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SPRING 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 Spring 2004 Schedule of Classes. You may also download the course descriptions in pdf version.
AMERICAN STUDIES 101gm
Race and Class in Los Angeles
Professor Sanchez
TTh, 11:00 - 12:20The following course description belongs to Professor Saito.
This 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.
GENDER STUDIES 210g
Social Issues in Gender
Professor Orenstein
TTh, 2:00 - 3:20The following course description belongs to Professor Williams.
The 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 Roseman
MW, 2:00 - 3:20Los 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.
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.
GEOGRAPHY 257g
Environment and Ethics
Professor McKenzie
MWF, 1:00-1:50This course is about ethical approaches to the environment. Although environmental concerns have become an accepted part of our society, we often find ourselves justifying environmental initiatives based on economic or political arguments. Nonetheless, underneath these accepted rationales are a whole series of moral and ethical issues which, in fact, have been instrumental in the rise of environmentalism. This course seeks to explore these moral issues and how they influence environmentalism, as well as look at various schools of thought in environmental ethics.
Ethics can be defined as the study of how we ought to live, accordingly, this class is about our moral relationships to each other, the non-human environment, other species, and other generations. We will do this by first developing a set of moral tools and principles to help us evaluate environmental issues. In addition to covering standard material in this section, I will introduce the concept of "Geoethics" - the idea of applying a range of moral principles according to the context of a given situation. Second, we will employ a geographical metaphor of distance (both spatial and social), to help us understand our moral relations to others. Specifically, we will examine our relations to those who are distant from us in space (international issues), different species (interspecies) and different generations (intergenerational). The third part of the course will examine three of the most highly developed discourses among environmental ethics, including: animals, international development and the environment itself. The fourth part will explore various streams of environmental ethics, namely, Deep Ecology, Ecofeminism, Environmental Justice, and indigenous critiques.
Course Requirements
Course evaluation will be based on three in-class exams and one group project. Exams will be all essay and will be based on both lecture and reading material. Regular attendance is expected and class participation will count for a portion of your grade.Readings
In addition to a course reader available from the bookstore, you will need the following texts:
• David Cooper and Joy Palmer (1995) Just Environments: International, Intergenerational, and Interspecies Issues. New York: Routledge.
• Roderick Nash (1989) The Rights of Nature: A History of Environmental Ethics. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
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
MW, 10:00-11:50Few 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.REQUIRED READINGS
(Tentative list: to be revised with more film texts):
• R. Marcus & D. Burner, America First Hand V. II (2nd edition) Documents (1992)
• Robert Sklar, Movie-Made America: The Cultural History of American Movies (75)
• William Leuchtenburg, The Perils of Prosperity, 1914-1932 (1958)
• John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath (1939)
• Alan Brinkley, Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlan and the Great Depression (1983)
• Elaine May, Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era (88)
• William Chafe, Unfinished Journey: America Since WWII 2nd edition (1991)HISTORY 245g
Gender and Sexualities in American History
Professor Banner
TTh, 9:30 - 10:50This course will focus on the gender division between a public world identified with men and masculinity and a private world of family and domesticity identified by women. We will deal with the nature of both of these worlds and their interactions throughout the course of post-Revolutionary American political and social history, especially in terms of the issues of the gendered nature of repression and reform in the American past. We will also examine the nature and functioning of gender and sexuality in the American past. What has it meant to be a woman or a man? What is the importance of sexuality and homosexuality in our nation's past.
Required Texts:
• Walter Williams. The Spirit and the Flesh. (Part Only)
• Lois Banner. Women in Modern America: A Brief History.
• Jane Adams. Twenty Years at Hull House. (part Only)
• Rita Mae Brown. Rubyfruit Jungle.
• Sara Evans. Personal Politics.
• Other articles will be available in an article pack put together by Dr. Banner.Grading and Course Requirements
• Midterm Examination 25%
• Final Examination 30%
• Participation 10%
• Term Paper 30%
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 101xg
International Relations
Professor Glass
TTh, 2:00-3:20The following course description belongs to Professor Nielsson.
This is an introductory survey of international relations as a field of study. The course is divided into four parts. Part I is a brief review of the diverse approaches to theorizing about international relations. Identification of the main actors - the state, international organization and non-state actors - and their interaction is the subject of Part II. That includes the role of great powers, the Global South and trans-national enterprises. Part III: The Politics of global Welfare involves such issues as the characteristics of international monetary and trade relations, the globalization trend and global commons such as populations growth, environmental degradation and sustainable development. Part IV: Global Conflict and Its Management includes the study of different modes of conflict, war - interstate as well as civil wars - security policies and the use of power in coercive diplomacy. This part is concluded by a general comparison of the realist and the liberal perspectives on the future of world politics.
Required Texts:
Kegley Jr., Charles W. and Eugene R. Wittkopf. World Politics: Trend and Transformation. 6th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997.Grading and Course Requirements:
• Attendance & Participation 15%
• Written Assignments 25%
• Midterm 25%
• Final 35%JUDAIC STUDIES 211g
The Holocaust
Professor TBA
MW, 2:00-3:20The following course description belongs to Professor Gillerman.
This 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 Silva-Corvalan
TTh, 11:00 - 12:20This 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.
For more information on the course, visit the instructor's course website: http://www-scf.usc.edu/~karabay/ling115/.
PHILOSOPHY 140g
Contemporary Moral and Social Issues
Professor Finaly
MW, 2:00 - 3:20This introductory course in ethics examines some important contemporary moral controversies over the subjects of euthanasia, abortion, pornography, discrimination, economic justice, the death penalty, the environment, animal rights, and terrorism. Different people hold very firm but conflicting beliefs about these issues; is it possible to reason with each other to discover whose beliefs are correct? In this course we will objectively examine arguments on opposing sides. Be prepared to examine your moral beliefs critically. As well as challenging you to think more deeply about right and wrong and how you should live, this course will develop your critical thinking skills and your ability to argue persuasively for your moral views.
We begin with an introduction to the study of ethics, addressing questions such as: Is there a moral truth, or is morality just a matter of opinion? Does morality sometimes command that I act against my own interests, and if so, why should I obey? Before we turn to the issues themselves, we briefly examine some classic theories of morality.
There is a website for the course, where you can access updated syllabi and administrative information, at http://www.uscphilosophy.org. Follow the link to course websites.
POLITICAL SCIENCE 130g
Law, Politics, and Public Policy
Professor Renteln
TTh, 11:00 - 12:20The 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.
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 ConflictProfessor Ransford
TTh, 11:00-12:20Professor Kaplan
TTh, 9:30 - 10:50The 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 Problems
Professor Messner
MW, 10:00 - 11:50In 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
Changing Family Forms
Professor Musick
TTh, 11:00 - 12:20Most 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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