We will read Karl Marx's monumental work Capital, volume I. The course will provide both an introduction to Marx as well as an in-depth study of his major theoretical work, and will explore the transdisciplinary uses of Marxian theory in illuminating a wide variety issues across disciplinary boundaries. Students will be asked to draw connections between Marx's writings and their own fields of study and we will spend time examining the ways Marx's theories apply to current issues ranging from pop-culture and campus politics to recent national and international events. There are no prerequisites. Textbooks:
Course Requirements:
Class Participation and Blog Posts 20%The class participation portion of your grade will be based on regular class attendance and participation as well as on periodic homeworks and in-class individual and small group assignments. It will also be based on your active participation in our online class blog. Your posts may be either directly related to our readings and class discussions, about relevant campus, regional, national, or international events, and/or responses to posts by others. Two absences are allowed during the semester. Each additional absence will lower your class participation grade by one letter grade. More than six absences and/or failure to complete any of the written assignments detailed below are grounds for failing the course. As a class, we will be writing the Wikipedia article on Capital, Volume I. You will write an encyclopedia entry on at least one section of Capital, Vol. I and post it on Wikipedia. Entries will be due on a rolling basis throughout the semester. Late postings will be docked one-third of a letter grade for each day late. More information will be handed out later in the semester. There will be two in-class exams. Make-up exams are not normally given. Exceptions may be made for genuine medical emergencies or other similarly serious personal difficulties, although in such cases the format of the exam may be changed. You will also write a 5-7 page final paper applying Marx's Capital to a specific topic within your own major or minor field of study. Late papers will be docked one-third of a letter grade for each day late. More information will be handed out later in the semester. With regard to papers and all other assignments for this course, you are expected to know and follow the current ASU code of academic integrity. Course Schedule:
T 1/16 Part Eight: So-Called Primitive Accumulation. Chapters 26-30,
pp. 873-913.
T 1/23 Part One: Commodities and Money. Chapter 1, section 1 pp. 125-131.
T 1/30 Chapter 1, section 4, pp. 163-177.
T 2/6 Chapter 3, pp. 188-244.
T 2/13 Chapter 6, pp. 270-280.
T 2/20 Discussion / Review.
T 2/27 Video shown in class.
T 3/6 Chapters 8-9, pp. 307-339.
SPRING BREAK T 3/20 Chapters 10-11, pp. 340-426.
T 3/27 Chapter 15, sections 1-7, pp. 492-588.
T 4/3 Chapters 20-22, pp. 683-706.
EASTER BREAK
T 4/17 Chapter 25, sections 1-4, pp. 762-802.
T 4/24 Second Exam. Final paper due during our final exam period: Friday, April 27, 3:00 - 5:30 p.m. |
