Honors 1100-02: The Good Society

Fall, 2013

Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00-9:50 am, Physics 112

Instructor: Dr. Tom Miles

Email:

Office: Sage 259

Office Hours: T, Th 11-12, 2-3, and by appointment.

Catalog Description:Human beings form social groups to meet their common needs, such as order and infrastructure. For thousands of years, thoughtful people have asked questions about the nature of these human societies. We will explore questions of ongoing interest and importance, including how good societies deal with poverty, illness, education, environmental issues and criminal behavior. Human rights, biodiversity, and war are also considered. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to these topics, and seeks insights across areas of human knowledge.

Course Objectives: The purpose of this course is to produce informed and active citizens through the process of thinking critically about major problems. It is also of vital importance to understand the ways in which governments and policies address, or fail to address, these problems. This class will focus on the intersection of these issues, drawing upon insights from social psychology, ecology, geography, sociology, law, education, philosophy and bioethics, etc. Additionally, we inquire into the ways in which race and identity condition our responses to social challenges.

Many aspects of human flourishing within a society involve the question of individual rights versus collective responsibility. That will be a central focus of this course. Among the issues we will consider:

  • The social contract and how it functions within the good society.
  • The concept of rights in the good society.
  • The concept of economic inequality in the good society.
  • The concept of the right to an education in the good society.
  • Environmental issues in the good society.
  • Political participation in the good society.
  • Border issues in the good society.
  • Crime in the good society.
  • War in the good society.

All honors courses have the following general objectives:

  1. Honors courses emphasize development of analytical and evaluative skills through readings from primary sources, journal articles and other supplementary materials.
  2. Honors courses encourage students to engage in high-level thinking and learning through activities such as intensive discussion; writing in small, collaborative learning settings; and intensive research papers and projects.
  3. Honors courses promote independent thinking by making students accountable for important aspects of their learning.
  4. Honors courses place material in a conceptual context that illustrates its importance and relationship to other knowledge.
  5. Honors courses provide enhanced opportunities for students to develop research skills and produce independent, original research or creative products as part of the course requirements.
  6. Honors courses include innovative approaches to course content and teaching so that honors courses can serve as campus-wide prototypes.

The six tips to succeed at UNT are:

  1. Show up. Go to class every day, take notes and participate in discussions. It’s a pretty big campus, but we’ll help you find your way.
  2. Find support. Everyone needs help sometimes. Whether you need tutoring for a tough class or a check-up from the health center, we’ve got you covered.
  3. Take control. Know where you’re going and what you’re doing. Use tools to help you choose a major and tips to make the most of every minute.
  4. Be prepared. Do your homework and study. Conquer a college-sized workload with speed reading classes, writing skills labs and much more.
  5. Get involved. New people, places and perspectives are coming your way. Join a student organization and explore the campus and the community.
  6. Be persistent. College is hard, but you’re not alone. Meet your challenges head on and ask for help when you need it.

Course Materials:

  • CQ. 2013. Issues for Debate in American Public Policy, 14th ed. Los Angeles: Sage.
  • ISBN: 9781452287256.
  • Additional readings, videos, and web links will be posted on Blackboard.

Blackboard:A Blackboard conference is maintained for this course. Students are responsible for checking Blackboard for assignments and notices. You should check Blackboard frequently to ensure that you are up to date on all class-related information. Readings, slides, and supplemental materials will be found there. All assignments will be submitted via Blackboard and grades will be posted there as well.

Grading:

There are 600 total points available assessed through: Exams (200 points); Research Paper (200 points); Response Papers (100 points); Debate (50 points); Attendance and Participation (50 points).

The grading scale is as follows: A=at least 540 points D=at least 360 points

B=at least 480 points F=359 points or less

C=at least 420 points

Exams (200 points):

  • There will be two exams given this semester, each worth 100 points. The exams will be administered on Blackboard and will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions. More information on completing these exams will be provided in class.

Research Paper (200 points):

  • For this class you will write a 7-page (no more than 7 pages) paper detailing how two major characteristics of the Good Society covered in this class impact your life, the UNT community, and society at large. Papers must be properly cited and formatted. A full rubric and complete instructions will be provided on Blackboard. Papers will be submitted via Blackboard during finals week, no later than 5pm on Thursday, Dec. 12.

Response Papers (100 points):

  • You will be asked to write 4 very short critical essays on class readings. Pick four weeks that interest you and write a two-page response to the assigned reading. In this essay, include a short (one paragraph) synopsis of the author’s argument followed by a critique. Questions to consider: do you agree with his/her argument? Why or why not? What may he or she have missed? Full instructions will be posted on Blackboard.

Class Debate (50 points):

  • In order to demonstrate the process of constructing a logical argument and engaging in civil discussion, the class will participate in four debates on topics related to the Good Society. Each student will participate in one debate. Debates will be scored on the accuracy of the content presented and the logic/persuasiveness of the argument presented. Full instructions will be provided before the first debate.

Attendance/Participation Points (50 points):

  • Class attendance is important for your success. As such, your grade will be determined by how many times you attend class. Additionally, the instructor retains the right to add or subtract up to 10 points based upon how much you contribute to class discussions. A rubric will be posted on Blackboard the first week of class.

General Class Expectations:

Acceptable Student Behavior:Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students’ opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum. The university’s expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, etc.

Academic Integrity:The instructor will adhere to and enforce UNT’s policy on academic integrity (cheating, plagiarism, forgery, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty and sabotage). Violations of academic integrity in this course will be addressed in compliance with the procedures laid out in this policy.

  • The complete UNT Code of Student Conduct can be found at:

Accommodations:If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Office of Disability Accommodation in order to obtain the required official notification of your accommodation needs. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss approved accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate. Full information can be found at:

Course Outline:

The following represents an approximate calendar of class discussions. Every attempt will be made to adhere to this schedule. Departures from the schedule may occasionally occur. However, assignment dates should be considered firm.

Week 1 (Week of Aug. 28): Topic: Introduction/What is Critical Thinking?

Readings:Stephen Brookfield, “Assessing Critical Thinking”, on Blackboard.

No Class Monday, Sep. 2—Labor Day

Week 2 (Week of Sep. 2): Topic: The Social Contract/What are Rights?

Readings:Martha Nussbaum, “Beyond the Social Contract”, on Blackboard.

Week 3 (Week of Sep. 9):What Are Our Basic Rights?

Readings: IDAPP, pp. 273-296; 225-232.

**Debate #1: Same-Sex Marriage, Friday, Sep. 13**

Week 4 (Week of Sep. 16): Outsourcing Democracy: Political Participation

Readings:IDAPP, pp. 25-43.

Week 5 (Week of Sep. 23): Topic: Poverty, Inequality, and Social Stratification

Readings:Excerpt from Massey, Categorically Unequal, on Blackboard.

Week 6 (Week of Sep. 30): Topic: Is Health Care a Basic Human Right? Rights and Responsibilities

Readings: IDAPP, pp. 301-318.

**Debate #2: Health Care, Friday, Oct. 4**

Week 7 (Week of Oct. 7): Catch-Up and Review

**Exam #1 Open on Blackboard, Wednesday, Oct. 9**

Week 8 (Week of Oct. 14): Topic: Poverty, Overcrowding, and Epidemics: AIDS and Tuberculosis

Readings:Excerpt from UN/WHO “Hidden Cities” Report on Blackboard.

Week 9 (Week of Oct. 21): Topic: Does the Environment Have Rights?

Readings: IDAPP, 73-90.

Escobar, “Whose Knowledge, Whose Nature?” on Blackboard.

**Debate #3: Climate Change, Friday, Oct. 25**

Week 10 (Week of Oct. 28): The Right to an Education?

Readings: IDAPP, pp. 197-218.

Week 11 (Week of Nov. 4): Border Issues

Readings: IDAPP, pp. 249-267.

Week 12 (Week of Nov. 11): Topic: Race, Poverty, and Crime

Readings:Excerpt from Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow, on Blackboard.

Week 13 (Week of Nov. 18): Topic: War.

Readings: IDAPP, pp. 349-370.

Week 14 (Week of Nov. 25):Debate #4: Death Penalty, Monday, Nov. 25

No Class Friday, Nov. 29—Thanksgiving

Week 15 (Week of Dec. 2):Topic: On Human Dignity

Readings: Leon Kass, “Defending Human Dignity” on Blackboard.

**Final Exam available Dec. 9 at 7 am**

**Research Paper due no later than 5 pm, Thursday, Dec. 12**