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California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Soka University Japan - Transcend Art and Peace
Created: July 27, 2003
Latest Update: September 8, 2007
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

CRMJ/SOCA 359 Law and Society

You will be held accountable for the readings and discussion questions listed here. There will be no "testing." That means that you will not have to live in anxious anticipation of what we will ask and how much you will have to know. Instead, we will provide weekly discussion questions, lectures, essays, and concepts we feel that you should know as a result of having taken this course. You will assure us of that learning and receive your grade for the questions and concepts about which you choose to write and talk with us. In addition you will find detailed explanations and examples on our grading policies in the first week's reading.

* * * * *

Week 2: Week of September 9, 2007

Optional Dear Habermas Workshop - Wednesday, September 12th, 12 noon to 1 p.m. in the microcomputing classroom (D1 level in the library).

Topic: The Learning/Teaching Model (also, Law and Sociology)

Preparatory Readings

• NEW What's Constructivist Learning? (Read entire issue #2)
• NEW The Visual Can Provoke Discourse that Matters (Read entire issue #1)
• NEW Praxis: Learn by Doing
  
  
• Those Infamous Grades and Letters of Recommendation
• "The Case Against Gold Stars" by Alfie Kohn.
• Cooperative Learning
• Preface
  
  
• "Who's Habermas? Why Habermas?"
  
  
• Bonsignore . Before the Law. Foreword
• Bellow and Minow. Law Stories. -- .
• Curran and Takata. Sociology of Law Handbook:
  -- Introduction
  -- Chapter 1, part 1
  -- Chapter 1, part 2
  -- Chapter 2
  
  

Lecture related links:



• W.I. Thomas "Definition of the Situation
  
  

Concepts to be covered:



• illocutionary discourse
• the aesthetics of answerability
• monologic non-answerability
• taxonomy of learning
• the 6Cs
• interdependence
• the external and internal motivations of learning
• dog letters
• academic accountability



Discussion Questions:

Note: In order to answer these discussion questions, you will all of the assigned reading noted above.

1. What are the connections between the "6Cs" and illocutionary discourse? And, how do these concepts relate to "law and society"?

2. In your opinion, what will be the most controversial issue in this course? Why. How does the practice of the "6Cs" and "illocutionary discourse" relate to this issue? Why.

3. Compare and contrast how this course differs from other courses that you have taken. Why. How are grades and grading handled in this course? How do you earn a "C"? How do you earn an "A"?

4. What is a "dog letter" and how does it relate to this course? Why.

5. If you are a new student to this teaching/learning model, what questions/concerns do you have? Or, if you are a returning student to this teaching/learning model, what advice would you give to a new student? Why.



Suggested Visual Projects:




Note: Start thinking about ideas for your creative measures. Must relate to "law and society" Must be approved before starting your creative measure. Cannot be something that you are doing or have done for another course. Research cannot be 100% online (i.e., google, askjeeves). Must conduct library research using scholarly works, (not the popular press -- Time Magazine, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated). A bibliography must be attached to your visual presentation. No term papers! Allow time to dialogue and present your creative measure in class. Email me your ideas ASAP.





Recommended Readings:




--- Jurgen Habermas. Between Facts and Norms.
--- Martha Minow. Making All the Difference: Exclusion, Inclusion and American Law. Check out this link Martha Minow on the Dear Habermas site.

Course Syllabus for CRMJ/SOCA 359 "Law and Society"

takata@uwp.edu