Class Exercise Values and Control
In Class Exercise: Values and Social Control
Select from the list below an issue that is important to you.
| Sexism Racism Homophobia |
Ecology Drugs Energy |
Sexual harassment Smoking Drinking |
Food (vegan, etc. or eating disorders) Child rearing practices A particular race, ethnic, orientation, etc. |
Let's say you and your comrades decide it's time to get serious about this issue. Your task is to describe a "puritan-esque" approach to this issue in a community like Mills. You decide you will start a "hall" or "house" around this issue.
Form a group and either split into "boosters" and "devil's advocates" (or skeptics) or decide that you'll rotate these roles.
- Describe the basic values, purpose, etc. of your group/organization. Do the values of the organization suggest anything about how it should be run?
- Try to identify who can join the group/movement. Should there be any restrictions? Who should decide? How will you tell who "fits"?
- Episode I : Who is qualified to speak as an expert within the group? Do some people have more credibility than others?
- Episode II: One of the following events occurs
A campus event/issue arises and your group is called upon to coalition with another.
Tensions with a similar but different group/movement.
You decide to work with a professor to create an academic class on the topic.
By analogy to Erikson, what are some things you might expect to see? - Episode III : The impure among us need to be found and purged