11:374:335:01
SOCIAL RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Fall, 2001 MW4 131 Blake
Prof. George Morren 206 COB, x 9624
Office hours: Wednesdays 3:00-4:00 and by appointment
morren@crssa.rutgers.edu -- email address
http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~humeco/
Department of Human
Ecology Homepage
George E.B. Morren, Jr. When the Chips are Down: Individual and
Community Responses to Environmental Problems University Copy (2001) [A
draft text book created for this course and available for purchase at the
Cookie Jar]
WEEK 1 Introduction: The Plan of
the Course 6 September
Text: Morren, Preface, pp. i - iv
Handout: (1) Course Outline
(2) Learning Style Inventory to be
completed at home
WEEK 2 Learning and Problem Solving
10 – 20 September
Text: Morren, Chapter 1, pp. 1 - 32
Handout: (1) Lost at Sea
WEEK 3 Awareness, Perception and
Empowerment 24 – 4 October
Text:
(1) Morren, Chapt. 2, pp. 33-77; Case Study D (Michigan), pp. 375-384; I (Rocky
Hill), pp. 440-449
Handout: 1. What's Risky?
2. Residential Hazard Survey Form
Assignment: Following the
procedure in the text, what are the 'latent functions' of higher
education
in American society?
(2)
'High Voltage'
WEEK 4 An Introduction to Environmental
Problems in New Jersey 8 – 11
October
Text: (1) Morren, Chapter 3, pp. 78-188; Case Studie G, pp. 413-429
Assignment: Complete Residential
Hazard Survey and Essay on 'The Place Where I Live' (3+ pp. essay with Survey
attached) and debriefing due on 10/16]
WEEK 5 Gathering Information about Novel
Situations 16-21 October
Handout: (1) Research Tools and Information Sources
Assignment: Prepare a proposal of several paragraphs
describing the community based situation you intend to research for your
semester project. You should also indicate how you plan to gather information
and how much you have done already to assure the feasibility of your chosen
topic. Your case study will focus on a specific community or population that is
experiencing (or has experienced in the past) a problematic situation. Your
concern will be to use course concepts to examine people's responses to
problems, hazards or, possibly, opportunities; the relationship between the
characteristics of the situation and features of people's responses; the role
of past experience and actions in affecting the foregoing (otherwise known as
history!); and the general context in which the community finds itself. Your
central task is to grasp the particularities of the physical situation as well
as the perceptions, actions and antagonisms of (and among) the ordinary people,
authorities, scientists, etc. involved in it.
Note On a date to be announced,
the class will meet in the Department’s computer lab, 231 Blake, to be briefed
about on-line research tools.
WEEK 6 Thinking about Problematic
Situations and Their Causes 'Whole'
22-25 October
Text: (1) Morren, Chapter 4, pp.
189-215; Case Study F, 397-412
Handout: (1) Hazard Dimensions Outline and Form
Assignment: (1) Start the Hazard
Dimensions Outline Form for the Arkansas Tornado Case A
WEEKS 7 & 8 How to Assess and Measure
Problematic Situations 29 October – 8 November
Text: Morren, Chapter 5, pp. 216-247
Case Study C, pp. 363-374
WEEKS 9 & 10 Responses, Conflict and
Organization 12 – 20*
November *Tuesday
Text: Morren, Chapter 6, pp. 248-276;
7, pp. 308-337, Case Studies A & B,
pp. 338-362
WEEKS 11 & 12 What Comes Next: Intervention for
Improvement 26-29 November
Text: Morren, Chapter 8, pp. 273 - 298; Case Study H, pp. 430-439
WEEKS 13 & 14 Course Wrap-Up 3 – 10 December
Final Research Report Due – 12/10
1. OVERVIEW As the introduction in the
opening sessions indicated, this course is oriented towards experiential and
problem-based learning. Accordingly, your progress depends on attending class
and participating fully in learning opportunities and group experiences. In
addition, class meetings facilitate learning by helping you to make sense out
of complex and messy situations. In this course, the class is the text! Attendance will be taken and only two
unexcused absences will be permitted during the semester.
2. OBJECTIVES Your learning objectives in
the course -- the reasons for taking it -- include acquiring or improving
competencies in the such areas as learning, inquiry, knowledge creation,
planning, and problem solving.
a.
all-round learning ability. This implies self-conscious efforts to deal with
your weaknesses as well as playing to your strengths.
b.
ability to work effectively with people of other learning preferences and world
views;
c. the
ability to encounter and explore novel situations openly and without bias, to
immerse yourself in new situations, and to apply relevant observational and
data gathering skills;
d.
assimilative abilities including thinking abstractly and consciously developing
and using mental frameworks, concepts and theories including the 'holistic
thinking' presented in this course;
e.
convergent abilities in applying abstract knowledge to decision-making and
planning;
f.
accommodative and executive competencies in communications, people-skills such
as leadership, implementing plans, and otherwise taking action; and
g.
generally increasing your fund of knowledge and experience regarding the
substantive focus of the course, how people assess and take action to improve
problematic situations in their environments as individuals and as members of
communities and other groups.
3. GRADES Your accomplishments in the
course will be assessed as follows:
a.
Familiarity with the readings as expressed in class participation (see below).
b.
Homework exercises will only figure in the final grade if you fail to do them
seriously (or at all)! They are intended to contribute to your growing
competencies, facilitate participation, and document effort and achievement
along the way.
c. A
graded take home exercise (see Week 7 & 8) at mid-term counting 25
%.
d. Attendance and participation, counting 10 %.
From time to time, you will be called on by name and expect a pop quiz on
current readings at anytime.
e. Residential Hazard Survey and report on '
The Place Where I Live' Essay 25%
f. A final report on an approved topic (see
Week 5). Paper topics are subject to my prior approval. You should select a
topic that focuses on a specific community or population such as a town that is
experiencing or has experienced one or more problematic situations and, using
frameworks developed in class, analyze the situation(s) and people's responses. This 'final' will count 40 % and is the
'Final Exam' in the course.
4. ACADEMIC
INTEGRITY Cheating in this course
means, essentially, representing the work of others as your own. This includes (but is not limited to),
copying another student’s take-home exercise, sharing your work with others,
‘recycling’ papers and take homes from other years , copying published work
(including web documents) at length without attribution. Any of these offenses
may earn a summary ‘F’ and/or official disciplinary action.
5. CELL
PHONES AND PAGERS Such personal
communications devices must be ‘turned off’ in class. Exceptions may be made
for ‘emergency responders’ and others who make their circumstances known to the
instructor. Offending devices are subject to destruction.