FreshmanSeminar43s

August31,2011

GENDER,RACE,ANDETHICSINTHE21STCENTURY
Dr.GinaHelfrich Lecturer,CommitteeonDegreesinStudiesofWomen,Gender,andSexuality Director,HarvardCollegeWomensCenter

ClassMeeting:Mondays,2:004:00pm,Sever105 OfficeHour:Wednesdays,10:0011:00am,CanadayB,HarvardCollegeWomensCenter andbyappointment

CourseDescription

Whatdoesitmeantobeagoodperson?Dowomenandmenhavedifferentmoral beliefs?Doesourraceorethnicitychangehowweperceivesocialproblems?Thiscourse willaskhowitispossibletodevelopanethicsthattakesaccountofhumandifference, especiallydifferenceinidentity.WewilldiscusscontemporaryAmericansocialproblems, including:Gaymarriage,racialsegregationandschoolreform,andthegenderwagegap anddiscriminationinhiring.

Thecourseisdividedintothreebroadthematicarcs.Foreachtheme,ourreadingswill consistoffoundingphilosophicaltextsinthehistoryofethicsaswellasmorerecent writingsaddressingissuesofidentity,includingraceandgender.Wewillcomplementour studyofthetheoreticaltextswithanalysisanddiscussionofcontemporarysocialand politicalproblems.Satisfactoryperformanceinthecoursewillbebasedonclass participation,severalshortwritingassignments,classpresentations,andafinalproject.

CourseAimsandObjectives

Aimsforthecoursewillbeto: Surveyprominenttheoreticalapproachestoethicswithinthehistoryofphilosophy Developanunderstandingofthecorequestionsandconceptsthatmotivateethical inquiry Investigatetherelationshipbetweenethicsandsociopoliticalproblems Developanunderstandingoftherelationshipoftheorytotherealworld Improveourskillsinargumentativeanalysis Learnsomethingaboutourselvesandhowweareimplicatedinethicalquestions aboutpower,privilege,andidentity

BytheEndofthisCourseYouWillBeAbleTo:

Analyzethestructureofanargumentandgivereasonswhyanargumentisstrong orweak Describemultipleapproachestoconceptualizinganethicalsystem Explainthephilosophicalconceptsandquestionsatstakeinthecontemporary sociopoliticalproblemswediscussinclass Articulatethestrengthsandweaknessesoftraditionalethicaltheoriesasa frameworkforapproachingmodernsociopoliticalproblems Explaintherelationshipbetweenideologicalcommitmentsandmaterialrealities, withspecialemphasisontheimpactofprivilege,power,andidentityonsocial dynamics 1

CoursePoliciesandExpectations
Texts,Films,andReadings
Specificreadingassignments(withpage#s)willbeannouncedinclassandpostedtothe coursewebsite.Studentsarerequiredtousetheassignededitionoftextbookslistedinthis syllabus,whichareavailableforpurchaseintheCooporonreserveinthelibrary. Assignedfilmsaretobeviewedpriortoclassmeetings;filmswillbemadeavailablefor viewinginthelibraryandtheinstructormayalsoscheduleagroupviewingtimeoutsideof class.Thissyllabusprovidesaroughoutlineofthescheduleofreadings,foryour information.Assignmentsaresubjecttochangeattheinstructorsdiscretion. Pleasebringassignedtextstoclass! Wewilloftenhaveoccasiontorefertospecificpassages,anditisthereforenecessarythat studentsbringtheirbooksorarticlestoclass.

ClassDiscussion

Productiveclassdiscussioniscontingentuponthesharedfoundationofhavingreadand reflectedupontheassignedtexts.Youareexpectedtocometoclasspreparedtoshare questionsorcommentsaboutthereadingateachmeeting.Inclass,studentswillactively monitortheirparticipationinthediscussion,bothlisteningrespectfullytoothersand sharingtheirownthoughts.Activelisteningisequallyasimportantasaddingyourown voice.Wewillmaintainanatmosphereofmutualrespectandopenintellectual engagementatalltimes,especiallywhenwedisagree.

HomeworkAssignments

Specifichomeworkassignmentswillbeannouncedinclassandpostedtothecourse website.Assignmentsmayincludeshortpapers,classpresentations,groupwork,and/or othersmallprojectsdevisedbytheinstructor.

TechnologyintheClassroom(orlackthereof)

Topromoteanatmosphereofengageddiscussionintheclassroom,studentsmaynotuse laptops,iPads,smartphones,orotherelectronicdevicesduringseminar.Notetaking shouldbedoneusingoldfashionedpaperandpenorpencil. Exceptionstothisrulewillonlybemadeforstudentsgivingclasspresentationsandin accommodatingstudentswithdisabilities.

Accommodationsforstudentswithdisabilities

Studentsneedingacademicadjustmentsoraccommodationsbecauseofadocumented disabilitymustpresenttheirFacultyLetterfromtheAccessibleEducationOffice(AEO)and speakwiththeprofessorbytheendofthesecondweekoftheterm,September9th.Failure todosomayresultintheCourseHead'sinabilitytorespondinatimelymanner.All discussionswillremainconfidential,althoughFacultyareinvitedtocontactAEOtodiscuss appropriateimplementation. 2

CourseRequirements

EarningasatisfactoryperformanceinthisFreshmanSeminarrequirescompleting thecourserequirementslistedbelowwithacombinedfinalgradeofCorbetter. AttendanceandClassParticipation(50%) Visitstoinstructorofficehoursmaycontributetoahigherparticipationgrade. ShortPapers&Presentations(25%) Assignmentsmayincludeshortpapers,classpresentations,groupwork,and/orother smallprojectsdevisedbytheinstructor. FinalProject(25%) Designedincloseconsultationwiththeinstructor.

PleaseNote:

Theassignmentsandreadingslistedinthissyllabusaresubjecttochangeorrevision atanytime,attheinstructorsdiscretion.

CourseScheduleOverview

*Denotesreadingavailableonlineviathecoursewebsite. Week1: IntroductorySessionIdeologicalCommitmentsandMaterialRealities Weeks24:Virtue&Choice Readings: AristotlesNicomacheanEthics(selections) *MarilynFrye,ThePoliticsofReality,Oppression(1983) *MahzarinBanajisTheLimitsofIntrospection(inBrockman,2007) *Correll,Benard,andPaiksGettingaJob:IsThereaMotherhoodPenalty?(inAmerican JournalofSociology112.5,2007) OnlineTests: ImplicitAssociationTeststaketheGenderCareerandtheGenderSciencetests https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/takeatest.html CaseStudy:Genderbiasintheworkplace Questionsforthistheme:Whatdoesitmeantohaveagoodcharacter?Areprivilegeand virtuemutuallyexclusive?Howdoesoneundertaketheprojectofchangingoneself?Can wetrustthatvirtuouspeoplewillmakegooddecisions?Whatcircumstancespreventa personfrombeingordoinggood? 3

Weeks57:Libertarianism&theState Readings: JohnStuartMillsOnLiberty(excerpts) *MarthaAlbertsonFineman,MarriageProposals:QuestioningaLegalStatus,TheMeaning ofMarriage(2006) *Fullstatement:http://www.beyondmarriage.org/ *CanMarriageBeSaved?(inTheNation279.1,2004) CaseStudy:GaymarriageinAmerica Questionsforthistheme:Whatarethelimitsofindividualfreedom,ifany?Canan individualspersonalchoicesaffectthelibertyofothers?Whatistherelationshipbetween publiclifeandprivatelife?Whatsortofbehaviorsisthestatejustifiedinrestricting, mandating,orsanctioning? Weeks811:Deontology&Education Readings: ImmanuelKantsGroundworkoftheMetaphysicsofMorals(excerpts) PeggyMcIntoshsUnpackingtheInvisibleKnapsack(1988) JonathanKozolsSavageInequalities(excerpts) Film:RaceThePowerofanIllusion(LarryAdelman,2003)(excerpts) CaseStudy:Race,affirmativeactionanddesegregationinAmericanschools(Community Schoolsv.SeattleSchoolDist.No.1,decidedin2007) Questionsforthistheme:Oughtwetotreateveryonethesame?Whatkindoftreatment dohumanbeingsdeserveashumanbeings?Isitappropriatetotakeaccountofhuman differenceswhenmakingpoliticalandethicaldecisions?Ifso,inwhatkindsofcases?If not,whynot? Week12:ClosingSession