The Meaning of 9/11

Wednesday 4-6:50 PM

Prof. David Ray Griffin

TA's: A,B

Course Description: The events of 9/11 have not only left an indelible mark on the psyche of Americans, but of people the world over. The short term effects included sudden outbursts of patriotism and solidarity at home as well as astonishing displays of pro-Americanism abroad.  Now, five years later, the country is at war and the world is racked with partisan rancor over the meaning and morality of the attacks. This course will provide an analysis of the varied meanings that have been proposed and the ramifications of these interpretations. In doing so, students will at times participate in the debate over the meaning of the event and also step back to analyze the rhetorical strategies at work in both national and global politics. The course will incorporate views, methods, and interpretations from different disciplines (viz. Political Science, Literature, Engineering, Psychology, Economics, etc.). The primary goal of the course will be to encourage students from different disciplines to work together on a single project in order to better understand and articulate the legacy of 9/11.

This course will be taught in a lecture-discussion format.  Claremont Consortium faculty and visiting scholars will present their perspectives on 9/11 and comment on the importance of transdisciplinary collaboration for their own work. Students will also be required to participate in online discussions and collaborations via Claremont's Online Social Learning Community. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own situatedness within a discipline and how that affects their interpretation of world events.

Students will be graded according to the following criteria:

Attendance and participation in class discussion: 20%

Essay #1 (see below): 20%

         One important goal of transdisciplinary studies is to make students aware of their situatedness within a tradition and method of study. In this paper (8-10 pages) you will describe how your understanding of those events has been influenced by your experiences in your chosen field of study. This paper will require some self-reflection and absolute honesty with yourself about the fact that your interpretations of those events are heavily saturated by a variety of factors. Also consider the implications of your situatedness for anything you have to say about 9/11 - what might you leave out, disregard, emphasize, elevate, etc., in your re-presentations of these events?

Final Project (see below): 60%

         In a group of 4-5 students representing different methodological approaches, write a 30-50 page paper in response to the question: What is the meaning of the events of 9/11? You may use any readings, but you are requested to focus on the research methods that you typically use in your own work. You may write this as a single paper or as a collection of essays depending on your goals and preferences.

Course Outline:

Week One

Course Introduction

Week Two

Topic: Government - David Ray Griffin, Claremont School of Theology

Readings: The 9/11 Commission Report; David Ray Griffin, The 9/11 Comission Report Omissions and Distortions.

Week Three

Topic: Religion and 9/11 - Guest Lecturer: Bruce Lincoln, University of Chicago

Readings: Bruce Lincoln, Holy Terrors: Thinking about Religion after September 11, 2nd ed. 

Week Four

Topic: Historians Consider the Meaning of 9/11 - Guest Lecturer: Mary L. Dudziak, USC Law School

Readings: Mary L. Dudziak, ed., September 11 in History: A Watershed Moment?

Week Five

Topic: Economics - Guest Lecturer: Howard A. Cherncik, CUNY Hunter College

Readings: Howard A. Chernick, Resilient City: The Economic Impacts of the September 11 Attack on NYC.

Week Six

Topic: International Relations

Readings: Andrew Kohut and Bruce Stokes, America Against the World: How We are Different and Why We are Disliked; Selections from Ian Jack, ed., Granta 77:  What We Think about America.

Week Seven

Topic: Psychology - Coping with 9/11 - Guest Lecturer Pat Precin

Readings: Pat Precin, Surviving 9/11: Impact and Experiences of Occupational Therapy Practitioners.

Week Eight

Topic: Conspiracy Theories - Guest Lecturer David Dunbar, Popular Mechanics

Readings: The Editors of Popular Mechanics, Debunking 9/11 Myths: Why Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand up to the Facts; Lev Grossman, "Why the 9/11 Conspiracies Won't Go Away," Time Magazine, Sept. 11, 2006. [We will also watch the documentary Loose Change in class and follows up with a discussion of conspiracy theories the second half of class.]

Essay #1 due

Week Nine

Topic: Photographic Representations of 9/11 - Guest Lecturer David Friend

Readings: David Friend, Watching the World Change; Michael Feldschuh, The September 11 Photo Project.

"Whatever Happened to the America of 9/12" by Frank Rich, New York Times

"Frank Rich Is Wrong About That 9/11 Photograph," by David Plotz, Slate.com

"It's Me in That 9/11 Photo," by Walter Sipser, Slate.com

Week Ten

Topic: Literature I

Readings: Art Spiegelman, In the Shadow of No Towers; Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon, The 9/11 Report

11"9'2001 - 11 short films on 9/11 from 11 directors around the world [We will watch this in the first half of the class and have discussion following.]

Week Eleven

Topic: Literature II

Readings: Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close; Martin Amis, "The Last Day of Mohammed Atta"

Week Twelve

No Class

Week Thirteen

Topic: Journalism

Reading: Allison Gilbert, et alt., Covering Catastrophe: Broadcast Journalists Report September 11; Newseum, Alicia Shepard, Cathy Trost, and Tom Brokaw, Running Toward Danger: Stories Behind the Breaking News of 9/11.

Week Fourteen

Final Reports

Week Fifteen

Final Reports

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Chernick, Howard, and Russell Sage Foundation. Resilient City: The Economic Impact of 9/11. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2005. 

Dudziak, Mary L. September 11 in History: A Watershed Moment?, American Encounters/Global Interactions. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2003. 

Dunbar, David, and Brad Reagan. Debunking 9/11 Myths: Why Paranoid Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand up to the Facts. New York: Hearst Books, 2006. 

Feldschuh, Michael. The September 11 Photo Project. New York: ReganBooks, 2002. 

Foer, Jonathan Safran. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. 

Friend, David. Watching the World Change: The Stories Behind the Images of 9/11. 1st ed. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006. 

Gilbert, Allison. Covering Catastrophe: Broadcast Journalists Report September 11. Chicago, Ill.: Bonus Books, 2002. 

Griffin, David Ray. The 9/11 Commission Report : Omissions and Distortions. Northampton, Mass.: Olive Branch Press, 2005. 

Grossman, Lev. "Why the 9/11 Conspiracies Won't Go Away." Time (9/12/2006). 

Jacki, Ian. Granta 77: What We Think about America.  New YorK: Granta Books, 2002.

Jacobson, Sid, and Ernie Colon. The 9/11 Report a Graphic Adaptation. New York, NY: Hill and Wang, 2006. 

Kohut, Andrew, and Bruce Stokes. America against the World: How We Are Different and Why We Are Disliked. 1st ed. New York: Times Books, 2006. 

Lincoln, Bruce. Holy Terrors: Thinking About Religion after September 11. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. 

Precin, Pat. Surviving 9/11: Impact and Experiences of Occupational Therapy Practitioners. New York: Haworth Press, 2003. 

Spiegelman, Art. In the Shadow of No Towers. New York: Pantheon Books, 2004. 

Trost, Cathy, Alicia C. Shepard, and Newseum. Running toward Danger: Stories Behind the Breaking News of 9/11. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield : Distributed by National Book Network, 2002.    

Making Meaning across Disciplines

            The Meaning of 9/11 has the potential to engage students in any discipline here at Claremont Graduate University, not only because of the variety of issues involved in the study of 9/11, but also because the event impacted each person individually and uniquely. The tremendous significance and contested meaning of 9/11 should be enough to spark impassioned discussion in the classroom environment. By encouraging such discussion across experiences and across disciplines, the course will seek to provide comprehensive ways in which scholars, students, journalists, politicians, etc. assess the meaning of 9/11.

            The course will be led by David Ray Griffin, a professor from the Claremont School of Theology who has crossed disciplinary lines in his own academic career. Prof. Griffin will begin the class with a discussion of the legal, political, and rhetorical aspects of the 9/11 Commission and their official report. As Prof. Griffin’s presentation will incorporate several disciplines, it serve as an example for the benefits of crossing disciplinary boundaries.

            The remaining guest lecturers and readings will be representing individual disciplines. On religion, Bruce Lincoln will discuss the worldviews and religious rhetoric of both the Muslim terrorists and American political leaders. In the next lecture, Mary L. Dudziak will discuss the current interpretations of 9/11 among historians and their attempts at contextualizing it in greater U.S. and world history. Howard A. Cherncik will discuss the economic impact of 9/11, especially as it relates to New York City. In order to represent non-American views on the meaning of 9/11, students will read excerpts from America against the World and Granta 77, a collection of essays from international authors on their impression of America. To round off the first half of the course, Pat Precin will talk about coping with the terrorist attack from a psychological perspective.

            At week eight, the students will be asked to turn in reflective papers situating themselves in relation to the events of 9/11. In these essays, students will be asked to consider their personal experiences and understanding based on their age, nationality, socio-economic status, etc. The emphasis, however, will be on how their training within a specific academic discipline has shaped the way they view events that stand outside of the typical boundaries of their discipline. We believe that a successful transdisciplinary course needs to engage the students in a self-reflexive manner that makes them more aware of their perspectives and prejudices.

            In the second half of the course, guest lecturer David Dunbar will speak on the spate of conspiracy theories regarding 9/11 and the use and misuse of evidence. The following week David Friend will present photographic representations of 9/11, along with the context and history behind each image. Students will also be asked to discuss their interpretations of these photos in small groups. We will then spend two days talking about literary approaches to 9/11. For the first day, students will read and discuss two graphic books on 9/11 and they will watch a collection of short films entitled 11”9’2001. On the second day, students will read and discuss the short story “The Last Day of Mohammed Atta,” as well as one of the first literary novels involving 9/11, Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. For our final topical discussion, students will read about broadcast journalism on 9/11.

            For their final projects, students will work in groups with students in other disciplines to address the question “What is the meaning of the events of 9/11/2001?” The goal of the project, from a pedagogical perspective, is to encourage students to understand different perspectives, interests, methods, and presentation styles of scholars in other disciplines. Students should also learn the benefit of addressing issues or problems by incorporating other disciplinary approaches. The students will also be asked to consider the role of public intellectuals in re-presenting such significant events to students and to the broader public. 

The Meaning of 9/11

Wednesday 4-6:50 PM

Prof. X

TA's: A,B

Course Description: The events of 9/11 have not only left an indelible mark on the psyche of Americans, but people the world over. The short term effects included sudden outbursts of patriotist and solidarity at home as well as astonishing displays of pro-Americanism abroad.  Now, five years later, the country is at war and the world is racked with partisan rancor over the meaning and morality of the attacks. This course will provide an analysis of the varied meanings that have been proposed and the ramifications of these interpretations. In doing so, students will at times participate in the debate over the meaning of the event and also step back to analyze the rhetorical strategies at work in both national and global politics. The course will incorporate views, methods, and interpretations from different disciplines (viz. Political Science, Literature, Engineering, Psychology, Public Health, Medicine, Economics, etc.). The primary goal of the course will be to encourage students from different disciplines to work together on a single project in order to better understand and articulate the legacy of 9/11.

This course will be taught in a lecture-discussion format.  Claremont Consortium faculty and visiting scholars will present their perspectives on 9/11 and comment on the importence of transdisciplinary collaboration for their own work. Students will also be required to participate in online discussions and collaborations via Claremont's Online Social Learning Community. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own situatedness within a discipline and how that affects their interpretation of world events.

Students will be graded according to the following criteria:

Attendance and participation in class discussion: 20%

Essay #1 (see below): 20%

         One important goal of transdisciplinary studies is to make students aware of their situatedness within a tradition and method of study. In this paper (8-10 pages) you will describe how your understanding of those events has been influenced by your experiences in your chosen field of study. This paper will require some self-reflection and absolute honesty with yourself about the fact that your interpretations of those events are heavily saturated by a variety of factors. Also consider the implications of your situatedness for anything you have to say about 9/11 - what might you leave out, disregard, emphasize, elevate, etc., in your re-presentations of these events?

Final Project (see below): 60%

         In a group of 4-5 students representing different methodological approaches, write a 30-50 page paper in response to the question: What is the meaning of the events of 9/11? You may use any readings, but you are requested to focus on the research methods that you typically use in your own work. You may write this as a single paper or as a collection of essays depending on your goals and prefernces.

Course Outline:

Week One

Course Introduction

Week Two

Topic: Government - Guest lecturere: David Ray Griffin, Claremont School of Theology

Readings: The 9/11 Commission Report; David Ray Griffin, The 9/11 Comission Report Omissions and Distortions.

Week Three

Topic: Religion and 9/11 - Guest Lecturer: Bruce Lincoln, University of Chicago

Readings: Bruce Lincoln, Holy Terrors: Thinking about Religion after September 11, 2nd ed. 

[I thought your suggestion was a bit too inflammatory. I think you're right about it not needing to be too over the top. Bruce Lincoln is a great anthropologist of religion and this book looks at the religious rhetoric of both the terrorists and the president.]

Week Four

Topic: Historians Consider the Meaning of 9/11 - Guest Lecturer: Mary L. Dudziak, USC Law School

Readings: Mary L. Dudziak, ed., September 11 in History: A Watershed Moment?

Week Five

Topic: Economics - Guest Lecturer: Howard A. Cherncik, CUNY Hunter College

Readings: Howard A. Chernick, Resilient City: The Economic Impacts of the September 11 Attack on NYC.

Week Six

Topic: International Relations

Readings: Andrew Kohut and Bruce Stokes, America Against the World: How We are Different and Why We are Disliked

Week Seven

Topic: Psychology - Coping with 9/11

Readings:Pat Precin, Surviving 9/11: Impact and Experiences of Occupational Therapy Practitioners.

Week Eight

Topic: Conspiracy Thoeries - Guest Lecturer David Dunbar, Popular Mechanics

Readings: The Editors of Popular Mechanics, Debunking 9/11 Myths: Why Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand up to the Facts; Lev Grossman, "Why the 9/11 Conspiracies Won't Go Away," Time Magazine, Setp. 11, 2006. [We will also watch the documentary Loose Change in class and follos up with a discussion of conspiracy theories the second half of class.]

Essay #1 due

Week Nine

Topic: Photographic Representations of 9/11

Readings: David Friend, Watching the World Change; Michael Feldschuh, The September 11 Photo Project.

"Whatever Happened to the America of 9/12" by Frank Rich, New York Times

"Frank Rich Is Wrong About That 9/11 Photograph," by David Plotz, Slate.com

"It's Me in That 9/11 Photo," by Walter Sipser, Slate.com

Week Ten

Topic: Literature I

Readings: Art Spiegelman, In the Shadow of No Towers; Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon, The 9/11 Report

11"9'2001 - 11 short films on 9/11 from 11 directors around the world [We will watch this in the first half of the class and have discussion following.]

Week Eleven

Topic: Literature II

Readings: Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close; Martin Amis, "The Last Day of Mohammed Atta"

Week Twelve

No Class

Week Thirteen

Topic: Journalism

Reading: Allison Gilbert, et alt., Covering Catastrophe: Broadcast Journalists Report September 11; Newseum, Alicia Shepard, Cathy Trost, and Tom Brokaw, Running Toward Danger: Stories Behined the Breaking News of 9/11.

Week Fourteen

Final Reports

Week Fifteen

Final Reports

The Meaning of 9/11

Wednesday 4-6:50 PM

Prof. X

TA's: A,B

Course Description: The events of 9/11 have not only left an indelible mark on the psyche of Americans, but people the world over. The short term effects included sudden outbursts of patriotist and solidarity at home as well as astonishing displays of pro-Americanism abroad.  Now, five years later, the country is at war and the world is racked with partisan rancor over the meaning and morality of the attacks. This course will provide an analysis of the varied meanings that have been proposed and the ramifications of these interpretations. In doing so, students will at times participate in the debate over the meaning of the event and also step back to analyze the rhetorical strategies at work in both national and global politics. The course will incorporate views, methods, and interpretations from different disciplines (viz. Political Science, Literature, Engineering, Psychology, Public Health, Medicine, Economics, etc.). The primary goal of the course will be to encourage students from different disciplines to work together on a single project in order to better understand and articulate the legacy of 9/11.

This course will be taught in a lecture-discussion format.  Claremont Consortium faculty and visiting scholars will present their perspectives on 9/11 and comment on the importence of transdisciplinary collaboration for their own work. Students will also be required to participate in online discussions and collaborations via Claremont's Online Social Learning Community. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own situatedness within a discipline and how that affects their interpretation of world events.

Students will be graded according to the following criteria:

Attendance and participation in class discussion: 20%

Essay #1 (see below): 20%

         One important goal of transdisciplinary studies is to make students aware of their situatedness within a tradition and method of study. In this paper (8-10 pages) you will describe how your understanding of those events has been influenced by your experiences in your chosen field of study. This paper will require some self-reflection and absolute honesty with yourself about the fact that your interpretations of those events are heavily saturated by a variety of factors. Also consider the implications of your situatedness for anything you have to say about 9/11 - what might you leave out, disregard, emphasize, elevate, etc., in your re-presentations of these events?

Final Project (see below): 60%

         In a group of 4-5 students representing different methodological approaches, write a 30-50 page paper in response to the question: What is the meaning of the events of 9/11? You may use any readings, but you are requested to focus on the research methods that you typically use in your own work. You may write this as a single paper or as a collection of essays depending on your goals and prefernces.

Course Outline:

Week One

Course Introduction

Week Two

Topic: Government - Guest lecturere: David Ray Griffin, Claremont School of Theology

Readings: The 9/11 Commission Report; David Ray Griffin, The 9/11 Comission Report Omissions and Distortions.

Week Three

Topic: Religion and 9/11 - Guest Lecturer: Bruce Lincoln, University of Chicago

Readings: Bruce Lincoln, Holy Terrors: Thinking about Religion after September 11, 2nd ed. 

[I thought your suggestion was a bit too inflammatory. I think you're right about it not needing to bee too over the top. Bruce Lincoln is a great anthropologist of religion and this book looks at the religious rhetoric of both the terrorists and the president.]

Week Four

Topic: Historians Consider the Meaning of 9/11 - Guest Lecturer: Mary L. Dudziak, USC Law School

Readings: Mary L. Dudziak, ed., September 11 in History: A Watershed Moment?

Week Five

Topic: Economics - Guest Lecturer: Howard A. Cherncik, CUNY Hunter College

Readings: Howard A. Chernick, Resilient City: The Economic Impacts of the September 11 Attack on NYC.

Week Six

Topic: International Relations

Readings: Andrew Kohut and Bruce Stokes, America Against the World: How We are Different and Why We are Disliked

Week Seven

Topic: Psychology - Coping with 9/11

Readings:Pat Precin, Surviving 9/11: Impact and Experiences of Occupational Therapy Practitioners.

Week Eight

Topic: Conspiracy Thoeries - Guest Lecturer David Dunbar, Popular Mechanics

Readings: The Editors of Popular Mechanics, Debunking 9/11 Myths: Why Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand up to the Facts; Lev Grossman, "Why the 9/11 Conspiracies Won't Go Away," Time Magazine, Setp. 11, 2006. [We will also watch the documentary Loose Change in class and follos up with a discussion of conspiracy theories the second half of class.]

Essay #1 due

Week Nine

Topic: Photographic Representations of 9/11

Readings: David Friend, Watching the World Change; Michael Feldschuh, The September 11 Photo Project.

"Whatever Happened to the America of 9/12" by Frank Rich, New York Times

"Frank Rich Is Wrong About That 9/11 Photograph," by David Plotz, Slate.com

"It's Me in That 9/11 Photo," by Walter Sipser, Slate.com

Week Ten

Topic: Literature I

Readings: Art Spiegelman, In the Shadow of No Towers; Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon, The 9/11 Report

11"9'2001 - 11 short films on 9/11 from 11 directors around the world [We will watch this in the first half of the class and have discussion following.]

Week Eleven

Topic: Literature II

Readings: Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close; Martin Amis, "The Last Day of Mohammed Atta"

Week Twelve

No Class

Week Thirteen

Topic: Journalism

Reading: Allison Gilbert, et alt., Covering Catastrophe: Broadcast Journalists Report September 11; Newseum, Alicia Shepard, Cathy Trost, and Tom Brokaw, Running Toward Danger: Stories Behined the Breaking News of 9/11.

Week Fourteen

Final Reports

Week Fifteen

Final Reports

The Meaning of 9/11

Wednesday 4-6:50 PM

Prof. X

TA's: A,B

Course Description: The events of 9/11 have not only left an indelible mark on the psyche of Americans, but people the world over. The short term effects of the attacks included sudden outbursts of solidarity and patriotism at home and astonishing displays of pro-Americanism abroad.  Now, five years later, the country is at war and the world is locked in partisan debates over the meaning of the attacks. This course will provide an analysis of the meanings that have been proposed and the ramifications of these interpretations. In doing so, students will at times participate in the debate over the meaning of the event and also step back to analyze the rhetorical strategies at work in both national and global politics. The course will incorporate views, methods, and interpretations from different disciplines (viz. Political Science, Literature, Engineering, Psychology, Public Health, Medicine, Economics, etc.). The primary goal of the course will be to encourage students from different disciplines to work together on a single project in order to better understand and articulate the legacy of 9/11.

This course will be taught in a lecture-discussion format.  Claremont Consortium faculty and visiting scholars will present their perspectives on 9/11 and comment on the importence of transdisciplinary collaboration for their own work. Students will also be required to participate in online discussions and collaborations via Claremont's Online Social Learning Community. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own situatedness within a discipline and how that affects their interpretation of world events.

Students will be graded according to the following criteria:

Attendance and participation in class discussion: 20%

Essay #1 (see below): 20%

Final Project (see below): 60%

Assignments:

Course Outline:

Week One

Course Introduction

Week Two

Islam and Terrorism

Adherents of Islam often refer to it as "The Religion of Peace."  Why then do the majority of the world's terrorists - including those who planned and carried out 9/11 - often use their religion as justification for their attacks?

Reading(s):

Journey Into the Mind of an Islamic Terrorist by Mark A. Gabriel, Ph.D.

Week Three

Political Science/Law - the 9/11 Commission - David Ray Griffin (CST)

Week Four

History

In his fatwa on the United States Osama bin Laden declares war on America for "occupying the lands of Islam in the holiest of places . . . plundering its riches, dictating to its rulers, humilating its people, terrorizing its neighbors . . ." as well supporting "the Jews' petty state." We will parse this statement and research the background of these complaints and those of bin Laden sympathizers.

Week Five

Engineering

A recent survery showed that 36% of Americans think it is "very likely" or "somewhat likel" that federal officials either participated in the attacks on the World Trade Center or took no action to stop them "because they wanted the United States to go to war in the Middle East." This week we will exploring 9/11 conspiracy theories, examining evidence for and against it and why so many Americans are willing to believe the government was complicit in the attacks.

Reading(s):

"Debunking the 9/11 Myths," Popular Mechanics, 9/11 Cover Story

(Note: this has been expanded into a book.  Assign the book instead?)

"Why the 9/11 Conspiricies Won't Go Away" by Lev Grossman.  Time Magazine, Sept. 11, 2006.

Week Six

International Relations

More than 70 percent of non-Americans think the world would be better off if there were another superpower to U.S. in check.  How did the outpouring of goodwill following 9/11 evaporate so quickly?

Reading(s)

selections from America Against the World: How We are Different and Why We Are Disliked by Andrew Kohut and Bruce Stokes

Week Seven

Psychology - Coping with 9/11

This week will explore the way in which Americans coped with the devistating attacks on 9/11.  This includes both the immediate outpourings of sorrow as well as nationalism and unity, as well as how the attacks changed people's perspectives on religion, immigration, and national defense.

Reading(s)

Note: The following three articles are related to the photo Frank Rich discusses in his 9/12 article

"Whatever Happened to the America of 9/12" by Frank Rich, New York Times

"Frank Rich Is Wrong About That 9/11 Photograph," by David Plotz, Slate.com

"It's Me in That 9/11 Photo," by Walter Sipser, Slate.com

Week Eight

Media

Essay #1 due

Week Nine

Economics

Week Ten

Literature I

The events of 9/11 have and will inspire cinema and literature.  We will discuss both the morality and aesthetics of using creating art out of tragedy.

"In the Shadow of No Towers" by Art Spiegelman

"The Last Day of Mohammad Atta" by Martin Amis

11"9'2001 - 11 short films on 9/11 from 11 directors around the world

Week Eleven

Literature II

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Week Twelve

No Class

Week Thirteen

Mythmaking and Social Formation

Week Fourteen

Final Reports

Week Fifteen

Final Reports

The Meaning of 9/11

Wednesday 4-6:50 PM

Prof. X

TA's: A,B

Course Description: The events of 9/11 have not only left an indelible mark on the psyche of Americans, but people the world over. The short term effects of the attacks included sudden outbursts of solidarity and patriotism at home and astonishing displays of pro-Americanism abroad.  Now, five years later, the country is at war and the world is locked in partisan debates over the meaning of the attacks. This course will provide an analysis of the meanings that have been proposed and the ramifications of these interpretations. In doing so, students will at times participate in the debate over the meaning of the event and also step back to analyze the rhetorical strategies at work in both national and global politics. The course will incorporate views, methods, and interpretations from different disciplines (viz. Political Science, Literature, Engineering, Psychology, Public Health, Medicine, Economics, etc.). The primary goal of the course will be to encourage students from different disciplines to work together on a single project in order to better understand and articulate the legacy of 9/11.

This course will be taught in a lecture-discussion format.  Claremont Consortium faculty and visiting scholars will present their perspectives on 9/11 and comment on the importence of transdisciplinary collaboration for their own work. Students will also be required to participate in online discussions and collaborations via Claremont's Online Social Learning Community. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own situatedness within a discipline and how that affects their interpretation of world events.

Students will be graded according to the following criteria:

Attendance and participation in class discussion: 20%

Essay #1 (see below): 20%

Final Project (see below): 60%

Assignments:

Course Outline:

Week One

Course Introduction

Week Two

Islam and Terrorism

Adherents of Islam often refer to it as "The Religion of Peace."  Why then do the majority of the world's terrorists - including those who planned and carried out 9/11 - often use their religion as justification for their attacks?

Reading(s):

Journey Into the Mind of an Islamic Terrorist by Mark A. Gabriel, Ph.D.

Week Three

Political Science/Law - the 9/11 Commission - David Ray Griffin (CST)

Week Four

History

Week Five

Engineering

A recent survery showed that 36% of Americans think it is "very likely" or "somewhat likel" that federal officials either participated in the attacks on the World Trade Center or took no action to stop them "because they wanted the United States to go to war in the Middle East." This week we will exploring 9/11 conspiracy theories, examining evidence for and against it and why so many Americans are willing to believe the government was complicit in the attacks.

Reading(s):

"Debunking the 9/11 Myths," Popular Mechanics, 9/11 Cover Story

(Note: this has been expanded into a book.  Assign the book instead?)

"Why the 9/11 Conspiricies Won't Go Away" by Lev Grossman.  Time Magazine, Sept. 11, 2006.

Week Six

International Relations

More than 70 percent of non-Americans think the world would be better off if there were another superpower to U.S. in check.  How did the outpouring of goodwill following 9/11 evaporate so quickly?

Reading(s)

selections from America Against the World: How We are Different and Why We Are Disliked by Andrew Kohut and Bruce Stokes

Week Seven

Psychology - Coping with 9/11

This week will explore the way in which Americans coped with the devistating attacks on 9/11.  This includes both the immediate outpourings of sorrow as well as nationalism and unity, as well as how the attacks changed people's perspectives on religion, immigration, and national defense.

Reading(s)

Note: The following three articles are related to the photo Frank Rich discusses in his 9/12 article

"Whatever Happened to the America of 9/12" by Frank Rich, New York Times

"Frank Rich Is Wrong About That 9/11 Photograph," by David Plotz, Slate.com

"It's Me in That 9/11 Photo," by Walter Sipser, Slate.com

Week Eight

Media

Essay #1 due

Week Nine

Economics

Week Ten

Literature I

The events of 9/11 have and will inspire cinema and literature.  We will discuss both the morality and aesthetics of using creating art out of tragedy.

"In the Shadow of No Towers" by Art Spiegelman

"The Last Day of Mohammad Atta" by Martin Amis

11"9'2001 - 11 short films on 9/11 from 11 directors around the world

Week Eleven

Literature II

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Week Twelve

No Class

Week Thirteen

Mythmaking and Social Formation

Week Fourteen

Final Reports

Week Fifteen

Final Reports

The Meaning of 9/11

Wednesday 4-6:50 PM

Prof. X

TA's: A,B

Course Description: The events of 9/11 have not only left an indelible mark on the psyche of Americans, but people the world over. The short term effects of the attacks included sudden outbursts of solidarity and patriotism at home and astonishing displays of pro-Americanism abroad.  Now, five years later, the country is at war and the world is locked in partisan debates over the meaning of the attacks. This course will provide an analysis of the meanings that have been proposed and the ramifications of these interpretations. In doing so, students will at times participate in the debate over the meaning of the event and also step back to analyze the rhetorical strategies at work in both national and global politics. The course will incorporate views, methods, and interpretations from different disciplines (viz. Political Science, Literature, Engineering, Psychology, Public Health, Medicine, Economics, etc.). The primary goal of the course will be to encourage students from different disciplines to work together on a single project in order to better understand and articulate the legacy of 9/11.

This course will be taught in a lecture-discussion format.  Claremont Consortium faculty and visiting scholars will present their perspectives on 9/11 and comment on the importence of transdisciplinary collaboration for their own work. Students will also be required to participate in online discussions and collaborations via Claremont's Online Social Learning Community. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own situatedness within a discipline and how that affects their interpretation of world events.

Students will be graded according to the following criteria:

Attendance and participation in class discussion: 20%

Essay #1 (see below): 20%

Final Project (see below): 60%

Assignments:

Course Outline:

Week One

Course Introduction

Week Two

Islam and Terrorism

Adherents of Islam often refer to it as "The Religion of Peace."  Why then do the majority of the world's terrorists - including those who planned and carried out 9/11 - often use their religion as justification for their attacks?

Reading(s):

Journey Into the Mind of an Islamic Terrorist by Mark A. Gabriel, Ph.D.

Week Three

Political Science/Law - the 9/11 Commission - David Ray Griffin (CST)

Week Four

History

Week Five

Engineering

A recent survery showed that 36% of Americans think it is "very likely" or "somewhat likel" that federal officials either participated in the attacks on the World Trade Center or took no action to stop them "because they wanted the United States to go to war in the Middle East." This week we will exploring 9/11 conspiracy theories, examining evidence for and against it and why so many Americans are willing to believe the government was complicit in the attacks.

Reading(s):

"Debunking the 9/11 Myths," Popular Mechanics, 9/11 Cover Story

(Note: this has been expanded into a book.  Assign the book instead?)

"Why the 9/11 Conspiricies Won't Go Away" by Lev Grossman.  Time Magazine, Sept. 11, 2006.

Week Six

International Relations

More than 70 percent of non-Americans think the world would be better off if there were another superpower to U.S. in check.  How did the outpouring of goodwill following 9/11 evaporate so quickly?

Reading(s)

selections from America Against the World: How We are Different and Why We Are Disliked by Andrew Kohut and Bruce Stokes

Week Seven

Psychology - Coping with 9/11

Week Eight

Media

Essay #1 due

Week Nine

Economics

Week Ten

Literature I

The events of 9/11 have and will inspire cinema and literature.  We will discuss both the morality and aesthetics of using creating art out of tragedy.

"In the Shadow of No Towers" by Art Spiegelman

"The Last Day of Mohammad Atta" by Martin Amis

11"9'2001 - 11 short films on 9/11 from 11 directors around the world

Week Eleven

Literature II

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Week Twelve

No Class

Week Thirteen

Mythmaking and Social Formation

Week Fourteen

Final Reports

Week Fifteen

Final Reports

The Meaning of 9/11

Wednesday 4-6:50 PM

Prof. X

TA's: A,B

Course Description: The events of 9/11 have not only left an indelible mark on the psyche of Americans, but people the world over. The short term effects of the attacks included sudden outbursts of solidarity and patriotism at home and astonishing displays of pro-Americanism abroad.  Now, five years later, the country is at war and the world is locked in partisan debates over the meaning of the attacks. This course will provide an analysis of the meanings that have been proposed and the ramifications of these interpretations. In doing so, students will at times participate in the debate over the meaning of the event and also step back to analyze the rhetorical strategies at work in both national and global politics. The course will incorporate views, methods, and interpretations from different disciplines (viz. Political Science, Literature, Engineering, Psychology, Public Health, Medicine, Economics, etc.). The primary goal of the course will be to encourage students from different disciplines to work together on a single project in order to better understand and articulate the legacy of 9/11.

This course will be taught in a lecture-discussion format.  Claremont Consortium faculty and visiting scholars will present their perspectives on 9/11 and comment on the importence of transdisciplinary collaboration for their own work. Students will also be required to participate in online discussions and collaborations via Claremont's Online Social Learning Community. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own situatedness within a discipline and how that affects their interpretation of world events.

Students will be graded according to the following criteria:

Attendance and participation in class discussion: 20%

Essay #1 (see below): 20%

Final Project (see below): 60%

Assignments:

Course Outline:

Week One

Course Introduction

Week Two

Islam and Terrorism

Adherents of Islam often refer to it as "The Religion of Peace."  Why then do the majority of the world's terrorists - including those who planned and carried out 9/11 - often use their religion as justification for their attacks?

Reading(s):

Journey Into the Mind of an Islamic Terrorist by Mark A. Gabriel, Ph.D.

Week Three

Political Science/Law - the 9/11 Commission - David Ray Griffin (CST)

Week Four

Psychology - Coping with 9/11

Week Five

Engineering

A recent survery showed that 36% of Americans think it is "very likely" or "somewhat likel" that federal officials either participated in the attacks on the World Trade Center or took no action to stop them "because they wanted the United States to go to war in the Middle East." This week we will exploring 9/11 conspiracy theories, examining evidence for and against it and why so many Americans are willing to believe the government was complicit in the attacks.

Reading(s):

"Debunking the 9/11 Myths," Popular Mechanics, 9/11 Cover Story

(Note: this has been expanded into a book.  Assign the book instead?)

"Why the 9/11 Conspiricies Won't Go Away" by Lev Grossman.  Time Magazine, Sept. 11, 2006.

Week Six

International Relations

More than 70 percent of non-Americans think the world would be better off if there were another superpower to U.S. in check.  How did the outpouring of goodwill following 9/11 evaporate so quickly?

Reading(s)

selections from America Against the World: How We are Different and Why We Are Disliked by Andrew Kohut and Bruce Stokes

Week Seven

History

Week Eight

Media

Essay #1 due

Week Nine

Economics

Week Ten

Literature I

The events of 9/11 have and will inspire cinema and literature.  We will discuss both the morality and aesthetics of using creating art out of tragedy.

"In the Shadow of No Towers" by Art Spiegelman

"The Last Day of Mohammad Atta" by Martin Amis

11"9'2001 - 11 short films on 9/11 from 11 directors around the world

Week Eleven

Literature II

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Week Twelve

No Class

Week Thirteen

Mythmaking and Social Formation

Week Fourteen

Final Reports

Week Fifteen

Final Reports

The Meaning of 9/11

Wednesday 4-6:50 PM

Prof. X

TA's: A,B

Course Description: The events of 9/11 have not only left an indelible mark on the psyche of Americans, but people the world over. The short term effects of the attacks included sudden outbursts of solidarity and patriotism at home and astonishing displays of pro-Americanism abroad.  Now, five years later, the country is at war and the world is locked in partisan debates over the meaning of the attacks. This course will provide an analysis of the meanings that have been proposed and the ramifications of these interpretations. In doing so, students will at times participate in the debate over the meaning of the event and also step back to analyze the rhetorical strategies at work in both national and global politics. The course will incorporate views, methods, and interpretations from different disciplines (viz. Political Science, Literature, Engineering, Psychology, Public Health, Medicine, Economics, etc.). The primary goal of the course will be to encourage students from different disciplines to work together on a single project in order to better understand and articulate the legacy of 9/11.

This course will be taught in a lecture-discussion format.  Claremont Consortium faculty and visiting scholars will present their perspectives on 9/11 and comment on the importence of transdisciplinary collaboration for their own work. Students will also be required to participate in online discussions and collaborations via Claremont's Online Social Learning Community. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own situatedness within a discipline and how that affects their interpretation of world events.

Students will be graded according to the following criteria:

Attendance and participation in class discussion: 20%

Essay #1 (see below): 20%

Final Project (see below): 60%

Assignments:

Course Outline:

Week One

Course Introduction

Week Two

Islam and Terrorism

Week Three

Political Science/Law - the 9/11 Commission - David Ray Griffin (CST)

Week Four

Psychology - Coping with 9/11

Week Five

Engineering

Week Six

International Relations

Week Seven

Economics

Week Eight

Media

Essay #1 due

Week Nine

Literature

Week Ten

History

Week Eleven

Architecture and Design of Memorial Park and the new towers

Week Twelve

No Class

Week Thirteen

Mythmaking and Social Formation

Week Fourteen

Final Reports

Week Fifteen

Final Reports

The Meaning of 9/11

Wednesday 4-6:50 PM

Prof. X

TA's: A,B

Course Description: The events of 9/11 have not only left an indelible mark on the psyche of Americans, but people the world over. The short term effects of the attacks included sudden outbursts of solidarity and patriotism at home and astonishing displays of pro-Americanism abroad.  Now, five years later, the country is at war and the world is locked in partisan debates over the meaning of the attacks. This course will provide an analysis of the meanings that have been proposed and the ramifications of these interpretations. In doing so, students will at times participate in the debate over the meaning of the event and also step back to analyze the rhetorical strategies at work in both national and global politics. The course will incorporate views, methods, and interpretations from different disciplines (viz. Political Science, Literature, Engineering, Psychology, Public Health, Medicine, Economics, etc.). The primary goal of the course will be to encourage students from different disciplines to work together on a single project in order to better understand and articulate the legacy of 9/11.

This course will be taught in a lecture-discussion format.  Claremont Consortium faculty and visiting scholars will present their perspectives on 9/11 and comment on the importence of transdisciplinary collaboration for their own work. Students will also be required to participate in online discussions and collaborations via Claremont's Online Social Learning Community. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own situatedness within a discipline and how that affects their interpretation of world events.

Students will be graded according to the following criteria:

Attendance and participation in class discussion: 20%

Essay #1 (see below): 20%

Final Project (see below): 60%

Assignments:

Course Outline:

Week One

Course Introduction

Week Two

Political Science/Law - the 9/11 Commission - David Ray Griffin (CST)

Week Three

Engineering

Week Four

Psychology - Coping with 9/11

Week Five

International Relations

Week Six

Islam and Radical Islam

Week Seven

Economics

Week Eight

Media

Essay #1 due

Week Nine

Literature

Week Ten

History

Week Eleven

Architecture and Design of Memorial Park and the new towers

Week Twelve

No Class

Week Thirteen

Mythmaking and Social Formation

Week Fourteen

Final Reports

Week Fifteen

Final Reports

The Meaning of 9/11

Wednesday 4-6:50 PM

Prof. X

TA's: A,B

Course Description: The events of 9/11 have not only left an indelible mark on the psyche on Americans, but people the world over. The short term effects of the attacks included sudden outbursts of solidarity and patriotism at home and an astonishing displays of pro-Americanism abroad.  Now, five years later, the country is at war and the world is locked in a partisan battle fought largely over the meaning of the attacks. This course will provide an analysis of the meanings that have been proposed and the ramifications of these interpretations. In doing so, students will at times participate in the debate over the meaning of the event and also step back to analyze the rhetorical strategies at work in both national and global politics. The course will incorporate views, methods, and interpretations from different disciplines (viz. Political Science, Engineering, Psychology, Public Health, Medicine, Economics, etc.). The primary goal of the course will be to encourage students from different disciplines to work together on a single project in order to better understand and articulate the legacy of 9/11.

This course will be taught in a lecture-discussion format.  Claremont Consortium faculty and visiting scholars will present their perspectives on 9/11 and comment on the importence of transdisciplinary collaboration for their own work. Students will also be required to participate in online discussions and collaborations via Claremont's Online Social Learning Community. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own situatedness within a discipline and how that affects their interpretation of world events.

Students will be graded according to the following criteria:

Attendance and participation in class discussion: 20%

Essay #1 (see below): 20%

Final Project (see below): 60%

Assignments:

Course Outline:

Week One

Course Introduction

Week Two

Political Science/Law - the 9/11 Commission - David Ray Griffin (CST)

Week Three

Engineering

Week Four

Psychology - Coping with 9/11

Week Five

International Relations

Week Six

Health - The Health of the rescuers (as a medical and public health issue)

Week Seven

Economics

Week Eight

Media

Essay #1 due

Week Nine

Literature

Week Ten

History

Week Eleven

Architecture and Design of Memorial Park and the new towers

Week Twelve

No Class

Week Thirteen

Mythmaking and Social Formation

Week Fourteen

Final Reports

Week Fifteen

Final Reports