| Week |
Topic(s) |
Readings |
| Week
1 (9/24 - 28) |
What are social problems? |
Gladwell, Knafo, Kessler, Gale and Marron, Norton & Ariely, Mills |
| Week
2 (10/1 - 5) |
Do we have a free press? |
Huff et al.,, FAIR, mediachannel.org, Center for Media & Democracy |
| Week
3 (10/8 - 12) |
Media and democracy |
Silverstein, Center for Media & Democracy, Lessig, Graves |
Tu. Oct 16 |
|
| Week
4 (10/15 - 19) |
What's
causing global warming? |
Kolbert, Reuters, Slivka, Vincent, Walsh, Wall Street Journal, Mooney, Craven |
Tu, Oct 23 |
Media paper final due (in Bb before midnight, 90 pts) |
| Week
5 (10/22 - 26) |
What's
happening to the world's resources? |
Hardin,
Diamond, Corwin, Story of Stuff, Orwell |
|
Mon-Tu, Ovt 29-30 |
|
| Week
6 (10/31-11/2) |
Are we living in a McDonald's? |
Ritzer,
chapters 1 - 3; be
reading Orwell |
| Week
7 (11/5 - 9) |
Applying
Mcdonaldization to the social world |
Ritzer,
chapters 4 - 5 |
| Week
8 (11/12 - 16) |
McDonaldization: So what? |
Ritzer,
chapter 6; Sanneh |
Tuesday, Nov 20 |
|
| Week
9 (11/19 - 20) |
Small Group Discussions |
|
| Wk
10 (11/26 - 30) |
War and terrorism |
New Internationalist, PNAC, Bacevich, Nelson, Klare |
| Finals
wk (12/3 - 7) |
Exam
schedule (our final is Tuersday, Dec 4th, 10am - noon, possibly 12:50)
|
Week
1: Thinking about social problems
Citations for
week's readings
By the end of this
week, you should have a pretty good handle on what we mean by 'structure,'
what is the difference between a 'structural' and 'individualist' explanation
of a social problem, and how social problems are really 'social constructions.'
In other words, you should be ready to practice thinking about social
problems and how to analyze them.
back to schedule
Week
2: Do we have a free press?
|
Monday:
|
|
|
Tu/Th:
|
|
|
Wednesday:
|
|
|
Friday:
|
mediachannel.org.
2002. Shah
|
Citations
-
-
Mickey Huff, Adam Bessie, Abby Martin, Nolan Higdon Clifton Roy Damiens. 2011. Framing the messengers: Junk food news and news abuse for dummies. Pp 183-225 in Huff (ed) Censored 2012. NY: Seven Stories Press. In Blackboard
-
-
Fake news--watch two of these videos from the Center for media and democracy. They're VNRs, video news releases, fake news produced by the public relations industry for a client and distributed to news outlets as, yes, news.
Optional
This week we're trying to understand about the news media, how it might influence how the public thinks about social problems, and how media outlets themselves may be influenced by powerful forces in society. Are the media biased? And if so, to whose benefit? And why would this be important in understanding social problems?
Week
3: Free press and democracy
Citations
Can anyone be president? Governor? Mayor?? Or does the office often go to the highest bidder? If so, who's funding the campaigns and what do they get out of it?
Week
4: What (or who) is causing global
warming?
Citations
Is the earth warming, and are humans a major contributor?
Week
5: Can we spare an extra planet or two?
Citations
Video
Optional:
Week
6: Midterm, start McDonaldization
| Monday: |
individual
midterm (Oct 29) |
| Tuesday |
2nd
day of midterm: small group 're-test' (Oct 30) |
| Wednesday: |
The Corporation |
| Thursday: |
have
read: Ritzer, chapter 1 |
| Friday: |
have
read: Ritzer, chapter 3 |
Citations
- Ritzer, G. 2011. The McDonaldization of Society (6th edition). Pine Forge Press. Chapters 1 and 3
- George Orwell. 1961. 1984. New York: Signet. (begin reading this--the
paper is due Nov 20)
Week
7: Applying McDonaldization to the social world
| Monday: |
have
read: Ritzer, Chapters 1-3 (have Orwell read by end of week!) |
| Tu/Th: |
Sentence structure |
| Wednesday: |
have
read: Ritzer, chapter 4-5 |
| Friday: |
have
read: Orwell, as much as possible--we'll discuss in class |
Citations for
week's readings
- Ritzer, G. 2011. The McDonaldization of Society (6th edition). Pine Forge Press. Chapters
4, 5 .
- George Orwell. 1961. 1984. New York: Signet. (begin reading this--the paper is due Nov 20)
back
to schedule
Week
8: So what?
| Monday: |
have
read:
Ritzer, chapter 5 |
| Tu/Th: |
McMusic |
Wednesday:
|
have read: Sanneh |
| Friday: |
have read:Ritzer, chapter 6
|
Citations for
week's readings
- Ritzer, G. 2011.
The McDonaldization of Society (6th edition). Pine Forge Press. Chapter 7.
- Kelefa Sanneh. 2011. The reality principle. May 9, The New Yorker.
Week
10: War and terrorism
Citations:
back
to schedule
Week
11 Final |
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