Week 9: Progress

Goals:

• Contrast technocratic and social definitions of progress.
• Consider why societies succeed or fail.
• Think about the big questions for the future of our own society.
• Get accumulated work from before break back. Polish a second essay.

Monday, March 30: What is progress?

Read

• Marx, "Does improved technology mean progress?" On e-Reserve for this course.
• Wright, Chapter I (pp. 1 - 28).

1. What is Marx's thesis concerning the idea of progress?
2. How does Wright's initial discussion of progress fit (or not fit) into Marx's analysis?
3. Briefly, what is your reaction to Marx or to Wright thus far?
4. What is one question about the reading that you would like to discuss?
5. About how long did you spend on the reading and your response?

Assignments:

• Members of study teams 1 and 2 should post their answers to the above questions in the appropriate forum. As a reminder, reading responses are due by 7:30 the day before the class meeting.

Wednesday, April 1: The Great Experiment; Fool's Paradise

Read Wright, Chapters II and III (pp. 29 - 80).

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does Wright's idea of a "progress trap" seem similar to and/or different from Tenner's "revenge effects"?
2. Give two quotations or passages you would like to discuss. Each could be a confusing passage you would like to clarify, an important passage that you want to interpret and contextualize, an intriguing passage you would like to discuss the implications of, or a passage you see as somehow connected to other ideas from this class. Regardless, they should be passages that are worth discussing. Be sure to include page numbers!
3. What is one question about the reading that you would like to discuss?
4. About how long did you spend on the reading and your response?

• Members of study teams 3 and 4 should post their answers to the above questions in the appropriate forum. As a reminder, reading responses are due by 7:30 the day before the class meeting.

Friday, April 3: Pyramid Schemes; The Rebellion of the Tools

Read Wright, Chapters IV and V (pp. 81 - 132).

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What, in the end, seem to be Wright's main point(s)? Give specific evidence from the text, with page numbers.
2. Briefly, what's your reaction?
3. What is one question about the reading that you would like to discuss?
4. About how long did you spend on the reading and your response?

• Members of study teams 5 and 6 should post their answers to the above questions in the appropriate forum. As a reminder, reading responses are due by 7:30 the day before the class meeting.

Friday, April 3, 2:15 p.m.: Environmental Challenges & Responses

Please consider attending the following talk. You may email me a response for 5 points of extra credit.

Lucy Norton, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association: "Renewable Fuels: The American Solution"

The talk is at 2:15 p.m. in ARH 120.

Friday, April 3, 5:30 p.m.: Second Polished Essay due

Your first polished essay is due to the orange folder (in class or outside my office) by 5:30 p.m. I would like you to revise one of your first two essays both in response to my comments and in response to feedback from a member of your study team. 

The grading rubric I plan to use is below. I also provide two worksheets for peer review; each study team should choose one to work with.

• Essay grading rubric
• Peer review worksheet 1
• Peer review worksheet 2

Your essay may expand somewhat---up to about 1000 words---in response to substantive questions or objections. However, you should strive to be concise as well as clear, careful, and persuasive.

Please staple prior drafts and feedback (from me, from a member of your study team) to the back of your essay. There is a stapler in the printer room across from my office.

Janet Davis (davisjan@cs.grinnell.edu)