Challenges of the American Experience I (page 2)

Challenges of the American Experience I

Fall 1998, Slippery Rock University

Professors:

John Craig, History Department

SWC 212 K, Ext x2408, W 2:30 - 3:30, T/Th 12:30 - 2:30

Richard Martin, Government

SWC 209 A, Ext. x2434, M-Th 1:00 -2:15

William Oman, Philosophy Department

SWC 003 C, Ext.x2380, MW 9:30 - 10:30; 11:30 - 12:30, Th 5:30 - 6:30

Rachela Permenter, English Department

SWC 312 C, Ext x2358, MW 2:30 - 4:15, T 1:00 - 2:30

Links:

Reading List and Complementary Materials

Grading Procedures

To professors:

Rachela Permenter
Texts:

Hollinger and Capper, The American Intellectual Tradition.

Melville, Billy Budd

Wills, Lincoln at Gettysburg.

Other reading materials will be provided in class and on this Web Page

The Future and the American Story:

"The Challenges of the American Experience" concerns an elusive topic: lived experience, the kaleidoscope, if you will, of conscious adaptations engendered not only in those who founded and lived in a certain country, but also in those who preceded those founders on both sides of the Atlantic and those who continue the "creation" of America. Many attempted to explicate that experiment in literature, law, religion, philosophy, theater and song, and many continually tried to change, sabotage, coopt, distort, monopolize and determine its spirit and its formal socio-political processes for a favored posterity.

A Course with Four Professors:

To meet the challenge of turning the restless spirit of "America" inside out, professors from English, History, Government/Public Affairs and Philosophy want you to rediscover and re-explore America with them. The course is intended to be, in some ways, more serious than others because it intends to raise issues which are affecting our lives today. At the same time, because experience is rich and playful, marked by doubling-back and second-guessing, miscues and dead ends, the instructors will not or cannot speak with one voice, any more than what we know as "America" does. Although lectures have been planned ahead of time, there has been no attempt to identify an "orthodox" point of view. To a great extent, the instructors will be as much students and critics of each other as the students enrolled in the course. Although everyone will be setting off in the same general direction, there is no way to know for sure where we will arrive, much as those we study about ventured into the natural wild of unknown continents centuries ago.

Grading:

3 Film Quizzes (on four films): 10 pts.

(Your final point accumulation for 3 quizzes will be reduced by 50% to make up this portion of your grade. In other words, each question will finally be worth ½ point for the course. Quiz #1 will have 10 questions; Quizzes #2&3 will each have five questions.)

Take-home Paper #1 (Declaration): 10 pts.

Midterm Exam: 30 pts. (20 pts. in-class exam; 10 pts. take-home essay component in lit)

Take-home Paper #2: 10 pts.

Take-home Paper #3 (Billy Budd): 10 pts.

Final Exam: 30 pts.

Each of the other four writing assignments is worth 10% or a total of 40% of the final grade (one of these is the take-home component of the mid-term). For each working day a written assignment is late, 5% will be subtracted from the assignment grade. The in-class portion of the mid-term is worth 20%. The final examination is worth 30%.

Attendance:

Absence and tardiness are discouraged. Students will be permitted three unexcused absences. For each subsequent absence students will lose one letter grade. Attendance sheets will be circulated for each class and film showings. Failure to sign the attendance sheet makes the student absent.