Fall 1998
Larry Schor
 

Course Description

We will begin by using Transactional Analysis as a theoretical foundation in order to develop a common vocabulary to explore our experiences. Through lecture, discussion, experiential exercises, guest speakers, and journal writing we will focus our inquiry on questions such as:

*How has human communication evolved to meet the needs of society?
*How do we learn to communicate in our families?
*How do Art and Music communicate ideas and images?
*How do humor and creativity affect communication?
*What is the relationship between temporality, spatiality, and communication?
*When we experience “internal dialog” who is speaking to whom?
*How does our “psychological environment” affect our ability to communicate?
*How do our bodies communicate?
*How do myth, metaphor, and archetype communicate?
*What is the experience of paranormal communication such as telepathy?
*How has technology helped or hindered our ability to communicate?
*What can we learn about communication from the mentally ill?
*What do psychological “symptoms” communicate?
*How can we improve our ability to communicate effectively?

Together we will attempt to adopt a “naive curiosity” in order to investigate these issues in a fresh and novel manner.
 

Texts:
An Anthropologist on Mars. Oliver Sachs
Born to Win. Muriel James & Dorothy Jongeward
 

Course requirements and Evaluation:

i. Communication Journal (30%). The purpose of the Communication Journal is to increase students’ awareness and knowledge of the nature of human communication by observing and articulating a variety of events and experiences. Students are expected to write in their journals nearly every day. Include your observations and thoughtful reflection of both ordinary and extraordinary experiences while noting new insights, changing beliefs, or application of material discussed in class. You will not be graded on the “rightness” or “wrong-ness” of your ideas, but rather your exploration and articulation of observations and ideas. Please also include entries which describe what is communicated to you by each of the following:
A Story A Song A Movie A Piece of Art A Stranger Your Body Technology Something in Nature

2. Participation in class discussions and activities (30%). Because much of the course will involve class discussion and presentation of material which compliments the readings, your spirited participation is essential and will require you to remain current with reading assignments. Students are expected to attend all class meetings and assume responsibility for missed work and assignments.

3. Mid-Term Examination (20%). An objective mid-term examination will be based on theory and application of concepts from Transactional Analysis.

4. Final Paper I Class Presentation (20%). The final project is designed to be a “capstone” of your exploration of communication. Choose any aspect of communication which most piques your interest. Follow your curiosity and express what you have learned as well as questions which remain unanswered. You may either choose to write a paper (8-10 pages) or make a class presentation (10-20 minutes) and submit a brief paper/ outline (3-4 pages). You will be graded on creative expression and perceived difficulty of your project. This project will be discussed further in coming weeks and students will submit a written proposal (1 page) following the mid-term examination.
 

Grading Policy:
A Consistently excellent effort in all aspects of the course.
B Good or very good effort in all aspects, perhaps even excellent in one or two areas, or fair in another.
C Satisfactory completion of course requirements; minimal effort in one area