FOI COURSE SCHEDULE
Section 83
Fall 2000

For Restricted Files (You may have to view these files from a campus computer)  See your printed syllabus for the userid and password:

Aug. 22 Introduction to the course:  Critical and Rigorous Thinking

Topics:

Why college?
Why the General Education Program?
Why FOI? 

• Critical Thinking in the university disciplines
• Critical Thinking on the job
• Critical Thinking and lifelong learning

Course requirements (syllabus)

Aug. 24  The Search for Better Conclusions and Questions

Readings:

• Asking the Right Question and Argumentation (ARQ) Chapter 1, "The Benefit of Asking the Right Questions and Argumentation."
• Doonesbury Cartoon (handout).

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide I:  "Consumption" and Doonesbury
• Have an ISU e-mail account (an account on any other server, such as Hotmail or AOL, will not suffice) and send an e-mail message to me using Eudora before class.
• Browse the course homepage on Netscape (or another browser) and make a copy of "Assignment Descriptions."  Attach to your syllabus and show me in class.
• Read section of "Assignment Descriptions" on "Daily Critical Thinking Guides."
• Sign up now for a library walking tour!  You must sign up for a tour at the library.  I will not accept the computer tour.  You must complete it by Friday Sept. 8.  Before doing the tour, read The Foundations Book, section on Milner Library ("Where is Milner Library and How is it Arranged," "What Types of Materials does Milner Library Collect," "What Services does Milner Library Provide," "What Other Libraries Can I use.")
• Read "Course Description and Objective" attached to Syllabus.

Week 2
Aug. 29 

Readings:

• ARQ Chapter 2, "What are the Issue and the Conclusion?"

Assignments due:

• Answer and correct your answer to critical questions on passages 1-3 in  ARQ 23-25.  Be prepared to explain your answers in class.
• Critical Thinking Guide II
• Copy, Attach to Syllabus, and Read "In-Class" (link on FOI homepage)

Aug. 31

Readings:

ARQ Chapter 3, "What are the Reasons?"

Assignments:

• Answer and correct your answer to critical questions on passages 1-3 in  ARQ 38-39.  Be prepared to explain your answers in class.
• Critical Thinking Guide III
• Start looking for a Campus Event you might attend for your Campus Event requirement.

Friday Sep. 1 

Assignments due:

• Netforum 1:   Strong-Sense Arguments by Friday Midnight.  Strong-Sense Evaluative Arguments by Sunday Midnight (Half of the class will make different arguments in response to the assigned subject.  The other half will make arguments that evaluate one of these arguments or one of the other evaluations).   (Put <br><br> before new paragraphs) Click to see details.  Read "NetForum" link on FOI homepage.

             Topic:   What do you believe should be the primary goal(s) of a university education and what type of
                            education should the university provide in order to help you achieve this goal or goals?

Week 3
Sept. 5 Consumerism

Readings:

• "The Urge to Splurge," U.S. News and World Report, May 24, 1999  (Restricted.  See Userid and Password above.
  Make a copy and bring to class). 

Optional Readings:

• Same article with picture, direct from magazine
• Robert Frank and a Consumption Tax
• Affluenza:  "The History of Affluenza in America"

Assignments:

• Critical Thinking Guide IV:   "The Urge to Splurge" and "Consumerism"
• Start working on SHORT PAPER  2-3 PAGES (Read "Assignment Descriptions:  Short Papers.")
• Topic:  Make a coherent argument -- with introductory paragraph, supporting paragraphs, and concluding paragraph -- on the distribution of consumption and consumerism around the world.   Your main sources of reference will be "The Urge to Splurge" and "The Consumer Society."  See ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS for details of how to write the paper.
• In-text citations for "The Consumer Society" or "The Urge to Splurge."

Sept. 7 The Global Distribution of Opportunities to Consume

Readings:

• Alan Durning, "The Consumer Society," How Much is Enough. (Bring book to class)

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide V:  "The Consumer Society"

Sept. 8

Assignments due:

• Submit an attendance slip for the Library Walking Tour by noon. 

Week 4
Sept. 12 Global Distribution of Consumption:  Problems and Possible Solutions

Topic:

• Peanuts and World Consumption

Readings:

• ARQ Chapter 4, "What Words or Phrases are Ambiguous."

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide VI
• Access Milner Library Homepage on Web.  Go to ISU homepage (http://www.ilstu.edu), click on ACADEMICS, click on MILNER LIBRARY (under COLLEGES).  Try out all of the links and be ready to explain in class the content of the pages to which these links lead.
  

Sept. 14 Family Consumption Choices

Topic:

• Family Consumption exercise

Readings:

• None

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide VII
• Due Friday September 22 Library exercise  I (Click for assignment).  (Finding a Book, Popular Article, and Scholarly Article on a given topic.  See Foundations Book, "Foundations of Inquiry," for guidelines distinguishing different types of articles.)

Friday Sept. 15 

FIRST DRAFT OF SHORT PAPER  2-3 PAGES (Read "Assignment Descriptions:  Short Papers.")

Week 5
Sept. 19 

Topics

• Searching the Library.

Readings

• ARQ Chapter 5, "What are the Value Conflicts and Assumptions."

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide VIII
• Library Assignment  on Internet Research due Monday, October 4.

Sept. 21 Consumption and Individual Identity:  The Symbolic Value of Goods and Services

Readings:

• "The Overspent American:  an interview with Juliet Schor" (handout).

Optional Reading:  "Japanese consumers feeling sorry for themselves" (Restricted)

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide IX
• Exchange Value, Use Value, Symbolic Value of a Commodity (Copy and Bring to Class)

Sept. 22

Assignments dues:

• LIBRARY EXERCISE  I (CLICK) DUE.

Week 6
Sept. 26

Library Instruction Session.  Meet at Milner Library 213C.

Reading

• Reread The Foundations Book, "Foundations of Research":   "Milner Library" ("Where is Milner Library and How is it Arranged," "What Types of Materials does Milner Library Collect," "What Services does Milner Library Provide," "What Other Libraries Can I use.")

Sept. 28

Readings

• ARQ Chapter 6, "What are the Descriptive Assumptions."

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide X

Sept. 29.

• WebBoard:  Strong-Sense Arguments by Friday Midnight.  Strong-Sense Evaluative Arguments by Sunday Midnight.  Click for whether you are responsible for an argument or a response  

                Topic:   Make a strong sense argument for your conclusion, and/or in response to someone else's conclusion on the role in life of  "conspicuous consumption" (of houses, clothes, cars, computers, travel) as a sign of one's socially superior identity (as star, a strong man, an intelligent woman, etc.) in American society (Bill Gates, Oprah, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, etc.),  your high school, at Illinois State University, or in your own life.  

Optional Reading: 

• "How do our kids get so caught up in consumerism?" (Restricted)
• "Consumerism, Commercials, kids and violence" (Restricted)
• "Cars and their Enemies" (Restricted)

Week 7

Oct.  3 Consumption as Freedom

Readings:

• ARQ Chapter 8 "How Good is the Evidence:  Intuition, Appeals to Authority, and Testimonials?"
• James Twitchell, "The Liberating Role of Consumption," in Lead Us Into Temptation. (Restricted.  Make a copy and bring to class.  You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer to read this file).

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide XI

Oct. 5

Readings:

• ARQ Chapter 7, "Are There any Fallacies in the Reasoning?"

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide XII

Friday Oct. 6 

Assignments due:

• TURN IN CORRECTED DRAFT OF SHORT PAPER.

Week 8

Oct. 10 American Products, the Media, and the Homogenization of Other Cultures

Readings:

• "Marie Gillespie, "You can't beat the feeling: Coca-Cola and utopia."   Restricted. Make a copy and bring to class.

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide XIII

Oct. 12

Readings:

• ARQ Chapter 9, "How Good is the Evidence:  Personal Observation, Case Studies, Research Studies, and Analogies."

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide XIV

Week 9
Oct. 17 The Appropriation of American Products and Media by Other Cultures

Readings:

• "Trinidad."; "Linking production and consumption:  The case of Coca-Cola."  (Restricted.  Copy and Bring to Class.   On page 32, skip the top of the page and start after the blank.  The title should be "Linking production and consumption:  the case of Coca-Cola").

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide XV

Oct. 19

• Mid-Term Examination.  See Exams link on FOI homepage for details.

Oct. 11

Assignments due:

• Write-up of first extra-curricular event due by Sunday noon.  Remember, this will be graded.  I expect a coherent argument, strong-sense if possible, on the cultural value of the event (see the dictionary, look at all the definitions of "culture," and find the one that fits your event.   Don't just pick the first definition of culture.)

Week 10
Oct. 24

• Mid-Term Exam

Oct. 26

Topic:

• Short introduction to study abroad or for ISU credit at other U.S. universities.

Readings:

• Reread and bring to class the two articles on Coca Cola.
• Critical Thinking Guide XVI.
• Come to Class with a list of different issues you might like to explore as part of a group research project and as your term paper. Click her for suggested group and individual topics. 
• For help, read "Foundations of Research," section "The Research Process," "So What's the Problem,  "Find a Topic."  Also read "Assignment Descriptions:  Term Paper and Panel Discussion."
• Groups will meet in class and decide on a group issue and on separate individual projects.  Groups should have different issues.
• Start work on SECOND LIBRARY EXERCISE due on Friday Nov. 3.

Friday Oct. 27 

Assignment due:

• Netforum 3:  Strong-Sense Arguments by Friday Midnight.  Remember, a strong sense argument takes into account the strengths as well as weakness of more than one side of the issue.  (Put <p> before new paragraphs).  Click for details on who writes and argument and who responds  

Topic:

• Do consumers have a right to consume whatever they want no matter what the environmental or social costs?  Or do consumers have a responsibility (to other countries or future generations) for limiting consumption, protecting the environment, or sharing consumption with those within the U.S. or in poorer countries who do not have enough to eat?   I suggest that you deal with either the environmental or the social question.

Optional Reading:

• "I'm OK, You're Selfish."  

Week 11
Oct. 31

Topic:  Library Research for Term Paper.

Meet at Library 213C:  The entire class period will be devoted to individual research on individual parts of group projects.  You should come up with a list of a least 5 books and 5 articles on your topic.  Our librarian and I will be available to assist you. 

Assignments due:

• You should have already decided on an individual topic within the group topic and made sure that no one else in the group is treating that topic.
• Reread The Foundations Book, "Foundations of Research:  What Kind of Information do I need," "Look for Information," "Find What You Need," and "Can I Trust What I've Found," Repeat as Needed," and "Putting it All Together." 

Nov. 2

 The Harmful Effects of Consumption

Readings:

• "The Environmental Costs of Consumption, How Much is Enough (Chapter 4, Bring to Class).

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide XVII
• Turn in typed copy of your bibliography.  Use the correct MLA or APA format.

Nov. 3.

Assignments due:

SECOND LIBRARY EXERCISE ON INTERNET RESEARCH DUE

Week 12
Nov. 7

Readings:

View and Interpret:

• Erin Brockovich (Even if you have seen the film already, view it again in terms of the questions on Critical Thinking Guide XIII.  There is only one copy on reserve in the Media Resources Section of Milner, sixth floor, so you may want to rent a copy from a local video store. )

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide XVIII

Nov. 9

Readings: 

• ARQ Chapter 11 "Are the Statistics Deceptive"? 

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide XIX
• In-Class Worksheet in preparation for Final Exam.

Week 13
Nov. 14 Social Responsibility for the Effects of American Consumption on Other Countries

Topic:  Presentation on Sweatshops: Nino, Ken, and Charlie

Readings:

• "Too Much Corporate Power?"  Business Week (Copy and Bring to Class)

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide XX

Nov. 16 Competing Views on the Effects of American Consumption and Social Responsibility

Readings:

• "Are Sweatshops Necessarily Evil?" (Restricted.  Make a copy and bring to class.)

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide XXI

Nov. 17

Assignment due:

• Critical Rereading (proofing) Guidelines 
• FIRST DRAFT OF TERM PAPER DUE (8-10 PAGES).

Week 14
Nov. 21 Do We Have a Responsibility for Poor Countries? 

Readings:

• "Rich and Poor" (Restricted.  Make a copy and bring to class.  If your computer cannot print out a copy, read it on the computer.)  Which article to read.

Assignments due:

• Critical Thinking Guide XXII  

Nov. 23 Thanksgiving

Week 15
Nov. 28 

Topic:  Class group preparation for panel discussions:  writing the short summary of overall group research.

Nov. 30  Panels I and II

Week 16
Dec. 4

Dec. 5 Panels III and IV

Dec. 7  Panels V and VI

Dec. 8  All final drafts of term papers due by noon along with complete portfolio (see "Assignment Descriptions").

Final Exam Week
Dec. 12 Tuesday Final Exam 3:10

Dec. 13  Write-up of second extra-curricular event due by noon.  Remember, this will be graded.  I expect a coherent argument, strong-sense if possible, on the cultural value of the event (see the dictionary, look at all the definitions of "culture," and find the one that fits your event.   Don't just pick the first definition of culture.)

Extra Articles:

Capitalist Individualism:
Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (extract from the chapter "Spirit of Capitalism," Restricted) Excerpts from Weber on the Protestant Ethic (Restricted)

Responsibility for One's Own Actions
"Consumption, Individualism, Individual Choice and Social Responsibility in America"

Consumption:
Paying the Real Costs of Oil Consumption, Economist 11/13/99
Financial Transactions Grow Faster than Global Output, Economist 10/23/99
Global Economy trickles down to all? , Economist 9/11/99
World Poverty, World Bank, Economist 4/1/99
Consumption, East Asia, Economist 2/13/99
"Japanese consumers feeling sorry for themselves", Economist 4/10/99
Consumption and China, Economist 1/2/99
Consumption and Negative Rate of Savings in U.S., Economist 11/14/98
Consumption, Children's toys, their production

Environmental Costs:
Business and Global Warming
"Beyond 2000 Will we Still eat Meat?"
"The Rising Seas"  (Restricted) 
"Is it true that the atmosphere is warming up...?"

Consuming Human Parts and Private Lives
"The New Cannibalism." (Restricted)
"The Voyeur Dorm"

Gambling:
"Gambling on the Future"
"Can't Pay, shan't pay"
Corporations avoid taxes

Disney:
Faculty Letters on Disney planned community at Celebration Florida (Restricted)
Living in a Disney Town, With Big Brother at Bay (Restricted)
At Celebration, Some Reasons to Celebrate (Restricted)
How Suburban Design is Failing Teenagers (Restricted)
Working for Uncle Scrouge:   Disney"

Corporate Research and the truth
"Cell Phone Nightmare"

Trickle Down:
Deregulation of power and Consumption, Economist 9/25/99
Smaller Government may not Hurt the Weak, Economist 9/20/97
Trickle Down Britain, Economist 4/27/95
Article preceding previous article, Economist 2/18/95
Politicians, Poverty more important than wealth, Economist 2/11/95

FOI syllabus 1999