CRIMINALIZATION OF DISSENT
Thursday 4 - 6:30
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PROFESSOR:
Phone: 351-3183 with voicemail
Email:
wwolfvan@yahoo.comWebpage: husky1.stmarys.ca/~evanderveen/wvdv
Office hours: Thursday before class 3-3:45 in Honours sociology room 4th. fl. McNally South (near women's washroom)
COURSE DESCRIPTION This course will
explore historic and current examples of groups and social movements within
Canadian society that seek social change and/or deal with potentially
controversial social issues, and/or challenge the status quo, and how the
members of such groups and social movements have been criminalized by the state,
media and other institutions within society. The course will address
issues of constitutional law, human rights and social rights, the role of the
state and its agencies in criminalizing these people. International
examples will also be explored. COURSE INSTRUCTION The course topic will be achieved through a program of readings, class discussions and
activities, and written work. The instruction will incorporate various
interactive exercises in which the students are expected to participate,
designed to exemplify the topics under consideration. THIS IS AN INTERACTIVE
COURSE, NOT SOLELY LECTURE BASED.
COURSE TEXTS
Kinsman, Gary, Dieter K. Buse, & Mercedes Steedman, eds, (2000), Whose National Security? Canadian State Surveillance and the Creation of Enemies, Between the Lines Books: Toronto
Pue, Wesley, (2000), Pepper in Our Eyes The APEC Affair, University of BC Press: Vancouver
ASSESSMENT
Discussion questions based on readings (9 submissions, 3 points each) 27 points
Journals (3 submissions, 15 points each) 45
Class participation (3 points per class) 36
Attendance (3 points per class) 36
Group project (presentation and paper) 100
TOTAL 244 Final grade pro-rated to 100%
GROUP PROJECT - 100 points
A group project will be required with a research paper and a presentation. Groups will be formed at the latest by the 3rd week of classes; some class time will be provided for forming groups and for working on the project. Your group will be responsible for investigating a particular social issue where individual citizens and community organizations have organized in order to seek some form of social change. The type of societal change must be controversial in some way (maybe not controversial to you, but controversial to significant portions of the population). The societal change sought could be either governmental or other organizational policy changes, e.g. economic; individual changes or society wide changes, either in attitude and/or behaviour. The issue will have to have activist based organizations associated with it, groups seeking significant social change in the local/municipal, regional, national or international level.
One group that is to be explored is the Saint Mary’s Activist Coalition (SMAC), a student club on campus which has campaigns on several issues. Members of this group will be in attendance during the 2nd week of classes to describe these campaigns. Project groups will be formed to work on one of these campaigns based on their interest. For those students not assigned to one of these campaigns, other suggestions of issues and associated community groups that could be considered will be provided.
A central focus of this project will be to undertake research of the issue in terms of how the issue, associated organizations and actions of the organizations have been/are perceived by society or groups therein and by the justice system as being non-conforming (thus deviant) and having perceived unlawful impacts (criminal). Thus part of the research is to explore how the issue, group(s), action(s) are criminalized. The following are what is to be included in a written report of this project: -
THE FOLLOWING IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE – SUFFICIENT NOTICE WILL BE PROVIDED
| Part 1: Description of social issue, providing a rational for choice of issue, i.e. why did you choose this issue, and providing historical context of the issue; DUE JANUARY 29th |
| Part 2: Detail of societal changes being sought, explaining why and how these are and are not controversial, considering what values and norms are being challenged and/or threatened, what groups in society are affected by the sought changes; DUE FEBRUARY 26th |
| Part 3: Actions associated groups undertake to seek these changes and the reaction of society, the state, and other institutions and/or organizations (media, religion, business sector, etc…) to these actions; DUE FEBRUARY 26th |
| Part 4: Description of how issue and associated groups have been in the past and/or is currently being criminalized by the state, by media and/or other areas of society, what are the charges being brought against the group or individual; DUE APRIL 8th |
| Part 5: An individual reflection piece will be required, to be submitted separately by each individual member of the group, in this you are to comment upon what you have learned, how do you feel about the social changes being sought and the criminalization, this part if worth 10 points; DUE APRIL 8th |
| Part 6: An individual assessment of the work undertaken by the group, identifying what each individual member undertook, i.e. describing the division of labour, and comments as to the fair distribution of the work involved; DUE APRIL 8th |
Revisions of Parts 1, 2 & 3 are to be included in the final submission.
NOTE: There are NO EXTENSIONS for the final report submission due on APRIL 8th
Information for the above will be found in books on the issues, internet sources of the issues and groups, journals and other publications of the group, newspapers and other media sources, attendance of meetings of the group, interviews with group members, etc… A presentation will be required and will account for 30 points. You will have 20 minutes minimum to 30 minutes maximum in which to present your group project work. An individual and group presentation assessment will be made.
NOTE: This project will require extensive time outside of class time as with any major research project. Some classes will end early to compensate for this extra time required to gather information for this project. However, this project is an opportunity for you to become immersed in an important issue of social change and associated community groups seeking this change.
JOURNALS– 3 submissions of 15 points each – total of 45 points
Journals are an opportunity for you to explore your thoughts and FEELINGS about particular topics. Specific question(s) will be assigned for each journal entry. Journals are to be written in first person and they can be handwritten as long as they are legible – see me to check to make sure I can read your handwriting. Journals are not evaluated for rightness or wrongness of answers, rather for depth of exploration of the issues, always asking yourself why you have a particular view of the issue(s) and explaining in depth your rationale. Avoid making general or absolute statements, e.g. society is… or people are… If you do you must provide justification, exploring underlying assumptions and values and from where do these stem, the point being that your thoughts don’t come out of nothing. Speak about what you think and feel and why. As journals connote, they are personal exposes of yourself, who you are and what you believe. Don’t attempt to write the journal in one sitting; they are best done in 2 sittings. Frequently refer back to the questions to make sure you have fully answered them. Don’t censor yourself. Contents remain confidential. Word length: approximately 750.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS – 27 points: 9 submissions 3 points each submission
In order to provide a further exploration of the assigned readings each week and for you to explore the issues under discussion, you are required to submit each week 2 questions which would help to further the classes’ exploration and comprehension of the ideas of the readings. These questions will be used in the discussions during class as time allows. With each question, you should provide a context, i.e. a rationale for asking the question. You are not to submit questions which are answered in the readings. Your questions should not simply be closed questions, e.g. yes/no, disagree/agree, but instead they should require substantive replies. See my webpage for ideas for further ideas of how to write your questions. The questions don’t need to be typed. They are due at the beginning of the class.
ATTENDANCE – 36 points
Attendance is expected and will be taken during each class. Your attendance and participation is very important to your learning and that of other students in this class.
It will become apparent if you have not conducted the readings and thus are unable to contribute constructive discussion in the class.In general, I make no distinction between "excused" and "unexcused" absences. This frees you from having to bring a note from your doctor or something of that nature. I know that there are times when real life comes into conflict with the demands of pursuing an education, but your attendance in this class is important and you should make it a priority.
If you are unable to attend at least 80% of the classes, then it is advisable that you withdraw from the course or else risk the application of penalties in the assessment. One missed class is allowed, with each subsequent class missed amounting to a 3 point deduction in this component of the assessment. The 1 allotted absence is to be used in the event that dire circumstances keep you from class. Use the absence at your discretion, but DO NOT VIEW THE ALLOTTED ABSENCE AS A SKIP DAY. The absence is provided because I understand that real life occasionally collides with your school responsibilities and this absence gives you the flexibility to responsibly manage conflicting circumstances that may arise during the course of the semester without severe consequences for your point total. If you have MAJOR extenuating circumstances requiring an extended absence from campus (e.g. an accident or illness that requires extensive hospitalization, a death in the family, etc.), please see me and we may be able to make arrangements and/or will talk about the options the University provides for dropping, withdrawing, switching to audit, and so on.If you are late, YOU are responsible for checking with me after class on the day you were late to correct the record. It is simply not feasible to alter attendance records days or even weeks after the fact. Excessive tardiness may result in a further loss of points from the final grade. If you are late for a general class session, simply slip in as quietly as possible.
PARTICIPATION – 36 points
Informed and constructive participation in class discussion is also expected. The course outline lists readings for each week. You must read and/or prepare all materials prior to the class period for which they are assigned. It is also helpful if you approach this class with an open mind and a sense of enthusiasm for learning. Participation is awarded for your involvement in in-class activities, exercises, discussions, and so on. Please note that participation points are awarded based on your active involvement and genuine participation, voluntarily NOT for mere attendance (which is expected as a minimal requirement and is addressed above).
STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES for CRM313.2B Selected Issues Winter 2004
The following are a list of expectations you the student can have of me the professor for this course, and expectations I have of you during the course. If you have any questions or concerns about these expectations, then it is your responsibility to bring these to my attention during the first few weeks of classes. Otherwise it is understood that you agree to abide by these rights and responsibilities.
Your rights:
| course syllabus will be followed, and sufficient notice will be given if any changes will take place |
| clear explanations of written work including assessment |
| respect from myself and from other students |
| office hours are scheduled and appointments can be made |
| reasonable assistance individually in understanding the course material if necessary will be provided during office hours or scheduled appointments |
Your responsibilities:
| this is your education so take it seriously and make it a priority |
| be organized and do not procrastinate |
| show up to class on time |
| attend all classes |
| hand in all written work on time |
| do readings of assigned chapters prior to each week’s class (you need to allocate at least 3 hours for this each week) |
| contribute to class discussions and activities voluntarily and when called upon |
| provide valid reasons for absences and in a timely manner |
| consult with me if you are having difficulties and doing poorly early on and not towards the end of the semester |
| respect the opinions of others and put yourself in the shoes of others to better understand them |
| if having learning challenges or other issues which will affect your learning, inform me in advance |
| know what is taking place each week with regard to readings and assignment of written work and due dates |
| turn off all cell phones and pagers during class |
| seek out explanation of assessment of written work during office hours or scheduled appointments, not directly after class upon return of graded written work |
As your professor, I am responsible for facilitating learning and serving as a resource for you in this class. It is my job to challenge you, to consider your work against the standards I set forth and those of a tertiary educational institution, and to evaluate your efforts based on my years of training and my years of teaching in the field of Sociology and Criminology. As students, you are responsible for being here, for participating in class, for completing assignments in an appropriate and timely fashion, and for learning. Staying on top of things, being self-motivated, and putting forth adequate effort are all a part of the equation for you to earn a good grade in this course.
That said, I'd like to remind you that it is best if you do not equate your self worth with your grade in this class or on any assignment. You may be an "A+ person" who happened to perform at a C+ level on a given assignment. Remember that grades are an indication of your performance in mastering the material at hand at one point in time. They do not condemn you to a life of doom and drudgery. Nor are they an indicator of my views of you as a person. Reflect on your grade in an honest and realistic fashion before flying off the handle. Remember that I am hired to offer constructive criticism of your speeches, papers, and so on. Digest that criticism and then ask yourself questions like: Did I put in the preparation time that would've been necessary to receive a better grade?, Did I understand the assignment as fully as I could have?, Did I turn in all the required paperwork?, Did I do an adequate job of proofreading, running a spell check? If you find that you still have questions about how you can improve or about course content, come see me and we will talk about additional ways for you to work on your mastery of the subject matter.
A few thoughts about attitude... It has been my experience that students who approach their education with a sense of excitement and a willingness to learn are more productive students. Holding on to the belief that you HAVE TO take this course prevents you from embracing the point of view that you GET TO take this course. This course may be outside your major area of interest, but the content will still relate to your daily activities at home, work, and school. We will laugh, we will experience nervousness, we will think critically, we will speak, we will listen, and we will learn. Most importantly, we will do these things together. There is no room for negative criticism of others and there is no room for laughter at the expense of another in this class. Enjoy the class and look for the concepts to be applicable in your daily life and I think you'll be surprised at what you can accomplish this semester.
PLAGIARISM, ACADEMIC DISHONESTY, AND DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR
Cheating and plagiarism are unacceptable. Plagiarism is quoting from, paraphrasing, or using specific ideas contained in any published work, e.g. books periodicals, public documents, internet, etc…, or using another person’s ideas without providing an appropriate citation or recognition which credits the author and/or origin of the work or idea, and presenting them as if they are your own. Academic dishonesty can refer to a range of inappropriate and unethical behaviours including but not limited to cheating on exams, falsification of sources, and so on. As in other courses at the University, students in this class are expected to do their own work and conduct themselves in a fair, honest, and ethical manner. Those who plagiarize or engage in academic dishonesty of any kind may minimally expect to fail the assignment at hand and perhaps the entire course. In addition, instances of academic dishonesty and plagiarism will be dealt with through proper University channels for investigation and disciplinary action.
"Disruptive behaviour" includes but is not limited to talking when someone else has the floor, being rude to other people, destructive (rather than constructive) criticism of another, arriving late repeatedly, sleeping during class, belligerent or aggressive behaviour, and so on. These behaviours have no place in a university classroom. You have a right to maintain your own opinions and to disagree with others, but you must do so in a fashion that is conducive to learning and does not take the form of a personal attack on others. Minimally, you are expected to treat your classmates and your professor in a respectful fashion and they will return the favour. Any behaviour that obstructs or disrupts the classroom teaching and learning environment will be addressed. Serious or repeated breaches in appropriate behaviour may result in a reduction of your final grade in the course and may be referred to additional University authorities.
GRADING SCALE
A+ 96 - 100%
A 90 – 95
A- 80 – 89
B+ 77 – 79
B 74 – 76
B- 70 – 73
C+ 67 – 69
C 64 – 66
C- 60 - 63
D 50 – 59
F 0 – 49
Refer to the SMU Catalogue for a description of what a letter grade represents in terms of GPA.
Remember an "A" denotes exceptional work.
All assignments and policies indicated above and below must be completed and/or carried out in a satisfactory manner in order to receive a passing grade in this class. . To calculate your grade in the course as we go along, simply calculate the percentage of points you have earned from the total thus far in the class.
COURSE OUTLINE
Chapters denote readings to be completed prior to each week. It is imperative that you read the chapter(s) before coming to class so that you will have a basic foundation of the topic in class discussions and activities.
WEEK 1 – January 8th
Introduction to course – ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY
WEEK 2 – January 15th
Topic: Some history
Readings: Whose Nat’l Security Intro & Part 1
& Pepper in our eyes Part 1
Journal 1 assigned
WEEK 3 – January 22nd
Topic: Laws and enforcement
Readings: Pepper in our eyes Part 2 & 3
Journal 1 due
WEEK 4 – January 29th
Topic: Democracy?
Readings: Whose Nat’l Security Ch. 12, 13 & 22
Journal 2 assigned
Part 1 of group project due
WEEK 5 – February 5th
Topic: Democracy? Cont’d
Readings: Pepper in our eyes Part 4
Journal 2 due
WEEK 6 – February 12th
Topic: Education
Readings: Whose Nat’l Security Part III
Journal 3 assigned
WEEK 7 – February 19th – winter break
WEEK 8 – February 26th
Topic: Gender & Sexuality
Readings: Whose Nat’l Security Ch. 4, 5, 9 & 10
Parts 2 & 3 of group project due
WEEK 9 – March 4th
Topic: Labour
Readings: Whose Nat’l Security Ch. 18 & 19
Journal 3 due
WEEK 10 – March 11th
Topic: Race & Ethnicity
Readings: Whose Nat’l Security Ch. 3, 11 & 20
WEEK 11- March 18th
Topic: What’s in your file?
Readings: Whose Nat’l Security Part VI
WEEK 12 – March 25th
Project presentations
WEEK 13 – April 1st
Project presentations
WEEK 1 – April 8th last class
Project presentations
Final group project papers due – NO EXTENSIONS
NOTE: The professor reserves the right to change the course syllabus. The students will be given sufficient advanced notice of any changes should they arise.
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Revised: January 09, 2004 .