Unannounced Quizzes: 100 points

To inspire you to read and retain the material we cover in this class, I will conduct seven brief multiple-choice quizzes. Each quiz will be designed to test only that you've read and considered the reading for that day. I will only use your four top scores for this component. Quizzes may not be made up.

Response Papers (Choose two of three)

Philosophies of self: 50 points

Your essay should accomplish three goals. (1) List and illustrate (with quotations) two or three rules for being an "ideal self" in Plato's Crito. (2) List and illustrate (with quotations) two or three rules for being an "ideal self" in Machiavelli's Prince. (3) Conclude with a thoughtful analysis of which "self" is more appealing to you. See Grading Criteria to learn more about completing this assignment.

Contexts of self: 50 points

Your essay should accomplish three goals. (1) Identify and provide a brief summary of a film that explores one or more of the following dimensions: gender, ethnicity, nationality, race, class, sexual orientation, age, ability/disability, and/or religion. (2) Describe two or three specific examples from the film in which one or more of those dimensions is/are bounded in some way. In other words, what difficulties do individuals or groups face while attempting to express their identities? (3) Evaluate two or three strategies in which these bounds are blurred and/or challenged in some meaningful way. See Grading Criteria to learn more about completing this assignment.

Fluidity and self: 50 points

Your essay should accomplish three goals. Identify a site, medium, or context in which the self is rendered mobile and/or fluid. You might select an airport, fast food restaurant, motel, or some experience with a medium like the World Wide Web or a personal entertainment device. (2) Investigate two or three ways in which the mobility and/or fluidity of this site limit(s) your opportunities for meaningful interaction with others, particularly those who are different from yourself. (3) Propose two or three strategies in which this site might reasonably be reshaped to respond to the problems raised by your second point. See Grading Criteria to learn more about completing this assignment.

In small groups, you will identify a specific challenge facing a city or region of California, focusing on the relationship between self and society. Topics might include taxation policies that pit economic classes against one another, urban renewal plans that displace ethnic groups, gang activities that replace (for some) an otherwise declining family life, or the struggle to maintain a sense of community in Silicon Valley. Each group member will be responsible for collecting five separate pieces of evidence that relate to the group project. Groups will present 30-45 minute oral presentations outlining the problem, explaining its causes, and proposing specific and realistic solutions. Group members will also co-author a 7-10 page essay that summarizes their presentation. Particularly impressive group efforts will be published in Woz Way, a departmental journal of cultural geography. See Grading Criteria to learn more about completing this assignment.

Final Examination: 100 points

The final examination offers an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the material discussed in this class through multiple choice, true/false, and matching questions. I will offer a thorough review.