Introductory Seminar in Human Ecology

Fall 2004

Course Overview

Instructor:	Dave Feldman
Email:	dave@hornacek.coa.edu
Office:	Second Floor, Turrets Annex
Phone:	x249, 276-5284
Office Hours:	TBA, and by appointment.
Mailing List:	equality@hornacek.coa.edu

Course Overview

1. Experience and participate in an introductory example of a human ecological approach to a complex problem.
2. Practice and improve some important skills: writing, discussing, critically reading.
3. Learn some stuff about inequality, economics, statistics, political philosophy, segregation in U.S. cities, etc.
4. Have fun while working hard and challenging our ideas.

Catalog Description:
This interdisciplinary seminar is designed to provide students with an introduction to human ecology and to engage students in significant interactive inquiry. The focus of this year's class will be wealth. We will take an interdisciplinary approach to this topic, drawing upon the work of novelists, philosophers, political theorists, economists, artists, and others. In so doing, our aim is to provide a model for a human ecological approach to a complex social phenomenon, and to give students experience in defining and addressing a complex subject. An additional goal of this course is to introduce students to critical reading, writing and discussion skills that are an essential ingredient for a student's success at COA.

This particular seminar will center on three broad questions of the distribution of wealth. First, to what extent are resources and income distributed unevenly throughout the world and in various countries and societies? Second, do these inequalities matter? Why or why not? And third, how do inequalities arise, why do they so often persist, and how, if ever, can inequalities be ameliorated? We will read selections from a number of current and classical political and economic thinkers as we consider these questions. Throughout the course we will encounter several different notions of "fairness" or "equity," and will critically examine each. One of the questions that will emerge is the extent to which one can, or cannot, predict large-scale phenomena based on knowledge of simple interactions or "rules of the game." We shall see that the manner in which individual preferences lead to societal outcomes is not always straightforward and intuitive, and will discuss the implications of this observation.

Evaluation will be based on class discussion and participation, several short papers, several problem sets, and a final paper or presentation. Introductory. *HE* Lab fee $50.

Textual Materials:

• F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby.
• Barbara Ehrenreich. Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting by in America.
• Many, many handouts and reserve readings.

Evaluation

• Final project
• Participation in class discussion and activities
• Short papers
• Problem sets and other assignments

Policies, Assignments, and Stuff: First Draft

1. The final version of this and related documents can be found on the course web page, http://hornacek.coa.edu/dave/Teaching/Core_Course.04.
2. A more colloquial list of what to expect from this class and how to get a lot out of is can be found here.
3. We may need to schedule an extra class or two during weeks 9 or 10 so we have enough time for the presentations.
4. I will not be able to attend class on Thursday, October 7, since I'll be giving the Physics department colloquium at Colby College that Day. We will discuss how to most conveniently make up the class.
5. As I plan on often sending out homework assignments and other information via email, it is important that you check your email semi-regularly.
6. There will be a final synthetic paper, project, and/or presentation. We'll discuss the details of this in a week or two.
7. In addition to the final project, there will be a few short papers and a few problem sets.
8. The particular topics and sets of readings we cover toward the end of the course is flexible and will depend on student interest and feedback.
9. I expect you to attend class.
10. Academic misconduct -- cheating, plagiarizing, etc. -- is bad. Any cases of academic misconduct will result in a judicial hearing, as per pp. 14-15 of the COA handbook. Possible consequences range from failure of the assignment to expulsion. For more, see the revised statement on academic integrity passed by the faculty last winter.