TOPICS OFFERED FOR SUMMER 2006
Please note that the books listed for each course are only
possible candidates.
Do not buy any until the coordinators advise you what they will use as a core
text, if any.
1. (AMR) 1491:
THE AMERICAS BEFORE
COLUMBUS
What was life like in the
Americas before the arrival of Europeans? Traditionally schools have taught
that the ancestors of the people who inhabited the Western Hemisphere prior to
1492 had crossed the Bering Strait 12,000 years ago; existed mainly in small,
nomadic bands; and the Americas were a vast wilderness. Recent research shows
some startling differences; viz., in 1491 there were probably more people
living in the Americas than in Europe, and certain cities in the Americas were
far greater in population than any contemporary European city.
This SDG will examine these
and other aspects of pre-Columbian life (agriculture, ecology, religious
practices, trade, etc.) and give us new understandings of our history and our
environment. Possible presentation topics include: the Inca and Aztecs as well
as Mound Builders, Alliances and wars between groups of people, Influences
(such as disease) which arrived from Europe, Influences (such as crops and
medicines) which went the other way across the Atlantic, Migration theories,
Writing in the Americas, etc.
A typical meeting would
include a discussion of selected chapters of the common reading for half the
time, and for the remainder presentations by members of the S/DG based on their
own researches.
Common Reading: 1491, New Revelations of the Americas
before Columbus,
by Charles C. Mann ($30.00)
AM1: 1st & 3rd Friday, p.m. – Room 7
AM2: 1st & 3rd Monday, a.m. - Room 7
In this tricentennial year of Franklin’s birth, we will
look at the life of one of our premiere founding fathers. We’ll study his time
as a printer, a scientist, a politician, and a statesman. As a scientist he
invented the stove, the lightening rod, and bifocal eyeglasses. As a politician and statesman, we’ll see his
contribution to our independence from Britain and his pivotal role in securing
France’s support both during the War of Independence and in our early years as
a Confederation of States. His
extraordinary life was so much more than just a part of American history.
Common Reading: Benjamin Franklin: An American Life,
by Walter Isaacson
Simon & Schuster 2003
BEN: 1st & 3rd
Wednesday, p.m. – Room 8
High on the list of society’s concerns is crime and what to
do about it. This study discussion
group will examine the fundamentals of our criminal justice system,
recommendations for reforming, international comparisons, causes of crimes, the
police, plea bargaining, the jury system, sentencing, juveniles, organized
crime, white collar crime, parole and prison life.
Some other topics for research and presentation are: The
three strikes law; White collar crime vs. street crime; race and the criminal
justice system; Substance abuse policy and the criminal justice system;
Criminalizing the mentally ill; The death penalty: deterrence or not?; Fairness
of the system: men vs. women; The parole system – is it working?; Juvenile
Justice System
Possible Common Reading: Courtroom 302, by Steve Bogira (
$18.00) or
Criminal
Justice System, by Ronald G. Burns ($16.00
CJS: 2nd & 4th
Wednesday, p.m. – Room 8
4. (DEC) GREAT
DECISIONS - 2006
Each year the Foreign Policy Association publishes a book
of eight issues in foreign policy. This
S/DG has always inspired lively discussions.
The topics for 2006 are UN Reform, the U.S. and Iran, Energy resources,
Brazil, Human rights in an age of terrorism, China and India - competitors or
collaborators ?, Turkey, and Pandemics and Security.
Common Reading: Foreign
Policy 2006. About $14 if ordered
in bulk.
DEC: 2nd & 4th
Tuesday, p.m. - Room 7
5.
(DRK) WERE
THE DARK AGES
REALLY DARK?
What inventions, learning and culture set the stage for the
sudden intellectual growth that was the Renaissance, and the success of the
western model. Rather than patterns of weather and agriculture, Stark argues,
Europe's primacy in economic, political, and social progress was due to its
embrace of Christianity, which opened a space for reason and hence
science-driven technology.
Stark contends that Christianity is a forward-looking
religion, evincing faith in progress and in its followers' abilities to
understand God over time. Such a future-based rational theology has encouraged
the development of technical and organizational advances, such as the monastic
estates and universities of the Middle Ages. Stark contends that these
developments transformed medieval political philosophy so that democracy
developed and thrived in those states, such as northern Italy, that lacked despots
and encouraged moral equality. Stark concludes by maintaining that Christianity
continues to spread in places like Africa, China and Latin America because of
its faith in progress, its rational theology and its emphasis on moral
equality. The dark ages thus set the foundation for rise of capitalism and the
success of the west.
Topics: Based on the book look at what when on in each
country in Europe to set the foundation for the modern world. Establish the
truth or falsity of Stark’s many arguments.
Common
Reading:
The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom,
Capitalism, and Western Success, by Rodney Stark (Hardcover)
DRK: 2nd & 4th
Thursday, p.m. – Room 8
6. (HEM) ERNEST
HEMINGWAY – THE
SHORT STORIES
Before he gained fame as a novelist, Ernest Hemingway
established his literary reputation with short stories. The common reading contains 49 definitive
short stories as well as stories published in books or magazines, including: The Snows of Kilimanjaro, A Clean Well-Lighted
Place, Light of the World, Hills Like White Elephants, The Old Man at the
Bridge, Soldier’s Home, White Elephants, etc.
Presentations and discussions include literary style and individual
interpretations of the stories. Our
goal is to discover, read, discuss and enjoy well-written short stories by a
popular American writer who is well known for his classics.
Common Reading: The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway
(Scribner Paperback, ISBN 0684-84332-3)
HEM: 1st & 3rd
Thursday, p.m. – Room 8
A short
story is a microscopic peek into the culture of its author. As our world
shrinks, we want to know more about people and their tales beyond stories
within our borders. The editor of the text wants to introduce the reader to
writings from 35 countries that do not easily find their way into the hands of
the general reader--especially the reader confined to English. The stories are
narratives well told. They are documents of our condition, seemingly limitless
in their array of setting, tone, dialogue, and method of storytelling. Many
tales are quite short; however, the unfamiliar culture may require more time to
digest.
Common Reading: The Art of the Story--International
Anthology of Contemporary Short Stories,
by Daniel Halpern (Penguin Books, 2000; $17)
IS1: 1st & 3rd Tuesday, a.m. - Room 7
IS2: 2nd & 4th Wednesday, p.m. - Room 7
8. (OLD) GET
OVER GETTING OLDER
Omniloreans research and learn from each other on various
topics but discussion of the process of aging is often limited to email
humor. The topic is often relegated to
the status of the elephant in the living room.
No one mentions it, they just put a doily on it with a lamp and pretend
it isn’t there. This study discussion group will do what we do best . . .
harness our intellects to research and discuss a rational approach to
increasing enjoyment of life as we age, learning ways to add productivity to
their years. Rules for optimal living
will be discussed and debated. Refuting
society’s prejudices regarding aging will also be presented and reviewed. Overall, a psychological study of the aging
process will be undertaken that will include but not be limited to the
following topics: biological aspects of aging; theories of aging; romance and
sex in the third age; financial impacts; other societies and aging; famous
centenarians; strength training and exercise; depress-sion; sleep patterns and
aging; volunteerism; future communities; politics and aging.
Possible Common Reading: Optimal Aging: Get
Over Getting Older, by Albert Ellis
Or any
other book selected by the coordinators.
OLD: 1st & 3rd
Tuesday, p.m. - Room 7
Have you ever stood before an amazing piece of sculpture and
held your breathe? The need and desire
for expression by bringing materials to life has been with us since earliest
times. This study discussion group will
study this art form in depth. It will
look at the methods, materials and processes used by ancient to modern
sculptors while studying the characteristics of the different art periods and
the styles of famous sculptors.
Some topic suggestions for research and presentations are
forms of sculpture (bust, fountain, statue); various ancient sculptures (Etruscan,
Chinese, Greek); sculpture periods (Classical, Renaissance, Baroque, Modern);
architecture and sculpture; lives and works of famous sculptors.
There will be no common reading. Members will use various sources including the internet to
research the information. A field trip
to a museum or sculpture garden could enhance this learning experience.
No Common Reading: Members will use various sources including
the internet to research the information.
A field trip to a museum or sculpture garden could enhance this learning
experience
SCU: 1st & 3rd
Wednesday, p.m. - Room 7
10. (SWL) SIMON
WIESENTHAL
The story of Simon Wiesenthal, who spent sixty years
exposing and hunting down the Nazi criminals who perpetrated the
Holocaust. He was instrumental in
bringing over 1500 to justice. He
exposed that the Nazis murdered Gypsies, union leaders, Christians and the
retarded. His work pressured
governments to form organizations dedicated to identifying Nazi thugs.
Topics
for research could include other mass murders, differing views of guilt,
differing views of history by other nations, how to recompense victims and
their families, the weakness of the World Court, and the complicity of other
nations in the Holocaust.
Common Reading: Nazi Hunter: The Wiesenthal File, by
Alan Levy
SWL: 1st & 3rd
Thursday, p.m. - Room 7
11.
(WRI) THE
WRITING MIND
Ever consider writing your autobiography or significant
memoirs of' your life for children and future family generations? The Writing Mind is a S/DG devoted to
sharing your written thoughts with supportive colleagues. Prose and poetry, fiction and non-fiction,
personal or fairy tale! Simply satisfy
your writing pleasure. Class members
will be responsible for at least one presentation on any facet of writing or a
written submission of at least two pieces of original work and constructive
criticism of works submitted by other members.
No Common Reading.
WRI: 2nd
& 4th Thursday, p.m. - Room 7
A
Lecture-Based Study Group for the Summer
(not conducted by CSUDH)
12.
(ORG) ORIGINS
OF LIFE
This S/DG will provide exposure to recent scientific
efforts to determine the origins of life in the universe. This will be achieved with a series of 24
half-hour long recorded lectures by a prominent researcher in the field. This is not a typical science course in
which a consensus view on known facts is presented. Rather, we get a view of research in action. Lecture topics include “What is life?”
“Molecular Biosignatures,” “Life from the Bottom of the Sea,” “Is there Life on
Mars,” “The RNA and Pre-RNA Worlds,” “Natural Selection and Competition,”
etc. Each of the eight class sessions
would be comprised of three of the lectures with the remainder of the class
devoted to discussion of the material presented. There would be no presentations by class members. A book of lecture transcripts may be
purchased if desired.
No Common Reading
OR1: 2nd & 4th Wednesday, a.m.
OR2: 1st & 3rd Monday, p.m. - Room 7