Inquiry:
Coming of Age:
Images of Maturity and Fulfillment
Professor: Daniel Meckel
Office: Anne Arundel 110C
Office: 4464
Email: djmeckel@smcm.edu
Office hours: 9:39-10:30 MW
This course invites you to articulate and explore your assumptions
about coming of age, that is to say,
about becoming an “adult.” You are
encouraged to think deeply, critically, and comparatively about adulthood as
both a universal feature of human development and as an historical and
culturally variable set of ideals. In
doing so together, we will focus on the topics of fulfillment, self, intimacy,
and responsibility (family, work, finances); asking ourselves throughout what
it is that we assume to be a “healthy” or “mature” adult in these respects, and
what we take to be an unhealthy or immature one. As these assumptions come clear, we will
consider some of their sources – e.g., the economy, popular media, religious
life and values, Western democracy and cultures. Further, we will compare our notions of
adulthood compare to those found in non-Western settings.
Throughout the course we will use as a critical reference point the
life-cycle theory of psychoanalyst Erik Erikson. Erikson gives us a way of
thinking about the stages of life, as well as the human strengths or virtues
that develop in each stage. We may not
agree with Erikson but his influential ideas will serve as a point of
comparison for our own thoughts.
Finally, in our pursuit of the meanings of “coming of age” we will also
consider Swedish film, adolescent bedrooms, excessive thumb sucking, heavy
metal parking lots, arranged marriage, debt, impending death, and other things.
Required Text: Kamenetz, Anya Generation Debt: Why Now is a Terrible Time to Be
Young
All other readings
will be available through e-reserve. The
password is sdmmc6.
**************************
Course
Schedule
QUESTIONS OF
ADULTHOOD
Week I
|
M Aug. 28: Introductions |
which they are
listed Exploratory
writing assignment 1 |
|
W Aug. 30: Questioning
“Adulthood” What you can change,
what you can’t change, and everything (is) in between. |
|
|
F Sept. 1: Discussion: Letter to your children |
Exploratory
writing Assignment 2 Writing
assignment 1 due |
Week II
|
M Sept. 4: No Class |
(write) |
|
W Sept. 6: “Fulfillment” |
Writing assignment
2 due Suggestion: Start reading Wild
Strawberries (WS) |
|
F Sept. 8: No Class |
|
LIFE AS A WHOLE
Images of Fulfillment and Despair in Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries
Week III
|
M Sept 11: Dream
Analysis 1: Dr. Borg’s First Dream Self |
Read: WS, pp. 21-55 Discussion
Questions for Today |
|
W Sept. 13: Dream Analysis 2: The Examination Intimacy |
Read: WS, pp. 55-81 Discussion Questions for Today |
|
W Sept. 13 at 8:00 PM: Screening of Bergman’s Wild Strawberries |
In Library 321 |
|
F Sept. 15: Tucking
Up Fulfillment |
Read: WS, pp. 81-95 Discussion
Questions for Today |
Life Stages and Human Virtues: Erikson’s Theory
Week IV
|
M Sept. 18: Life Cycles, Crises, and Virtues |
Read: Erikson, The Human Life
Cycle, from Discussion
Questions for Today |
|
W Sept. 20: Basic Trust Vs. Basic Mistrust Hope |
Read: Erikson, A Schedule of
Virtues, from Insight and responsibility,
Norton & Co., 1989,
pp. 111-118. Discussion
Questions for Today |
|
F Sept. 22: Integrity
Vs. Despair Wisdom |
Read: Erikson, A Schedule of
Virtues, Discussion
Questions for Today |
SELF
Week V
|
M Sept. 25: No Afternoon Class but… Meet at 8:00 PM in Thumbsucker |
|
|
W Sept. 27: Discussion
of Thumbsucker |
Integrative
essay 1 due in class Discussion
Questions for Today |
|
F Sept. 29: Identity and Moratorium Presentation: A History of Adolescence Section 09: Bill Lummis Section 10: Ashley Meadows |
Read: Erikson,
The Life Cycle: Epigenesis of Identity (“5. Adolescence”) Discussion
Questions for Today |
Week VI
|
M Oct. 2: Moratorium |
|
|
W Oct. 4: Identity vs. Identity Confusion Fidelity Presentation: Storm and Stress Section 09: Rowena Conway Section 10: Emily Crosson |
Erikson, Identity Confusion in Life History and Case
History, pp. 165 (bottom)-176 (bottom). |
|
F Oct. 6: Social Identity in High School Presentation: Adolescent Room Culture Section 09:
Emily Bzdyk Section 10: Boyer Katie |
Writing
assignment 3 due Exploratory
writing Assignment 4 |
”Emerging Adulthood”
Week VII
|
M Oct. 9 No Class (Fall reading day) |
|
|
W Oct. 11: Media and Identity
Section 09: Mimi
Edwards Section 10:
Mandy Foster |
Writing
assignment 4 due
|
|
F Oct. 13: Emerging
Adulthood
|
Read: Arnett, The Concept of
Emerging Adulthood
|
Culture and Identity
Week VIII
|
M Oct. 16: No Class |
|
|
W Oct. 18: Religion and Adulthood
Section 09: Mary Huang Section 10: Alex Arguello |
Writing
assignment 5 due
|
|
F Oct. 20: Independent and Presentation: Independent and Interdependent Selves |
Read: |
INTIMACY
Sexuality
Week IX
|
M Oct. 23: Sex, Friendship, and
Commitment Presentation: Friends with Benefits Section 10: Casey Marshall |
Integrative
essay 2 due in class Read: “Friends, Friends with
Benefits” |
|
W Oct. 25: Duties
Toward the Body? Section 10: Kenny Salau |
Read: Kant, Duties Toward the
Body in Respect to Sexual Impulse. Discussion
Questions for Today Exploratory
writing Assignment 6 |
|
F Oct. 27: Intimacy
vs. Isolation Love Presentations: Sexual Betrayal Section 09: Tom
Conkwright Section 10: Jacob Smith |
Read: Erikson, The Life Cycle: Epigenesis
of Identity, pp. 135-138 (top) (“6. Beyond Identity”) |
Culture, Marriage, and Love
Week X
|
M Oct. 30: Arranged
Marriage / Love Marriage Presentation: Section 9: Erin Troxell Section 10: |
Writing
assignment 6 due Read: Bumiller, Wedding First, Love Later: Arranged Marriage Among the Educated Classes. Download Exploratory writing Assignment 7 |
|
W. Nov. 1: No Afternoon Class but… Meet by 8:00 PM in Monsoon Wedding |
|
|
F Nov. 3: Arranged Marriage / Love Discussion of Monsoon Wedding |
Gender and Maturity
Week XI
|
M Nov. 6: Gender and Maturity
Section 10: Amelia Fort |
Writing
assignment 7 due |
|
W Nov 8: Adulthood: Male and Female Presentation: Section 10: Melissa Pumphrey |
Writing assignment
8 due
Gilligan, Crisis and
Transition
|
|
F Nov. 10: Adulthood: Male and Female
Section 10: Mattie Farrar |
Read: Gilligan, Visions of
Maturity (handout) |
RESPONSIBILITY
Week XII
|
M Nov. 13: Generativity
vs. Stagnation Care Presentation: College Section 10: Stacey Dorish |
Read: Erikson, Human Strength and the Cycle of Generations, pp. 130-132. |
|
W Nov. 15: Section 10: Chris Kauffman |
Integrative
essay 3 due in class
TBA Discussion
Questions for Today |
|
F Nov. 17: No Class |
|
Week XIII
|
Nov. 20, 22, & 25: No Class |
|
Coming of Age in the Present Economy
Week XIV
|
M Nov. 27: Generation Debt and Chapter Presentations: Section 10: Sarah Dowling |
GD, chs. 1 & 2 |
|
W Nov. 29: Low Wage Jobs and Temp Gigs Chapter Presentations: Section 09: Manty Koroma / Rachel Boyer Section 10: Benjamin Spears / Rick Besore |
GD, chs.3 & 4 |
|
F Dec. 1: No Class |
|
Week XV
|
M Dec. 4: Family Troubles: Love and
Section 10: Jennifer Covington
|
GD, ch. 7 |
|
W Dec. 6: Waking up and Taking Charge
Section 09: Andrew Bove / Nicole Chaplin |
GD, ch. 8 |
|
F Dec. 8: No Class |
|
|
F Dec. 15: Integrative Essay 4 due in hard copy. |
Please leave your essay in the tray outside of my office.
Do not send me the essay by email. |
Exploratory Writing Assignments (8)................................................................... 400 (50 each)
Integrative Essays (4).......................................................................................... 400 (100 each)
Presentation........................................................................................................ 100
Participation....................................................................................................... 100
Final
Grade Values
1000 Points Possible
|
900 to 919 = A- 880 to 899 = B+ 820 to 879 = B 800 to 819 = B- 780 to 799 = C+ |
700 to 719 = C- 680 to 699 = D+ 620 to 679 = D 600 to 619 = D- 599 and below = F |
Track your progress on Blackboard
Course
Imperatives:
Engage!
Absence is both a physical and mental phenomenon. Engagement means (1) wakeful
presence, (2) preparation of reading assignments, (3) active involvement in
class interactions, and (4) punctual arrival at the beginning of class. Lack of any of these will affect the grade;
excess of any of these can result in a failing grade.
Talk to Me!
My office number and hours are listed above.
Please make an appointment if you can, but feel completely free to drop
by with your concerns, ideas, questions, pets, floor plans, etc. I will always make time if I can. If necessary, we can interact by email or
phone, but in-person is always best.
Be Here Now!
Attendance is
required. I will allow three “unexcused”
absences during the semester. After
this, for every unexcused absence, a student’s final number grade will be
reduced by 15 points. A note from a
doctor, dentist, coach, or funeral director will render any absence excused.
A note from the health center indicating that a student had an
appointment is not sufficient.
Be Online!
Please check your email and the
online syllabus every day, I will assume
that you do. This means that if I announce something via email – such as a
changed deadline or altered reading assignment -- and a student doesn’t know
it Broken or unreliable computer? Use the computers at the college. The syllabus is my best projection of how our
time will be organized. I might well
alter the assignment schedule as seems appropriate or necessary; but I will not
change the grading policies.
Be Yourself!
Academic dishonesty in any form (including plagiarism of self or others,
falsified documentation of a doctor’s note, and the unauthorized declaration of
non-deductible tax items brought forth from the previous fiscal year) will not
be tolerated. Cheating of any kind
results in an “F” for the course. Really.