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U of R LDST 205 - Syllabus

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Tuesday February 12. Rawls’s Theory of Justice: The Fundamental Argument1Jepson School of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond Spring 2008 LDST 205: Justice and Civil Society Dr. Thad Williamson Rm. 135, Jepson Hall [email protected] Office hours: Fridays, 2:15-4 p.m.. or by appointment. The purpose of this course is to enable students to think about contemporary social problems in systemic terms, both with respect to normative theories of justice and with respect to the organization of our social, economic, and political institutions. Thinking systemically about social justice involves (at least) four central components, each of which will be addressed in some depth in this course. The first component is normative. What is justice? Should we regard justice as a personal virtue, an attribute of an entire society, or both? What specific qualities characterize a just society? What do terms like “fairness,” “equal opportunity,” and “liberty” mean? What (if anything) does society owe its citizens? How do our conceptions of justice relate to our conceptions of the good life? The second component is cognitive and empirical. What are the causes of observed instances of social dysfunction, poverty, and suffering? To what extent are such problems products of individual choices and behavior, and to what extent are they products of larger social forces, or larger political-economic trends? How do multiple social stressors interact with one another to produce social pain? To what degree are our perceptions of poverty and of the excluded informed by our own social locations and assumptions? The third component is experiential. What is the day-to-day reality of life in deprived communities, or on society’s margins? How can efforts to ameliorate social pain be most effective? What can one learn from spending time in poor communities? The fourth component is ethical. What does it mean to try to “do justice” in a society such as the United States? Do we have a responsibility to make “doing justice” a central part of our daily lives? How should I personally come to terms with the inequities and injustices characteristic of contemporary American. society? All four of these components are connected with one another; while some parts of the course will emphasize one component more than others, each set of questions will remain “on the table” throughout the course. As we go along, we will want to constantly re-evaluate our assumptions and provisional judgments in light of new information or new perspectives.Course Requirements:2 1. Attendance at each class session and active participation. 2. Completion of 24 hours of service in an approved site within the city of Richmond or the immediate surroundings. Failure to complete this service by Friday May 2 will result in a failing grade for the course; no excuses. It is highly recommended that you complete your service by Monday April 21. Additionally, at least 8 hours of service should be completed by Friday February 22 and 16 hours completed by Monday March 24, so plan accordingly. On Tuesday January 29, you should turn in a brief (150-200 words) synopsis describing your site location, your supervisor, what your role will be, and any initial impressions. This is an important check-in as if there are substantial problems or obstacles we would like to identify them as soon as possible. Periodically throughout the semester we will set aside time in class to discuss your experiences at the sites. 3. Four additional hours of social observation. The recommended activity is participation in the Richmond police department’s citizen ride-along program. To sign up, please notify Dr. Teresa Williams ([email protected]) of your intention to participate by Friday January 27, along with a list of times during the week you will be available. The ride-along will take place in March or April; we will discuss the ride-along experience in class in April. You will be required to sign a consent form prior to your ride-along. Important note: during the police ride-along there is a possibility you may be exposed to volatile and potentially dangerous situations. Students in previous classes who have been on a ride-along often describe the experience as one of the most intense and interesting they have had since being in college, but you should be aware of the possibility that a dangerous situation may emerge. If you are uncomfortable with this, you can participate in the alternative social observation activity, attendance at a session of juvenile court. If you choose this option, you should notify Dr. Williams by email, also by January 27, so that we can work on making arrangements for you. Whether you go on the police ride-along or to juvenile court, you should compile and submit a brief write-up of your experience (this is a required but not graded exercise). 4. Attendance at a screening of the film 49 Up during the first week of class; tentatively scheduled for Thursday January 17 at 6 p.m. Food will be provided. 5. Attendance at three course-related events. You must go to any two of the following course-related events sponsored by the Jepson Forum the lectures by Cynthia Enloe on militarization and gender on Feb. 12; the talk by Howard Zinn on activism and American history on April 1; the talk by Lani Guinier on race and democracy on April 2; or the talk by Marshall Ganz on community organizing on April 3. Additionally, you are required to attend either one of the four on-campus events related to domestic violence awareness week, Feb. 21-Feb. 29, or attend a One Book, One Campus discussion of the book “Taking on the Big Boys” (which addresses gender inequality).3 You also required to write a short response paper (totaling 750 words) describing your reaction to one of these events. Your paper should connect what you learned from the event to relevant class reading and class discussions. These papers should be turned in within one week of each event. 6. Completion of three additional short response papers, totaling roughly 750 words reflecting on the substance of the course readings assigned for the week you turn your paper in. Response papers should take the following form: answer one of these questions: “What did I learn from this set of readings?” or “What did this reading cause me to think about?” Alternatively, you may pose and answer your own specific question. You are free to


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