Ethics and Community
Spring 2008
Office: HH 301/RECI 208
Phone: 937 327 7847/7924
Lani Guinier Lift Every Voice
Plato Trial and Death of Socrates
John
Rawls Justice as Fairness
Martha
Nussbaum Cultivating Humanity
Course Description
This
class will take a look at ethical questions especially related to our
(supposed) responsibilities to others. Thinking about the value of being part
of a community, we will think carefully about the ways our relationships, both
voluntary and involuntary, shape our obligations. Also, we will consider how
questions of identity and agency influence our decision to engage in communal
concerns and how they can affect our decision to disengage. By taking the class
students should gain an understanding of some social justice issues, especially
as they related to education. This course will have an optional
“service-learning” component. In
addition, students will be expected to write three short critical essays, take
a midterm exam and a final exam. There will also be short answer quizzes given
weekly on the reading assignments. In this class students will be expected to
engage in dialogue with me and with each other.
Goals
and Objectives:
By
taking this class, students should 1) gain a basic understanding of some social
justice issues 2) gain a greater understanding of the competing ideas and the
context in which those ideas developed 3) gain a greater appreciation of the
diverse world around them and a greater understanding of the extent to which
ideas shape our understanding of ourselves and the world we inhabit 4) improve
their written and oral communication skills, and hone their critical and
analytical skills (such as the ability to distinguish between fact and interpretation)
and finally 5) nurture intellectual curiosity and skepticism and enjoy having a
supportive audience with which to share ideas.
Expected
Outcomes:
Students
should be able to
General Education Credit
Religious and Philosophical Inquiry: Students should gain an understanding of
how central questions about reality, knowledge and value are pursued in
religious and/or philosophical traditions.
For my
take on the importance of philosophical inquiry and critical thinking generally
see http://userpages.wittenberg.edu/mmartinezsaenz/Administrative/Whystudyphilosophy.htm
Service-learning: Service learning integrates a service
experience that meets a community need with an academic course. Service
learning involves reflection activities to assist students in thinking about
the relation between course content and the service experience as well as to
foster social responsibility.
· Improves
students’ learning by matching course content and theory to a meaningful
service experience.
· Teaches
students to understand the need for community service and societal-related
issues.
· Creates close
knit connection from Wittenberg to the community
· Provides
community more resources
· Fulfills
University mission and motto
Reflection:
The purpose of reflection is to have students make
connections between course content and the service experience. Also it provides
development or refinement of critical thinking skills such as being able to
identify issues, being receptive to new or different ideas, and foreseeing the
consequences of one's actions.
Social Responsibility: Social responsibility is comprised of
actions and attitudes associated with social participation and democratic
governance. These actions are in an informed, committed, and constructive
manner, with a focus on the common good and improving the quality of life in a
community. Actions
of social responsibility can be displayed in advocacy for various causes, such
as political, economic, civil, environmental, or quality of life issues.
Course Requirements:
1.
Participation, Quizzes and Attendance 10%: This class will
not be exclusively a lecture class. This means that students ought to be
prepared to discuss the readings, films, or the general topic assigned for the
day. Since participation is an integral part of this class, attendance is
required. If you are absent more than 6 classes you will receive an “F” for
the course. Keep in mind, “absence”
for this course shall be understood as a modified form of the definition that
appears third in the Oxford English Dictionary (Unabridged): Absence (of mind): inattention to what is going on; failure to
receive impressions of what is present, through preoccupation with other
matters; involuntary abstraction. In other words, if it is obvious to me and to
your peers that you are not prepared for class you will be considered absent.
Please see guidelines for class discussion
at
http://userpages.wittenberg.edu/mmartinezsaenz/index.html
2.
Reflection Papers (2-3 pages) 40%: Responding to
questions provided and coupled with an experiential learning opportunity,
students will write reflection papers. We will discuss this during the first
class meeting.
i.
MLK
Observance
1.
January 16: Poverty versus Privilege II (Reflections
on the work of Lani Guinier)7:30-9:30,
Bayley Auditorium
2.
January
21: MLK Day Lani Guinier
Convocation
3.
PAPERS
DUE: January 28
ii.
Poverty
Simulation (Registration Required: Attend only one session.)
1.
February
5: 4:30-7:00 (Geil Lounge)
2.
March
27: 6:30-9:00 (Geil Lounge)
Paper DUE April 29, 2008
iii.
Poet Billy
Collins Presented in Memory of Dr. Allen
J. Koppenhaver
March 12 at 7:30 p.m. Bayley Auditorium
Paper DUE April 1, 2008
iv. Main Stage Production: Urinetown by Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann (April 10-13)
Paper Due April
22, 2008
v.
Department Colloquium (Must be relevant to class.)
Paper Due April 29, 2008
3.
Mid-term exam 20%: An in class exam will be given on
February 28, 2008. I will explain the
format of the exam during the first class session.
4.
Final Portfolio 30%: What should be
included?
i.
Pre-Self-Assessment (Form will be provided)
ii.
Reflection Papers
iii.
5-7 page “Things Learned” or Final Project
iv.
Final exam or Final Project
5.
Service Learning Component (Optional): See
appendix
January 8: Introduction
Fishbowl
January 10:
Guest: Marlo
Fox
January 15:
Lift Every Voice
Pre-Self-Assessment
(Form will be provided)
January 16: Poverty versus Privilege II (Reflections on the work of Lani Guinier)
7:30-9:30, Bayley Auditorium (Required
Attendance)
January 17:
Lift Every Voice
Martin Luther King: “I Have a Dream”
January 21: MLK Day
Lani Guinier Convocation (Required
Attendance)
January
22: Reflections on Lani Guinier
Fishbowl
January
24:
January
29: Faculty Retreat: No Class
January
31: Crito
John
Kennedy: “Fulfill the Dream”
February
5: Apology
Fishbowl
February
7: Bible Luke 10:37 “The Parable of the Good Samaritan” AND
Bible Matthew 25:31-46
“Jesus Tells About the Final Judgment”
February
12: John Rawls Justice as Fairness pp. 1-38
February
14: TBA
February
19: TBA
February
21: John Rawls Justice as Fairness pp. 39-77
February
26: Rawls continued
February
28: Midterm Exam
March
4: Spring Break
March
6: Spring Break
March
11: Bridges out of Poverty (E-Reserves)
March
13: Declaration of Independence & US
Constitution
Fishbowl
March
18: Democracy and Education
selections
“Education as a Necessity of
Life”
“Education as Social Function”
March
20: Democracy and Education selections
“The Democratic Conception of
Education”
“The Aims in Education”
March
25: Democracy and Education
selections
“Educational Values”
“Intellectual and Practical
Studies”
March
27: Democracy and Education
selections
“Philosophy of Education”
“Theories of Morals”
Fishbowl
April
1:
April
3: The Politics of Recognition E-Reserve (Identity Exercise)
April
8: “Famine, Affluence and Morality” E-Reserve
April
10:
April
15: Martha Nussbaum Cultivating Humanity
Introduction: “The Old Education and The Think-Academy”
April
17: Martha Nussbaum Cultivating Humanity
Chapter
1: Socratic Self-Examination”
April
22: Martha Nussbaum Cultivating Humanity
Chapter
3 “Narrative Imagination”
April
24: Martha Nussbaum Cultivating Humanity “The New Liberal Education”
Conclusion:
“The “New” Liberal Education”
April
29: Review
Final
Exam:
Appendix 1
Wittenberg University
Ethics
& the Community
Miguel Martinez-Saenz,
Professor
Service Learning
Project Outline
January – May 2008
2-3 Students
15 hours per student
Think Tank Contact: Marlo Fox
(937)727-9119, marlo@thinktank-inc.org,
Objectives of Project:
1)
To help service learning students consider two main questions: a) What does it mean to be a part of a larger community? And b)
What obligations/ commitments do I have as a result of
being a member of a community?
2) To review best practices in community
social justice and advocacy based on valid research and assist the Circles Big
View team with establishing an effective structure for creating systems change.
Timeline:
January-
·
Marlo
attends Ethics & Community class to discuss the service learning
experience.
·
Students
are identified & meet with Marlo one on one to review objectives and tasks
related to the project.
·
Students
begin research on best practices
·
Students
assist with compilation and analysis of surveys completed on financial literacy
programming in the community.
·
Students
attend first Big View meeting held on January 31, 2008.
February
·
Students
work with Big View team on evaluation of January meeting and next steps for
February Big View.
·
Students
continue best practice research
March/ April
·
Students
assist Big View team with preparation for March meeting and assist with any
further information gathering on parent/school communications in preparation
for Big View topic in March.
·
Students
continue best practice research and make recommendations for developing an
effective Big View process.
Appendix 2
Wittenberg
University
Ethics
& the Community
Miguel
Martinez-Saenz, Professor
Service Learning
Project Outline
January – May 2008
2-3 Students
15 hours per student
Think Tank Contact: Marlo Fox
(937)727-9119, marlo@thinktank-inc.org,
Objectives of Project:
1)
To help service learning students consider two main questions: a) What does it mean to be a part of a larger community? And b)
What obligations/ commitments do I have as a result of
being a member of a community?
2) To refine Getting Ahead community
assessment to make more user friendly, locally oriented and thorough and to
develop system for tracking ratings over time.
Timeline:
January-
·
Marlo
attends Ethics & Community class to discuss the service learning
experience.
·
Students
are identified & meet with Marlo one on one to review objectives and tasks
related to the project.
·
Students
review Getting Ahead community assessment.
·
Students
attend Big View meeting held on January 31, 2008.
February
·
Students
attend a Getting Ahead class.
·
Students
begin working on community resource assessment.
·
Students
create database/spreadsheet for tracking results over time.
March/ April
·
Students
finalize community resource assessment.
·
Students
participate in Getting Ahead class in which assessment is completed by Getting
Ahead participants.
·
Assessment
receives final revisions based on feedback from Getting Ahead
participants.