I’ll be using your posts in class tonight, so my comments here are just a way to preface that time together (they’re also short because I spent about two hours in emails and phone conversations with your sites last week—didn’t realize how much I needed that time). Anyway, I sorted your writings for this week into three categories that I’ve simply labeled “community,” “government,” and “today.” For the first one, community, three statements emerged that I thought spoke to the tensions described in both the Fisher and Thuesen articles. Carla wrote that Catholics tend to hold community as an ideal and, as a result, to focus less on “the individual’s personal improvement.” I did not get the sense that anyone would disagree with that, though Crystal raised one important question: “who’s in the community?” As someone who is not Catholic, she has been led to question how serious and meaningful the Catholic commitment to community can be if she can’t be accepted into it. And Joe went a step further, questioning whether we can continue to value community in the same ways we always have if, in fact, those groups are more interested in preserving their identity than they are in real social change.
The second category was easy: government. There were traces throughout the postings of the tensions that we see daily on CNN and elsewhere, tensions about the proper role of government in the social sphere. Joe and Kelli seemed more inclined to question the value of national government and politics in areas of life better left to smaller, more local entities. Ed noted (with surprise) that, despite all the assumptions to the contrary, Dorothy Day would agree with some of the points Joe and Kelli were making. Good evidence that Catholic Social teaching is both a) different than we assume and b) a genuine alternative to some existing ideologies.
Finally, the last category involved issues you raised that seemed particularly important “today.” It is good to have a long tradition of social teaching in Catholicism and elsewhere but, as Liz points out, this world is not the same as it was just 10 years ago. Poverty and neglect in Dubuque is not the same as poverty and neglect in Darfur; it never has been, the difference is that now we know it to be true. And finally Meghan takes us back to the question of community when she writes about all the “fractures” that exist in organized religion. But she calls attention to the fact that, even when a faith like Catholicism has a strong center in a place like Rome and a figure like the Pope, it still cannot claim to be unified. That speaks to the age in which we live; it also suggests that we need to start presenting and promoting unity in new ways.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Class Thoughts on Local History
First off: nice job on the posts everyone. From what you said to how you said it—the tone, style, and creativity you showed—I had the strong sense that you all enjoyed writing this one. Maybe I’m wrong and you bluff well but, if so, don’t tell me: leave me to my illusions.
Because you each had very distinctive ideas and topics, it’s difficult to generalize about your responses. I suppose I could say that I noticed two basic options in your approaches. On the one hand, some felt pulled toward broader topics like the history of a “hometown” or an entire graduating class, and in each case you described how important it would be to gather a range of objective information (demographic, statistical, surveys, etc.). You also wisely pointed out how difficult it is to interpret and present that information objectively. On the other hand, some of you focused on specific features of an otherwise larger topic, for example, a single building (the field house), or one aspect of a family (its ability to make music but choose lousy names for bands) or, as Meghan kind of discovered as she wrote, the role of illness and health within a community. No less information is needed to address these topics, but they seem to be more “forgiving” when it comes to issues of pure objectivity.
Not surprising, of course, is the conclusion that good history—local or otherwise—needs both approaches to be informed, convincing, and interesting. I confess that my work with the class last fall got me interested in these kinds of local studies. What I discovered as we worked out the Washington Neighborhood display was how important it became to provide a context for what we planned to present. Creating a display about the Bee Branch waterway, for instance, only seemed interesting and important when we showed images of how often the neighborhood had flooded. And then, when we thought we had the connection down, we were really surprised to talk with former residents who said that they really didn’t mind the flooding that much—that everyone came out of their houses and watched the kids play in the water (it was just rainwater, not sewage). Suddenly, the flooding became evidence of community building. We had to decide how to incorporate those local reflections into what we presented.
From what all of you wrote, I think that class tomorrow will go very well. We will meet in the Center for Dubuque History (library basement) and will hear from the Director, Mike Gibson. I plan to get there early and pull all of the information I can find on your churches—I don’t know how much there will be. But during the course of the evening we’ll hear about resources in the Center that can help us establish that “context” for what we hope to say about each parish or congregation. Old photos, maps, microfilm of the Telegraph Herald—all can provide information about what’s happening locally, statewide, or even nationally when we want to highlight a certain event in the history of a neighborhood church.
Looking forward to seeing you soon. Thanks. Jw
Because you each had very distinctive ideas and topics, it’s difficult to generalize about your responses. I suppose I could say that I noticed two basic options in your approaches. On the one hand, some felt pulled toward broader topics like the history of a “hometown” or an entire graduating class, and in each case you described how important it would be to gather a range of objective information (demographic, statistical, surveys, etc.). You also wisely pointed out how difficult it is to interpret and present that information objectively. On the other hand, some of you focused on specific features of an otherwise larger topic, for example, a single building (the field house), or one aspect of a family (its ability to make music but choose lousy names for bands) or, as Meghan kind of discovered as she wrote, the role of illness and health within a community. No less information is needed to address these topics, but they seem to be more “forgiving” when it comes to issues of pure objectivity.
Not surprising, of course, is the conclusion that good history—local or otherwise—needs both approaches to be informed, convincing, and interesting. I confess that my work with the class last fall got me interested in these kinds of local studies. What I discovered as we worked out the Washington Neighborhood display was how important it became to provide a context for what we planned to present. Creating a display about the Bee Branch waterway, for instance, only seemed interesting and important when we showed images of how often the neighborhood had flooded. And then, when we thought we had the connection down, we were really surprised to talk with former residents who said that they really didn’t mind the flooding that much—that everyone came out of their houses and watched the kids play in the water (it was just rainwater, not sewage). Suddenly, the flooding became evidence of community building. We had to decide how to incorporate those local reflections into what we presented.
From what all of you wrote, I think that class tomorrow will go very well. We will meet in the Center for Dubuque History (library basement) and will hear from the Director, Mike Gibson. I plan to get there early and pull all of the information I can find on your churches—I don’t know how much there will be. But during the course of the evening we’ll hear about resources in the Center that can help us establish that “context” for what we hope to say about each parish or congregation. Old photos, maps, microfilm of the Telegraph Herald—all can provide information about what’s happening locally, statewide, or even nationally when we want to highlight a certain event in the history of a neighborhood church.
Looking forward to seeing you soon. Thanks. Jw
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Starting new Fall 2009
This is my second time teaching a one-semester course in the Loras Honors Program dedicated to service learning. Again, te course is for seniors who are finishing their work in the program—a “capstone” to three and a half years worth of work.
Unlike the last class, which topped twenty students, this one is small with only eight. We are back in the Washington neighborhood in Dubuque, this time working directly with churches in that area. Four have agreed to be service sites for the students: St. Mary’s Roman Catholic, Immanuel Congregational, First Presbyterian, and St. John’s Lutheran. At each site, students (who at present are working in pairs) must do three things: participate in existing service opportunities that the church sponsors, help the congregation develop new ties to the neighborhood, and research the history of neighborhood involvement in the Washington area. Our final project will again be an exhibit dedicated to the historical and current relationships between the churches and the neighborhood.
Each student in the class must maintain a blog that describes their service activities and connects their experiences with materials we are reading together for the course. Student blog addresses are as follows:
http://steveislateagain.blogspot.com
crystalstrauch.blogspot.com/
http://lizodonnell.blogspot.com/
http://servethat.blogspot.com/
http://carlasueservice.blogspot.com
http://meghanservicelearning.blogspot.com/
http://kellitheisen.blogspot.com/
The first blog assignment required students to describe their initial encounter with the neighborhood and with their service site. They also had to respond to a chapter from Martha Nussbaums’ book Cultivating Humanity, a piece titled “Socratic Self-Examination.” In my postings, I will be answering what the students write, trying to spend a bit more time on certain responses each week. I’m starting here with my thoughts on what everyone had to say about Nussbaum and the liberal arts.
First off, I was glad to see that (almost) everyone got back into the game and submitted their posts on time. There are exceptions.
Even more impressive, of course, was what people had to say. I didn’t find anyone missing Nussbaum’s thesis that the liberal arts are grounded in critical thinking, especially Socratic questioning, and designed to keep us skeptical of any claims that insulate us from the world. The liberal arts, in other words, teach us methods for keeping “free.” They are “liberal” in that they “liberate us” from any set of assumptions that prevent us from using all of our intellectual resources to solve problems.
Those problems can be big. Kelli notes that Nussbaum thinks that the liberal arts should address social goals, especially “civic freedom.” Of course, once a topic like that is on the table, disagreements follow quickly. Many people are not too sure that society should be liberated from certain beliefs or practices. As Joe wrote, the kind of critical thinking championed by the liberal arts “can seem a bit dangerous to those who fear what . . . reason and questioning can do to the traditional sources of authority.” More traditional or “conservative” critics would tend to raise this issue. For them, when people start to question basic assumptions held by their social or cultural groups, order begins to unravel. Ironically, the person who has given us a fullest biographical glimpse into Socrates’ life, Plato, was one such critic, banning from his ideal republic, for example, all poetry that did not serve the means of the state.
But more open or “liberal” critics also have their gripes with Nussbaum’s vision of the liberal arts. Her dependence upon the traditional method of Socratic reasoning, including its use of logical categories, appears to be a big concession to the status quo. They claim that western society has been dominated by people who have thought this way, and they want us to realize where it has taken us. No group, for example, was more logically precise and consistent in their beliefs and practices than Nazi Germany.
Whatever position you tend to find more persuasive, one fact, according to Meghan, remains, and that is we “don’t always have a clear moral ground.” We push ahead as best we can, oftentimes. It will be interesting to see us all doing that at service sites throughout the semester, trying to put the values Nussbaum describes into action. Sometimes, our efforts will require us, as Carla writes, to look at ourselves “more critically” so that we can “learn from” the people we’re serving. I’m sure that we also will be frustrated by our efforts to get our service sites to do the same. Crystal wrote about the opportunities that she thinks exist at St. John’s, especially as they attempt to build a new kitchen and offer free meals to the neighborhood needy. The first thing that came to my mind was how several Dubuque churches are doing that successfully and could offer some good advice to St. John’s. It will be interesting to see how willing the congregation (just like any group) is willing to listen to the experiences of others and learn from them, especially if those outside views are held by people who have different beliefs and practices.
Unlike the last class, which topped twenty students, this one is small with only eight. We are back in the Washington neighborhood in Dubuque, this time working directly with churches in that area. Four have agreed to be service sites for the students: St. Mary’s Roman Catholic, Immanuel Congregational, First Presbyterian, and St. John’s Lutheran. At each site, students (who at present are working in pairs) must do three things: participate in existing service opportunities that the church sponsors, help the congregation develop new ties to the neighborhood, and research the history of neighborhood involvement in the Washington area. Our final project will again be an exhibit dedicated to the historical and current relationships between the churches and the neighborhood.
Each student in the class must maintain a blog that describes their service activities and connects their experiences with materials we are reading together for the course. Student blog addresses are as follows:
http://steveislateagain.blogspot.com
crystalstrauch.blogspot.com/
http://lizodonnell.blogspot.com/
http://servethat.blogspot.com/
http://carlasueservice.blogspot.com
http://meghanservicelearning.blogspot.com/
http://kellitheisen.blogspot.com/
The first blog assignment required students to describe their initial encounter with the neighborhood and with their service site. They also had to respond to a chapter from Martha Nussbaums’ book Cultivating Humanity, a piece titled “Socratic Self-Examination.” In my postings, I will be answering what the students write, trying to spend a bit more time on certain responses each week. I’m starting here with my thoughts on what everyone had to say about Nussbaum and the liberal arts.
First off, I was glad to see that (almost) everyone got back into the game and submitted their posts on time. There are exceptions.
Even more impressive, of course, was what people had to say. I didn’t find anyone missing Nussbaum’s thesis that the liberal arts are grounded in critical thinking, especially Socratic questioning, and designed to keep us skeptical of any claims that insulate us from the world. The liberal arts, in other words, teach us methods for keeping “free.” They are “liberal” in that they “liberate us” from any set of assumptions that prevent us from using all of our intellectual resources to solve problems.
Those problems can be big. Kelli notes that Nussbaum thinks that the liberal arts should address social goals, especially “civic freedom.” Of course, once a topic like that is on the table, disagreements follow quickly. Many people are not too sure that society should be liberated from certain beliefs or practices. As Joe wrote, the kind of critical thinking championed by the liberal arts “can seem a bit dangerous to those who fear what . . . reason and questioning can do to the traditional sources of authority.” More traditional or “conservative” critics would tend to raise this issue. For them, when people start to question basic assumptions held by their social or cultural groups, order begins to unravel. Ironically, the person who has given us a fullest biographical glimpse into Socrates’ life, Plato, was one such critic, banning from his ideal republic, for example, all poetry that did not serve the means of the state.
But more open or “liberal” critics also have their gripes with Nussbaum’s vision of the liberal arts. Her dependence upon the traditional method of Socratic reasoning, including its use of logical categories, appears to be a big concession to the status quo. They claim that western society has been dominated by people who have thought this way, and they want us to realize where it has taken us. No group, for example, was more logically precise and consistent in their beliefs and practices than Nazi Germany.
Whatever position you tend to find more persuasive, one fact, according to Meghan, remains, and that is we “don’t always have a clear moral ground.” We push ahead as best we can, oftentimes. It will be interesting to see us all doing that at service sites throughout the semester, trying to put the values Nussbaum describes into action. Sometimes, our efforts will require us, as Carla writes, to look at ourselves “more critically” so that we can “learn from” the people we’re serving. I’m sure that we also will be frustrated by our efforts to get our service sites to do the same. Crystal wrote about the opportunities that she thinks exist at St. John’s, especially as they attempt to build a new kitchen and offer free meals to the neighborhood needy. The first thing that came to my mind was how several Dubuque churches are doing that successfully and could offer some good advice to St. John’s. It will be interesting to see how willing the congregation (just like any group) is willing to listen to the experiences of others and learn from them, especially if those outside views are held by people who have different beliefs and practices.
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