whatiscivicknowledge-universityofchicago.docVIP

The University of Chicago Spring 2011 What is Civic Knowledge? Chicago as Friend and Representation BPRO 21500, HUMA 24906, LLSO 24906, PBPL 21500, PHIL 21006 What is civic knowledge? Although civic rights and duties are supposedly universal in “liberal democratic” nations, their recognition and realization often depend on the strength of community connections and the circulation of knowledge across racial, class, and social boundaries. Focusing on the city of Chicago – and on the University of Chicago – we examine a number of key historical episodes in democratic experimentation and community organizing in order to shed light on how citizens, in their roles as citizens, can or could make democracy a way of life, forge communities, devise urban plans, and participate in urban affairs. How does the city construct the public spheres of its residents? Are the social practices of Chicagoans truly “democratic”? Could they be? What does “Chicago” stand for, as a political and cultural symbol? For both Chicagoans and their representatives, the circulation of knowledge depends not only on conventional media but also on how the city is constructed and managed through digital media. Instructors: Margot Browning. JRL S118A (in the Franke Institute for the Humanities). m-browning@. 702-5657. Office Hours: MW 4:00-5:00pm. Bart Schultz, Gates-Blake 126. rschultz@. 702-6007. Office hours: F 12:30-2pm. Requirements: ? Three short (600-800 word) papers spaced throughout the quarter (due dates are April 18, May 9, and May 23). ? A final project/paper. This may take a number of different forms, from a longer paper (2000-2500 words) to a mapping project, to a multi-media exhibition. Original proposals are welcome, but these are subject to approval. Required text purchases (available under PHIL 21006 at the Seminary Coop Bookstore): ? Addams, Jane. Twenty Years at Hull House. Dover Publications, 2008 (1910). ? Alinsky, Saul. Reveille for Radicals. Vi