Course Id: Syllabus

• Semester Credit Hours: 3 credit hours

• Course Description: Animal Studies 101 explores the ways animals are viewed by various subcultures in American society. Students explore sociological, historical, economic, philosophical, and public policy issues regarding the treatment of animals. Factory farming, medical research, hunting and trapping, and entertainment industries will be examined.

• Course Prerequisites/Co-requisites: RDNG 052 or LEV 2 and ENGL 052 or LEV 2.

The overall course goals are:

• 1. Describe animal issues in the context of a broad picture of social justice issues;
• 2. Explain the various philosophical positions relative to animal issues;
• 3. Summarize the major events in the history of the animal rights movment;
• 4. Explain and evaluate the various positions people take relative to conducting research on animals;
• 5. Explain and evaluate the various positions people take relative to consuming animals;
• 6. Explain and evaluate the various positions people take relative to hunting and trapping animals;
• 7. Explain and evaluate the various positions people take relative to using animals for entertainment purposes;
• 8. Assess the effectiveness of using animals for food;
• 9. Evaluate the cultural implications of keeping animals as pets;
• 10. Explain the ways animals are viewed by different religions;
• 11. Defend and support the choices he or she makes relative to the uses of animals in our culture;
• 12. Critique material produced by animal use industries and material produced by animal rights organizations; and
• 13. Present findings of research regarding an animal rights issue.

The topics covered in this course include:

• Animal Rights Philosophies
• Animals in Religion
• History of the Animal Rights Movement in the UK
• History of the Animal Rights Movement in the US
• Slavery and Animal Rights
• The Holocaust and Animal Rights
• Animals in Education and Science
• Animals in Biotechnology
• Wildlife
• Hunting and Trapping
• Companion Animals
• Vegan, Cruelty-free Living

Rationale for the course: The treatment of animals is increasingly recognized as an important social justice issue. Scientists, attorneys, philosophers, scholars, religious leaders and others are thinking and writing and producing books and films about the moral and legal status of animals. This course will give students the opportunity to think critically about these issues.

ASSIGNMENTS

• Essay #1 - 25%
• Essay #2 - 25%
• One-page Responses to Readings - 10%
• Postings to Discussion Boards - 15%
• Research Paper - 25%

Grading Policy: Written responses to the reading material will be assigned for some modules. They will be approximately one page (about 250 words) and will be graded on completeness and thoughtfulness of the response as well as for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. These short responses will receive a cumulative grade, which will count for 10% of your final grade.

Course Materials:

• The Animal Ethics Reader edited by Susan Armstrong and Richard Botzler
• The Dreaded Comparison by Marjorie Spiegel
• Eternal Treblinka by Charles Patterson
• Speaking Out for Animals edited by Kim Stallwood

• Special procedures:

Because of the controversial nature of the issues presented in this course, it is important for all students to be open to differing points of view and to offer ideas in a respectful manner. No student will be permitted to act otherwise and remain in the course.

• Tentative list of dated assignments:

• {provide a tentative schedule for the semester} Note: Your schedule may already exist under the link Schedule in your public pages. If that is the case, you might direct the student to that link on menu for you public pages rather than provide redundant information here.

Here are some tips you should follow which will help you to succeed in this course:

• Set aside a specific time each week to work on this course. The estimated amount of time you should spend is 9 hours/week
• Keep in touch with me and your classmates by frequently checking your course e-mail, bulletin board, and calendar. This will help build a sense of community among us. Using the various communications tools provided in this course effectively is the same as "raising your hand" and participating in class discussions.
• Be aware of the time lag that is inherent in most on-line courses. Although the communications tools make it appear that the transfer of information such as assignments is "instantaneous", it does not mean that the reply will be instantaneous. One of the hardest things about an on-line course is becoming comfortable with its asynchronous nature. In general, expect assignments to be returned within 7 days.
• Familiarize yourself with published deadlines.
• Ask for help when you need it.
• Remember that there are traditional ways for keeping in touch. Use the telephone, a fax, or make an appointment to meet with me on campus.
• Work off-line and save your assignments on your computer before submitting them electronically. You can use the saved version of your work to copy and paste to an on-line assignment or you can attach the saved file to an e-mail or bulletin board message. This will prevent a lot of frustration should your Internet connection or your system "fail".
• Be sure you check the course syllabus and other course material for instructions on how to submit assignments. In many cases your instructor will specify that you submit your assignments using a specific file format. If your instructor does not specify a particular format for text documents, it is suggested that you save your files in Rich Text Format (.rtf format). This will minimize the potential for inadvertently transmitting computer viruses.
• Be sure to install anti-virus software on your local system and check all downloaded files before opening them.
• other things....

For more information, please visit the Institute for Animals and society website at www.animalsandsociety.org.