*Fulfills Sociology and ANSO Major Theory Intensive Course Requirement
Instructor: Janet Wirth-Cauchon
105D Howard Hall, x4586
Email: janet.wirth-cauchon@drake.edu
Office Hours: Monday 2:30-3:30 PM
Tues. and Thursday 11:15-1:15
And by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Questions of identity and selfhood are newly problematic and important in contemporary social life, as social and cultural changes make certainties about one's social location and one's relationships less fixed, less certain. The boundaries of our selves are blurred and changing, as we confront new political and technological landscapes.
In this changing landscape, there is a need to carefully examine the different possible articulations between self and the social world. How do selves make meaning in these new relationships? How do people construct a biography, a narrative of self, and within what social, cultural, and moral landscapes? And how are social changes altering the ways we interact with each other? With the way we experience, talk and think about "selfhood"?
This course is designed to explore these changing relations, and to study social theoretical analyses that help to comprehend them. The readings we explore offer diverse concepts with which to understand these relations, and help us to consider how subjectivity is formed through social relationships embedded in family, community, language, narrative, unconscious memory, difference, power.
Our major goal is to become conversant with several contemporary social theoretical perspectives on self-society relationships, and to learn to use concepts as tools to comprehend contemporary problems of psychic and social life.
READINGS
1. Course Packet A course packet is required for the course, to be purchased at CopyCat, located at 2503 25th St., phone 255-9284.
2. Books: The following books are required:
Kenneth Gergen The Saturated Self Basic Books, 1991
Sherry Turkle Life On the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. Simon and Schuster, 1995.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1) Class Participation: (15%)
a) Attendance: One of the most important requirements of the course is to attend each class period, on time, and prepared to discuss the readings assigned for that week. I will take attendance through the use of a sign-up sheet. It is your responsibility to make sure you sign the sheet each class period. More than 3 unexcused absences will result in a zero for the attendance portion of the course. More than 5 unexcused absences will put your grade in jeopardy (you will not receive a grade higher than a D) . Of course, emergencies arise, and in this circumstance, you must make every effort to communicate with me prior to the class period if you are going to be absent.
b) In Class Discussion: In-class discussion plays an important role in this course. You should therefore consider your active participation to be an important part of your learning, and to view it as a resource, not only for your own reflection and written work, but for the class as a whole.
c) Electronic Mail Discussion Listserv: An electronic mail discussion group has been set up for this class. A handout will be provided with instructions on how to subscribe
e) Group Facilitation of Discussion: Early in the semester the class will form into small groups. The main responsibility of your group is to prepare and facilitate discussion on a given week's readings. This will entail meeting with your group to plan your presentation, and the preparation of a handout or outline, with questions or themes for discussion. Group Discussion schedules will be finalized early in the semester. *This is not graded, but is required as part of your group activities and course participation.
Taken together, (including attendance, In-class discussion, group facilitation, and e-mail discussion) Course Participation will be worth 15% of your grade.
2. Brief Response Papers: (15%)
These are regular brief responses to the readings. I will provide the questions for your papers. You should be prepared to share your paper in class with other students for discussion.
3) Three 6-8 page Essay Papers (15% for Paper 1, 20% for Papers 2 and 3, for a total of 55%) In these papers you will prepare a carefully prepared, thoughtful, and thorough response to a question that I will propose. I will grade these papers rigorously; you should therefore ensure that they reflect your sustained effort to carefully think through the issues at hand. Success on these papers will require your careful reading, development of critical questions, and in-class discussion of these questions with other students.
4) Final Group Project and Group Paper (15%): You will collaborate with your group to prepare a final project on a topic related to one of our main themes: Multiculturalism; Postmodernity; or Cyberspace. This will entail defining a sub-topic related to one of these themes; researching your topic, writing an individual paper, as well as a brief group paper, and preparing a 15-20 minute group presentation of your project to the class. I encourage your creative use of multi-media resources for your project, including video, photography, slides, music, artwork, etc. More details about the Group Project will be provided early in the semester.
***Late Papers Policy*** A late paper will have the grade lowered by one/half a grade per calendar day that it is late. For extreme or unavoidable circumstances, try to contact me prior to the due date.
Grade Summary:
Class Participation : 15%
Brief Response papers 15%
3 papers 55%
Final Group Project and Paper 15%
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Total 100%
This schedule may be revised, depending on our progress.
*Articles in the Course packet are indicated with an asterisk *.
Course Outline
Aug 28-Aug 30 Introduction and Course Overview
For Thursday, read:
Kenneth J. Gergen, Chapter 1, "The Self Under Siege" in The Saturated Self.
Sep 4-6 Concepts of Self and Identity
Gergen, Chapter 2 "From the Romantic to the Modern Vision of Self"
James Holstein and Jaber F. Gubrium, Chapter 1, "Restorying the Self" in The Self We Live By
Sep 11-13 The Self in Symbolic Interaction
James Holstein and Jaber F. Gubrium, Chapter 2" Envisioning a Social Self" and Chapter 3, "The Dark Side".
Sep 18-20 Performative Identity
*Erving Goffman, "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life"
Film: Six Degrees of Separation
Sep 25-27 Performative Identity (continued): Persona
Film: Persona
*Reading TBA
Oct 2-4 Embodiment and Identity
*Chris Shilling, "The Body and Difference"
Oct 9-11 Storied Lives: Narrative Analysis of Self and Society
Holstein and Gubrium, Chapter 6, "Narrating the Self"
*Jerome Bruner, "Life as Narrative"
** No Class Oct 11 **
Oct 12-14 Narrative Analysis (cont.)
Holstein and Gubrium, Chapter 7, "Demarcating Space for Self Narration" and Chapter 9, "Material Mediations"
Oct 16: No Class: Fall Break
Oct 18 Autobiography and Ethnography
*Marjorie L. DeVault "Personal Writing in Social Research: Issues of Production and Interpretation"
*Oct 19 Midpoint of semester; Last day to drop classes
Oct 23-25
Postmodernity and Fragmented Selves
K. Gergen, Chapter 3, "Social Saturation and the Populated Self", Chap 5, "The Emergence of Postmodern Culture" and Chap 6, "From Self to Relationship".
Oct 30-Nov 1
Cyborg Bodies, Prosthetic Memories
*Alison Landsberg, "Prosthetic Memories: Total Recall and Blade Runner"
Film: Blade Runner
Nov 6-8
Cyberspace and Subjectivity
Sherry Turkle, Life on the Screen, "Introduction: Identity in the Age of the Internet" and Chapter 7, "Aspects of the Self"
Nov 13-15 Techno-Embodiment: Virtual Selves
Sherry Turkle, Chapter 8 "Tinysex and Gender Trouble"
Nov 20 Virtual Selves (cont.)
Turkle, Chapter 9, "Virtuality and Its Discontents" and Chapter 10 "Identity Crisis".
Nov 22: No Class: Thanksgiving
Nov 27-29
Group Projects
Dec 4-6
Group Projects
Dec 11-13
Group Projects
Final Exam Time: Thursday, Dec. 20, 7:30-9:20