“People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.” ― Søren Kierkegaard
ROSA PARKS once said: "As long as there is unemployment, war, crime and all things that go to the infliction of man's inhumanity to man, regardless - there is much to be done, and people need to work together."
There can be no daily democracy without daily citizenship. RALPH NADER
Welcome Great Ones!
The image in the header of our blog for POL/SOC 3062 The Political Sociology of Courage is of the unknown "Tank Man" in Beijing, China who summoned the courage to face dozens of tanks in the face of the Tiananmen Square Massacre of students in 1989. 2013 marks the 24th anniversary of the event in June. To appreciate the awe-someness of his act under a Communist regime, click here to see the larger view of this scene.
Why is it so hard to imagine doing something so courageous (or was it reckless)? Even in our democracy, touted as the greatest in the world, these kinds of acts and even small acts of courage seem rare. What then is courage? How do we learn to be courageous? Can we teach ourselves or it is a purely social act, a public act?
This course will examine power and the text we will use Readings in Contemporary Political Sociology ed. by Kate Nash will be our literary guide, but the real grit of the course will come from you. You and I will examine how power works sociologically in our own lives. How you and I as individuals can galvanize power in community or in social ecologies where and when issues matter. This is about creating a sustainable and ethical community and civilization of power where inequalities, differences and money matter. That said, it is the power of your voice in all the possible ramifications of that that matter most in any political structure or ecology.
On day one of our course we begin with one-minute talks from the class. Then we will watch the documentary The People Speak by historian and author of the People's History of the United States Professor Howard Zinn. Watch the trailer below and test out the comment section below after watching. You will be asked to blog or comment here once a week for preparation in our dialogues.
The major theme for the course is COURAGE and the sub-themes will examine sociological theories of stigma introduced by sociologist Robert Merton; we will examine what constitutes a "speech act" under our free speech; and how Erving Goffman's work on the Presentation of the Self plays a big role in how and why we may resist being courageous. Where would you love to be courageous in the classroom? What about in your life?
Why teach a political sociology course as a practical exercise and examination of courage? That's for you to answer this term. I have my own reasons and it's too soon to share. All you really should know is that I am committed to empowering emerging adults to own their own greatness and this is another one of my experiments in that. Welcome to the experience! -- Prof. G
The image in the header of our blog for POL/SOC 3062 The Political Sociology of Courage is of the unknown "Tank Man" in Beijing, China who summoned the courage to face dozens of tanks in the face of the Tiananmen Square Massacre of students in 1989. 2013 marks the 24th anniversary of the event in June. To appreciate the awe-someness of his act under a Communist regime, click here to see the larger view of this scene.
Why is it so hard to imagine doing something so courageous (or was it reckless)? Even in our democracy, touted as the greatest in the world, these kinds of acts and even small acts of courage seem rare. What then is courage? How do we learn to be courageous? Can we teach ourselves or it is a purely social act, a public act?
This course will examine power and the text we will use Readings in Contemporary Political Sociology ed. by Kate Nash will be our literary guide, but the real grit of the course will come from you. You and I will examine how power works sociologically in our own lives. How you and I as individuals can galvanize power in community or in social ecologies where and when issues matter. This is about creating a sustainable and ethical community and civilization of power where inequalities, differences and money matter. That said, it is the power of your voice in all the possible ramifications of that that matter most in any political structure or ecology.
On day one of our course we begin with one-minute talks from the class. Then we will watch the documentary The People Speak by historian and author of the People's History of the United States Professor Howard Zinn. Watch the trailer below and test out the comment section below after watching. You will be asked to blog or comment here once a week for preparation in our dialogues.
The major theme for the course is COURAGE and the sub-themes will examine sociological theories of stigma introduced by sociologist Robert Merton; we will examine what constitutes a "speech act" under our free speech; and how Erving Goffman's work on the Presentation of the Self plays a big role in how and why we may resist being courageous. Where would you love to be courageous in the classroom? What about in your life?
Why teach a political sociology course as a practical exercise and examination of courage? That's for you to answer this term. I have my own reasons and it's too soon to share. All you really should know is that I am committed to empowering emerging adults to own their own greatness and this is another one of my experiments in that. Welcome to the experience! -- Prof. G
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