FYS: Syriana, Spring 2008
Class meeting: 207 Ricker Addition, MWF 9:15 – 10:20
Scott Erb, Roberts 302; Phone: ext. 7486
E-mail: scotterb@maine.edu
Office Hours: TuTh 10:00 – 11:00, MWF 12:00 – 1:00, or by appointment
Preceptor: Ashley Crosby
Course Description: This course is built loosely around a film – a film that was praised by critics, but accused of being overly complex and difficult to understand. The film involves Mideast politics, the oil industry, covert operations by the CIA, and terrorism. We will watch the film at the start of the semester, and you will write an essay analyzing the film and its meaning. During the semester we’ll study various issues associated with the film: the oil industry, how the CIA operates, politics in the Mideast, terrorism, and Islam. We’ll touch on issues such as the Iraq war, the crisis involving Lebanon, and other current events that come up. Besides the general first year seminar goals, the goals of the course are that: a) you’ll be able to appreciate films like Syriana much better now that you understand the various issues involved; b) you will have an understanding of the issues involved in the Mideast, understand the news, and be able to make informed decisions on where you stand on the issues; and c) you’ll better understand Islam, the causes and consequences of terrorism, the importance of the oil market, and how this affects America’s and your future.
First Year Seminar Goals: The official first year seminar goals are:
a) students will make a successful academic transition to college and will begin to develop habits of life-long learning.
b) students will be able to think critically, read thoroughly, write effectively, and participate
collaboratively in the intellectual community.
c) students will be able to articulate connections they’ve made within and across disciplines
and into the broader world.
d) students will demonstrate self-awareness of the skills and abilities needed to successfully
move forward in college studies, and be able to think and talk about their own scholarship and
learning processes in relation to values, intellectual growth, and life-goals.
In class we’ll talk a lot about what college life is like, we’ll explore how to read difficult texts, what good writing entails, what constitutes college level research, academic honesty, and practical issues like choosing majors, balancing fun and work, and handling the transition to college life. Most of that is not included in this syllabus, so don’t be surprised if a class spends considerable time on preparing for pre-registration, or if we get into a discussion about using the library, the variety of resources available to students (writing center, math center, center for human development, learning assistance center, etc.) That doesn’t happen in most classes you will take, but it will happen a lot here. The goal overall is to help get you not only acclimated to college life, but with the skills and understanding necessary to succeed academically. Please do not hesitate to contact me, stop by my office, or e-mail if you have a question, a problem or a concern, even if it doesn’t deal with this class. I choose to teach this class because I want to help new students get what they need to succeed. The first lesson in that regard is to develop your confidence and independence, learn to believe in yourself, and learn to take responsibility for the results you achieve and for having to figure out what is required of you. High school probably had a lot of direction, as long as you jumped through the hoops you were fine – and you were directed at which hoops to jump through. Here you have to make the decisions. We don’t make choices for you, but we want to help you become good decision makers.
Course Preceptor: Ashley Crosby, a student here at UMF, will be the course preceptor, meaning she’ll be participating in class and helping both you and me with problems and issues that arise. We’ll provide more information in class.
Course Requirements: This is not a course where you’ll be expected to memorize details, or prove that you have the economics of the oil industry down pat. The goal is to learn and explore a complex issue, and to see first hand, through your understanding of the film, how this knowledge helps you see things you otherwise wouldn’t see, even in popular film.
1) 40% of the grade will be based on six essays, built around the readings and topics covered. They will be due about every two weeks, and will be your chance to show you’ve done the reading and thought about the issues
2) 20% of the final grade will be based on your two essays analyzing the film. However, the standards will be different. The first essay, done before we get into the course, will simply focus on your attempt to engage the film and think about it: the grade will be purely on effort. The second essay will focus on how well you integrate what we’ve learned to truly analyze the film and demonstrate application of the material to your critique.
3) 40% of the grade will be based on the group project/research paper (10% on the group presentation, 30% on the paper). Each group will choose a broad issue and each person will investigate a research question associated with the issue. Groups will form early, and there will be a library visit designed to help you get started.
On-line lecture notes and office hours
Online notes can be found at: http://academic.umf.maine.edu/~erb/
Since this isn’t primarily a lecture course, and many topics we’ll discuss will go into their own direction, these notes will not be inclusive of everything covered in class. You are responsible for all information covered in class, this simply offers some help in going over complex issues. The office hours are listed at the top of the syllabus. If they are inconvenient, feel free to contact me to set up an appointment. I will be checking my e-mail daily, and urge you to communicate via e-mail if you ever have a question or concern.
Readings required
See No Evil by Robert Baer
No God but God by Reza Aslan
Blood and Oil by Michael Klare
Blind Spot: The Secret History of American Counterterrorism by Timothy Naftali.
Day by Day Syllabus
Unit 1: Spies and Foreign Policy
January 23 – Introduction – Why Syriana?
January 25 – View film, read Baer, xiii-xix, and 1-44
January 28 - View film, read Baer, 45-82
January 30 - Discuss film, foreign policy background, read Baer 83-127
Groups form, basic topics selected
February 1- American policy in the Mideast, read Baer 127 - 167 Reaction essay due
February 4 – Iraq, read Baer 171-213
February 6 – Central Asia’s importance, read Baer, 216-252
Individual research question/issue identified
February 8 - The clash of civilizations? Finish Baer
Unit 2: Terrorism and US Foreign policy
February 11 – The Cold War and terrorism, Naftali preface – 18
February 13 – US Foreign Policy in the sixties, Naftali, 19 - 53
Essay One due (information to be provided in class)
February 15 – No class, group meetings and research planning,
February 25 – No class, group meetings and research planning
February 27 -- Munich and the aftermath, Naftali, 54 – 115
(note: reading long due to two days with no reading, so keep caught up)
February 27 – The Carter Years, Naftali, 116 - 149
Bibliography, including at least five interlibrary loan books, due
February 29 – Reagan and Cold War II, Naftali 150 - 201
March 3 – The end of the Cold War, Naftali, 202 - 226
Essay two due (information to be provided in class)
March 5 – The New Terrorist threat, Naftali 227 - 259
March 7 – The Bin Laden Factor, Naftali 260 - 285
Outline for research paper due
March 10 – 9-11, Naftali 286 - 310
March 12 – Blind Spots, Naftali pp. 311 - 334
Unit 3: Islam and the West
March 14 – Reformation, read Aslan prologue, and 3-22
Essay three due (information to be provided in class)
March 17 – Muhammad’s life, Islam in context, Aslan 23 – 49
March 19 – The New Faith, Aslan 50-74
Draft of introduction due
March 21 – Jihad and Just War Theory, Aslan 75 – 106
March 24 – Early Islam, Aslan 107 – 139
Draft of research paper body (so far) due)
March 26 – Islamic theology, comparisons to Christian (and other faiths), Aslan 140 – 170
March 28 – The Sunni-Shi’ite split, Aslan 171-193
Essay four due
March 31 – Sufism, Aslan 194 - 219
April 2 – Colonialism and Modernism, Aslan 220 - 248
April 4 – The future of Islam? Finish Aslan
Draft of research paper due
Unit 4: Oil
April 7 -- The oil dilemma, Klare preface – 25
April 9 -- Saudi Arabia and Klare, 26 – 55
April 11 – Energy dependency, Klare, 56 - 74
April 14 -- Gulf oil, oil peaks? 74 – 112
Essay five due
April 16 – Symposium day
April 18 – Oil and wars, 113 – 145 (First rewrite of research paper due)
April 28 – US, Russia and China, 146 – 179 (Group 1 present)
April 30 – The end of the fossil fuel age? Finish Klare, including afterward
(Group 2 present)
Syriana
May 2 – Finish group presentations
Essay Six due
May 5 – View Syriana
May 7 – finish Syriana Final draft of research paper due
May 9 – Wrap up
Due finals week: Second Syriana reaction essay
Equal educational opportunity is offered to students with special needs due to disability. Please notify the instructor of a reasonable accommodation is needed to meet course requirements.