IDIS 305     Topics in Democracy: Maryland in the World

2-credit experimental course; Schaefer 109; Tuesdays 6-7:50 pm

Course coordinator, Zach Messitte, Director, Center for the Study of Democracy, Anne Arundel 122c (x4215)

Teaching Assistant, Rod Cofield

Course Description:

Eighty-five percent of the student body at St. Mary's College lists Maryland as their home state. Students representing all 23 of the state's counties attend the College. Yet, how much do we know about what it means to be a citizen of Maryland? What are the key contributions that the people of the state have made, and are making, to American society and the world?

Maryland has been called "America in miniature" for its diverse natural beauty and urban and rural lifestyles, but it also applies to the state's legacy and the contributions its citizens continue to play in the world.

As the fourth British settlement in the new world, the seventh state to sign the U.S. Constitution, and a pivotal border state during the Civil War, Maryland was on the frontlines of the birth of the nation. The state's social history also mirrors the nation's struggle for the rights of women and people of color.

Modern Maryland retains unique dualities: it is rural and urban; industrial and agricultural; white collar and blue collar; conservative and liberal; international and local.  Marylanders are concerned about the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay, high crime rates in the city of Baltimore, disappearing rural traditions and urban sprawl.

This 2-credit course will survey Maryland's democratic contribution to America and the world in a series of lectures and seminars designed for both SMCM students and the community. The lectures and seminars will alternate weeks. Students taking credit for the course are expected to attend both the public lectures and the seminar sessions.

Readings:

Readings selected by the lecturers will be identified in advance and will be available by Internet and through texts distributed in class.

Evaluation:

Students will be required to write three short (4-6 page) papers for the course. The papers should present a brief analysis of an assigned week of reading and must be submitted to the faculty coordinator at the seminar discussion class if they are to be considered for a grade. You will also be required to present an outline of your paper in class.

Three papers:                                   75%                                                                    Class participation and attendance:      25%

Course Schedule:

Lecture 1:  September 2^nd

Introduction to the course and Native American Politics and Civil Society in 17^th Century Maryland

• Zach Messitte, Director Center for the Study of Democracy and HSMC's Dr. Martin Sullivan and Jan Dabkowski;

Seminar 1: September 9^th

Lecture 2:     September 16^th

The Importance of Religion in Early Maryland

• HSMC's Henry Miller

Seminar 2: September 23^rd

Lecture 3:     September 30^th      

From Colonialism to Nationhood

• Dr. L. Tomlin Stevens, (SMCM Professor Emeritus History) 

Seminar 3: October 7^th

October 14^th  NO CLASS: Fall reading days

Lecture 4:     October 21^st

Maryland and the Civil War, Slavery and Jim Crow

• Dr. Charles Holden, (SMCM History)  Dr. Julia King, (SMCM Anthropology and J. Patterson Park and Museum)

Seminar 4:    October 28^th

November 4^th NO CLASSES: Advising day

Lecture 5:     November 11^th       

Baltimore and Film: Barry Levinson and John Waters

• Dr. Robin Bates, (SMCM English) and Jim Bershon/Jill Morris (St. Mary's Film Club)

Seminar 5:    November 18th

Lecture 6:     November 25^th

The Effects of Globalization and the Growth of Maryland's Ethnic Communities

• Dr. Jorge Rogachevsky, (SMCM Spanish) and Dr. Ho Nguyen, (SMCM Economics)

Seminar 6:    December 2^nd

Lecture 7:     December 9^th

Maryland by the Numbers: A Sociologist and a Journalist Look at the Development of the State

• Dr. Louis Hicks, (SMCM Sociology) and Eugene Meyer (Washington Post, Maryland correspondent and author of Maryland....Lost and Found Again)