Thomas Ricks, Fiasco, The American Military Adventure in Iraq
William Strunk and E.B. White,Elements of Style
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Humans have an extraordinary propensity for violence against one another. This propensity, while not technically unique to humans, still sets us apart from our animal peers. The ubiquity and scale of human violence is something special. A visitor from another planet would certainly conclude that humans are obsessed with violence, torture, and murder. The societal expression of this capacity is war. This seminar is a preliminary inquiry into the roots of war.
EMPHASIS: The class is a reading/discussion class. Objectives of the class include development of the following skills: 1) Writing, 2) Leadership and facilitative behavior in groups, 3) Reflective thinking, 4) Global thinking, 5) Critical Thinking. 6) Professionalism
ACTIVITIES: The class will consist of discussions and an occasional instructor "lecturette." All students are expected to participate in discussions.
REQUIREMENTS/GRADES: Grades are based on evaluations of Six one page reaction papers (5 x 5= 25 points), a five page essay (15 points/due Oct.9), and an eight page research paper (20 points/due Dec. 6) In-class research presentation (5 points), attendance at three lectures or similar events (10 points (all or none, see below), plus an assessment of participation including panel participation (10+15=25 points). A - 85-100, Cr - 55-84, Ncr - 54 points or less.
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION: This is a discussion class. Students are expected to attend all sessions and to participate in the discussions, showing decorum and courtesy. Students who miss class for any reason will lose participation points. A student who does not attend a particular session cannot contribute to the discourse. This is true whether the student is ill, grieving, or acting on a whim. There is no way to "make up" for missed classes and no way for students who are not present to participate. Students will, therefore lose 3 points per absence up to 15 points. If a student misses more than six times, I will use the instructor drop option. Again, an absence is an absence. I will assume that any student unfortunate enough to miss class has a good reason. (Although students cannot makeup missed classes, extra credit opportunities will allow students to bolster their point totals or recoup, to some extent, points lost to missed classes or low scores on assignments.)
READING/REACTION PAPER SCHEDULE (to be revised as needed):
Reaction papers will usually be due on the first day that we discuss a given assignment. Students can hand in extra reaction papers for extra credit.
OUTCOMES:
On successful completion of this seminar, students should, in assigned papers and presentations, be able to:
Critically examine assigned primary works on war within their interdisciplinary, cultural, and historical contexts.
Situate and explain the methods, approaches, and significant content of key figures, works, and movements in the humanities
Compare works from various interdisciplinary perspectives, cultural traditions, and historical eras in terms of genre, style, content or theme
Recognize and evaluate how some key works in the humanities reflect historical, national, cultural, ethnic, and gender differences, even as they invoke shared human experiences that may relate to readers and the world today;
Construct persuasive arguments and increase writing proficiency through analytical essays characterized by original and insightful theses, supported by logically integrated and sound subordinate ideas, appropriate and pertinent evidence, and good sentence structure, diction, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Likewise,students should:
Increase their capablilities in collaborating effectively with others. They should
End the seminar with a more profound understanding of the existence and impact of war in human society.
NOTES:
1) All Legacy students are required to attend three lectures. The UHP sponsors a number of lectures that will meet this requirement. These include, the Carruthers Chair Lecture, The UHP Renowned Scholar Lecture, A UHP Faculty on Campus Lecture, and lectures for other UHP seminars that are open to the public. UHP will sponsor at least three lectures each semester. There are, of course, lecture programs in other UNM departments and in the community at large. Students may use any UHP sponsored lecture to meet this requirement. Ask the instructors about other lectures or events like dramatic performances, poetry readings, showings of topical films, etc. that may meet this requirement. To complete this assignment, students must turn in a one page reaction paper. These papers will not be graded. Students in this seminar will earn ten points for attending three lectures. These are "all or nothing" points. Students attending one or two lectures will earn no points. Students can earn .5 -1.5 extra credit points for lectures or sanctioned event they attends beyond the three required.
2) We will be addressing all seminar e-mail to wiki addresses and/or UNM addresses. Please use your UNM account and/or the wiki in communicating with us and your fellow class members. We will NOT be sending e-mail postings to gmail, yahoo, msn, aol, hotmail, or any other e-mail address, so see that your UNM mail is forwarded if you use one of these as your primary e-mailer. It is your responsibility to pick up messages that we post to your UNM address.
5) Read the Assignment Guidelines for reaction papers, essays, presentations and research papers. Every year I am amazed to find students making errors and losing points because they do assignments without reading the assignment guidelines. All professional writing involves guidelines. Editors encountering submissions that do not follow the pertinent guidelines do not read them..
6) This is the first paragraph of the UNM Policy on Academic Dishonesty: Each student is expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty and integrity in academic and professional matters. The University reserves the right to take disciplinary action up to and including dismissal against any student who is found guilty of academic dishonesty or otherwise fails to meet the standards. Any student judged to have engaged in academic dishonesty in course work may receive a reduced or failing grade for the work in question.
Note: Remember that legacy students are required to attend at least three lectures or cultural events (art gallery openings, plays, musical performances, poetry readings, etc.)
Links:
This is the Roots of War Wiki
UNIVERSITY HONORS 121-012
Exploring the Roots of War: The Legacy of StruggleTuesday/Thursday 12:00 noon - 1:15 pm / SHC #12Instructor: Michael Thomas PhD.Office: SHC #2-EOffice hours: Tuesday/Thursday -11:00am -12:00 noon, 4:00pm-5:00pm, and arrangedPhone: 277-3662, 573-1656 (Cell)
e-mail: mthomas@unm.edu
Senior Teacher: Nicole DevereauxOffice Hours: TR- 1:15 PM-2:30 PM and by appointmente-mail: nsdevereaux@gmail.com, ndeverea@unm.edu
Wiki: http://rootsofwar.wikispaces.com/
Syllabus
REQUIRED READING:
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Humans have an extraordinary propensity for violence against one another. This propensity, while not technically unique to humans, still sets us apart from our animal peers. The ubiquity and scale of human violence is something special. A visitor from another planet would certainly conclude that humans are obsessed with violence, torture, and murder. The societal expression of this capacity is war. This seminar is a preliminary inquiry into the roots of war.
EMPHASIS: The class is a reading/discussion class. Objectives of the class include development of the following skills: 1) Writing, 2) Leadership and facilitative behavior in groups, 3) Reflective thinking, 4) Global thinking, 5) Critical Thinking. 6) Professionalism
ACTIVITIES: The class will consist of discussions and an occasional instructor "lecturette." All students are expected to participate in discussions.
REQUIREMENTS/GRADES: Grades are based on evaluations of Six one page reaction papers (5 x 5= 25 points), a five page essay (15 points/due Oct.9), and an eight page research paper (20 points/due Dec. 6) In-class research presentation (5 points), attendance at three lectures or similar events (10 points (all or none, see below), plus an assessment of participation including panel participation (10+15=25 points).
A - 85-100, Cr - 55-84, Ncr - 54 points or less.
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION: This is a discussion class. Students are expected to attend all sessions and to participate in the discussions, showing decorum and courtesy. Students who miss class for any reason will lose participation points. A student who does not attend a particular session cannot contribute to the discourse. This is true whether the student is ill, grieving, or acting on a whim. There is no way to "make up" for missed classes and no way for students who are not present to participate. Students will, therefore lose 3 points per absence up to 15 points. If a student misses more than six times, I will use the instructor drop option. Again, an absence is an absence. I will assume that any student unfortunate enough to miss class has a good reason. (Although students cannot makeup missed classes, extra credit opportunities will allow students to bolster their point totals or recoup, to some extent, points lost to missed classes or low scores on assignments.)
READING/REACTION PAPER SCHEDULE (to be revised as needed):
Reaction papers will usually be due on the first day that we discuss a given assignment. Students can hand in extra reaction papers for extra credit.
OUTCOMES:
On successful completion of this seminar, students should, in assigned papers and presentations, be able to:
- Critically examine assigned primary works on war within their interdisciplinary, cultural, and historical contexts.
- Situate and explain the methods, approaches, and significant content of key figures, works, and movements in the humanities
- Compare works from various interdisciplinary perspectives, cultural traditions, and historical eras in terms of genre, style, content or theme
- Recognize and evaluate how some key works in the humanities reflect historical, national, cultural, ethnic, and gender differences, even as they invoke shared human experiences that may relate to readers and the world today;
- Construct persuasive arguments and increase writing proficiency through analytical essays characterized by original and insightful theses, supported by logically integrated and sound subordinate ideas, appropriate and pertinent evidence, and good sentence structure, diction, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Likewise,students should:NOTES:
1) All Legacy students are required to attend three lectures. The UHP sponsors a number of lectures that will meet this requirement. These include, the Carruthers Chair Lecture, The UHP Renowned Scholar Lecture, A UHP Faculty on Campus Lecture, and lectures for other UHP seminars that are open to the public. UHP will sponsor at least three lectures each semester. There are, of course, lecture programs in other UNM departments and in the community at large. Students may use any UHP sponsored lecture to meet this requirement. Ask the instructors about other lectures or events like dramatic performances, poetry readings, showings of topical films, etc. that may meet this requirement. To complete this assignment, students must turn in a one page reaction paper. These papers will not be graded. Students in this seminar will earn ten points for attending three lectures. These are "all or nothing" points. Students attending one or two lectures will earn no points. Students can earn .5 -1.5 extra credit points for lectures or sanctioned event they attends beyond the three required.
2) We will be addressing all seminar e-mail to wiki addresses and/or UNM addresses. Please use your UNM account and/or the wiki in communicating with us and your fellow class members. We will NOT be sending e-mail postings to gmail, yahoo, msn, aol, hotmail, or any other e-mail address, so see that your UNM mail is forwarded if you use one of these as your primary e-mailer. It is your responsibility to pick up messages that we post to your UNM address.
3) Students are signed up as members of the UHP listserve. They should check all listserve messages.
4) Read the page on Participation, Courtesy, and Electronic Media
5) Read the Assignment Guidelines for reaction papers, essays, presentations and research papers. Every year I am amazed to find students making errors and losing points because they do assignments without reading the assignment guidelines. All professional writing involves guidelines. Editors encountering submissions that do not follow the pertinent guidelines do not read them..
6) This is the first paragraph of the UNM Policy on Academic Dishonesty:
Each student is expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty and integrity in academic and professional matters. The University reserves the right to take disciplinary action up to and including dismissal against any student who is found guilty of academic dishonesty or otherwise fails to meet the standards. Any student judged to have engaged in academic dishonesty in course work may receive a reduced or failing grade for the work in question.
Note: Remember that legacy students are required to attend at least three lectures or cultural events (art gallery openings, plays, musical performances, poetry readings, etc.)
Links:
UNM Home
University Honors Home
Academic Calendar