Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2020 - SA 366 D100

Special Topics in Sociology (S) (4)

Spaces of Memory

Class Number: 8458

Delivery Method: Remote

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Tue, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Lindsey Freeman
    lindseyf@sfu.ca
    Office Hours: By appointment via Zoom

  • Prerequisites:

    SA 101 or 150 or 201W.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Explores a topic in Sociology not regularly offered by the department.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course will examine a wide range of memory spaces from the gigantic to the miniature. Memory spaces, like memories themselves can be individually-driven or socially-ignited, they can evoke or reflect deeply personal experiences, or they can hold significance for a larger social milieu. They can be places for celebration of grand accomplishments or the grandly accomplished, houses of entertainment, realms for edification, or places for healing and reflection after traumatic events. Throughout the course, diverse spaces of memory will be considered, alongside the possibilities and pitfalls of forgetting.

A Covid-19 note:
Students, we will meet virtually in a very strange and unsettling time. Many of you have likely faced added challenges due to the global pandemic and may continue to face them. I promise to offer compassion and flexibility in our time together because I am invested in you, not only as students in my class, but as people in the world. This is a moment that requires thinking, generosity, and community building. In this course, we will focus on memory, one of the most important faculties of human life. Memory has an enormous impact on us, both as individuals and in relationship to others. And while it may seem paradoxical, memory tells us more about the present than the past. In periods of emergency and great social upheaval, such as right now, it is imperative that we pay attention to how and what we are remembering and forgetting. This Fall, we will think together about the ways in which memory informs our lives and societies, and we will do so through close reading, regular writing practice, and radical listening.

Grading

  • Participation 10%
  • Weekly discussion responses 40%
  • Term paper 50%

NOTES:

Grading: Where a final exam is scheduled and the student does not write the exam or withdraw from the course before the deadline date, an N grade will be assigned. Unless otherwise specified on the course syllabus, all graded assignments for this course must be completed for a final grade other than N to be assigned. An N is considered as an F for the purposes of scholastic standing.

Grading System: The Undergraduate Course Grading System is as follows:

A+ (95-100) | A (90-94) | A- (85-89) | B+ (80-84) | B (75-79) | B- (70-74) | C+ (65-69) | C (60-64) | C- (55-59) | D (50-54) | F (0-49) | N*
*N standing to indicate the student did not complete course requirements

Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct Policy: The Department of Sociology & Anthropology follows SFU policy in relation to grading practices, grade appeals (Policy T 20.01) and academic dishonesty and misconduct procedures (S10.01‐S10.04). Unless otherwise informed by your instructor in writing, in graded written assignments you must cite the sources you rely on and include a bibliography/list of references, following an instructor-approved citation style.  It is the responsibility of students to inform themselves of the content of SFU policies available on the SFU website.

Centre for Accessible Learning: Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need classroom or exam accommodations are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (1250 Maggie Benston Centre) as soon as possible to ensure that they are eligible and that approved accommodations and services are implemented in a timely fashion.

REQUIREMENTS:

  • All texts and/or films assigned for the week should be read and/or watched before our Zoom meeting.
  • Students should attend all Zoom meetings whenever possible.
  • Students must post 10 responses (out of 13 possible) during the term (one per week) in advance of our Zoom meeting.
  • Students must read their responses out loud during our Zoom meetings at least three (3) times for full participation points.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Wifi, access to a laptop or tablet with sound, a camera that would enable you to appear in a video classroom, and streaming capabilities.

REQUIRED READING:

All readings will be available online through SFU Library or will be uploaded as pdfs on Canvas.


Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020

Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).