Social Science   

This course is for any human living on Mother Earth. The course is based on the community version of “Wake Up World: A Curriculum on the Climate Crisis for Faith and Community Groups.” This course will provide students with a basic understanding of what the vast majority of climate scientists agree on about the state of our ecosystem. It will also enable them to critically evaluate what they see and hear daily regarding the climate crisis. It is broad in scope and introductory in nature. It attempts to provide a structure for understanding so that we can all move from our default position of causing the problem to making a choice to be part of the solution. No previous knowledge is necessary, only an openness to learning. Participants will be asked to review material before class each week, and then discuss it and any additional videos in the class.

Many believe that we are experiencing challenges to our democracy that we have not had since the Civil War. These challenges, though, are coupled with the fact that many of us can no longer identify the constitutional issues that are being threatened. The purpose of this class is to identify current events which are a direct challenge to our democracy and why. For example, the Supreme Court justices have a constitutional mandate to have “good behavior” while in office, yet to date that court has not developed a code of ethics that applies to them. We will identify and learn how this issue and many others apply to our democracy.

Many believe that we are experiencing challenges to our democracy that we have not had since the Civil War. These challenges, though, are coupled with the fact that many of us can no longer identify the constitutional issues that are being threatened. The purpose of this class is to identify current events which are a direct challenge to our democracy and why. For example, the Supreme Court justices have a constitutional mandate to have “good behavior” while in office, yet to date that court has not developed a code of ethics that applies to them. We will identify and learn how this issue and many others apply to our democracy.

Megan Phelps-Roper went from being a purveyor of hatred as a spokesperson for the Westboro Baptist Church to a kind, insightful, and empathetic interviewer on the podcast “The Witch Trials of JK Rowling.” She summarized her transformation in the form of questions that all of us should be able to answer to justify our firmly held beliefs. Class one will be an overview and discussion of the questions in terms of the general view of belief in whatever form it exists. Class two will be an opportunity for the instructor to apply those questions publicly to his own strongly held view that there is a reasonable doubt about the authorship of the works of William Shakespeare. It may seem a stretch to link classes one and two, which could not be more different in their ultimate impacts on people’s lives. A link does exist, though, in the very nature of belief itself. “No Doubters” are encouraged to sign up, as well as those who are simply curious.

Tom Woosnam has no formal qualifications for teaching this class. He does, however, have a lifelong interest in epistemology, i.e., how do we know that what we’re told is the truth really is the truth. In his 45 years of teaching high school physics and math, he has had many opportunities to present that question to his students.

This course is an introduction into the famous Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu’s book titled “Tao Te Ching.” This book (Ching) describes his view of the cosmos (Tao) and how we as social beings should live in community (Te). The instructor will loan each student a copy of the Tao Te Ching for his or her use during the class, or it can be purchased. The book, consisting of 81 short chapters, is a meditative one. Students should read a chapter at a time and then reflect on its ideas and concepts; they will see that the same admonitions are in other philosophies and religions. Taoism (aka Daoism) is very popular in Eastern cultures and has millions of religious followers. However, in our review, we will only concentrate on its philosophical content, not the religious practices of Taoism that have evolved over the centuries. The class will be mainly discussion, with very little lecture, except for historical and cultural background.

This lecture course will explore the creation and early development of two great Chinese schools of thought in their historical contexts. Starting with a survey of early Chinese history up to the lifetime of Confucius, the course will then trace his life and teachings—and their subsequent development in figures such as Mencius. Then we will investigate political and social changes during the Period of the Warring States, and the culmination of that warfare in the founding of the Qin Dynasty. Next will come our discussion of the early development of Daoism in the Dao De Jing and the work of Zhuang Zi, followed by a close look at developments in both Confucianism and Daoism during the Han Dynasty. Finally, the course will then consider the further developments of these two traditions in Three Kingdoms and Northern and Southern Dynasty Periods. 

Hot News & Cool Views is an open discussion forum to explore and discuss breaking news from Oregon to around the globe each week. All differing views and opinions are welcome and an integral part of the lively discussion we encourage in the class. Each session is unique and informative, and we cover a wide range of topics from politics to climate change to technology and much more. An agenda with articles from various news sources is sent out every Sunday ahead of our class on Tuesday to give everyone time to get up to speed on the news we will discuss. Students are encouraged to send in topics and articles to discuss, and these are often added to our agenda. Please join us for a journey around the world with our fast, fun class. Better than a strong cup of coffee to get your week going!

Hot News & Cool Views is an open discussion forum to explore and discuss breaking news from Oregon to around the globe each week. All differing views and opinions are welcome and an integral part of the lively discussion we encourage in the class. Each session is unique and informative, and we cover a wide range of topics from politics to climate change to technology and much more. An agenda with articles from various news sources is sent out every Sunday ahead of our class on Tuesday to give everyone time to get up to speed on the news we will discuss. Students are encouraged to send in topics and articles to discuss, and these are often added to our agenda. Please join us for a journey around the world with our fast, fun class. Better than a strong cup of coffee to get your week going!

How well is the 118th Congress functioning with the Democrats having a narrow margin in the Senate and the Republicans with a narrow margin in the House, while the president is a Democrat? This will be a discussion course on provisions of the Constitution regarding the legislative branch of the federal government, the leadership and procedures of the House and Senate, as well as pending issues before the Congress. Classes will begin with a brief lecture, followed by open discussion. All viewpoints will be welcome. The goal will be for all class members to listen respectfully to one another. The only requirement for class attendance is an interest in our country and those issues pending before Congress at this time.

NOTE: There will be no class meeting on Friday, November 10, in observance of Veterans Day.

Together we will unpack what race means historically and socially and how racism functions in American society. We will establish common vocabulary to support fruitful conversations, and we will dive into the history of racism in our country, including how that history has socialized us, and where we see the impact of that history today. We will also learn about, discuss, and wrestle with topics like implicit bias, microaggressions, whiteness, IRO and IRS (how all of us internalize messages about race), and racial trauma. Pre-work will be assigned weekly via email, containing assignments that should be completed before the start of the class (about two hours each week: videos/reading/reflective writing). This prepares students for class teaching and our discussions. Classes are structured to build on previous lessons and topics, so attendance at all six classes is expected, as is a high level of engagement. This is not a course where you will sit back and passively obtain information.