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JOHN ABBOTT COLLEGE Department of Humanities, Philosophy, and Religion Course Outline Humanities: Worldviews; Mr. Wayne's Course What is “Humanities”? -
What is a “worldview”?
A. GENERAL INFORMATION General Education: Humanities; Set Two, Common To All Programs. Humanities
B. INTRODUCTION INSTRUCTOR'S PERSPECTIVE In this course we will have a look at ourselves, each other, and the worlds that surround us all. We will try to make sense of the tremendous differences in opinion and behavior that we see around us. Space Ship Earth is becoming very small and very crowded and we need all the understanding we can get. ROLE IN GENERAL EDUCATION: "Humanities, as part of the core curriculum, is intended to promote personal and social development and to give students a foundation that will help them understand their roles in contemporary society as members of the labour force, citizens, and individuals. The three sets of objectives and standards in Humanities propose common frameworks for understanding the experiences, ideas, and values of humankind and their diversity. The student is aimed at developing critical thinking, reinforcing the ancillary skills involved in careful reading, organized writing, and well-developed oral presentations, and, where appropriate, improving media and computer literacy. Once students have mastered the three-stage process of analysis, synthesis and evaluation, they will be able to reflect in an informed manner and to communicate what they have learned in an organized and coherent fashion." (MEQ - General Education) C. COURSE OBJECTIVES "Worldview" as a critical concept was first developed by a scholar named Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1911) According to Peter Hans Rickman of City University in London, UK, Wilhelm Dilthey claimed that we have a tendency to formulate a comprehensive interpretation of reality which combines a sense of what is, what is of worth, and what is our active responsibility. These interpretations are subjective and relative and we make a mistake if we claim they are objective. If we want to understand "human life" we have to understand these interpretations as they appear in religion, in politics, in social relations, and in creative expressions.(1) In order to be able to do this one needs: 1 - The ability to define and describe some basic elements that make up one's interpretation and evaluation of the surrounding physical and cultural environment, one's worldview. 2 - The ability to communicate, in depth, a description of one's personal view of the world in terms that get this viewpoint across to others, even to those who do not share it. 3 - The ability to give an objective or unprejudiced description of a way of interpreting and evaluating one's surrounding physical and cultural environment, a view of the world, that is different from, and even contradicts one's own. 4 - The ability to do a comparative analysis of the different worldviews. D. COURSE CONTENT The initial material we will examine will be ourselves, the participants in the course. We will be a primary resource. We will be getting to know ourselves and by expressing that, getting to know each other. The second phase will be the research and field work that will examine those perspectives or worldviews that confront us from the larger environment. COURSE SCHEDULE: Class#1: AUG-26 (A) What are We Doing Here? Education, School, College, General Education, Humanities, Worldviews, Mister Wayne's Course, Your worldview, Their worldview. (B) Clarification of Course Outline: preliminary workshops, mid-term essay, seminars, and seminar responses. Class#2: AUG-28 (A) Questions about Course Outline. (B) Selection of the seminar topics. (C) Workshop pattern; introduction, discussion, assignment, workshop, report. Class#3: SEP-02 Explanation and discussion of the workshop assignment "Human Nature." "Human Nature." Do I have a spiritual dimension or am I merely an animal? Am I a solitary individual or am I a participant in a larger community? Class#4: SEP-04 Workshop assignment due; "Human Nature." Workshop "Human Nature," discussion and report. Class#5: SEP-09 Explanation and discussion of the workshop assignment "Identity." "Identity." How do my "nation" and my "culture" contribute to my personal identity? Class#6: SEP-11 Workshop assignment due; "Identity." Workshop: "Identity," discussion and report. Class#7: SEP-16 Explanation and discussion of the workshop assignment "Values, Goals, and Priorities." "Values, Goals, and Priorities." What are my basic values, goals, and priorities? What are my rules to live by, goals to achieve, and their order according to importance? Class#8: SEP-18 Workshop assignment due; "Values, Goals, and Priorities." Workshop "Values, Goals, and Priorities," discussion and report. Class#9: SEP-23 Explanation and discussion of the workshop assignment "Freedom and Responsibility." "Freedom and Responsibility." What is the relation between my freedom and my responsibility? What is the relation between my liberty and my political activity? Class#10: SEP-25 Workshop assignment due; "Freedom and Responsibility." Workshop "Freedom and Responsibility,"discussion and report. Class#11: SEP-30 Explanation and discussion of the workshop assignment "The Meaning of Life." "The Meaning of Life." What is it that gives meaning to my life? What is it that makes me wonder if it is really all worthwhile? Class#12: OCT-02 Workshop assignment due "The Meaning of Life." Workshop "The Meaning of Life," discussion and report. Class#13: OCT-07 Review of the objectives and standards for the summative mid-term essay "My Worldview." Assignment due OCT-16 Class#15. Class#14: OCT-09 "Seminars" preparation workshop: Preparation for the seminar presentations. The focus will shift to the worldview of the "Other" you have selected. This will include the identification and clarification of those elements central to their worldview. The objective of the workshop is to develop preliminary seminar presentation plans as an aid in preparing for the seminar presentations. Class#15: OCT-16 Assignment due: "My Worldview." Read-around and roundtable discussion. Class#16: OCT-21 (A) Finalization of the Seminar schedule. (B) Objectives and standards for the assignment "Seminar Responses."
Class#28: DEC-02 Reminder and reiteration of the objectives and standards for the assignment "Seminar Responses." Class#29: DEC-04 Assignment due: "Seminar Responses." Concluding Roundtable: observations and conclusions from the course. Class#30: DEC-09 (A) Verification of the Mark Recorder. (B) Final Grades. (C) Instructor Evaluation Questionnaire. E. REQUIRED TEXTS None. F. BIBLIOGRAPHY In as much as there is no assigned book, no text, for this course the students are nevertheless expected to make use of various reference materials, such as college level dictionaries and encyclopedias, and the various media in the arts, social sciences, and sciences. They may make use, as they see fit, of personal resources, libraries, mass media, commercial mass media outlets as well as the physical and human resources in the community. G. TEACHING METHODS This course will make use of roundtables, lectures, workshops, seminars, discussions, and presentations, all in a basically informal atmosphere. H. DEPARTMENTAL ATTENDANCE POLICY Since attendance is an integral part of understanding and obtaining competencies in Humanities, Philosophy, and Religion courses, students who miss more than 20% of class time can fail unless there are legitimate reasons. However, motivated absences are not a substitute for formative assignments or assessment activities that have been missed. All such work must be made up in order to complete the objectives of the course and to participate in the appropriate assessments. I. EVALUATION PLAN ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS SESSION OF THE DUE DATE. A STUDENT WHO DOES NOT MEET THE DEADLINE FOR AN ASSIGNMENT MAY SUBMIT THE ASSIGNMENT FOR CONSIDERATION PROVIDED IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY A COVER LETTER CONTAINING (A) COMPLETE ID INFORMATION (B) AN EXPLANATION OF THE REASON FOR BEING UNABLE TO MEET THE DEADLINE AND (C) A FORMAL REQUEST THAT THE ASSIGNMENT BE CONSIDERED FOR "MAKE UP" CREDIT. Assignments may be hand written, if legible, double spaced, 8 1/2" x 11" paper, one side only, stapled upper left. Do not use a cover page. On the first page include an ID section containing: a) student's name b) course title and section, c) instructor's name, d) assignment title, e) date. If the above format is not followed professionally the assignment will not be accepted for assessment. PRELIMINARY WORKSHOP ASSIGNMENTS: 4% each. These are to be opinion pieces in the form of short personal essays, 200 words minimum. Some informal research and reflection should be done in order to be able to respond more effectively to these issues. They should include some indication of the background and backup, with illustrative examples, of your individual position and experience concerning the various elements. (1) "Human Nature." Do I have a spiritual dimension or am I merely an animal? Am I a solitary individual or am I a participant in a larger community? Due at the beginning of Class#4: SEP-04. (2) "Identity." How do my nation and my culture contribute to my personal identity? Due at the beginning of Class#6: SEP-11. (3) "Values, Goals, and Priorities." What are my basic values, goals, and priorities? What are my rules to live by, goals to achieve, and their order according to importance? Due at the beginning of Class#8: SEP-18. (4) "Freedom and Responsibility." What is the relation between my freedom and my responsibility? What is the relation between my liberty and my political activity? Due at the beginning of Class#10: SEP-25. (5) "The Meaning of Life." What is it that gives meaning to my life? What is it that makes me wonder if it is really all worthwhile? Due at the beginning of Class#12: OCT-02. MID TERM ASSESSMENT: (6) "My Worldview." Mid-term essay: 20%. Due at the beginning of Class#15 OCT-16. The mid-term essay will be a personal essay in which the student will integrate and harmonize the work done in the preliminary assignments so as to demonstrate her or his ability: A: To define and describe the basic elements that make up one's interpretation and evaluation of the surrounding physical and cultural environment, i.e. elements that go to make up one's worldview. B: To write up an in-depth description of one's personal view of the world in terms that get this viewpoint across to others, even to those who do not share it. Mid-term essay evaluation criteria: - Recollection of and reflection on personal experience. - Responsiveness to issues and positions that have arisen in classroom sessions. - Skill at addressing the diversity of perspectives in the audience. - Thoroughness of the presentation. - Clarity of the vocabulary chosen. - Length 1000 words. (7) Seminar Presentation: 20% Date as assigned. A seminar consists of an informal presentation of information and opinions as the basis for informal discussion among all the participants. The objective of the seminar is to demonstrate the ability to give an objective or unprejudiced description of a way of interpreting and evaluating one's surrounding physical and cultural environment, a view of the world, that is different from, and even contradicts one's own.(Objective #3) The topic of the seminar presentation will be the worldview of an individual or group, real or imaginary, from the past, the present, or the future. The perspective of the presentation should be that of the individual or group selected. It is not intended as a critique of their worldview. The length of the presentation should be about 7 minutes, at the end of which the presenter will respond to questions and comments for another 7 minutes. N.B.- Rough notes, 150 words (minimum), prepared as an aid in the presentation are to be handed in to the instructor to assist in the evaluation of the seminar. Seminar evaluation criteria: - Preparation: Research, reflection, focus, organization, and familiarity. - Presentation: Volume, pace, clarity, style, contact. - Discussion: The quality of responses to questions asked for clarification as well as comparative analysis. - Quality: Originality, insight, topicality. - Length: Fifteen minutes; including presentation, 7 minutes, and discussion, 7 minutes. FINAL ASSESSMENT (8) Seminar Responses: 20% Due at the beginning of Class#28: DEC-02. Because the seminars are intended as an integral part of the 'book' of this course, the students will submit a response statement for each of the seminar classes. They should contain one entry, at least 100 words in length, from each class, NOT FROM EACH PRESENTATION, during which seminar presentations have been made. These entries must contain a comparative analysis of worldviews. The comparative analysis may be between or among the worldviews presented, or between the student's own worldview and one or several of those presented, or between one or several of those presented and the worldview of the student's "other". (Objective # 4) J. COURSE COSTS Except for miscellaneous school supplies there are no costs associated with this course. K. COLLEGE POLICY ON CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM The College's policy on cheating and plagiarism, as set forth in the Institutional Policy on the Evaluation of Student Achievement (IPESA), will be strictly adhered to. Refer to CEGEP John Abbott College of General and Professional Education Policy No. 7. Institutional Policy on the Evaluation of Student Achievement (IPESA) Chapter 22. Cheating & Plagiarism. This Policy was adopted for the first time by Resolution Number 283-07 on October 30, 2001. This document is available online at: http://www.johnabbott.qc.ca/webpages/departments/human_resources/IPESA_P7.pdf End Note: (1) Rickman, H.P. "Dilthey, Wilhelm," Encyclopedia of Philosophy. New York: MacMillan, 1967. Vol. 2, 404-405. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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