Course Syllabus

MUSKINGUM UNIVERSITY

SOCIOLOGY 369: PEACEMAKING

SPRING 2013

CREDIT HOURS:  3

INSTRUCTOR: Jim Fox

WEBSITE: jfpeacemaking.blogspot.com

E-MAIL: jfox@muskingum.edu

PHONE: 

CLASSROOM: Walter Hall 207, Tuesdays 5:30-9:00

OFFICE HOURS: Before and after class and by appointment.  See me to schedule a meeting.

CATALOG DESCRIPTION:

Sociology 369. Peacemaking (3) takes a multidisciplinary approach towards

peacemaking. Moves back and forth between personal applications in one’s

daily life on the one hand and more academic applications of the social

sciences (sociology, anthropology, history, psychology and criminal justice) and

humanities on the other. Emphasis on writing and class discussion.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

The student will examine historical and contemporary methods of dealing with conflict (at the individual and societal levels), evaluate these methods’ effectiveness, and contemplate ways of incorporating the most effective methods into his or her own life.

REQUIRED TEXTS/MATERIALS:

·      One short novel, play, or other book (to be decided during our second meeting)

·      Other readings will come from online articles.  Budget for printing at least 50 pages.

·      You will be asked to read and follow one online current events publication over the course of the term.  The publication will be determined by the class.

TEACHING METHODOLOGY:

The in-class routine will consist of discussion with some short lectures and viewing of images and video clips.  We will also conduct in-class activities to demonstrate certain concepts.  Readings and links will be announced in class and posted online.  Assignments may consist of:

·      Posting online and responding to classmates’ posts

·      Reading, viewing, listening to, or otherwise experiencing assigned texts

·      Writing responses to articles, essays, artworks, or films

·      Taking quizzes

·      Writing short essays

·      Final project

As this class qualifies as a writing unit, we will discuss not only the content of written assignments, but also their rhetorical effectiveness.

EVALUATION:

Assignments (includes quizzes)            60%

Overall Participation                             20%

Final Project                                          20%

GRADING SCALE:

93-100=A; 90-92=A-; 87-89=B+; 83-86=B; 80-82=B-; 77-79=C+; 73-76=C; 70-72=C-; 67-69=D+; 63-66=D; 60-62=D-; 59-0=F

ASSIGNMENTS: These may include readings, in-class writing assignments or other activities, homework assignments, quizzes, and short response papers.

PARTICIPATION: This grade reflects the extent to which each student demonstrates a commitment to learning.  The most obvious ways to do so are by making regular and thoughtful contributions to class discussion, scoring high on quizzes, and doing your very best work on both in and out-of-class assignments. 

FINAL PROJECT: Each student will complete a short research project, investigating a person, event, or concept connected to the course.  Your goal is to first educate yourself on your topic, and then share what you’ve learned with the rest of the class.  Details will be announced.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

The college’s policy on academic dishonesty can be found in the Muskingum University Course Catalog.  Violation may result in a failing grade and referral to university authorities. 

ADA STATEMENT:

Any student who wishes to request an accommodation is responsible to contact the Disability Education Office (DEO) to discuss his/her specific needs and the process to receive reasonable accommodation. Please contact the DEO, located in the Center for Advancement of Learning in Montgomery Hall 223 or call 740-826-8280 to arrange an appointment as soon as possible. At the appointment, the procedure to coordinate accommodations will be discussed. You can also find information about the process for accommodation on the web at http://www.muskingum.edu/home/cal/ada.html.  

COURSE SCHEDULE:

As you can see, this schedule is mainly blank.  Some of our content will be determined by current events; other topics (e.g. film and popular culture) will be decided by the class. Corresponding assignments will be announced in class and posted online.

DATE	READINGS, ASSIGNMENTS, DUE DATES
1/15	Introduction.  Course overview.  Peace, civilization, and goals for society. Sociology, research strategies, and social construction.
1/22	Violence versus nonviolence.  Physical versus nonphysical violence.
1/29	Alternatives to violence.  Decide on film.  Decide on final project topics.
2/5	Historical case studies: topics to be determined.
2/12	Current events case studies: topics to be determined.
2/19	War and peace in literature and art.
2/26	Book Discussion
3/5	Spring Break—No Class.
3/12	Film discussion.
3/19	TBA
3/26	Research project presentations.