Politics Week 9

Politics Week 9, Instructional Plan

  1. Quick review of midterm scores
  2. Discuss upcoming oral presentation and written paper
  3. Lecture about Chapter 7 Politics, Society and Identity
  4. Complete discussion questions for Chapter 7

For next week

  1. Chapter 8 Political Culture and the Media
  2. Chapter 8 discussion questions

Teaching Notes

Vocabulary

  • industrial age     cultural relativism     anomie
  • post industrial age     moral relativism     consumerism
  • gemeinschaft     Shari’a law     feminism
  • gesellschaft     theocratic states     secularism
  • psychographics     multiculturalism     assimilation
  • Protestant work ethic     Islam     Islamism
  • economic individualism

Questions

  1. Describe the major social changes that took place during the industrial revolution.
  2. Compare and contrast the major social characteristics of the industrial and post industrial eras.
  3. Class conflict seems to have disappeared in the post industrial age. Why?
  4. People are slaves to consumerism? Agree or disagree?
  5. Describe the general features of identity politics. Does this framework help us understand political actions?
  6. Describe the four sub-categories of identity politics.
  7. Can you think of any examples of identity politics in Korea?

What’s the argument?

This is a short clip with Richard Dawkins, a popular speaker and author. He is well known as for arguing that religious belief is a kind of bad thinking. His books have sold more than 2 million copies around he world. He invented the word ‘meme.’

Vocabulary

  • moral relativism
  • atheist
  • absolute morality
  • apostasy
  • cherry pick
  • secular
  • Sabbath
  • sober discussion

Other Materials

  1. The Enemies of Reason.
  2. The origins of the industrial revolution in England.
  3. A brief video history of the second industrial revolution.
  4. Social changes during the industrial revolution.
  5.  Long essay about identity politics from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
  6. Race and Identity: Outstanding radio program featuring Brother Cornell West on CBC radio.
  7. Thoughtful essay about the politics of multiculturalism.
  8. A long video about American society, race, capitalism and revolt featuring Brother Cornell West and Chris Hedges.
  9. A 30 year video about the cult of information, relevant to today.

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