Document Key:

1- Urban Demographics Analysis

Every ten years, as mandated by the Constitution, the federal government counts us
(Why?). The information gathered by the census has grown and now includes a great
deal of revealing facts about the nature of our communities. Summary data for
metropolitan areas is useful for comparing cities, but doesnt tell us much about how the
cities are structured. Fortunately the census also makes data available by zip code
areas, which will allow us to examine neighborhoods. In ecology, in order to get a
picture of how an ecosystem is organized without being overwhelmed by too much
information (or work), we will frequently run a transect, sampling along a straight line
that crosses through the area were interested in. Today well be running transects
through the census data on Portland and one other comparator city (either Detroit, San
Francisco, or New Orleans). Work in teams of 2-3. It may help to use two computers
simultaneously, one to gather data and the other to record it.
The objectives of this exercise are:
1.
To gain facility in the use of excel and its graphing function.
2.
To learn to interpret quantitative information and to use it to
communicate
3.
Gain some insight into the socio-economic structure of our city and
it neighborhoods
4.
Contrast Portland with another urban area.
A report will be due on Thursday 4/23 that includes the graphs and a narrative
interpretation and description of about 2-3 pages. Your report should include a
discussion of the spatial nature of Portland, differences you observe with your
comparator city, and how these quantitative data might translate into the lived
experience of citizens of the two cities.

2- Gaining and Holding Power

I have listed below a number of political leaders who have maintained their position of power
over an extended period of time (there are a couple that are more recent, but appear to be part
of a family dynasty or an oligarchy). Your team will be assigned one of these men (they all are).
Your job is to provide us with a briefing on the following:

1. What is the situation of this nation in the international arena? Is it of strategic or economic
importance (to whom)? Is it a former colony (and of whom)? What nations might have an
interest in this persons role?
2. What is the history of this persons rise to power? Did he get elected, inherit the position, lead a
coup? Is his background in the military, politics, private enterprise? Who are his constituents?
3. What means has this person employed to sustain his rule? Has there been any limitation on the
press, on opposition parties?
4. Has the nature of this persons rule changed over time? Has the country benefited? In what
ways? What have been the costs? What future do you foresee?
5. Are there questions I havent asked that are of interest with your subject? How does this person
fit within Russells categorization of characteristics of people based on the way in which they
gained power? Expound away. Were interested in how individuals come to power, how that
power affects them and how the tools of state are employed to extend power. Were there
mechanisms in place to limit individual rule and, if so, what happened?
Divide the tasks.
1. Singapore
8:00 #1-3

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

9:00 #4-6
10:00 #7-9

Ill be looking for a 10-15 minute profile on these gentlemen. I dont want a power point but a ~2
page briefing paper that you will share with other groups. Provide your chief sources, including
at least two articles you have located through a library database. You may use Wikipedia, but
follow up with at least one of their citations. You will share your findings with the other groups in
your mentor session and then again with two other groups in the main session. In your
discussions look for similarities and differences and see if you can draw any conclusion about
the tendency for leaders to gather power onto themselves. Use library journal search to find
The Economist . Also search nytimes.com. Mentor presentation 1/22. Main session 1/27.

3-The Dispossessed Essay

The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin
1. In her novel, LeGuin takes a fond, but unromantic look at what it might be to be
born into an egalitarian, anarchistic society. What values would be promoted and
internalized? What mechanisms might be employed to make things work and to
promote and induce behavior that would allow survival in a challenging
environment? Using Urras, A-IO, and Thu as counters, describe the advantages of
Anarres. Then turn to its darker side, the consequences this set of social
conformities and cultural myths can have on individuals such as Shevek or Tirin.
And the potential for power accumulation by the likes of Sabul. We necessarily
approach these issues from our own social perspective, but what challenges does
LeGuin see in forming A More Perfect Union? You need not address the most
global questions, but choose an angle related to this fundamental conundrum and
have at it. References to our previous readings are of course encouraged, as
appropriate.

2. You also will be afforded the option of a fictional piece. Choose a significant
episode in the novel and recount it through the eyes of someone other than Shevek.
I will look for evidence that you understand the distance in understanding and
cultural awareness (as appropriate) between your characters perspective and
that of the Sheveks understanding. You are free to choose, but I want to see that
you inhabit your character. It could be Sabul, the doctor Kimoe, Pae, Oiie, Takver
or Ambassador Keng if you feel ambitious. It should be a scenario where the
difference in perspective has meaning. You can augment the circumstances
(Shevek didnt see all that was happening), but you cant alter the arc of the story or
change major events.

4- CBL Make-A-Wish
For this project, we ask you to leave the classroom to explore how you as individuals and as a
community perceive and create society, and how you can change that society. The goal of this
project is to recognize the power structures in the world (as well as personal responsibility within
those structures) and to research, engage with and possibly participate in an organization that is
working to effect change in a shared area of concern. The problem and the organization can be
international, national, or local in scope, but you must be able to personally contact local members
and/or clients.
Nongovernmental organizations occupy important roles in our public arena. They advocate, they
educate, and they provide services that augment or complement those provided by the public
sector. While there are usually paid employees working for the organizations, volunteers are
almost always deeply involved. For this project we are interested in how the individuals and the
organization work to achieve change or meet a need in the community. The goal of this project
is to recognize the power structures involved in the attempt to create a specific social change,
as well as personal responsibility within those structures, and to understand the tactics
employed and the arenas in which such tactics are effective.
To understand these issues, you will work in groups of 4-6. Your team will decide on a general
area where groups are trying to create change (for example, health care, homelessness, animal
rights, immigration, anti-tax). You will then narrow your topic to ONE specific issue of change in
that area (for example, you could choose to focus on the movement for universal health care, or
equal insurance coverage for mental health, or reproductive rights, etc.) Once your team has
narrowed your topic, you will employ various modes of research to characterize a
community group (which may include fringe groups) attempting collective, effective
action on the issue today.
Learning objectives for this project include (but are not limited to):
Reflect on the role of diverse individuals and groups in issues of power and social
responsibility, and on your own perceptions (and their origins) and involvement around these
issues.
Collaborate with peers to collect, analyze, and interpret information and express the results
using several communication methods (oral, written, quantitative, and visual).

 Integrate course studies into direct, concrete experiences through field observation and
research.
Seek to actively listen to, interrogate, and understand different perspectives regarding power
and social change, such as government institutions, community activists, affected individuals, and
your self-perspective as an insider or outsider.
Both appreciate and critically question the different motivations, methods and objectives of
those who have committed themselves to addressing specific social needs.
Assignment sequence:
The assignments for this project are as follows, and will be introduced throughout the term. All
assignments are to be completed by your team, except those with an asterisk (*), which you will
complete individually. (Note: there may be some additional mentor session exercises related to
these):
a) Proposal: what is the problem and which organizations? Due 4/16
b) Individual Pre-reflection* In class 4/16
c) Research including
a. Textual research on the social problem, the organization and the political/social context
b. Field research (interviews and other field observation to understand the issue and the
organization runs on a human/practical level). What motivates members? How do they gauge
their effectiveness? Each member will be expected to participate in an interview.
c. Media watch (to consider how the group and the issue are communicated to the public)
d. Quantitative analysis (how do you define and analyze the issues to be addressed by your
communityhow do you measure success?)
e. Service to an organization. (optional)
d) A critique and a comparison of the organizations you have engaged. Are their objectives
clear? Do their methods seem effective? How might they improve their approach?
e) Team presentations and Individual Post-reflection*

5- Commodity Research Paper FINAL DRAFT

6- Commodity Research Paper ROUGH DRAFT
Essay Requirements
8-10 pages, double spaced, one-inch margins (Page count does not include works
cited; also, do not use a title page)
References to a minimum of six researched sources required (Sources that you have
found through your own researchso six sources beyond any course texts you
reference. These should not be the first six you discover.)
Include citations in proper form. MLA format is appropriate for topics in the humanities;
APA is more often used in the social sciences. If you know your major will be in one of
these areas, it might be wise to use and learn that system. Ill accept either, but be
consistent. Ballenger provides guidance.
Include a Works Cited Page. Works cited is not part of your page count.
In Spring term you will do a peer review of your draft, and turn in your final,
revised version of this essay, along with a reflective letter in which you discuss your

research and writing process and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the essay. I
will give you an assignment for this revision and reflective letter at the beginning of
spring term.

Goals for the Research Essay Assignment

This assignment provides an opportunity to explore a topic related to our course
concerns that is especially interesting to you. Its a chance for you to engage with the
theme in an individual way. Also, an aim of this course is to help you to participate
effectively in academic conversationsto become a skillful practitioner of academic
discourse. Approach this assignment, then, as your contribution to an ongoing
discussion about your topic; the idea is to add something to that discussion. Do not
simply repeat what has already been written by someone else; work on finding new
ways of seeing your topic and interrogating it in new ways. (This is the purpose of a
thesis.)

Research Essay Assignment Description

Youll develop your ideas for your topic in stages, and you must receive my approval for
the topic you ultimately select. (This is to help you find a fruitful topic so youre not
wasting your time on a dead end or bottomless rabbit hole) Its important to do the
work to find a topic that both engages you and also engages fully with the course
content and approach. While your options for topics are quite open Ive offered some
specific options at the end of this document to help generate ideas. Think about
what sort of readings and discussions in the course have been most engaging for you,
what questions have been raised for you in the course that you would like to work on
answering for yourself, and how power manifests itself and is responded to in areas you
are most interested in exploring because of your personal or academic investments.
The final essay should have a developed introduction that engages readers and lays
out what will be argued/analyzed in the rest of the paper with a clearly articulated,
specific, and thorough thesis statement. It should also end with a thoughtful and
carefully-formulated conclusion that answers the question So What? (Why is this
worth discussing? Why do I care?)

The essay is being written for this course and the subject matter should be relevant to
the issues we have addressed in the class. Ballenger teaches English Composition
classes where the content is the writing, therefore he is much more expansive in the
range of topics he accepts. I am open to a wide range of issues and want you to spend

this time and effort on a subject of interest to you, but you need to establish and I need
to see the connection to the themes of the course.
The paper may be written in either the third person or first person (I). Read Ballengers
sections on voice to help you decide what is more appropriate. If you do use first
person, keep in mind this is a research essay, not a journal entry and show some
restraint in informality. Keep in mind, though, that regardless of the level of formality
you use, your essay must be well researched and carefully supported, and scholarly in
approach and tone.
You may use your own experience in the essay, but keep in mind this is a relatively
short paper, so adjust accordingly the amount of personal experience you include. No
one source (including your experience) should dominate. You may use interviews, but if
you do, make sure you read carefully the section in The Curious Reader on interviewing
techniques.
Write the essay for a general, well-educated audience. Keep in mind that when writing
for a general audience you need to define special terms and explain complex concepts.
In other words, the paper should be comprehensible for someone who is not in our
class.
The full draft of this essay that you submit for feedback at the end of Winter term should
be copy-edited and polished, and it should include a useful and compelling title.
The essay will go through an exhaustive drafting and revision process, and you must
turn in a full draft of this essay at the end of winter term to pass the class. To
receive a grade for the essay you must also complete a thoughtful revision of
your initial draft in spring term, after receiving feedback from me and from your
peers (you will receive the feedback in spring term). You will complete a
considerable amount of process work in Winter term in developing this essay, which will
help you to be conscious of the steps of the research and writing process, and will also
help you to develop your ideas and your writing gradually and with a lot of feedback and
support. Some of these process assignments are explained below.
1.
We completed a preliminary research exercise in the Fall Quarter of topics related to the
quarters content. You may choose to build upon that effort. This should follow a conference with
me as some of the bibliographies addressed topics that were either far too narrow or too broad
for this assignment. Our fall syllabus moved from education to perception, social myths, theories
of power, social class, social construction, metaphor, political speech and rhetoric and Kafka.
So far this winter quarter we have touched upon theories of political power (Hobbes, Locke,
Rousseau, and Machiavelli). Weve talked about colonialism, individuals who have achieved
and held political power, and the ethics of revolution. Toni Morrison introduced us not only the

possibility of a literary essay, but also the historical issues present in her novel. The film Dirty,
Petty Things raised issues of immigration, worker coercion, sexual exploitation, as well as the
international organ trade. We are moving now to the consideration of globalization and the role
of corporations in society. All fair game, if thoughtfully linked to the course themes.
2.
Trace a commodity chain: Choose a commodity, product, or service available to
us with an international origin and explore the paths of power it has taken before arriving at your
door. Discuss the power relationship(s) within the production, exchange, and consumption of a
commodity and explain how the costs and benefits of trade in this commodity are distributed,
and why they are distributed in such a way.
Who is involved in the production?
Why is it produced there?
What is the historical context of this commodity, product, or service?
What are the economic, social, political, and cultural consequences of this chain from place of
origin to consumption and, where applicable, to disposal? What are the costs and benefits and
what determines where they fall?

7- Class Observation
Your assignment today is to find a quiet natural setting and spend some time observing your
perception processes. Take a notebook and draw a line down the middle of several pages. Now
make yourself comfortable on a park bench or similar place. (Pick someplace outside that you
might return to at a future date for additional observations) Now, for a ten minute period, try
and record on the left hand side of the pages what you experience. You may need mentally to
take a step back, but dont fall into the endless loop of watching yourself watching yourself
watching yourself, What are you aware of around you? ? Dont deliberately concentrate on
experiencing everything, but try and make note of sensations and your stream of awareness.
Which of your senses enter your awareness? How does your focus change and shift? Is your
mind assigning meaning?
When your time is up, look over your notes and, on the right side of the pages, annotate them. If
there are cryptic or unclear notations, provide some explanation on the right (dont revise the
original notes). If you recognize any of the information processing weve discussed at work, note
it on the right. Did your mind begin to attach meaning and narrative to that which you observed?
Which of your senses dominate? Are you screening out some sensations and keying in others?
The final task will be for you write a page or two of reflection on the experience. Look back over
your notes and notations. Well be addressing issues of meaning making and perception all
year. In this initial exercise, how is your brain making meaning of the information your senses
provide? Do you recognize any influence from your emotional state or your cultural
perspective? Discuss how specific readings such as Plato or Pinker, or the Secrets of the Mind
program were relevant to your experience? What is that space that you exist in?

8- Kafka Essay

The short story In The Penal Colony can be seen as an illustration of the social
construction of reality as revealed in all of our perception readings so far; of course the
machine is a physical object, a literal tool of power, but perception plays a powerful role
in the story. So the problem Id like to pose for the class with this assignment: In what
way is Kafkas machine a symbol of literal power, and how it is symbolic of
imagined power a socially constructed reality? Write a 3-page essay exploring
this question, and use theories from class to help you understand that powerthat is,
include some dialog with two of the authors of our perception texts (Berger and
Luckmann, Colombo, Lakoff and Johnson, Zerubavel), to help you develop a thesis
about the power of the machine.
The following are some avenues you might take with applying these theorists to Kafka:

Colombo describes how societies develop Cultural Myths, beliefs (which may or may not be
true) shared and rarely questioned. When cultures collide these myths become apparent.
Lakoff and Johnson write that metaphors are unconscious, part of our ordinary conceptual
system, in terms of which we both think and act (3); they continue, the essence of metaphor is
understanding and experiencing one kind of think in terms of another (5). The Officer describes
in detail the function of parts of the machine. Think of its specific parts and how they are named
what do they do? What other meanings of the words might make them metaphoric in some
way?
Zerubavel writes that our social order is a product of the ways in which we separateEvery
class system presupposes a fundamental distinction between personal features that are
relevant for placing one in a particular social stratum..and those that are not, based on the
need to distinguish us from them (2). How does Zerubavels discussion of such boundaries
(such as chunks of identity) define who holds power over whom in Kafkas story, and how? In
what ways do the characters believe (or resist) these boundaries are real?
How might the machines gruesome torture be an illustration of ritual transition as described in
Zerubavel? Compare and contrast the Condemned and the Officer (or any other characters) in
this regard.
Berger and Luckmann argue that reality is socially constructed through the process of
externalization, objectivation, and/or internalization. How might this processor failure at any
stage of this processexplain the machines eventual lack of support?
Berger and Luckmann write that the interruption of these social processes threatens the
(objective and subjective) reality of the worlds in question (263). How does the full quote in the
text apply to the story? Where in the story is reality being interrupted, and how does that
impact various characters power (or lack of power)?
Karen Russell was clearly aware of the Penal Colony when she wrote Reeling for the
Empire. The machine in her story occupies a similar role, with a different outcome.
Think of your own connection(s) between the perception texts and Kafkas story, and discuss
how they relate to the assignment prompts.