General Information:
Fall, 2002
3 Credit Hours
Professor: Janine Minkler, Ph. D.
Office: SBS 357
Office hours: By appointment
Phone: 928-523-7482
email: janine.minkler@nau.edu
Course Prerequisites: None

***** NOTICE***** PLEASE CHECK YOUR DANA ACCOUNT FOR INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION ON THIS CLASS. YOU WILL RECEIVE SEVERAL MESSAGES TO YOUR DANA ACCOUNT PRIOR TO CLASS.

Course Description:

The central aim of this course is to explore the relationship between the "natural environment" and society. We will look at historical and contemporary ways of thinking about nature. We will pay particular attention to the historical and cultural factors that have lead us to regard nature as separate from the self and society and the effects such perceptions may have had on the natural environment. We will also examine the potential influences the physical world has had in shaping Western civilization. Furthermore we will explore the possible growth of an environmental consciousness and will assess the value of both consciousness-raising and structural change as means for addressing the human-produced ecological problems that plague our planet today.

Contemporary Topics in Social Issues is a liberal studies course in the Social and Political Worlds block, as it addresses the sociological dimensions of issues and problems in contemporary human societies. The thematic focus for all sections of the course is Valuing the Diversity of Human Experience. The course explores diversity in relation to social issues: the role of cultural and social diversity in the social issue, and how diverse groups are differentially impacted by or experience the social issue. This course will also address the liberal studies theme of Technology and Its Impact or Environmental Consciousness. Social issues related to technology and its impact on various facets of human social organization and experience will be highlighted in the course. The relationship between human societies and the environment will also be emphasized. Students should develop several of the essential skills through their work for this course, such as critical thinking, critical reading, effective writing, and/or ethical reasoning. Two essential skills will be assessed formally: critical thinking and critical reading or effective writing.

Course Objectives:

Students will be able to analyze the topical social issue or problem using a sociological perspective. (Valuing the Diversity of Human Experience, Technology and Its Impact, Environmental Consciousness, critical thinking, effective writing).

Students will describe how diverse social groups are differentially situated in relation to or impacted by the topical social issue. (Valuing the Diversity of Human Experience, critical thinking, effective writing, critical reading).

Students will be able to link macro and micro level dimensions of the topical social issue. (Valuing the Diversity of Human Experience, Technology and Its Impact, Environmental Consciousness, critical thinking, effective writing, critical reading)

Students will be able to analyze the topical social issue in terms of culture, social structure and stratification. (Valuing the Diversity of Human Experience; critical thinking, effective writing, critical reading)

Students will be able to identify and describe how social issues or problems are linked to the environment and or technology/technological change.( Environmental Consciousness, Technology and Its Impact, critical thinking, effective writing).

Students will analyze how the environment or technology shapes social structure, culture and individual experience. .( Environmental Consciousness, Technology and Its Impact, critical thinking, effective writing).

Required Books:

Suzuki and Dressel, From Naked Ape to Superspecies, Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, 1999.

Penna, Anthony N. Nature’s Bounty, M. E. Sharpe, Inc. 1999.

Swimme, Brian. The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos. Maryknoll, 1996.

Weaver, Jace (editor) Defending Mother Earth. Orbis Books. 1996.

At the beginning of some modules and topics in the course, you will be provided a list of recommended books. These books are not required for the course but may be used to supplement your knowledge now and in the future.

To Order the Books:

The books for this course will be in the bookstore. You need to order them from the bookstore IMMEDIATELY. Delivery usually takes 48 hours. If you live out of Arizona, delivery may take longer.

Contact: The NAU Bookstore

If you are a statewide student you can get your books from MBS direct. Call them at:

1-800-325-3525 and tell them you are an NAU student. You can also go to their website at: http://direct.mbsbooks.com/nau.htm

To Contact Me: You may best reach me through e-mail at janine.minkler@nau.edu

Questions about the web: If you have any trouble working on this course (computer problems, inability to access information, etc.) please contact Kathy Twohig at

Catherine.Twohig@nau.edu -- NAU Online student support.

What to expect: It is preferable that you have a background in Sociology (at least have taken Introductory Sociology or other social science courses). While there are no prerequisites for this course, this course is an upper level course and expects

students enrolled to work at a fairly sophisticated level. Expect a challenge! Please also keep in close communication with me. If you are having trouble understanding anything, I am here to help. That is my job. Do not worry about asking me questions throughout the course.

This course is part of a Research Project evaluating Web courses compared to Campus courses. One aspect of the course is integrated into the research project. The two essay assignments (the pre-essay after the first week and the post-essay by finals week) will be used to assess a student’s relative change in critical thinking and writing skills. 

The researchers, future faculty, and students would be grateful for your voluntary participation in the rest of the research. You will all be asked to fill out a survey at the beginning of the course and to fill out a survey at the end of the course.  A few of you will also be randomly selected for an in-depth interview.

Note that to honor confidentiality, I will NOT be administering these, nor will I see your individual answers attached to your name. Furthermore, all analysis will occur after your grade has been determined. Your participation in the study will not affect your grade!  Your participation would be greatly appreciated to help create an improved learning context for future students on the web and in the classroom.

Course Design:

The course is set up in six modules. The modules represent the main themes of the class. They are all presented to you on "the class" page. Each module is composed of 2 to 4 topics. There is ONE TOPIC DUE EVERY WEEK.

MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU BEGIN A TOPIC, YOU REVIEW ALL OF THE LESSONS AND ASSIGNMENTS IN THAT TOPIC. This way you will have a sense of all that is required of you at the beginning of a week and you won't be surprised to find that you still need to complete a long assignment, for example, and only have one day left to complete it.

There is a reading assignment associated with each topic. In addition you will be expected to explore numerous links to additional websites and readings throughout the on-line lessons and in some assignments.

Individual Assignments (70% of grade): All 6 assignments are written essays (3 – 5 pages in length). There are no examinations in this course.

VCC Discussions: (30% of grade): There are 11 discussions. You are expected to post twice on the VCC for each discussion. The first posting should offer your ideas around the question (it should NOT be a restatement of the question, but rather a thoughtful discussion), and respond to other students’ ideas, posing questions of them. THEN WAIT 24 HOURS and post a second time. The second posting should respond to other classmates questions of you as well as responding to other ideas that have arisen in the discussion.

Pre-Post Essays (each worth one discussion): (40 minutes each): These essays are a required part of the course and you will have the option of allowing me to include them in the web versus traditional classroom research. For the purposes of the class, they will not be “graded” per se.

The T.A. and I will be working extensively with you over the next semester. The TA will offer you TA commentaries based on your discussions- they are intended to challenge your thinking. We hope to enter into a dialogue with each of you that will not only push your own thinking and insights on these issues, but will enable us to explore our interests as well!

Check List and Time Line:

Please note: It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to keep track of your completed assignments and grades. This checklist should help you with this. You are responsible for completing ALL assignments.

MODULE 1: Introduction to Environment and Society

MODULE 2: The Issues at Stake

MODULE 3: Environmental Perspectives

MODULE 4: Environmental Justice

MODULE 5: The Environmental Movement

MODULE 6: Conclusion

Check list of Due dates for Individual Assignments:

Sunday, 11:30pm, 9/8/02: Environmental Theory and the Environmental Movement
Sunday, 11:30pm, 9/29/02: Researching Environmental Issues
Sunday, 11:30pm, 10/6/02: Comparing Similar Struggles
Sunday, 11:30pm, 10/20/02: Water issues in the 21st Century
Sunday, 11:30pm, 11/3/02: Comparative Analysis
Sunday, 11:30pm, 11/24/02: The Future of Environmentalism?

Grading Individual Assignments (70% of final grade):

You will receive a memo entitled: “How to write strong papers.” This memo will provide you an in-depth account of what I am looking for in your work and HOW I will grade your individual assignments. Please make sure you read this memo carefully and ask any questions you may have. Print this memo out and use it as reference throughout the course.

Grading VCC discussions (30% of final grade):

All group assignments require you to post twice. The first posting should be your own individual thoughts and ideas. The second posting should respond to at least one student's ideas and pose questions for further discussion. Group discussions are graded based on either completing the assignment or not completing the assignment. If you complete the group assignment as directed, you receive credit. If you don't complete the assignment in full, you do not receive credit. You will NOT receive credit if you don’t complete both postings; if you post after the deadline; if you have simply restated the question without adding additional thought to the discussion. You will have to keep track of your own progress in this way. Half way through the semester I will send you a “status report” on how many discussions you have missed.

Final grade for VCC discussions will be determined as follows:

0 missed discussions: A
1 missed discussion: A-
2 missed discussions: B
3 missed discussions: B-
4 missed discussions: C
5 missed discussions: D
6 or more missed discussions: F

Final Grading:

Average of Individual Assignments = 70% of final grade
Group Discussions = 30% of final grade
(Completion of Pre and Post essays = each worth one full discussion)