Dr. Donald S. Frazier (frazierd@mcmurryadm.mcm.edu)
Office 203 Old Main
793-3862
Office Hours 10-11 am; 3-5 pm MWF or by Appointment

Mr. Bill Libby (libbyb@mcmurryadm.mcm.edu)
Office PE 112
793-4637
Office Hours By appointment

Prerequisites: Core 1200 - Ethics

Course Overview: Persons and Communities is a study of world cultures, their origins, their evolving histories, and their world views. This is an inter-disciplinary, team taught course utilizing primary sources to search out individuals and the societies in which they participate define their identities and how they have interacted with other societies with divergent belief systems.

While this course will introduce students to universal truths regarding the human condition, its readings and discussions will largely focus on the root cultures and belief systems of the Middle East and Mediterranean Basin, The indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere, and the cultures of Japan and the Pacific Rim. By using the histories of these regions and their interactions with the West as a vehicle for study, we will also analyze how these past events, coupled with belief systems as revealed by sacred texts and primary documents, inform us today as citizens of the world.

Students should be prepared to show:

1. Competence in Reading Required Assignments
2. Competence in Researching Discussion Topics and Analyzing Information
3. Competence in Collaborative Learning Projects

Texts:

Gilgamesh
The Bible
The Koran
The Broken Spears
The Dhammapada
The Tale of Gengi

Class Format: Lectures, break-out discussion sections, outside research, analysis, and online-discussion.

Course Content:

Grading: Your final grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Exam I (20%)
Exam II (20%)
Exam III (20%)
Trial Briefs (20%)
Presentations and on-line discussion, attendance, and in-class participation (20%)

The following grading scale will be observed:
A: 93-100; A-: 90-92;
B+: 88-89; B=83-87; B-=80-82;
C+: 78-79; C: 73-77; C-:70-72;
D+: 68-69; D: 63-67; D-: 60-62;
F: less than 60.

Attendance Policy:

Attendance is Mandatory. Only official University absences are recognized as excused. Unexcused students missing tests can not take a make-up. IT IS THE STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL DOCUMENTATION OF EXCUSED ABSENCES AND TO BE ABLE TO PRODUCE THEM FOR THE INSTRUCTOR UPON REQUEST. The Instructor reserves the option of dropping students with excessive absences (3+).

A reminder:

• If you are sick, a doctor's note is required
• If there is a death in the family, an obit is required
• If there are other circumstances, a note in writing is required
• Makeup exams will not be administered except under the above conditions

Plagiarism and Academic Honesty:

Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class. Students must turn in their own work and if ANY evidence of plagiarism exists, the student will receive a "0" on the assignment, and may be asked to withdraw from the class (at the instructor's discretion). Plagiarism is defined as either writing the words on another author (whether a fellow student or a published author) as one's own, OR using the ideas of another author without giving the proper credit (citing your source). If you have any doubts or questions, come see me.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. THE "TRIALS"

All students will participate in several "trials" of major figures from the cultural clashes we are studying. These trials will take place in the small discussion sections. During the first week of class, all students will be given an assignment to either prosecute or defend a historical character. When the trial of that figure arrives, those students are to have written a 5-7 page (double-spaced, 12pt. type, 1 inch margins all around) "legal brief," arguing in favor of or against the figure as assigned.

The premise of the trial is that the historical character has been indicted for "crimes against humanity." The student defender's job is to demonstrate that the character is not guilty, based on the good things that he has done for humanity. The prosecutor has to prove that, indeed, the character's actions could be considered harmful for humanity. Remember that you are arguing a position that you have been assigned to argue -- you don't necessarily have to agree with it, you simply have to argue it.

For both the prosecutor and the defender, there are several components that should be considered and put in the "brief." These include:

· What is the cultural context in which the character lived?
· What is the religious context in which the character lived?
· How did the character understand the role of the divine or the supernatural in the events in which he participated?
· What is the character's motivation in acting as he did in committing his alleged "crime."
· What was the impact of other cultures on the character's actions?
· When possible, consider the testimony of other figures from the time period either for or against the character.

For this brief, you MUST use at least five sources, including the assigned readings for the week, at least one Internet source, one primary source, and other secondary sources that can be found in the library. You must cite all information used and you must also include a "Works Cited" page.

Other than for the Trial of Gilgamesh (the first one), all briefs are due on the day of your character's trial. Because it is essential that you have completed this work by then for the trial to take place, no briefs will be accepted after that date. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE DEADLINE. If you fail to meet it, you will receive a "0" on the assignment and on your participation grade.

2. THE EXAMS

The three exams will be conducted. Two will be open-book, multiple choice exam. The third, a comprehensive final, will be a take home essay examination.

The professors in this course expect students to do original work. Plagiarism of any kind will not be tolerated and will result in an automatic failure for the assignment in question and may result in dismissal from and failure of the course.