University of California, Irvine
School of Social Sciences
Social Science H1F/ Social Ecology H20B: Critical Issues in Social Sciences
Winter Quarter, 2016
Class Time: Tues. and Thurs., 12:30-1:50 p.m.
Class Location: SSPA 1100
Instructors:
Professor William R. Schonfeld (SSPA 4187)
Office Hours: 11:00-11:55 am, Wednesday
& by appointment. [email protected]
Seminar Leaders:
Eric Baldwin (SST 733) [email protected]
Pernilla Johansson (SSPB 5290) [email protected]
Professor Michael Scavio (SSPB 2229)
Office Hours: 11:00 am - 12:20 pm, Tuesday.
[email protected]
Required Readings:
There are two categories of required readings:
1. Books which are available for purchase at the bookstore:
John Locke, Second Treatise of Government.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Basic Political Writings.
Sigmund Freud, An Outline of Psycho-Analysis.
Jan T. Gross, Neighbors.
Phillip Zimbardo, The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil.
2. Articles included in a Reader to be purchased at the bookstore:
Konrath et al., “Changes in Dispositional Empathy in American College Students….”
Putnam, “E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty-first Century.”
Fish, “Condemnation without Absolutes.”
Dirie, “Becoming a Woman.
Schweder, “What about Female Genital Mutilation?”
Fairbairn, “A Critical Evaluation of Certain Basic Psycho-analytical Conceptions.”
Lukianoff & Haidt, “The Coddling of the American Mind.”
2
Course Grade will be based on the following:
10%
30%
30%
Active and informed participation in weekly discussion section meetings.
Paper 1 addressing Topic 1.
Paper 2 addressing Topic 2.
Each of your papers should start with a title page which includes your title for the paper, your
name, your student ID number, and the name of your seminar instructor. Each paper must
contain at least 10 pages of text that is double spaced with 12 inch font and one-inch margins
framing your entire text. The text of each paper should also be divided into sections with
headings for each section. The headings should reference respectively the parts of the topic
question. Each paper must also include a complete bibliography which does not count as text.
30%
Final exam, which includes both specific terms to be identified and broad integrative
questions.
From the start of the course, please begin to read: Gross, Neighbors; and Zimbardo,
The Lucifer Effect.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Lecturer
Topic
Readings
Jan. 5
Scavio &
Schonfeld
Intro to
Course; Intro to
Individualism and
Corporatism
Begin Locke, Second
Treatise. Begin Gross,
Neighbors. Begin
Zimbardo, The Lucifer
Effect.
Jan. 7
Schonfeld
The Idea of
Individualism: I
Continue Second
Treatise.
Jan. 12
Schonfeld
The Idea of
Individualism: II
Finish Second Treatise.
Jan. 14
Schonfeld
The Idea of
Corporatism: I
Rousseau, Discourse on
the Origin of Inequality.
Jan. 19
Schonfeld
The Idea of
Corporatism: II
Rousseau, The
Social Contract.
Jan. 21
Schonfeld
The Idea of
Corporatism: III
Continue The Social
Contract.
Jan. 26
Schonfeld
The Idea of
Corporatism: IV
Finish The Social
Contract. Begin Freud,
Outline of Psycho-Analysis.
Jan. 28
Scavio
Freud I
Continue Outline of
3
Psycho-Analysis.
Week 5 Feb. 2
Scavio
Freud II
Continue Outline of
Psycho-Analysis.
Feb. 4
Scavio
Freud III
Continue Outline of
Psycho-Analysis. Complete
Gross, Neighbors.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016, Paper 1 due at the beginning of class.
TOPIC: Gross provides a detailed picture of events in Jedwabne. How would Locke describe
and explain what happened? How would Rousseau? Which explanation do you find most
convincing? Why? And, might there be a still better explanation by combining the insights of
Locke and Rousseau? If so, what would it be?
Week 6 Feb. 9
Week 7
Week 8
Scavio
Freud IV
Continue Outline of
Psycho- Analysis.
Feb. 11
Scavio
Freud V
Continue Outline of
Psycho-analysis.
Feb. 16
Scavio
Freud VI
Finish Outline of
Psycho-analysis.
Feb. 18
Scavio
Fairbairn I
Fairbairn, “A Critical Evaluation of
Certain Basic Psycho-analytical
Conceptions.” (Reader)
.
Feb. 23
Scavio
Fairbairn II
Konrath et al., “Changes in
Dispositional Empathy in
American College Students…”
(Reader)
Feb. 25
Scavio
Fairbairn III
No Reading.
Please begin to read the remaining articles in the Course Reader. If you have not
done so yet, finish Zimbardo, The Lucifer Effect.
Week 9
Mar 1
Scavio
Postmodernism
Fish, “Condemnation without
Absolutes.”; Lukianoff &
Haidt, “The Coddling of the
American Mind.” (Reader)
Mar 3
Schonfeld
Cultural Relativism
Dirie, "Becoming a Woman."
(Reader); Shweder, “Female
Genital Mutilation?"
4
(Reader)
Week 10 Mar 8
Mar 10
Schonfeld
Multiculturalism
Schonfeld &
Scavio
Course Discussion.
Putnam, "E Pluribus Unum."
(Reader)
No Reading.
Thursday, March 10, 2016, Paper 2 due at the beginning of class.
TOPIC:
Locke and Rousseau wrote their social contracts before psychology became a formal
discipline. Please define a principle based upon Freudian psychology and a principle
based upon Fairbairn’s psychology that would improve the social contract offered by
either Locke or Rousseau. Be sure to explain how your principles inform the Lockean
or Rousseauian social contract. Freud emphasized that the drive for aggression poses a
great danger for humanity. In contrast, Fairbairn postulated that humans are
motivated to form benevolent attachments with other humans. Given that Freud’s and
Fairbairn’s proposals are both valid, please provide an explanation how to reconcile the
apparent contradiction between the need for aggression and the need for attachment.
Finally, please present and explain one proposal to reverse the decline in empathy
described in the Konrath article. Your proposal should be drawn from the works of
Freud, Fairbairn, Bowlby, Zimbardo or the Postmodernists.
Week 11
FINAL EXAM DATE: Friday, March, 18, 2016; 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
The on-line course evaluation system will be available to students from Sunday, February 28th
until Sunday, March 13th. Please submit evaluations for Professors Scavio and Schonfeld as well
as for your section leader.