TOPICS  OFFERED  FOR  FALL  2005

 

 

  1. (ATA)     AFTER  THE  APPLE  - WOMEN  IN  THE  BIBLE

In the Old Testament, women often take a backseat to the patriarchs such as Abraham Isaac and Jacob.  This SD/G will focus on the women in the Hebrew Bible but from a more non-traditional perspective using Naomi Rosenblatt's new book, After the Apple-Women in the Bible, Timeless Stories of Love, Lust and Longing. These are not simple tales in which righteousness always wins out.  These are strong, sometimes devious, powerful women.  Eve may be seen as humankind's first rebel. The aim is to separate the women's voices from the male centered narratives and view them in a variety of historic and contemporary aspects.  We will use the reading for discussion and it will serve as a jumping off point for presentations on biblical women such as Sarah, Rebecca, Jezebel, Abigail, Micah, Delilah, Bathsheba, Tamar and the Queen of Sheba. Presentations may also be done on other women of the Bible who do not appear in the reading. As the author writes, she is following a tradition of "constant reinterpretation of the Bible stories to derive from them new ethical and spiritual applications to meet the issues and concerns of succeeding generations."  Join us for a new look at this ancient subject.

Common Reading:     After the Apple -Women in the Bible-Timeless Stories of Love, Lust and Longing, by Naomi Harris Rosenblatt

2nd & 4th Thursday, p.m.

 

 

2.   (CTW)     CRITICAL  THINKING  ABOUT  WEIRD  THINGS

Daily we are exposed to a range of bogus sciences and extraordinary claims that currently enjoy large followings in America. Thousands of people experience and believe in many unusual things which change their lives for better or worse.  Critically evaluating outlandish claims and knowing when our beliefs are justified concerning ESP, astrology, fortune telling, miracles, mysticism, new age medicine, the Holographic Paradigm, the Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon, fire walking, crop circles, extraterrestrials, dowsers, the Devil, channeling, ghosts, telepathy, some of the much publicized puzzles of quantum mechanics, etc. will improve our decision -making ability against various forms

of hucksterism.

Common Reading:       How to Think About Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age, by Theodore Schick & Lewis Vaughn

2nd & 4th Monday, p.m.

 

 

  1. (EVO)    UNDERSTANDING  EVOLUTION

Let us follow the path of humans backwards through evolutionary history, meeting humanity’s cousins as they converge on common ancestors. Our author sees this journey with its reverse chronology as ‘cast in the form of an epic pilgrimage from the present to the past [and] all roads lead to the origin of life.’   This structure is inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. At each point Dawkins attempts to infer, from molecular and fossil evidence, the probable form of the ancestor and describes the modern animals that join humanity’s growing traveling party. We will cover the book by doing each section as a presentation.

Common Reading:     The Ancestor’s Tale: a Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution, by Richard Dawkins

1st & 3rd Thursday, p.m.

 

 

  1. (HAM)   ALEXANDER  HAMILTON:  THE  RISE  AND  FALL  OF  AN

                 AMERICAN  FOUNDING  FATHER

None of the American Founding Fathers had a more dramatic life or death than Hamilton and none did more to lay the foundation of America's future wealth and power. We will examine his life from his impoverished birth on the remote British West Indies island of Nevis to his untimely death at age 49 in a duel with the Vice President of the US.  The magnitude of Hamilton's feats as Treasury Secretary overshadowed many other facets of his life: clerk, college student, youthful poet, essayist, artillery captain, wartime adjutant to George Washington, battlefield hero, congressman, abolitionist, Bank of New York founder, orator, lawyer, polemicist, foreign policy theorist, and major general in the army.  In all probability Alexander Hamilton is the foremost figure in American history who never attained the presidency, yet he probably had a much deeper and more lasting impact than many who did

Common Reading:     Alexander Hamilton, by Ron Chernow, (Penguin Press, 2004)

2nd & 4th Friday, p.m.

 

 

  1. (HTP)     HISTORIC  TURNING  POINTS

In this course we will look at a number of turning points in history.  Consider how little it would have taken for a different outcome.  Each student will pick a favorite “what if” scenario from history and present the possible consequences. Some possible discussion topics might be:  If the Turks had conquered Europe would Shakespeare have written the same great plays?  What if Hitler had not attacked Russia when he did?  He might have moved into the Middle East and secured the oil supplies the Third Reich so badly needed, helping it retain its power in Europe.  What if D-Day had been a failure?  The Soviet Union might have controlled all of Europe.  What if the South won the Civil War? What if Sennacherib had pressed the siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C.?  Then the nascent, monotheistic Jewish religion might never have taken hold among the people of Judah--and the daughter religions of Christianity and Islam would never have been born. What if Alexander the Great had died at the age of 21 instead of 32?  Greece would have been swallowed up by Persia and Rome, and the modern Western world would have a much different sensibility--and probably little idea of democratic government. 

The many possible discussions each present an interesting and informative exercise in historical speculation, one that emphasizes the importance of accident and of roads not taken in the evolution of human societies.

Possible Common Reading: 

1.      What If?: The World's Foremost Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been, by Robert Cowley,

2.      Or, The Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th Century
edited by Harry Turtledove

1st & 3rd Monday, p.m.

 

 

6.         (LAH) SOCIAL / CULTURAL / POLITICAL  HISTORY  OF  L.A.

How close to the truth was the film Chinatown?  How much power did Harrison Otis have in enforcing the “Open Shop” regime at The L.A. Times and the region generally?  How has the Homeowners Association concept maintained control of the de facto segregation of southern California?  What has been the impact of the mega-homebuilder/banking industry on the political and tax revolt milieu of LA County?  What role has the LAPD played in polarizing the white/black populations while maintaining “order”?  How do recent Downtown Revitalization efforts perpetuate and consolidate the power of minority white interests?  How have the Downtown-Westside-Wilshire-Hollywood development and the Hillside/Wilshire Country Club tensions exacerbated the leadership issues of LA?  These and other questions about the shaping forces of the Los Angeles region offer a fascinating journey through the relatively short history of Los Angeles and its growth from only 300,000 people less than 100 years ago to the first mega-million Post Modern city of the 21st century with the most diverse population of any region on earth.

Common Reading:     City of Quartz, by Mike Davis (Vintage Books, 1992)

LA1:    2nd & 4th Wednesday, a.m.

LA2:    2nd & 4th Tuesday, p.m.

 

 

7.         (MYS)    GREAT  MYSTERY  SHORT  STORIES

From Poe on the mystery story has entertained, shocked and mystified us.  This course will look at the five basic mystery categories: the Cozy, the Paranoid, the Romantic, the Vicious, and the Analytical.  We will try to understand why mysteries have entertained us regardless of class, education or nationality.  Yet at the same time have infuriated many people who fail to understand the attraction.  From Who Killed Roger Ackroyd? to Who Cares who killed Roger Ackroyd covers a vast range of emotions, intellect and entertainment.

The door opens, a shot is fired.  Who did it?  Or the room and windows are locked from the inside.  How was the murder committed?  Each participant may pick one or more stories from a category and examine how and why we are entertained. We will try to discover the techniques used to create mysteries as we analyze their structures, as well as their failures.

In a collection of short stories with such limited space, the story is the thing here, and most of the authors are immensely successful at delivering it.  While not all the stories fit the formula of the classic whodunit, the variations on the mystery theme are interesting.

Possible Common Reading:  The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories: 1: First Annual Collection (World's Finest Mystery & Crime) edited by Edward Gorman

MY1:  1st & 3rd Tuesday, p.m.

MY2:  1st & 3rd Friday, a.m.

 

 

8.         (REV)    1848  -  A  YEAR  OF  REVOLUTIONS

Alexis de Tocqueville said of that year, “we are sleeping on a volcano.”  It was a year of tumult that swept across Europe with many revolutions and a new adherence to nationalism.  The middle classes, liberalism, political democracy, and the working classes were now all part of the political landscape.  Important events shaping the U.S. were the feminist and anti-slavery movements, the California gold rush,  and the immigration of Asians to the west coast.  The acquisition of Texas, California, New Mexico, and Arizona brought a great migration across the country.

Impacting the world’s major cities were the industrial revolution, the population explosion, and the commercial use of transcontinental railroads and trans-Atlantic steamships.  The change of artistic focus from Romanticism to Realism, the Communist Manifesto, and the building of the Crystal Palace are still influence us today.

Common Reading:  TBD

1st & 3rd Thursday, p.m.

 

 

9.          (RPE)    WHO’S  RIGHT?  - - RELIGION,  POLITICS  AND  ECONOMICS  IN 

                       AMERICAN  SOCIETY 

This study/discussion group will examine the major currents of religious belief and practice in American history and their relationship to the prevailing contemporaneous political, economic, and social climate.  Beginning with religious settlements in the colonies, we will trace their evolution in a new pluralistic environment where different religious strains interact.  After exploring vastly increased diversity in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, we will try to explain the centrality of religion in how Americans view themselves, their economic system, and their politics.  What is the role of moral language and symbols in political discussion?  When and why do moral values become more powerful than economic and other interests? Other possible topics include: the history of religious and moral practices in America, voting records of major religious traditions, abolition, Prohibition, the civil rights movement, abortion, the war on poverty, the gay marriage debate, the war on terrorism, euthanasia, and end-of-life care. 

Possible Readings:    The Religious History of America, by Edwin Gaustad and Leigh Schmidt (Harper/San Francisco, 2002; $23)

                                    Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think,

                                    by George Lakoff,  (University of Chicago, 2002) $22 (pbk).

                                    Religion and Politics in America: Faith, Culture and Strategic Choices, by Robert Fowler, et al 3rd Edition, (Pbk; July 2004)

(Many other books are available – these are possible candidates – do not buy any until the coordinators advise you what they will use as a core text, if any.)

2nd & 4th Thursday, a.m.

 

 

10.     (SDS)  THE  SEVEN  DEADLY  SINS 

Most people, if they think of sin at all, consider it as an outmoded and obsolete notion that has long departed this world.  Believe it or not, the "Seven Deadly Sins" are alive and well and deadlier than ever!  Greed, envy, lust, pride, anger, sloth and gluttony are all a permanent part of human nature.  The suggested reading is an eloquent, thought-provoking book which mediates the modern with the moral wisdom of antiquity and is sure to provoke lively presentations.

Common Reading:     The Seven Deadly Sins, by Solomon Schimmel, (1992 ed.)

1st & 3rd Wednesday, p.m.

 

11.     (SPR)  BRUSH  UP  ON  YOUR  SHAKESPEARE

Have you ever wished you could devote time to becoming more familiar and comfortable with some of Shakespeare’s plays while in the company of friends.  This study/discussion group is your opportunity.  For the 8 sessions of this course, the participants will follow a slightly different format that will allow them to study Shakespeare and four of his tragedies as well as experience the joy of reading sections of the plays aloud with classmates. 

The group will use a common reading of the plays: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Two consecutive sessions will be devoted to each of the four plays.  Criticism and commentary on each of the plays will be researched by four of the members and will be presented while studying the specific play.  The remaining members will research and present on other related topics such as Shakespeare’s Life, Shakespeare’s Times, Shakespearian Theater, The Globe Theater, The Elizabethan Stage, Shakespeare’s Grammar, Shakespeare’s Proverbs, or Shakespeare & Marlowe.  Presentations and discussion will take up one hour of each session.  After the break, the class will read aloud selections from the play chosen by the coordinator or the class.

Common Reading:     Four Great Tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth

by William Shakespeare, (Signet Classic, $6.95)

SP1:    1st & 3rd Friday, p.m.

SP2:    1st & 3rd Thursday, a.m.

 

 

12.     (UMX)   US / MEXICO  RELATIONS

This course will examine the complex dynamics and evolution of the relationship between Mexico and the United States.  Here in Southern California, we daily encounter the impacts of our interdependence with our closest neighbor to the south.  When we buy a flat of fresh strawberries at the farmers’ market, when we drive through Lennox and read Spanish billboards, when we pick up the daily paper to read of the mayoral campaign of Antonio Villaraigosa, we experience this relationship.  This study/discussion group would take a look at our historical and current relationship with Mexico, as well as look into the future to where our current paths might take us.  There are numerous research topic that could flesh out this subject:  The origins of US/Mexico relations, NAFTA, Border Patrol, migrant workers, current immigration legislation, the Guadalupe Hidalgo Treaty, illegal aliens vs. undocumented workers, trade, educational impacts, cultural differences, economic development, industrialization of Mexico, Cesar Chavez, outsourcing.

Possible Common Reading:       The US and Mexico:  The Bear and the Porcupine, by J. Davidow (2004)

Opening Mexico - The Making of a Democracy, by Julia Preston & Samuel Dillon (paperback 2004) list $15

 

Two supplemental books on Latin America: 

      The Latin Americans - Their Love-Hate Relationship with the United States,

                        by Carlos Rangel (1987)

Liberty for Latin America - How to Undo Five Hundred Years of State Oppression, by Alvaro Vargas Llosa (2005)

2nd & 4th Wednesday, p.m.

 

 

13.     (WRI) THE  WRITING  MIND 

This S/DG concentrates on fostering creativity and improving techniques of the writer through the production of original pieces, literary critique and presentations by each group member.  Presentations are on literary topics or on the philosophy and subtleties of writing.  Each member will be responsible for a presentation, at least two submissions of original fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or other form of writing, and for reading and critiquing submissions.

Common Reading:     TBD

2nd & 4th Monday, a.m.

 

 

14.     (CSU)  AMERICAN  FILM,  TELEVISION  AND  CULTURE  OF  THE  1950’S

Lecture Course at CSUDH - Beginning September 21st through December 7th

Building on the very popular Spring lecture series History of American Film, the Fall lecture series at CSUDH will take a historical look at the 1950’s as presented by movies and television of that era. Among the subjects covered will be: The Cold War, mores and manners, gender roles and politics.  Several presentations will be by professors who have participated in past courses. The class will be offered on the first and third Wednesday mornings between 10:00 and noon starting September 21, 2005.

No Common Reading

1st & 3rd Wednesday, a.m.