Paper #1: Liberalism & Conservatism.

[choose one ]

1. Last month, an organization calling itself the Bruin Alumni Association (BAA) published dossiers on 30 professors at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), accusing them of undermining academic freedom and the university’s mission by “actively proselytizing their extreme views in the classroom” (see www.uclaprofs.com). The organization is offering pay students for transcripts of their professors’ lectures, as a means of collecting data and tracking the professors’ interests.  Various members of the university community have taken issue with this enterprise, claiming it amounts to a coercive attempt to limit free speech. Use at least 2 liberals and at least 2 conservatives we read in class to discuss how a liberal and a conservative might respond to the BAA report and the reactions it solicited.  What issues are at stake for each ideology?  What themes would subscribers to each ideology emphasize to make their point(s)?

2. One of the ongoing debates in the wake of this past year’s hurricane season surrounds what role the federal government should play in preparing for and responding to emergencies.  Michael Brown, for instance, explained his performance to the House of Representatives by arguing that state and local governments “have the primary responsibility for emergency preparedness and response,” whereas Ray Nagin, for example, has consistently emphasized the necessity of committing federal resources to any viable rebuilding of the Gulf Coast.  How would a liberal and a conservative approach this debate?  What principles are at stake for each ideology? What themes would subscribers to each ideology emphasize to make their point(s)?

 

 

Paper #2: Communism, Anarchism, and Fascism.  

[ choose one ]

1. Two weeks ago, telecom giant AT&T announced a proposal to acquire BellSouth in a $67 billion deal that would return to AT&T holdings that were stripped from it in a 1984 antitrust decision.  How would a socialist (or communist), an anarchist, and a fascist approach this merger?  What explanations would each give for how and why it is happening?  What prescriptions might each offer?  Do you agree with any of these arguments more than others?

 2. Anarchists often point to important similarities between socialism and fascism as ideologies.  Discuss how an anarchist might make this comparison, focusing on the structure and role of the state.  Would socialists and fascists refute this?  How?  Do you think the comparison is fair?  Why or why not?

 

Paper #3: Feminism & Environmentalism.

[choose one]

Rough draft due Tuesday April 18

Final draft due Saturday, April 29

1. Third wave feminists question the adequacy of second wave feminism, largely for adhering to an injurious sexual dichotomy.  Similarly, ecocentric ecologists argue that many environmentalists draw upon an unjustifiable and ruinous anthropocentricism.  Discuss these critiques.  Are feminism and ecology more inclusive than other ideologies we’ve studied?  Why or why not?

 2. In her critique of both feminism and Marxism, Heidi Hartmann suggests that political agendas built around singular dimensions (e.g., class or sex) are easily coordinated but unable to attend to the complex sources of oppression.  How do you think ecologists and 3rd wave feminists might theorize political organization.  Is it possible to effectively organize for political change while also challenging our dominant concepts?  Or do political agendas have to be promoted in familiar terms?