Spring 2013

Professor Liu

Jianmei

HUMA1000-L3:

CULTURES AND VALUES

LECTURE 1: INTRODUCTION

Please think of one of the most significant things you have ever done in your life.

Who is the person in your mind that carries or represents the most important value in the

world? And Why?

QUESTIONS

What is the meaning of our life? What is the essence of our life?

1. The individual and self

2. The individual and family

3. The individual and others

4. The individual and society

5. The individual and country

6. The individual and religion

7. The individual and nature

8. The individual and death

WHAT THIS COURSE IS ABOUT?

CULTURES AND VALUES

The diversity of cultures, the diversity of values

Last semester Professor Billy So focused on three value systems: economic development, legal justice,

and culture diversity

This semester I will focus on three value systems: individualism, family value, and social

responsibilities.

In Confucianisms terms: (cultivate oneself, keep ones family in order, run the

country well, bring peace to the world)

Nietzsche: To re-evaluate every value

Hu Shi in the May-Fourth movement

Abandon Two things in this class:

to abandon radical emotion

to abandon being extreme

THE METHODOLOGY OF THIS COURSE

1) emphasizing objects but not spiritthe whole earth is tilting towards objects

2) emphasizing the capital but not the humanthe whole world is turning into a money machine

3) emphasizing instrumental rationality rather than value rationalityhuman beings are alienated by the

instruments they created.

4) emphasizing deconstruction but not constructionthe academic field of humanities is dominated by

postmodernism

THE LOSS OF VALUES

2) Instrumental rationality overwhelms value rationality

Max Weber: Zweckrational or purposive/instrumental

rationality is related to the expectations about the behavior

of other human beings or objects in the environment. These

expectations serve as means for a particular actor to attain

ends, ends which Weber noted were "rationally pursued and

calculated." The second type, Weber called Wertrational or

value/belief-oriented. Here the action is undertaken for

what one might call reasons intrinsic to the actor: some

ethical, aesthetic, religious or other motive, independent of

whether it will lead to success. (Wikipedia)

Instrumental rationality: data, machine, technique; rules and laws

Value rationality: truth) (kindness) (beauty)

THE PROBLEMATIC OF VALUE SYSTEM

Lu Xun in his article One -Sidedness of Culture (1908)

criticizing Western modernity for its emphasis on material

instead of spirit.

Ernst Cassirer: A mans essence does not depend on

external circumstance; it depends exclusively on the value

he gives to himself. Riches, rank, social distinction, even

health or intellectuals giftsall this becomes indifferent.

What matters alone is the tendency, the inner attitude of

the soul; and this inner principle cannot be disturbed.

What is the most fundamental goal of education? Surviving skill or life quality? To

cultivate the comprehensive excellent

humanities or to impart knowledge?

A) surviving skill

B) the meaning of life

QUESTION

Freud proposed that the human psyche could be divided into three parts: Id, ego and super -ego. Freud discussed this model in the 1920 essay Beyond the Pleasure Principle , and fully elaborated upon it in The Ego and the Id (1923).

The id is the completely unconscious, impulsive, childlike portion of the psyche that operates on the "pleasure principle" and is the source of basic impulses and drives; it seeks immediate pleasure and gratification.

The ego is the organized, realistic part

The super-ego plays the critical and moralizing role.

ID, EGO, SUPER-EGO

1. Communication

2. Humanities perspective

3. Critical of existing cultures and values

4. Accommodating different views

5. Independent judgments

6. Complexity of humanity (human nature)

6 INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Knowing yourself better reflecting on your own culture, value, human nature

Becoming more convincing to others (in writing professionally)-- reflecting on culture, value, human

nature of others

through humanities perspective

IN SHORT

THIS IS A 3-IN-1 HOLISTIC LEARNING

EXPERIENCE!

Lectures (assigned readings)

LMES forum (peer exchanges)

Workshops (essay writing)

Quizzes (assigned readings)

Presentation (essay progress)

Essay (1000 words)

50% 10%

20%

10%

10%

Innovative collaboration between humanities professors and language teaching experts. For this section:

Lectures by HUMA faculty

(Professor Liu Jianmei)

Workshops by Language instructors

(Dr. Nigel Huckstep as coordinator)

LMES by supporting teaching staff

(Mr. Soren Tse as coordinator; also first contact on

any technical and logistic questions)

TEACHING TEAM

Complete all tasks on time, including attendance and participation (No chatting please!)

Think hard and reflect hard (lectures, reading, forum, writing process)

Not English language course hence good English skills need not result in good grades

What is more important: how well you convince others (teaching team and your peers)

Main purpose is to let you reflect on the values you choose to discuss

Not to test how much historical knowledge you remember

Position in essay is open-ended with no model answer

HOW TO PERFORM WELL?

Please choose one of the following :

A . Restraining personal desire is an important condition for success in terms of self -fulfillment. Argue for or against

this statement using what you have learned from the course

to support your point of view.

B. Family values are contradictory to personal choice as well as self-fulfil lment. Argue for or against this statement

using what you have learned from the course to support your

point of view.

C. The self -fulfillment can only be completed through devoting oneself to society. Argue for or against this

statement using what you have learned from the course to

support your point of view.

ESSAY TITLES

Assigned readings

Optional further readings more disciplinary jargons but some best -seller

non-fictions

Selective novels

Selective films

THE READINGS (FOR ANY UG DISCIPLINE)

WRITING WORKSHOPS

Coordinator:

Dr. Nigel Huckstep

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME

Communicate in writing, persuasively in a professional manner

By the end of the course you will be able to write a persuasive essay about an issue covered in the

course, in written English that is appropriate for use

in your studies

ABOUT THE WRITING WORKSHOPS

Please note that this is not a language proficiency course

The aim and primary focus of the workshops is to support you in writing your term essay

The workshops primary focus is not grammar or vocabulary or any aspect of English proficiency

The workshops have been developed for students for whom English is not a first or expert -user language

WORKSHOP CONTENT

1. Why we write

2. Preparations

3. Audience and purpose

4. Preparing your first draft

5. Consultation

IN THE WORKSHOPS

Your instructor will not lecture

S/he will help you work through a number of tasks most of them group tasks

All of these tasks are related to a particular stage of the essay writing

process

Attendance and punctuality are important

and, for obvious reasons, play a role in your participation mark

IMPORTANT

You have registered in a class called a T section (T3A-T3T)

Schedules vary from one section to another

Please check your schedule on the LMES site

It is not possible to change your T section after the add/drop period

We cannot offer make-up classes

LMES FORUM

Coordinator:

Mr. Soren Tse

Lecture

(Assigned Readings)

LMES Forum 10%

(Peer Exchange)

Writing Workshop 20%

(Essay Writing)

In-class Quizzes 10%

(Assigned Readings)

Video Presentation 10%

(Essay Progress)

COURSE COMPONENTS

Essay 50%

(1000 Words)

Bonus points 3% + 3%

(Lecture attendance + Best presenters)

Response to in-class questions through PRS to take attendance

Attendance record taken every lecture after add/drop period

3 rounds of attendance used to calculate bonus marks but you will NOT know in advance which lectures are contributing!

Students selected to take part in lecture activities

Cross-check with attendance record

LECTURE ATTENDANCE

Online peer discussion

Course material

Communication: announcements, group emails

Submission of assignments

THE LMES SITE

10% of your total grade

From Week 3 Week 12

A question given during lecture each week for peer discussion

Continual participation for 10 weeks

Select one best posting (29 April 5pm)

Rubrics for grading on LMES

LMES ONLINE DISCUSSION

10%, a 3-min video presentation on YouTube

Content: progress of your final essay

Submit your video link on LMES discussion forum

Peer assessment, assigned to mark 4-5 videos

Submit marks to receive your own mark

Best presenter from each workshop group will present during lectures on Week 12 or Week 13

Top 3 lecture presenters in each round will receive bonus marks to your final grade

Top presenters in each round will receive a gift from Prof. Liu

VIDEO PRESENTATION

PRS for in-class activities and quizzes

PRS response as a mean to show your attendance and participation in class

PRS to select best lecture presenters

Present a piece of attendance record in case of technical issues/forgotten to bring your clicker

PRS (CLICKER)