Midterm
20%
Final exam
20%
First set of take-home essays
15%
Second set of take-home essays
15%
Third set of take-home essays
15%
Class attendance and participation
15%
Academic accommodations are available for students with documented disabilities. These accommodations must be approved through the Office of Disability and Support Services (Ext. 7584). Students with approved accommodations should schedule an appointment with the instructor early in the semester to discuss any accommodation that may be needed for this course.
Attendance in class is mandatory. Missing more than two classes will affect your final grade.
By participation, I mean (a) doing the readings before class on the day they are assigned, (b) joining in class discussions, and (c) participating in Blackboard discussion forums when asked to. I realize that not everyone feels comfortable speaking in class when they are unsure about the material or have opinions they fear are unpopular. For this reason, I see it as my duty to prepare a safe classroom environment where you can ask for clarification, make mistakes, and debate ideas, so please take advantage of this and participate. I appreciate comments about how I can improve the classroom environment.
A midterm and a final exam will be given in class, covering concepts and theories found in the readings and discussed in class. These exams are designed to make sure you understand the theories and debates presented in the readings.
Three sets of essays will be due throughout the semester. For each, in approximately 4-6 pages you will answer two questions that require original analysis and empirical applications of the course ideas and debates. Since the questions will be available well in advance of the due date, I encourage you to begin writing essays as soon as we have covered the relevant course materials.
For instructions and essay questions to answer, click here.