and economic factors, and how internal family dynamics reflect and respond to societal pressures. This course is not intended as a prescriptive "how to create successful families" (although the material may help you in this endeavor). We will explore a number of contemporary issues, such as how employment and gender ideologies shape inequality in families, changing notions of parenthood and childhood, how economic recessions affect family life, the challenges facing working parents and their children and changing expectations of marriage. We will cover historical variations in families, as well as a plurality of contemporary family forms such as lesbian and gay families, single parenthood, divorce, remarriage, and blended families. As an ongoing theme we will consider how gender, race, and economic inequality shape our experiences in families.
Readings
• Hochschild, The Second Shift: Working Parents and the Revolution at Home
• Skolnick and Skolnick, Family in Transition (ninth edition)
• Weston, Families We Choose
• Hondagneu-Sotelo, Gendered Transitions: Mexican Experiences of Immigration
• Stacey, In the Name of the FamilyRecommended Readings:
• See, Good Times and Hard Luck
• Kaplan, Not Our Kind of Girl
• Rubin, Intimate Strangers
• Zavella, Women's Work and Chicano Families
• Zelizer, Pricing the Priceless Child
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