Instructor: Prof. Elizabeth Eisenberg
Email: eeisenberg@brooklyn.cuny.edu
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 11:30 - 12:30 (or by appointment) ROOM: 3416J
OVERVIEW:
This course aims to examine some of the fundamental conflicts that characterize United States society. What meanings do we attribute to terms like democracy, freedom, or equality? What are the ideals that our framers envisioned when this nation was imagined? Are we realizing those ideals today?
How do we characterize some of the social problems we are confronted with today? Which challenges do we view as challenges we must confront collectively? Which challenges do we view as challenges the lie within the purview of individual responsibility?
As our society has come of age, we have continuously wrestled with the question of how we view the roles of government, community, and of the individual. What are our expectations of these respective roles today? What kind of citizens would we like to be?
GOALS:
* Familiarize students with the major social and political concepts that characterize American society; * Students should be able to think and write critically about social issues; * Students should be able to discuss and debate social issues respectfully with one another in the classroom
CLASS POLICIES: * Come to class on time. * Be prepared to discuss the readings. * You may miss up to two classes without a penalty, but you must notify me by email before class that you are not attending. If you miss three or more classes or fail to provide any notification, your final grade will be affected.
ATTENDANCE/CLASS PARTICIPATION: This course is founded on class discussions and participation, so attendance is very important. Students are expected to come to class prepared and ready to discuss the readings. Attendance will be recorded and participation noted for each class.
REQUIREMENTS: Students are expected to complete all the reading assignments by the beginning of the class for which they are assigned and to participate in discussions and class activities.
TEXTBOOK: Most of the readings are chapters of the textbook: Gaston Alonso, Noel Anderson, Kenneth Gould, Corey Robin, Roberta Satow, and Alex Vitale People, Power, and Politics 11th edition (Boston, MA, Pearson Learning Solutions). Other readings are going to be posted on blackboard or distributed in class.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for avoiding both. The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and the Brooklyn College procedure for implementing that policy can be found at this site: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies. If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the violation. OTHER COMMENTS: In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations students must first be registered with the Center for Student Disability Services. Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Director of the Center for Student Disability Services, Ms. Valerie Stewart-Lovell at 718-951-5538. If you have already registered with the Center for Student Disability Services please provide your professor with the course accommodation form and discuss your specific accommodation with him/her.
** Disabilities will not be considered as an excuse if students come to me after deadlines or after receiving grades.
GRADING:
* Midterm 20% * Final 30% * In class assignments 20% * Participation: 30%
