SOC 7598-8598
TRAUMA AND SOCIETY
Syllabus
REQUIRED TEXTS (to be found at the University Book Store)
Discovery of Society, (6th edition) by Randall Collins and Michael Makowsky. Boston,
M.A.: McGraw Hill.
Push, by Sapphire
A Child’s Life, by Phoebe Gloeckner
Trauma and Recovery, by Judith Herman
Women, Sex, and Addiction, by Charlotte Kasl
Too Scared to Cry: How Trauma Affects Children and Ultimately Us All, by Lenore Terr
Stigma, by Erving Goffman
ARTICLES (some to be found on-line, others in your course packet).
Loftus Articles and Responses {Click here}
1917 world war one article {Click here}
Rambo-Ronai Articles {Click here}
Trauma Pages {Click here}
Levine Articles {Click here}
Bessel A Van Der Kolk Articles {Click here}
Bruce Perry {Packet}
Selection from Rom Dass {Packet}
A Sociological Conceptualization of Trauma {Packet}
The Berserk Style in American Culture {Packet}
The National Dilemma: Can we Heal Ourselves {Packet}
Cultural Trauma: The Other Face of Social Change {Packet}
COURSE OBJECTIVE
Trauma as a sensitizing concept will be explored through a minimum of three dimensions: an individual’s identity, an individual’s neurobiology, and at the collective, socio-cultural level. All three dimensions are dialectically interrelated as each one constitutes and is constituted by the others. The first objective of this course will be to foreground for participants each dimension of trauma through lecture, readings, movies, class exercises, writing, and most importantly, discussion. Because the socio-cultural dimension of many variations on trauma are under investigated, part of the task of this course will be to vision filling in some of those gaps. Fulfilling the second objective of this course is integrative. Participants will consider the interrelations between the three dimensions and view the relationship between the individual and society through the trauma lense. Here, participants will be asked to consider the question: "How much explanatory power does the concept of trauma contribute towards understanding the workings of self, society, social change and social problems." Ultimately, participants will be invited to reconsider the mission of Sociology as a vehicle for cultivating understanding and compassion and for reducing the impact of trauma on individuals and its costs to society.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
a. A description of the trauma. Include some discussion of consequences to individuals, families, communities, and society, where appropriate. Also include well-known examples of the trauma if they exist.
b. An overview of the general research on the topic in question (multi-disciplinary). If the literature is overwhelming (with some topics it will be) see me about narrowing the scope.
Ideally, these will be eventually posted on line at the web site, with or without your identity, your choice.
*Additionally, I would like to suggest to the class that we might consider convening a "Trauma Movie Night" every so often for the purpose of having a joint experience that could then be discussed and subsequently written about.
ATTENDANCE
You may have two absences, after which a letter grade will be deducted for each day you are not present. You are responsible for the readings and assignments due on those days and will be responsible for making alternative arrangements in regards to these. On a reading day, for instance, you will be required to write a summary of the reading you have missed and turn it in by the next class you are in attendance.
GRADING
Your grade will be calculated based on the following:
Assignments: Scale:
Trauma Paper 60 pts. A = 100-90 pts.
Theory Paper 25 pts. B = 89-80 pts.
Trauma Review 1 5 pts. C = 79-70 pts.
Trauma Review 2 5 pts. D = 69-65 pts.
Trauma Review 3 5 pts. F = 64 and below
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100 pts. Total
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Week 1 Open class, review course requirements and structure, define terms, and set the tone. Explore the attitude of Judgment vs. Discernment. Watch Memphis Police/PTSD Video.
Week 2 Lived Experience. Read Push, A Child’s Life and articles. Discuss. War vet will speak for second half of class.
Week 3 Trauma, an Overview. Read Trauma and Recovery. Discuss.
Week 4 Neurobiology of Adaptation: Post Traumatic Stress and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Visit David Baldwin’s Trauma Pages {Click here} Read Perry, Van der Kolk, Levine. View Van der Kolk video.
Week 5 Psychology of Stress and Trauma. False Memory Debates. Loftus and counter arguments articles.
Week 6 Dissociation: Biological and Psychological Components. Readings.
Week 7 Treatment vs. Healing (Guest Speaker Dr. Clifford Heegel, Licensed Psychologist.
Week 8 Silence and Society: The relationship between Stigma and Trauma.
The "Stocks of knowledge and the chains of constraint: The role of language in the construction of reality at the individual and societal level "
Read Stigma and Rambo-Ronai articles.
Week 9 Costs of Trauma to Society. Discuss Trauma Reviews. Post Reviews.
Week 10 Addiction, the Individual, and Society. Read Women, Sex and Addiction. Discuss.
Week 11 Review of Sociological Theory in light of the Trauma lense. Read "A Sociological Conception of Trauma," "The Berserk Style in American Culture," "The National Dilemma," and "Cultural Trauma" Articles from Packet. Participants present their Theory Papers. Papers due.
Week 12 Trauma and Society: assembling a theory of Society based on Trauma Management. Participants present Trauma Papers. Papers are due the last day of class.
Week 13 Sociology: a vehicle for compassion. Judgment conceptualized as Bias vs. Discernment conceptualized as a new "Objectivity." Read Rom Dass article. Participants present the remaining Trauma Papers. Papers Due.