Carleton University
Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology
Winter 2006
Wednesdays 2:35 - 5:25
Tory Building 447 (it has windows!)
Anne Galloway
anne.galloway@gmail.com
Office Loeb A701
Mondays 10:00 - 11:15
or by appointment
Assignment details & due dates
Assignment details & due dates
DISCUSSION & WORKSHOP PARTICIPATION 20%
Students are required to participate in small group discussions and in workshops. At the end of each class, students are expected to submit one question and one statement related to what they talked about and what they did.
Due weekly.
Group-work follows these guidelines:
"The university classroom is a special place that allows exploration and discussion of issues and topics that may well present a problem for some students. It is therefore important, during discussions, that students keep an open mind, try to understand other's perspectives, and, if necessary, agree to disagree. You may well remain convinced that you are right and that everyone else (or a good percentage of the class) is wrong at the end of the day, but engagement in critical discussion and analysis is what the university is all about and it is perhaps one of the few places you have to engage with issues without restraints or fears. Although discussions may be heated, all participants must observe everyday expectations of courtesy and consideration for others in the exchanges. If the instructor feels that these expectations have been breached the student involved will be asked to leave the class."
(Rob Shields, Theorizing Material and Virtual Culture - Winter 2006 syllabus, University of Alberta)
WRITTEN CRITIQUE 30%
Students are required to write a short (5 pages) critical review of one of the assigned readings. In addition to summarising the author’s purpose and conclusions, students must critically evaluate the author’s arguments and relate them to the broader course themes. Assignment details will be provided in class and online. Sign-up will take place in the second class.
Due per student sign-up.
RESEARCH PROJECT 50%
Students are required to submit a substantial study of a technological device they regularly use. The first part of the assignment provides an account of the life-cycle of their chosen device, including the potential for more sustainable alternatives, as well as its broader social and cultural roles. Students are expected to critically account for the values and interests of business, government, and private citizens. The second part of the assignment comprises a personal one-week use-diary of the device and analysis. Students are required to keep a log of each time they use their chosen device, the social and cultural contexts of use, and personal reflections on the role of that device in their everyday lives. Assignment details will be provided in class and online, and class-time will be devoted to working on the project.
Research project proposal – DUE FEB 15, 2006 - 15%
Final research project – DUE MAR 29, 2006 - 35%