In this course students will be expected to pick up salient points of argument from English texts rich in broad cultural implications and discuss them in classes, through which they will comprehend the implications.
The course will provide students with means to read quality texts as subjects of fully-fledged cultural research.
At the end of this course students will be able to:
・pick out points of argument from each chapter of the text.
・analyze each chapter critically.
English speaking cultures, English speaking texts
Specialist skills | ✔ Intercultural skills | ✔ Communication skills | Critical thinking skills | Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
(1) Every student is supposed to read a paper on the assigned section of the text at least once in a single quarter. (2) Toward the end of class, Q and A session will be held. It is highly desirable for all the students to join the discussion regarding the questions the paper raised.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Introduction Read "Prologue" | Understanding how the class will be conducted and what will be used as reading materials. |
Class 2 | Begin Chapter 1: Other People's Shoes | Preparing for your presentation |
Class 3 | Continue Chapter 1 | Preparing for your presentation |
Class 4 | Begin Chapter 2: The Anatomy of Empathy | Preparing for your presentation |
Class 5 | Continue Chapter 2 | Preparing for your presentation |
Class 6 | Begin Chapter 3: Doing Good | Preparing for your presentation |
Class 7 | Continue Chapter 3 | Preparing for your presentation |
Class 8 | Recapitulation, Final discussion | Review |
Paul Bloom, Against Empathy (Vintage)
Useful sources will be referred to as necessary.
Activities in class 60%
Final paper 40%
None
It is recommended that students take this course in sequence with Seminar: Language and Culture(English) 16.
Attendance at the first class is compulsory for students planning to take this course.