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Much of this course is being determined by group process from a list of options and topics established in the first week of class. The Course Outline is not listed in order, but rather is materializing as the class arrives at a new topic or source for exploration and discussion. Details on assignments are being provided to class members through Google Classroom which is available only to participants of the class.
Headline Quiz
- Weekly Quiz (Tuesdays) on the headlines of NYT lead stories from the past week
Freakonomics
- Introduction: The Hidden Side of Everything—"In which the book's central idea is set forth: namely, if morality represents how people wouldlike the world to work, then economics shows how it actually does work."
- Ch. 1: What Do Schoolteachers and Sumo Wrestlers have in Common?—"In which we explore the beauty of incentives, as well as their dark side–cheating."
- Ch. 2: How Is the Ku Klux Klan Like a Group of Real-Estate Agents?—"In which it is argued that nothing is more powerful than information, especially when its power is abused."
- Ch. 3: Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live with Their Moms?—"In which the conventional wisdom is often found to be a web of fabrication, self interest, and convenience."
- Ch. 4: Where Have All the Criminals Gone?—"In which the facts of crime are sorted out from the fictions."
- Ch. 5: What Makes a Perfect Parent?—"In which we ask, from a variety of angles, a pressing question: do parents really matter?"
- Ch. 6: Perfect Parenting, Part II; or: Would a Roshanda by Any Other Name Smell as Sweet?—"In which we weigh the importance of a parent's first official act—naming the baby."
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Group Project on Contemporary Issue: More to Come...
Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Social Issues:
Topics are listed in order of popularity, determined by democratic class process.
- Issue 18. Are We Heraded Toward a Nuclear 9/11?
- Issue 17. Should Laws Against Drug Use Remain Restrictive?
- Issue 19. Is torture Ever Justified?
- Issue 3. Does Divorce Have Long-Term Damaging Efffects on Children?
- Issue 15. Should Biotechnology Be Used to Alter and Enhance Humans?
- Issue 16. Is Street Crime More Harmful Than White-Collar Crime?
- Issue 5. Should Same-Sex Marriages Be Legally Recognized?
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