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Pod Faculty:

Patricia Easton,

Department of Philosophy,

121 East Tenth Street, patricia.easton@cgu.edu

 

Yi Feng,

Department of Politics and Policy,

McManus 224, yi.feng@cgu.edu

 

John Regan,

School of Educational Studies,

Harper 202, john.regan@cgu.edu

 

Jean Schroedel,

Department of Politics & Policy,

Harper East 212, jean.schroedel@cgu.edu

 

Pod Teaching Assistant:

Derik Casper,

Cultural Studies and Philosophy,

derik.casper@cgu.edu

World peace and prosperity, respect for human rights and dignity are values of global importance. Injustice, in all its forms, hinders development and thus the attainment of these values. In this course we will be examining some of the problems and issues that confront our society--locally, nationally and globally--that serve as obstacles to living in a peaceful, prosperous, and humane world. We will explore the hypothesis that there are or could be mechanisms employed to bring about a global citizenry, thus paving the way for a just world. We will question the classical premise that the nation-state is the only or perhaps even the proper body endowed with the power to bestow rights, privileges, and duties.

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS

 

Each student will be required to produce 2 short papers, plus a written team project that is presented orally and submitted as part of the final portfolio (the team project is peer reviewed). Participation in weekly discussions is expected. A final portfolio is due at final class of the semester.

 

Portfolio Requirement: Each student in the transdisciplinary course is required to prepare a portfolio demonstrating his or her participation and intellectual contribution during the course. The portfolio should have four components: 1) evidence of participation-- can be weekly postings and/or attendance rosters, 2) evidence of learning and expression- papers and/or group project demonstrations, 3) evidence of contribution—which can be peer reviews of student works or scholarly works, and 4) evidence of reflection—which can include a consideration of the strengths and weaknesses of trans disciplinarily and suggestions for future action.

 

Evaluation Criteria

 

Successful completion of each portfolio element is required to successfully complete the course. Interim feedback may be given on select elements, such as research papers, which can be revised and resubmitted as part of a final portfolio. The portfolio will be reviewed by the course (pod) panel, and rated as pass/fail. The panel may elect to nominate a select number (not to exceed 10%) to receive a “pass with distinction”. Those students who receive pass with distinction will be featured in campus-wide activities. Any student that fails must retake the course.

 

 

 

REQUIRED READINGS

ONLINE TEXTS

LECTURE NOTES

 Books

All books are available at the Huntley Bookstore

 

Melton McLaurin, Celia: A Slave (U. of George Press, 1991)

Yi Feng, Democracy, Governance and Economic Performance: Theory and Evidence (MIT Press, 2003)

Thomas Pogge (editor), Global Justice (Blackwell Publishing, 2001)

Eugene S. Ferguson, Engineering and the Mind's Eye (MIT Press, 1994)

Sharon Hays, Flat Broke with Children (Oxford U Press, 2003)

Articles

All articles will be made available on the web or in class.

 

Barro, Robert J., “Determinants of Economic Growth: A Cross-Country Empirical Study.” Chapter 1: Economic Growth and Convergence. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1997.

 

Barro, Robert, and Lee, Jong-Wha, “International Comparisons of Educational Attainment,” Journal of Monetary Economics 32 (1993), 363-394.

 

Benhabib, Jess, and Spiegel, Mark M., “The Role of Human Capital in Economic Development: Evidence from Aggregate Cross-country Data,” Journal of Monetary Economics 34 (1994): 143-173.

 

Bollen, Kenneth A., and Jackman, Robert W., “Political Democracy and the Size Distribution of Income,” American Sociological Review 50 (1985): 438-457.

 

Feng, Yi and Zak, Paul J., “Determinants of Democratic Transitions: Theory and Empirical Evidence.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 42 (1999): 162-177.

 

Hubert, Agnes, “From Equal Pay to Parity Democracy: The Rocky Ride of Women’s Policy in the European Union.”  In Jytte Klausen and Charles Maier, eds.  Has Liberalism Failed Women? (2001)

 

Kohli, Atul, and Altfeld, Michael, and Lotflan, Saideh, and Mordon, Russell, “Inequality in the Third World,” Comparative Political Studies 17 (1984): 283-318.

 

Kormendi, R.C.,  and Meguire, P.G., “Macroeconomic Determinants of Growth: Cross-Country Evidence,” Journal of Monetary Economics 16 (1985): 141-163, 155-156.

 

Pastor Jr., Manuel, and Hilt, Eric, “Private Investment and Democracy in Latin America,”  World Development 21 (1993): 489-507.

 

Muller, Edward N., “Democracy, Economic Development, and Income Inequality,” American Sociological Review 53 (1988): 50-68.

 

North, Douglass C., and Summerhill, William, and Weingast, Barry R., “Order, Disorder, and Economic Change: Latin America versus America.” In Governing for Prosperity, ed. Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Hilton L. Root, 17-58. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2000.

 

Rodrik, Dani, “Policy Uncertainty and Private Investment in Developing Countries,” Journal of Development Economics 36 (1991): 229-242.

 

Romer, Paul M., “Idea Gaps and Object Gaps in Economic Development,” Journal of Monetary Economics 32 (1993): 543-573.

 

Saint-Paul, G., and Verdier, T., “Education, Democracy and Growth,” Journal of Development Economics 42 (1993): 399-407.

 

Sirowy, Larry, and Inkeles, Alex, “The Effects of Democracy on Economic Growth and Inequality: A Review,” Studies in Comparative International Development 25 (1990): 126-157

 

Summers, Robert and Heston, Alan, “The Penn World Table (Mark 5): An Expanded Set of International Comparisons,” Quarterly Journal of Economics 106 (1991): 327-368.

Texts and Articles Available Online

 

“Ethics,” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://www.iep.utm.edu/e/ethics.htm

 

Aristotle, Politics, Book III, http://www.constitution.org/ari/polit_03.htm

 

Hobbes, Thomas, ”Introduction,” Leviathan (1660) http://eserver.org/govt/leviathan.txt

 

Locke, John, Chapters 1-2, 4, Second Treatise of Government (1690) http://eserver.org/18th/locke-civil.txt

Paine, Thomas, “Introduction,” Common Sense (1776), http://eserver.org/govt/common-sense.txt

 

Rawls, John, "Justice as Fairness," in Philosophical Review, No.67, 1958, 164-194

 

Declarations and Conventions on-line

“International Convention on the Rights of the Child,” http://www.unicef.org/crc/crc.htm

 

“International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,” http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/a_cescr.htm

 

“International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/a_ccpr.htm

 

“International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,” http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/d_icerd.htm

 

“International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,” http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/

 

“International Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,” http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/h_cat39.htm

 

“Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

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Lecture Notes

Easton, lecture one

Easton, lecture two

Feng, lecture one

Easton, lecture three

Schroedel, lecture one

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Materials These materials will be made available in class

film

“Salt of the Earth,” by Herbert J. Biberman (1954)

“Boyz N the hood,” by John Singleton (1991)

Posters from the Cultural Revolution from CGU Art Collection.

The Eye of the Dragon

Standing on the Wall

The Untranslatable

China: A Moment in Time