CSP200/Escaping the Matrix: A Discourse of Power
Fall2006
Syllabus

Quarter:                Fall 2006       
Course Number:  CSP200.01 (Item:  0500)  
Prerequisites:      Eligibility for ENG101  
Meeting Times:   09:00am to 01:15pm, MTWTh           Room:  BE4151 

Credits:

18 credits selected from the following courses:

5-Credit Options: 

, 3-Credit Options: 

Course Description:

Peter Berger asserts that the inherited  worldview of any society or culture is a created one. Using the modern narrative, the Matrix, as a symbolic template, this course will use anthropology, sociology, and critical theory to explore and examine the political economy of capitalism, its principles, and the mechanisms and consequences of globalization. By including indigenous research methods we will engage in the process  of "unplugging" the culturally embedded hegemonic narratives of race and racism, class and caste, gender and sexism, sex and sexuality, religion and worldview, and whiteness and white privilege in order to become more awake in the world we have created.  

This Coordinated Studies Program takes as its point of departure that academia is deeply entrenched within various processes of colonization. These processes of colonization have been articulated in pedagogical as well as curricular practices that are often meant to normalize the individual and foster a particular outlook. This has occurred through a 'knowledge is power' system of  scholarship and curriculum that in tandem, embeds and is embedded in Eurocentric, falsely universalizing methodologies that are grounded in colonial interests. What is and what counts as scholarship has developed within a cultural, political and economic framework that has been dominated by that "First World ."  

Therefore, we will use Linda Tuhiwai Smith's Decolonizing Methodologies and the Wachowski Brother's The Matrix films, as points of departure to inform our attempt as a learning community to forge new visions of knowledge production. Using Tuhiwai-Smith's text and the Wachowski's films as critiques that look simultaneously back and forward, speak from both within and without we will fully embrace the new 'experimental moment' by taking risks and opening doors to a newer form of education that experientially as well as discursively enacts a "reinvention of the enemy's language." 

Course Objectives:

1. Construct an interdisciplinary (anthropological, sociological and literary) perspective for analysis and understanding of social phenomenona and  structure.
2. Provide understanding of how literature reflects political, cultural, and social issues of our society and the world around us.
3. Learn content: concepts, facts, persons, theories, and knowledge of anthropology, sociology and literature.
4. Provide the skills of critical thinking, analysis, problem solving, communication, life-long learning, decision-making, application, and leadership.
5. Develop social responsibility and an ethic of service: attitudes and understandings needed to live in society as responsible citizens and to contribute to building a caring and just society.
6. Apply this interdisciplinary approach to social issues: social policy, social change, and social action.

 Course Outcomes:

• Communicate orally and in writing how this interdisciplinary approach contributes to an understanding of social reality
• Compose critical written assignments relating to the readings, viewings, and presentations.
• Plan, develop, and present a community-based research project
• Understand how the ways in which social context and historical interpretation affect a writer's work as well as how our views and perceptions are influenced and/or molded by major literary figures (by our storytellers)
• Explain theoretical and methodological approaches to framing, presenting and interpretation
• Understand basic anthropological, sociological and literary concepts, perspectives, and their interpretive applications
• Critique the dominant framing of society and social institution
• Examine the reciprocal relationship between the individual and society
• Analyze some of the values and character of Western and Non-Western societies
• Demonstrate an ability to think critically
• Explain and interpret the construction and intersectionality of race, class, gender, sexuality, family, deviance, and religion

Grade Requirements:  

Readings:

Required:

Course Reader (Available in the Copy Center in BE3104) Part I and Part II.

Butler, Octavia E.
2000    Parable of the Sower. Warner Books.

Ousmane, Sembene
1996    God's Bits of Wood. Heinemann

Santi V. Buscemi, Charlotte Smith
2003    75 Readings : An Anthology (9th edition ). McGraw-Hill

Smith, Linda Tuhiwai
1999    Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. Zed Books.

Choose One of the Following:

Amato, Toni and Mary Davies (Editors)
2004    Pinned Down By Pronouns. Conviction Books

Bighorse, Tiana
1994    Bighorse the Warrior. University of Arizona Press.

Conley, Dalton
2001    Honky. Vintage.

Correspondents of The New York Times, Introduction by Bill Keller
2005    Class Matters. Times Books, Henry Holt and Company.

Guilloud, Stephanie
2001    Through the Eyes of the Judged: Autobiographical Sketches by Incarcerated Young Men. TESC Gateway Program.

Hernandez , Daisy and Bushra Rehman (Edited)
2002    Colonize This! Seal Press

Lazzarre, Jane
1997    Beyond the Whiteness of Whiteness: Memoir of a White Mother of Black Sons, Duke University.
 

Pilkington, Doris
2002    Rabbit-Proof Fence: The True Story of One of the Greatest Escapes of All Time. Miramax.

Stephenson, Neal
2000    Snow Crash. Spectra Books.

Tea, Michelle
2004    Without a Net: The Female Experience of Growing Up Working Class. Seal Press.

Required materials: 

Computer discs and access to computer for word processing, Internet and e-mail  

Course Schedule:

General

Instructor's Educational Philosophy:
Our personal goal is to create independent learners wherever and whenever we can. To do this, we approach education as a life long process that includes both formal instruction and a range of other experiences, including the use of electronic media, peer relationships, and family living, which usually occupy more time and often exert more powerful influences than formal schooling.  Therefore, we attempt to incorporate aspects of this range of experience into the course structure.  We also believe that education can be viewed as both (1) a product, referring to the results of teaching and learning activities, (2) a process, or means to a product. Our perspective is that we place our major concerns with the quality of the learner's experience and the relationships between teacher and students and between students and students.  In this class, product and process are inseparable.  While emphasis is on knowledge that you, the learners, are expected to reproduce when the course ends, equal emphasis is placed on using techniques that you can continue to apply in future learning situations.  

We, as the instructors, are not "all-knowing" with fixed and immutable knowledge and information.  We believe that knowledge and information are mutable and can be created.  Believing that students' interests can be a starting point, we prefer to use more student centered, rather than instructor centered, activities that help you reflect upon your own experiences.  We use this method to help promote active learning since learning, beyond just reading, is ultimately a social experience.  

Finally, the individual is often the most important source of knowledge.  At some point, each of you is your own best authority on your perceptions, reactions, emotions, and experiences.  However, your personal knowledge should be checked and verified against other criteria.  The check includes the perceptions of others and the legacy and patterns of the past.  A general method of building, creating, communicating knowledge is through dialogue (seminar) based on equality among all participants. In conclusion, this attempt at education is an attempt to actively involve the student through as many different methods as possible within a social environment.

Methods of instruction: 
We use diverse methods in teaching, including: lecture, discussion, seminars, presentations, in-class spontaneous creative exercises and audio/audio-videos/visuals. As a strong nucleus of our method of instruction collaborative learning (also known as participatory or active learning) is emphasized in this course.

Guidelines for this emphasis are as follows:  

1.     Both instructors and students become active participants in the educational process

2.     There are times when the hierarchy between instructors and learners is lessened or eliminated

3.     A sense of community is fostered

4.     Knowledge will often be developed instead of transferred  

Course Policies:

Attendance/Participation: With the innovative structure we are using in this CSP, daily attendance by every student member is imperative. Likewise, participation is important. These are not only requirements but also responsibilities, for an absence or failure to complete an assignment in the CCKP may result in delaying everyone's progress.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the use of another person's ideas or words without properly crediting the source. This is unethical, academically dishonest, and illegal. In many colleges, plagiarism can result in the student being expelled. Be VERY certain that you know what constitutes plagiarism, so you do not do it inadvertently. It will not be tolerated in this class and will result in an automatic zero (0) on the applicable assignment. Further consequences could include referrals to an academic advisor or removal from the course. We would like to make it clear that the following policies will be in operation in our class:

Students are expected to do their own work. Any evidence of copied work or cheating in any way will result in a grade of zero (0) for that assignment or essay.

Any essay or part of an essay found by the instructors on the internet will result in the student receiving a 0. This does not mean that you cannot use internet sources as research material. What it does mean is that they need to be properly quoted and cited.

Syllabus Changes: Changes to the syllabus and schedule updates will be posted on the course website under the Updates section. We will also make an announcement at the beginning of class. However, it is your responsibility to check the course website along with fellow crew and community members for announcements of updates.

If you need course adaptations or accommodation because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with your instructor, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with your instructor as soon as possible.