Term: Spring, 2011
Instructor: Tony Filipovitch, 106 Morris Hall, 507-389-5035, 507-388-2264 (home)
Office Hours: My office hours are posted here. I am available in my office at those times (or other times by appointment). I also check my e-mail daily (usually several times during the day), and have an answering machine on both my home and office phone.
There is no reason to flounder around, unsure of what “he wants” or confused about what you are doing; and even if everything is going fine with the coursework, there is more to learning than completing the assignments. I encourage you to visit me, in person or at a distance by phone or e-mail, many times during the course.
Plato. The Republic, tr. CDC
Reeve. (
1. Knowledge: Students will develop a richer and more nuanced analysis of democracy, democratic responsibilities, and democratic participation.
2. Skills: Students will improve their ability to influence public affairs and practice skills for leading their own students in democratic participation..
3. Motivation: Students will develop a commitment to civic responsibility and involvement in public activity.
.
Most class sessions will have three parts: 1) Presentation & discussion of Plato’s Republic, 2) Group work on public achievement action, and 3) Reflection on “teaching democracy and citizenship.” This class requires that you be present and actively engaged in every class session.
“Public achievement” is a process that has been pursued successfully with school-age children (and even adults) across the country and around the world. And now it is your turn. In a team of 5 or so, you will be responsible for selecting a “public issue,” exploring its dimensions and how it is embedded in its context, defining a project to address the issue, taking action to achieve your project, and assessing the results of your action—all within a period of 15 weeks.
Beginning with the 5th week of the course, small teams will take turns presenting one of the Books of the Republic (you can do this dramatically or demonstratively or….), followed by a time of general discussion by the entire class. Your job in presenting the Book is to be as fair to Plato as possible, while also making whatever adjustments are needed to put it in contemporary idiom (language, but also situations & examples). Your job as class discussants to is to do Plato the honor of really wrestling with his ideas—as you will notice, Socrates himself is not always sure that his answers are correct (so why should you take it on his say-so?)—and, besides, sometimes I think they are not even asking the right questions.
There are two types of writing assignments in this course:
· Summary PA Reports: You will write summary reflections on each of the 5 steps of Public Achievement. The reflections will be in two parts. The first part will consider what has been going on in your group as it pursues its action steps. The second part will consider what you have been learning as a teacher-in-training about techniques & strategies that you might use in the future to teach civic engagement (or in other subject areas, for that matter). Each of these reports will be due the week after the step is scheduled for completion on the Course Calendar.
· Final Essay: You will write a major essay (minimum 10 pages) on the theme “Teaching Democracy and Citizenship.” How you approach this them is up to you—you could approach it methodologically, or conceptually, or observationally, or…. Think of this as instructions to yourself as a future teacher. I strongly encourage you to begin drafting this essay from the first day of class, and continuing to construct it all through the course (if you wait until the end, it is going to be a horrible chore).
Due date |
Topic |
|
PA Activity |
1/14 |
Introduction to course & Public Achievement |
|
|
1/21 |
PA—Background |
|
Select Issues |
1/28 |
PA—Toolbox (Coaches); Core Concepts; Minigrants; ACT Form |
|
1) Explore Your Issue |
2/4 |
PA—Toolbox (Teachers) |
|
|
2/11 |
Nature of “Justice” |
Book 1 |
2) Power Mapping |
2/18 |
Justice embodied—the City |
Book 2 |
|
2/25 |
Training of the Guardians |
Book 3 |
3) Define Project (Mission Statement) |
3/4 |
Individuals and the City |
Book 4 |
|
3/11 |
Break Week! |
||
3/18 |
Women, Children & Philosopher-Kings |
Book 5 |
4) Take Public Action |
3/25 |
Nature of “Philosopher” |
Book 6 |
|
4/1 |
Allegory of the Cave & Training Philosophers |
Book 7 |
|
4/8 |
Less than Ideal Cities |
Book 8 |
|
4/15 |
Motivations of the Different Types |
Book 9 |
5) Take Account |
4/22 |
Justice as Good for its own sake |
Book 10 |
|
4/29 |
Celebration! |
||
5/6 |
Finals Week—Course Evaluation |
Students play an important role in educating and challenging each other. This can only happen if there is consistent attendance. I expect you to attend, and I may take the class roll. Unexcused absence (prior notification is required—even if I am not available, voice mail and e-mail always are) can result in loss of points toward one’s grade. You are paying for this class—make sure to get your “money’s worth.” Most importantly, this is an excellent foundation of knowledge for future activities, and it is a chance for you to learn, teach, and grow with others.
5 summary reports @ 10 pts. 50
Group “enactment” of Republic 20
“Teaching Democracy” essay 30
The final grade may be based on a curve, but students can expect
at least an A if they achieve 90, a B with 80, etc.
All assignments are due on the assigned date. Partial credit may be given for assignments
that are less than one week late, unless other arrangements have been made in advance.
Written reports are expected to be free of grammatical, spelling, and content
errors. They should be submitted in typewritten, standard formats (APA,
MLA, URSI Style Sheets). You must familiarize yourself with the
University’s Academic
Honesty Policy. I encourage you to
draw on the ideas of others—but you must also identify when you do so
(you gain “brownie
points” for citing the work of others!).
Plagiarism is a serious breach of academic behavior and will result in
an F for the course.
I will help you in whatever manner humanly possible. However, once the semester is over, there is not a great deal I can do. If there is something that you don’t understand, are having problems with, or need help on, please get in touch with me as early as possible.
Every attempt will be made to accommodate students with disabilities. If you area student with a documented disability, please contact me as early in the semester as possible to discuss the necessary accommodations, and/or contact the Disability Services Office at 507-389-2825 (V) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY).
1. Civic & Ethical Values
BELLAH, R.N. et alii. 1985. Habits of the Heart.
BELLAH, R.N. et alii. 1991. The Good Society.
BIERMAN, A.K.
1973. The Philosophy of Urban Existence.
BOYTE, H.C.
DEWEY, J. 1927. The
Public and Its Problems.
FRIEDMANN, J.
1979. The Good Society.
GUTMANN, A. and D. THOMPSON. 1996. Democracy and Disagreement.
KEMMIS, D. 1990. Community and the Politics of Place.
KEMMIS, D.1995. The
KOTLER, M. 1969. Neighborhood
Government: The Local Foundations of
Political Life.
LIPPMANN, W.
1947. An Inquiry into the Principles of the Good Society.
MATHEWS, D. 1994. Politics for People: Finding a Responsible Public Voice.
TUAN, Y-F. 1986. The Good Life.
VILLA, D. 2001. Socratic Citizenship.
2. Building Democratic Community
BENDER, T. 1978. Community and Social Change in
GREEN, G.P. and A.HAINES. 2002.
HENDERSON, P. and D.N. THOMAS. 1980. Skills in Neighbourhood
Work.
ILLICH, I. 1973. Tools for Conviviality.
KRETZMANN, J.P. and J.L. MCKNIGHT. 1993. Building Communities from the Inside
Out.
LAKEY, G. 1968. Strategy for a Living Revolution.
LIPPITT, R., J. WATSON, and B. WESTLEY. 1958. The Dynamics of Pl
MORRIS, D. and K. HESS. 1975. Neighborhood Power: The New Localism.
NISBET, R.A.
1953. The Quest for Community.
POPLIN, D.E. 1972. Communities:
A Survey of Theories and Methods of Research.
RUBIN, H.J. and
URY, W. 1993. Getting Past No: Negotiating Your Way from Confrontation to
Cooperation, Rev. ed.
ZANDER, A. 1990. Effective Social Action by Community Groups.
3. Fostering Civic Engagement
CHISHOLM, D. 1989. Coordination Without
Hierarchy.
CHRISLIP, D.D. and C.E. LARSON. 1994. Collaborative Leadership: How Citizens and Civic Leaders Can Make a
Difference.
DAVIS, P. ed. 1986. Public-Private Partnerships: Improving Urban Life.
GRAY, B. 1989. Collaborating: Finding Common Ground for Multiparty Problems.
HARWOOD GROUP.
1993. Meaningful Chaos: How People
Form Relationships with Public Concerns.
WINER, M. and K. RAY. 1994. Collaboration Handbook: Creating, Sustaining, and Enjoying the
Journey.
4. Leadership
AUTRY, J.A. and S. MITCHELL.
1988. Real Power: Business Lessons
from the Tao Te Ching.
BOLMAN, L.G. and T.E. DEAL. 1997. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership.
BOYTE, H.C.
2004. Everyday Politics: Reconnecting
Citizens and Public Life.
BURNS, J.M.
1978. Leadership.
CLEMENS, J.K. and D.F. MAYER. 1987. The Classic Touch: Lessons in Leadership from Homer to Hemingway.
DEPREE, M. 1989. Leadership
Is an Art.
GALBRAITH, J.K.
1983. The Anatomy of Power.
GARDNER, H. 1995. Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership.
GREENLEAF, R.K. Servant Leadership.
HESSELBEIN, F., M. GOLDSMITH, and
JACKSON, P.
1995. Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons
of a Hardwood Warrior.
NANUS, B. and S. M. DOBBS. 1999. Leaders Who Make a Difference.
TERRY, RW. 1993. Authentic
Leadership.
WHEATLEY, M.J. 1999, Leadership and the New
Science 2nd Ed.
WREN, J.T., ed. 1995. The Leader’s Companion: Insights on Leadership
Through the Ages.
5. Leadership in the Community
ADDAMS, J. 1990. Twenty
Years at Hull-House, with Autobiographical Notes.
COLBY, A. and W. DAMON. 1992. Some Do Care: Contemporary Lives of Moral Commitment.
COY, P.G., ed. 1988. A Revolution of the Heart: Essays on the Catholic Worker.
FREEDMAN, M. 1993. The Kindness of Strangers.
HAWKINS, J.D., R.F. CATALANO, Jr. 1992. Communities That Care: Action for Drug Abuse Prevention.
KOZOL, J. 1988. Rachel
and Her Children: Homeless Families in
LOEB, P.R. 1999, Soul of a
Citizen: Living with Conviction in a
Cynical Time.
MCLAUGHLIN, M.W., M.A. IRBY, and
J.LANGMAN. 1994. Urban
Sanctuaries: Neighborhood Organizations
in the Lives and Futures of Inner-City Youth.
RIIS, J.A. 1971. How the
Other Half Lives.
ST. ANTHONY, N. 1987. Until All Are Housed in Dignity.
© 2002 A.J.Filipovitch
Revised 7 January 2011