sociology of public intellectuals/public sociology undergraduate seminar,

Special topic: Public Sociology and Public Intellectuals

Winter-Spring 2014

Instructor:

Monday, 230pm to 520pm Dr.McLaughlin

Office: KTH-620 Ext.:23611

Office

Hours: Monday 115pm to215pm and by appointment

There will be no set non-appointment based office hours after thelast class in April: Appointments only.

Email Address: [email protected]

Course Description

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We will discuss the debate about public intellectuals andpublic sociology, and do an overview of theories that are usefulfor discussing intellectuals and academics who speak to thepublic. We will then examine various case studies: publicsociologists in the 1950s and 1960s, feminist intellectuals,black intellectuals, philanthropist intellectuals, psychologicalintellectuals, Canadian conservative intellectuals, Indigenousintellectuals, celebrity intellectuals and the case of NoamChomsky. We will end with discussing public sociology in Canada.Students will read and discuss this material and these cases,write responses to the readings, do a set of small in classtests, and choose an intellectual or academic or celebrity orjournalist of their choice (cleared with the instructor) andwrite a first draft, give an in-class presentation and write afinal paper.

Class Readings

Books

Custom Courseware (CC) available in the bookstore.Includes chapters from various books, outlined in the courseoutline.

Articles .

Neil McLaughlin (1998) “How to Become a Forgotten Intellectual” Sociological Forum 13(2): 215-246

Randall Collins “How Public Intellectuals are Successful” European Journal of Social Theory 14(4):437-452

Robert Nisbet “The Loose Individual” Available free on line

http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=876&chapter=77069&layout=html&Itemid=27

Michael Burrawoy (2005). “For Public Sociology” in American Sociological Review 70 (1):4-28.2

Sterne, Jonathan. (2005). “C. Wright Mills, the Bureau for Applied Social Research, and the Meaning of Critical Scholarship”. Cultural Studies, Critical Methodologies, 5(1): 65-94

McLaughlin N, and Townsley (2011) “The Public Intellectual Debatein Canada,” Canadian Review of Sociology 48(4) 340-368

Bourdieu, Pierre (1989) “Social Space and Symbolic Power” Sociological Theory 7(1) 14-25

McLaughlin, Neil, and Skaidra Trilupaityte (2012)"The International Circulation of Attacks and the Reputational Consequences of Local Context: George Soros’s Difficult Reputation in Russia, Post-Soviet Lithuania and the United States."Cultural Sociology 7(4):431-446.

Davies, Scott. "Drifting apart? The Institutional dynamics awaiting public sociology in Canada." Canadian Journal of Sociology 34.3 (2009): 623-654.

Creese, Gillian, Arlene Tigar McLaren, and Jane Pulkingham. "Rethinking Burawoy: reflections from Canadian feminist sociology." Canadian Journal of Sociology 34.3 (2009): 601-622.

Michael Burawoy “Disciplinary Mosaic:The Case of Canadian Sociology Journal of Canadian Sociology 34(3): 869-886.

Piven, Frances Fox. "Can power from below change the world?." American Sociological Review 73.1 (2008): 1-14.

Helmes-Hayes, Richard. "Engaged, practical intellectualism: John Porter and ‘new liberal’public sociology." Canadian Journal of Sociology 34.3 (2009): 831-868.

McLaughlin, Neil.(2010) A review of Measuring the Mosaic: An Intellectual Biography of John Porter, by Rick Helmes-Hayes in

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Literary Review of Canada January-February.

Creese, Gillian, Arlene Tigar McLaren, and Jane Pulkingham. "Rethinking burawoy: reflections from Canadian feminist sociology." Canadian Journal of Sociology 34.3 (2009): 601-622.

Davies, Scott. "Drifting apart? The Institutional dynamics awaiting public sociology in Canada." Canadian Journal of Sociology 34.3 (2009): 623-654.

CC:Selections from BooksStephen Lewis, “Context: It Shames and Diminishes Us All,” From Race Against Time (2005)Linda McQuaig and Neil Brooks, “Return of the Plotocrats,” and “Why Billionaires are Bad for Democracy,” The Trouble with Billionaires (2010)Cornel West, “Nihilism in America,” Democracy Matters (2004)Jerry Gafio Watts, Heroism and the Black Intellectual: Ralph Ellison (1994) “Introduction”Barbara Ehreirich, Nicked and Dimed, (2001) “Introduction”Barbara Ehrenreich,” “Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness” Bright Sided. (2009)Naomi Klein, “Introduction.” in The Shock Doctrine, (2007) Bell Hooks, “Introduction” and “Loving Blackness” in Black Looks (1992)Conrad Black, “Postlude: Reflections on the American Justice System,” in A Matter of Principle (2011)Maurice Isserman The Other American “The man who discovered poverty”Lewis Coser, “The Intellectual as Celebrity,” Dissent, Winter 1973.

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Franz Fanon, “The So-Called Dependency Complex of Colonized Peoples,” in Black Skin, White MasksEzra Levant, Shakedown, Chapter 1 and Chapter 4J. Kay, Among the Truthers, Chapter 5, “Meet the Truthers”Michael Farrell, Collaborative Circles: Friendship Dynamics and Creative Work , “Chapter 1 and Chapter 2”John Rodden, “The Politics of Literary Reputations,” chapter 1,“Orwell in the 90s,”Alain G. Gagnon, “Quebec Public Intellectuals in Time of Crisis,”in Nelson Wiseman, ed. The Public Intellectual in Canada. University of Toronto Press, 2012Tom Flanagan, “A Political Scientist in Public Affairs,” in Nelson Wiseman, ed. The Public Intellectual in Canada. University of Toronto Press, 2012John English,” The Ignatieff Phenomenon,” The Literary Review of Canada, (Dec 2013) 21:10: 3-4.Freedman Dyson, review of “David and Golaith” by Malcolm Gladwell, in The New York Review of Books (Nov 21, 2013) LX: 18: 22-29.Recommended Readings:

Nelson Wiseman, ed. The Public Intellectual in Canada. University ofToronto Press, 2012.

Nichols, Lawrence T., ed. Public sociology: The contemporary debate. Transaction Books, 2011.

Clawson, Dan, ed. Public sociology: fifteen eminent sociologists debate politics and the profession in the twenty-first century. Univ of California Press, 2007.

On Line:Videos:

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Taiaiake videohttp://vimeo.com/4650972

Stephen Lewis on Jack Laytonhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpvb_Hu2QpE

Girouxalwaysquestionauthority.com/2013/11/25/bill-moyers-zombie-politics-and-culture-in-the-age-of-casino-capitalism-henry-giroux/

Chomsky selection:http://www.alternet.org/visions/noam-chomsky-america-hates-its-poor

Michael Coren on Occupy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XewSwJ3lAGk

Michael Coren on Catholicism on the Agendahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgTviWKWWMo

Malcolm Gladwell, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L0GGfQblrc

Cornel West On Malcolm Xhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbH_bGh0jfk

Cornel West on racism, inequality and empirehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlAFxMcFsGo

Kay on Conspiracieshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imj7GwcFW1E

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Grading:

Response to Readings and Videos (10) = 10%A page single- spaced, no more(I do not grade essays over one page)One question from each set of readings, offered for class discussion

In order to get the grades, you must post the question from the response to our discussion space on avenue (not an attachment, but a cut and paste post)

Regular short in class tests on the readings: (5) = 20%I will give 6, and you can miss one or have one low grade eliminated

First Draft of Paper: 25%

In-class Presentation: 5%

Participation: 10%

Final Paper: 30%

Papers and Presentations and grading

The first draft should be 10 pages double -spaced with proper documentation. Two books, and several articles should be consulted for the first draft.

The presentation should be under 10 minutes, with 4 or less power-point or other presentation software slides.

The final paper requires a theoretical frame, and an argument.First rate writing, and more literature consulted (based onadvice suggested by the instructor and other students afterthe presentation) and serious engagement with both classdiscussions and class readings.

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Higher grading standards will be applied to the final paperthat for the first draft.

10% grades will be taken off per day late paper or submissionwithout valid reason.

I will discuss general standards for the responses, andparticipation grade in class.Writing style and care counts

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The following can be used as a guide for estimating studentstanding in the class:

90-100% A+ 64-66% C85-89% A 67-69% C+80-84% A- 60-63% C-77-79% B+ 57-59% D+74-78% B 54-56% D70-73% B- 50-53% D-

<50% F

Course Rules

1. The best way to use email is to send me a note askingfor clarification of a point in the lectures or in thereadings. I will not directly answer emails to individualstudents about specific questions (that would be a full-timejob itself!), but if you email questions I will have ananswer prepared for the next class. You can raise generalquestions at the beginning of each class. For something thatrelates to you but not to the whole class, it is best totalk to me in person after class, or in my office hours.Please go to my office hours for complex matters regardingyour grade or success in the class or special accommodations– right before the lecture I am concentrating on the lectureand CANNOT address specific questions relating to yourperformance in the class, days you have or will miss, or

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issues such as this. Come to my office hours, or talk to meafter lecture when I am less focused on lecturing. E-mailand my voice mail are much more efficient than contactingthe staff. A note left for me at the office might staythere unread for several days. I usually check my voice mailat least once a week (but even this CANNOT be counted on!)and my e-mail regularly. The sociology office will not takefaxes and I will not read faxed essays, doctor’s notes, etc.Do not e-mail me regarding questions that can be answered bythis course outline or about material covered when youmissed class. But do email me to set up a time to talk inperson about matters that are not covered in the coursedescription. Please outline in your email the generalpurpose of our discussion, and we will set up a time to talkthat works for both of us.

2. If you miss the class when the papers are beinghanded back, come to my office hours to get your exam back –do NOT ask me about this in class. It is up to you to cometo my office. I will not be bringing papers back and forthto the classroom. Exams will be given back in the tutorialafter they are graded – after that, you must come to myoffice to get the exams.

3. The staff will not date stamp assignments!

4. All written work (exams, etc.) is expected to meetthe standards of university work. Grades will be based onmechanics, style, clarity and diction, in addition to ideas.This is a sociology class, so the major focus will be onlearning sociological ideas. But clear thinking is relatedto clear writing, and the grading will reflect this. Inaddition, sociology is part of a general liberal artsedgucation and well-developed writing skills are oneimportant selling point for liberal arts graduates on thecontemporary job market. So writing matters, and will begraded accordingly!

5. Students are expected to attend all lectures and areresponsible for all material in lectures and in course

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readings. I will be happy to discuss the class material withstudents during office hours or other arranged times butwill not review material for students when they miss classesor do not do the readings. You should ask another studentfor notes for classes that you miss. Reading assignmentsshould be completed before the class in which the readingmaterial is discussed. Grading for the submission willinclude additional points for participation in class. Andlower points for non-participation.

6.. The McMaster Student Absence Form(http://www.mcmaster.ca/msaf/ is a self reporting tool forUndergraduate Students to report absences that last up to 5days and provides the ability to request accommodation forany missed academic work. Please note, this tool cannot beused during any final examination period.

You may submit a maximum of 1 Academic Work Missed request per term. It is YOUR responsibility to follow up with your instructor immediately regarding the nature of the accommodation.

If you are absent more than 5 days, exceed 1 request per term, or are absent for a reason other than medical, you MUST visit your Associate Dean’s Office (Faculty Office). You may be required to provide supporting documentation.

This form should be filled out when you are about to return to class after your absence.

7. Students should check the web, the white board and the Undergraduate Bulletin board outside the Sociology office (KTH-627) for notices pertaining to Sociology classes or departmental business (eg. class scheduling information, location of mailboxes and offices, tutorial information, class cancellations, TA job postings, etc.).

8. Computer use in the classroom is intended to facilitate learning in that particular lecture or tutorial. At the discretion of the instructor, students using a computer for

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any other purpose may be required to turn the computer off for the remainder of the lecture or tutorial.

9. The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or allcourses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check his/her McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.

10. Effective September 1, 2010, it is the policy of the Faculty of Social Sciences that all e-mail communication sent from students to instructors (including TAs), and from students to staff, must originate from the student’s own McMaster University e-mail account. This policy protects confidentiality and confirms the identity of the student. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that communication is sent to the university from a McMaster account. If an instructor becomes aware that a communication has come from an alternate address, the instructor may not reply at his or her discretion.

11. Email Forwarding in MUGSI:http://www.mcmaster.ca/uts/support/email/emailforward.html*Forwarding will take effect 24-hours after students complete the process at the above link

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12. Factors outside the control of the instructor maynecessitate changes in this course outline. Students shouldespecially note the attached document entitled, "The Rightsand Responsibilities of Faculty During Work Stoppages byOther Groups at McMaster University" (below). Preamble: Thisstatement is complementary to, and not a substitute for, the

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statement of "Duties and Responsibilities of FacultyMembers" in the Code of Conduct for Faculty. Additionalresponsibilities of faculty members who also holdadministrative positions are described in the terms ofreference for these positions.

1. A faculty member has the right to respect theefforts of other employees to secure a collectiveagreement. 2. A faculty member is under no obligation tocarry out the duties of any University employeeengaged in a work stoppage (either a strike or alockout) nor shall he/she be subject todisciplinary action for failing to do so. 3. A faculty member who chooses to assistemployees on a work stoppage by, for example,joining the picket lines or speaking on behalf ofthe striking or locked out employees shall not besanctioned for this behaviour. 4. A faculty member has a right not to cross apicket line of striking or locked out employees.In instances where the faculty member elects toexercise this right, and has normal scheduledduties, including the teaching of courses, thatwould be affected by declining to cross a picketline, either

(a) the faculty member has made otherarrangements for carrying out thescheduled duties, and these arrangementshave been approved by the appropriateChair/Director; or (b) the faculty member has aresponsibility to advise the appropriateChair/Director as early as reasonablypossible that he/she will not beavailable for the scheduled duties, itbeing understood that, for each day onwhich this occurs, the member will bedeemed to have sought and been granted aone-day leave without pay, but withfringe benefits.

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5. Circumstances beyond the faculty member'scontrol may prevent him/her from fulfillingscheduled duties during a work stoppage. In suchcircumstances, 4(a) and 4(b) above do not apply.

13. This is a difficult and demanding class.Comparisons to other classes in this program or toother programs in the university that may be or beperceived to be less demanding will not help you focuson the task at hand. Coming to class and doing thereading is a basic requirement. But I would also HIGHLYrecommend a serious study program, where you go overyour notes before and after classes – the essays willrequire serious engagement with the material.

14. The outline of readings and the dates fortopics below is approximate, and may change as theclass progresses. Announcements of changes andrevisions will be made in class.

15. There is a significant amount of material tobe covered for the course, and it all should bediscussed on the assigments. Serious engagement withboth the lectures and the readings is essential.

16. We will show a film. It the student’sresponsibility to be in class to watch the film, sincethey should be discussed in assignments. If you cannotmake the film that day, you must get notes from otherstudents in the class (I would recommend you introduceyourself to others in the first couple of weeks ofclass, so you can perhaps later help each other) or,arrange for yourself, if possible, a showing at theLyons New Media Centre, although there is no guaranteethat this would be possible if the film is borrowedfrom another university. The instructor is notresponsible for helping arrange a make-up showing ofany film shown in class. You need to arrange thisyourself.

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I will post videos on avenue to learn, fromyoutube. You are responsible for writing responses tothe one that are on the course description (others arefor you interest), and they will be discussed in class,and engagement will count for participation grade. Andthey can be on the exam.

Please do not talk, eat, read a book, sleep, pass notes inclass, surf the internet or play music or use a cell phoneduring lectures.

17 Lap-top computers can be used, of course, if they areoperating on batteries (not plugged into outlets in class,since that can lead to students tripping) during class timeand are not used for non-class related purposes that aredistracting to other students and the instructor (theinstructor reserves the right to ask students to turn offlap-tops if their use is being abused).

18 Students must complete all assignments for the course,otherwise an F grade will be given. Under nocircumstances will grades for assignments be re-calculated so that a missed assignment can be replaced.In addition, I do not offer extra credit assignmentsfor students to improve one’s grade, unless I arrangeit for the full class (sometimes an outside lecture).

19 Please do not walk into class late, except underextraordinary circumstances. This isdistracting to the both the instructor and thestudents, and is not fair to people who come to classon-time.

POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception orby other fraudulent means and can result in serious consequences,e.g., the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: "Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty"), and/or suspension or expulsion from

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the University.

It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academicdishonesty. For information on the various kinds of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, specifically Appendix 3, located at http://www.mcmaster.ca/senate/academic/ac_integrity.htm.

1. Plagiarism, e.g., the submission of work that is not one's own or for which other credit has been obtained.

2. Improper collaboration in group work. 3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and

examinations.

COURSE OUTLINE & READINGS

1Jan 6

Class Intro

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Jan 13 Public Sociology and Public Intellectuals

Burrawoy, “ForPublic Sociology” in ASR

McLaughlin andTownsley, “ThePublic Intellectual Debate in Canada,” CRS

Rodden on “Orwell” in CC

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3 Jan 20 Theory: Collins and Bourdieu and collaborative circles

Collins, “How Public Intellectuals are Successful.” European Journal of Social Theory”

Bourdieu, “Social Space and Symbolic Power” Sociological Theory

Farrell, selection fromCollaborative Circles in CC

Review of Ignatieff in Literary Review of Canada in CC

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4Jan 27

Great Public Sociologists: Mills , Porter and Nisbet

Sterne,Jonathan.(2005). “C.Wright Mills,the Bureau forApplied SocialResearch, andthe Meaning ofCriticalScholarship”.Cultural Studies,CriticalMethodologies,5(1): 65-94.

McLaughlin, Literary Review ofCanada, review of Measuring the Moasic

Heymes Hayes, “Practical Public Intellectual.”

Nisbet, .”The Loose Individ

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ual”

(free on –line– search for Nisbet The Present Age

Selection fromGagnon in CC

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5Feb 3

The Psychological Intellectuals: Fromm, Fanon and Gilligan

McLaughlin, “How to Becomea Forgotten Intellectual”

Selections from Fanon andGilligan in CC

Gerard Taiaiake video

http://vimeo.com/4650972.

6 .Feb 10

The Poverty Intellectuals: Harrington, Piven and Lewis

Piven in ASR

Isserman on Harrington in CC and selection fromLewis in CC

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Feb 24

This Time they are Black: West. Ellison and Hook

Selections from West, Hook and Wattsin CC

Videos of Westposted on Avenue

8 .March 3

Journalists, Feminists and the Left Ehrenreich, Klein and McQauig

Selections from Ehrenrich, Klein and McQauig in CC

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9 .March 10 Rich Intellectuals:

Soros and Black

And Chomsky

http://www.alternet.org/visions/noam-chomsky-america-hates-its-poor

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McLaughlin andT on“The International Circulation ofAttacks”Cultural Sociology

Selection fromBlack in CC

Chomsky selection fromhis new book Occupy on Avenue

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10 .March 17Journalists and the Canadian Right: Kay, Coren and Levant

Presentations

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Selections from Kay, Flanagan and Levant in CC

Videos of Levant andCorenon Avenue

11 .March 24 Celebriity

Intellectuals? Zizek,Gladwell and Giroux

Presentations

.Videos on Zizek and Giroux, Gladwell andCoser on “Celebrity Intellectuals”in CC

Review of Gladwell in CC.

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Presentations .

March 31 Canadian Sociology? Davies in CJS andCreese et al and Burowoy on Canadian sociology all in CJS Feb 24th First Draft April 14 Final Paper duePresentations: March , 17 and 24 and 31

List will be set up, for signing up…

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