Michael R. H. Swanson, Ph. D.
Office: GHH 215
Hours M, W, F,  11:00 - 12:00
T:  2:00 - 3:00 and By Appointment
Phone:  (254) 3230
AMST 355  Class and Culture
M, W, F, 1:00-1:50
GHH 208
Roger Williams University
Fall Semester, 2012
INDEX
E-Mail: mswanson@rwu.edu



     
Click for the National Advertising Council's Campaign Against Child Abuse
For Wednesday, October 3

Read, in Shipler
#6,  Sins of the Fathers   pp.  142 - 173
Chapter 6 isolates a problem which runs throughout American culture but has special ramifications in the lower economic classes.  The problem is child abuse, and the particular focus is on ways that child abuse interacts with poverty to perpetuate it from generation to generation.  I know that numbers of you are psychology majors and may have taken one or more courses which are pertinent...classes in child or adolescent psychology, or perhaps classes in abnormal psychology.  IF so, you’re more expert than I am, and I’ll try to draw on you for comments about Shipler’s observations.  Be ready to volunteer. 
There are some rays of hope here, as was the case in the previous chapter. Pay special attention to programs which make an effort to break the cycle of poverty.   Note what motivated those who created the more successful programs, and what led to their particular insights.  For further information, visit the Prevent Child Abuse. America Website.
News Flash.  I'm always finding new things of interest.  One that I discovered not too long ago was the National Center for Parents as Teachers.  Interesting, Pertinent--visit it by clicking on the logo.  Then search "abuse" for interesting and pertinent information.
I've been delighted to discover that some of you have had experiences which are pertinent to our subjects of investigation.  And I'm doubly delighted with the willingness to share you've displayed.  A former student, Ashley Hobbs, interned with a family court. and she shared her experience with us. a little about this experience, She also was gracious enough to share here internship reflection paper, and I'm going to ask this class to read it for this class session.  Reach it  by clicking on the button below.

From American Public Media.  Mike Rose is a professor in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.  That's his mom, waitressing in the background picture.  Here's an interesting reflection on "head work" and "hand work,"  One of the marks of social class in America
For Monday, October 1

No New Readings.
We will be spending the day discussing the assignment I have in mind for the novel, Samaritan.  I've provided some demographic information for you, plus a chance to use some tools to explore the neighborhoods of  Dempsey (Jersey City) New Jersey.   To prepare for the class,look around and record your thoughts about "Dempsey", and also think a bit about your reaction to one or two of the characters in the book.  Record those in the journal, as well.
Clicking on the illustration to the left will bring you to Realty Track's interaction for Jersey City.  The map is interactive (you can "unlock" it and move to other areas of the city.  You'll see the indicators of foreclosures (red),  for sale (green) and recently sold (blue).  Clicking on the indicator will give you the address of the property, and from there, you can  go to Google Maps or Google world and prowl around the neighborhood..  Take a look at one of the properties in foreclose, and see what it looks like.and prowl the neighborhood to see what it is like.  You can pair this information with the charts on the Samaritan page.

For Friday, October 5

Read, in Shipler,
Chapter 7, Kinship pp.  174 - 200

Click to read an interesting Mayo Clinic article on the importance of social support networks.
Click for a very interesting description of the evolving idea of friendship
How important is friendship, and how have concepts of friendship changed across the centuries?  How does a person's concept of friendship change across the span of his or her life?  The illustration at the left is linked to an interesting article on this.  Friendship may have different aspects in different social classes, as well, and to change one's class may require changing one's friends.  Is it worth it?
A few years back it was not unusual for graduating seniors to decorate their caps and occasionally their gowns with signs like Thanks, Mom and Dad, and You’ve Always been There for MeChapter 7 brings home the importance of kinship as an asset when life takes a horrific turn.  Note that kin as Shipler uses the term extends beyond relatives by blood or marriage into the larger network of friends, church members, and others who provide  support in times of need. 
When those networks fail we can find ourselves in dire times, indeed.  Some of this chapter may bring some of you close to tears, but it may also give you a sense of how, occasionally, persons rise to bad occasions through noble actions.