SOCIETY, TECHNOLOGY, & ENVIRONMENT
EPS 202 Syllabus Professor James M. Lipuma Spring 2008
EPS 202 "Society, Technology, and Environment" is an introduction to environmental issues from the perspective of the Social Sciences by considerations of the Interrelationships between science, technology, environment, and society. We examine the social and scientific origins of environmental problems and evaluate the complex role of technology in creating and resolving these concerns. The perspective of the course is broadly social scientific, though this mode of investigation takes place against the background of a scientific appreciation of current environmental dilemmas. We will consider both the local and global implications of current social activities on the environment and investigate specific issues such as air pollution, water contamination, acid rain, ozone depletion, declining biodiversity, and climate change. Other topics include energy, food production, biotechnology, and the environmental implications of contemporary consumption practices. Solving problems, making decisions, and thinking critically will be stressed throughout the semester to assist the student in understanding the variety of topics that are discussed. The main goals of the course are to expose students to current environmental issues along with the various disciplines of Social Science, as well as improve their ability to problem-solve, research, write, and public speak. In addition, students will be given the opportunity to work in groups and make professional oral presentations. This is a writing intensive class intended to assist students to hone thinking skills by utilizing writing.
The required texts for the class are as follows:
Michael M. Bell.
1998. An Invitation to Environmental
Sociology,
Theodore D.
Goldfarb. 2000. Notable Selections in
Environmental Studies,
The assigned readings are designed to give you background knowledge needed to understand the subject matter to be tackled in class. The readings listed for each topic should be read prior to the class. The more you are able to read the better prepared you will be for class discussions.
Attendance will be
taken randomly throughout the semester.
A greater emphasis is placed on participation rather than simple
attendance; however, you cannot participate if you do not attend. Absences and late work are excused only by
prior arrangements with the instructor.
Any late assignment is assessed a 10% reduction of grade per class day
after the due date. Throughout the
semester, there will be homework and paper assignments that each student must
complete in order to receive a grade in the class. There is an in-class presentation and a final
essay that is required for this class.
The papers handed in
for this course are to be college-level research papers. A college-level paper is type written, has
page numbers, contains references to research and includes a reference page at
the end for works quoted or otherwise referenced to in the document. Citations for the research used needs to be
included with the paper and should follow the APA format for citations. This means parenthetical citations within the
text with a reference page at the end of the document. Only works that are actually quoted from or
referenced directly should be cited. Do
not list all works that were read for the creation of the paper. This is not a bibliography but rather a
“Reference Page.” Please remember, simply
lifting text from a dictionary or encyclopedia is something found mainly in
high school. Though it may be necessary
to quote from these types of sources, rarely are they the only works used for
references.
It should be stressed
that the work for this class should be formal research papers. There should be
no contractions, spelling errors, punctuation errors, or mistakes in
grammar. Please be consistent within the
paper with abbreviations and other acronyms.
Double-space the paper. Please
use Times New Roman 12-point font, as it is clear and easy-to-read. Your margins should be a uniform 1-inch on
all sides and the paper should minimize large areas of white space within the
text. If you wish to have assistance
with writing, the HSS department has a writing tutor who can be contacted for
assistance with all aspects of the paper.
The lead contact is Dr. Janet Bodner (Bodner@njit.edu). You may also ask your professor, Dr. James
Lipuma, for further assistance or more detailed information. All assignments handed in for this course
should be original and the sole work of the student. The rules and procedures set down in the
student handbook as administered by the Dean of Students office will be used to
judge plagiarism. DO NOT
PLAGIARISE. If you are unclear about the
rules, please see the NJIT student handbook.
http://turnitin.com will be used to
check for plagiarized work. All major
writing assignments must be submitted to this page for review. You will be able to view the report and make
revisions for the rough drafts of your work.
You must register for an account and then log into our class using the
class ID and password provided via an email form me.
CONTACTING THE PROFESSOR
Office: Culimore 420 Phone: 973-642-4743
http://web.njit.edu/~lipuma
Lipuma@NJIT.edu Fax: 973-642-4689
Office
Hours-TR-2:30-3:30: W3-6
GRADING
ASSIGNMENTS
Introductory
Assignment
1. Open a WebCT account, log into EPS 202 and introduce yourself to the class.
2. Define the terms in the title of the course—Society, Technology and Environment.
Group Oral Presentation
This group oral presentation is for 3-4 people and should last approximately 25 minutes per group including time for questions. Each group will be asked to select a Bell Chapter 1-10. The goal of this assignment is to inform the class about the material covered in the selection and highlight the most important ideas. In addition, the group should relate these ideas to society, technology and the environment as well as explain their view of the author’s ideas. Do you agree with what was presented? Each group will be asked to submit a single brief written summary of their presentation.
Midterm
examination
There will be a midterm exam comprised of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. This exam will be based on course lectures, discussion sessions, and assigned readings.
Final examination
There will be a take-home final exam that must be completed and returned by the end-of-semester exam period. The final exam will be a set of written essays which will require research and citations to support your opinions and convince the reader of your ideas.
Class
participation
Students are expected to attend all lectures
and attendance will be taken at each session. You will be required to sign a
daily attendance sheet and late arrival (more than fifteen minutes) will be
treated as an absence. Each student will however be granted two “free absences”
during the semester; every subsequent absence will mean a letter-grade
reduction in the class attendance portion of your final grade (i.e., three
absences is a B, four absences is a C, and so forth).
Quizzes
Each student must submit a summary of one article due for that week’s reading for each class period. The summary should briefly tell what was presented in the article, if you agree with the author’s opinion and why, and how it relates to the topic discussed in class. There will be no make-up quizzes under any circumstances. The summary should be sent by the beginning of class
Research/Writing assignments
Three
research/writing assignments will be distributed during the semester. Students must submit each completed
assignment as an MS word File attached to an email sent to Dr. Lipuma’s email Lipuma@NJIT.edu by 11:55pm on the deadline day. Also, each
assignment should be submitted to Turnitin.com to check for plagiarism. To avoid complications save your assignment
in MS Word.
Writing Assignment #1—Due 2-9-08:
How does Society and Technology affect you, your community and the natural world?
This assignment asks you to select the area that you identify as your community. Once you have chosen, you need to describe it as accurately and completely as you wish, but be sure to give enough information so that the reader is able to understand the place you are describing. Then, explain how technology and society have changed or influenced the community you have selected. Finally, how do members of you community interact with and affect the natural world
The main focus of this essay is thinking so that you can be informative and persuasive. There is no need to cite sources. However, if you use material that requires a source citation, please be sure to use the proper format and include a reference page in the APA format.
Writing Assignment
#2—Due 3-8-08:
Who do you agree with -- Muir, Pinchot, & Leopold (Goldfarb Chapter 1)-- and why?
Is preservation, conservation, the Land Ethic, or some other view the best way to interact with the environment? Discuss this by first summarizing the ideas presented in the selections from three premier American environmentalists in Goldfarb Chapter 1. Then present any other ideas or opinions related to the topic. Finally, explain who do you agree with and why?
SYLLABUS
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Sources, pp. 208-216
Gore, “An Inconvenient Truth”
White, “The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis,” Sources, pp. 19-27
Commoner, “The
Vitousek, “Human Domination of Earth’s Ecosystems,” Sources, pp. 54-68
Hardin, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” Sources, pp. 39-47
Writing Assignment 1 DUE
Muir, “The Mountains of
Pinchot, “The Fight for Conservation,” Sources, pp. 9-12
Leopold, “A Sand
Cronan, “Uncommon Ground: Toward Reinventing Nature,” Sources, pp. 143-151
Foreman, “Confessions of an Eco-Warrior,” Sources, pp. 360-366
Group Orals on
Paigen,
“Controversy at
Steingraber, “Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment,” p. 293-302
World Commission on Environment and Development, “Our Common Future,” Sources, p. 340-349
Hertsgaard, “Ambassadors from Another Time,” Sources, pp. 373-382
Kates, R.W. 2000. Population and consumption: what we know, what we need to know. Environment, 42(3), 10pp. (WEBCT)
Writing Assignment 2 DUE
Benedick, R.E. “Ozone Diplomacy: New Directions in Safeguarding the Planet,” Sources, p. 198-207
3-19-08: sSpring Break—Don’t come to class!
Ehrlich, “The Population Time Bomb,” Sources, pp. 34-38
Hartman, “Reproductive Rights and Wrongs,” Sources, pp. 235-241
Simon, “The Ultimate Resource,” Sources, pp. 242-247
Cohen, “How Many People Can the Earth Support,” Sources, pp. 248-253
Lappe and Collins, “Food First, Beyond the Myth of Scarcity,” Sources, pp. 264-272
Brown, “Food Scarcity: An Environmental Wake-Up Call,” Sources, pp. 273-280
Bullard, “Dumping in
Writing Assignment 3 DUE
4-23-08: Biodiversity,
Biotechnology and Species Conservation
Gould, “Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History,” Sources, pp. 227-234
Shiva, “Women’s Indigenous Knowledge and Biodiversity Conservation,” Sources, pp. 267-372
4-30-08: : Arguments for Responsibility and future actions
Find and summarize any article related to an issue you feel is most
pressing for
5-14-08: Take home final due—emailed to Dr. Lipuma AND
posted on Turnitin.com