GAH 2280 – WITCHES
Course
by: Christine Farina Extension 6836 ** Office K128*
COURSE
DESCRIPTION - Witches have evoked curiosity,
violence,
and imagination from human societies throughout
history.
From where in the human psyche does this cross-cultures
the
ages? What forms has it taken?
·
· And what of real-life “Witches?” Who are they and
· what do they believe? What are the roots
of their religious
· belief-systems and rituals? In this course, we will read about
· witches, learn about Wicca the religion,
study the history of
· women in medicine, consider the history of
“witches” in society,
· and
will think critically about politics, science, and religion.
·
OBJECTIVES
· l. To
introduce the history of women and men in
shamanistic
and/or medicinal roles
2. To think
critically about religion
3. To
study the religion of Wicca, its evolution, and its
pagan
forerunners
4. To consider the character
of the Witch and
its
many iterations
5. To
deepen an appreciation for the earth/nature
·
Student
Learning Outcomes:
·
* An understanding of the scientific method,
Rationalism,
·
Materialism, Spiritualism, The Age of Reason and
Evolution
·
* Critical thinking skills as especially applied
to religion and
·
historical political records
* Introduction to
Wicca
·
* Understand the basic history of the Burning Times
and
·
the Salem Witch Trials
·
* Familiarity with the History of the Witch around
the world,
·
through the Ages
·
Course Expectations
·
* Students should be well-prepared and actively
·
engaged in class discussion
·
* All homework and projects must be typed
·
* Instructor reserves the right of professional
judgment
·
when calculating grades
·
* The academic honesty rules of the college apply
·
fully to this course
·
* Always back-up all work
·
·
·
The Course Outline
·
·
Part
One: Belief
·
(a) What causes belief systems to evolve?
·
(b) What effect does the group identity have
on
belief behaviors?
·
(c) What is a belief system?
·
(d) Why do we believe in mythologies?
·
(e) What are similar permutations of belief
systems
·
across world cultures and eras?
·
(f) What is the value of evidence?
·
(g) When and why does faith and evidence
clash?
·
(h) Who are modern leaders in atheism?
·
(i) Why do we tend to believe that our
opinions are facts?
·
(h) What effect does the "other"
have on our psyches?
·
Part
Two: Human Templates and
Mythologies
·
(a) What is the history and nature of
theology?
·
(b) What similarities exist between
theologies across
·
human history?
·
(c) What informs religious practices?
·
(e.g.: the tools of
religions, the elements of religions, the messiahs,
the bibles, the
societal and cultural rules, etc.)
·
(d) What are the tools of paganism? eg:
the wand, incense, chalice,
·
priest, besom, athame, etc
· Part Three: Actual “Witch” Persecutions
·
(a) The Holocaust in Historical Context:
Witch Craze of the 14th Century
·
(b) Devil in the Woods: Salem Witch
Trials
·
(c) The Inquisition
·
(d) Torture
·
(e) Witch Hunts, Political
·
(f) modern violence against “witches”
Part
Four: Wiccan rituals, beliefs, and discussions.
·
·
TEXTS Suggested except for these:
· Andrews, Ted Animal Speak
·
·
Cunningham,
Scott Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary
Practitioner
· Ruiz, The Four Agreements
SUGGESTED:
·
· Ackerman, Diane The Alchemy of Mind
· Booth, Mark The Secret History of the World
·
· Dawkins, Richard The
God Delusion
· Hitchens, Christopher God is Not Great
·
Jong,
Erica Witches
·
Konstantanos Nocturnal Witchcraft
· Ruiz, The Four Agreements
· Ruiz, The
Fifth Agreement
· Sagan, Carl The Demon-Haunted World
· Salzman, Mark Lying Awake
· Schermer, Michael Why People Believe Weird Things
·
Buckland,
Raymond Buckland’s Complete Guide to Witchcraft
·
Kraemer, Heinrich Malleus Maleficarum (suggested
for reference)
·
Hitchens, Christopher The
Missionary Position
·
Morrow, James The Last Witchfinder (suggested, highly
recommended)
· Richard Francis, Judge
Sewall’s Apology
·
Summers, Montague. The History of Witchcraft
(suggested for reference)
As I post these lectures, I will use italics to suggest blog post or paper ideas.
* * **
Since Wicca is a religion, we must first establish what a belief system is.
And since people are persecuted for being "Witches," in opposition to a dominant religious order, we must understand the power of belief systems.
A belief system represents belief without evidence, or faith.
I can believe in ghosts, but I can't prove they exist.
Faith can be a comforting thing, but it can also be a scapegoat used to excuse unethical behavior.
For example, if I believe that I must kill infidels, then I will murder 3000 innocent Americans.
Below are some examples of the power of belief to commit heinous acts. There are many, many more examples. Please post more examples with a comment.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/oct/04/westgate-mall-attacks-kenya-terror
http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/article/forced-exodus-christians-middle-east
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/justice-story/justice-story-honor-killing-article-1.1510125
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/barbara-wade-rose/papua-new-guinea-witchcraft-burned-stake_b_2688403.html?just_reloaded=1
http://youtu.be/LACyLTsH4ac
* * **
If I believe that a Witch is among us, I can use that to kill her or him with "impunity."
Here's something happening right now that expresses the danger of a belief system over reason:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/15/world/africa/sudan-christian-woman-apostasy/
* * **
What if there is no God? What would make killing wrong?
To start, I could say that if there is no afterlife, then taking another's life would be the worst abomination, as the life I take would be the entirety of the being. Or, raping someone and ruining her or his soul would be the worst abomination.
The reason evidence is so important is that without it, I can inflict punishment or death on another just by having a belief about that person:
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm
* * **
In today's Western World, we have inverted victim and perpetrator. We say that 911 was America's fault for its wrongs in the Middle East . Now wait just a minute: isn't that exactly like blaming the woman who wore a miniskirt for getting raped?
Introduction to course, concepts, and framework
Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens, Alchemy, Prototypes of World
Religions, witches in
modern media and the mind
Wheel of the year, Astrology, ghosts and the paranormal,
divination,
Pjilosophies, history of the calendar, herbalism, night gardens,
Ruiz, Jong, Age of Enlightenment, torture, Pendlteton witches
Satan, esoteric tradition, free masons, animal totems, night
creatures
Second
paper due if not already turned in early
On Grading Papers
These are the usual things
for which I mark off that are simple to avoid:
Do not use contractions
Spelling and grammar matter
Punctuation matters, too
When I look at your work, I
am doing the normal layers of evaluation:
a) basic mechanics
b) form
c) content
…and then I consider if the
work is:
a) really
exceptional, or worth an “A” on papers: wrote more than the word limit, supported your
assertions, had assertions in the first place, weaved together a
compelling argument in your voice),
b) a pretty good job, or worth a “B” (Pushed yourself beyond the word limit, had some writing style/was not pedestrian, low-level writing, but lacked appropriate supporting material or any really breathtakingly new ideas)
c) an acceptable paper but average, or a “C” (nothing special happening there, just writing the minimum amount of words, piecing together unsophisticated sentences, boring sentence and paper structure, spitting out information but showing no evidence that you're thinking about your opinions and supporting them with concepts you've synthesized from class and the readings)
Be certain to put quotation
marks around anyone else’s work that you use and cite it as well.
While there is a formal academic style that you
must adhere to (which includes things like paragraph organization,
grammar, and not using contractions) that does
not mean that your writing must be devoid of personality.
In this course, one of the skills you should gain
is the sharpening of your writing
style. Plagiarism does include cutting and pasting something you
copied from a website and then changed a few words.
· When
you write, be thoughtful and clear.
· Give
background, explain arguments, offer your opinion
· Support
your opinion with evidence
· Discuss
the evidence
· Conclude
These are the usual things for
which I mark off that are simple to avoid:
Do not use contractions
Spelling and grammar matter
Punctuation matters, too
Stockton’s Grading Scheme
A=4.0 B+ =3.0 C =2.0 D+ =
1.3 F=0
A-=3.7 B =2.7 C=1.7 D
=1.0
B+ =3.3 C+ =2.3 D- =.7
What grades reflect:
presentation and correct.
All work was submitted on time.
B+,B, B- = Good work.
Tests and written material averaged in the 80% range.
C+, C, C- = Average
performance. A 70% average on tests and written material was
shown. The student was able to meet deadlines and participated intermittently
in class and homework.
D+,D, D- = Low average
performance. Tests and written material ranged in the 60%
scope. The student may have failed to meet deadlines, complete projects.
The work showed little effort.
F = Failed. The student
scored below a 60% average on tests and written material. Work
was not completed on time or completed at all.
Stockton’s Academic
Honesty Policy:
ACADEMIC HONESTY As an
academic institution of merit and integrity,
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey affirms its
commitment to the honesty and excellence of research and pedagogy
conducted by members of the Stockton academic community.
Academic dishonesty is a serious violation of academic
policy and the Campus Conduct Code, and is punishable by
severe sanctions including suspension and expulsion. The range of
sanctions imposed is contingent on several factors, including the decision of the
faculty member making the charge, whether it is the student’s
first or a repeat offense, and the extent and nature of the offense.
It is possible that a first offense will carry a penalty of suspension or expulsion,
if deemed appropriate by the College.
The College makes two
primary demands of its students and staff: 1) that
each individual exercise the utmost care in planning and preparing
the work presented for academic consideration, and 2)
that members of the academic community conscientiously ensure
the validity and protect the integrity of academic work and
the grades earned for such work.
Types of Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty may be manifested
by a number of
irregularities including, but not limited to, plagiarism
and dishonest conduct in
the preparation of course work. Examples of
dishonest conduct are
cheating on an examination or research paper,
either by copying another
student’s work or bringing inappropriate
notes into a testing
situation, or collaborating with another student on
course work when not
specifically authorized by the faculty member.
It is the responsibility
of each faculty member to define any additional
criteria governing
particular course assignments, such as “in-class,”
“open book,” and
“take-home” examinations, laboratory experiments
and reports. Whenever
student is authorized, the results and presentation
of the collaborative
effort are necessarily understood to be
the achievement of each
individual student.
Plagiarism is the most
common form of academic dishonesty,
particularly with the
proliferation of Internet resources on college-level
subjects. Plagiarism from
any published or unpublished source is a
violation of academic
policy; it is defined as the appropriation or imitation
of the language, ideas or
thoughts of another person, and the representation
of them as one’s original
work. Any written material or oral presentation
submitted to a member of
the faculty by a student is understood to be
the product of that
student’s own research and effort. All sources must be
properly acknowledged and
cited in the preparation of student assignments.
The following are
examples of plagiarism:
Neglecting to cite
verbatim text;
Neglecting to place
verbatim text in quotation marks;
Paraphrasing without
citing the original source; and
Summarizing without
citing the original source.
The Issue of Intent in
Academic Dishonesty
: At times students may
be careless in, or
ignorant of, the proper procedures for the acknowledgment
of sources. Knowing when
to cite sources is as important as knowing how
to cite them. It is not
always possible for a faculty member to distinguish
a student’s conscious
attempt at plagiarism from a clumsily documented,
but well-intended paper.
Therefore, the College requires every student
to understand the
rationale for, and application of, bibliographic methods
and documentation. Each
student has the responsibility to learn what
constitutes plagiarism;
unintentionally plagiarized work carries the same
penalty as a blatant
case. To assure an accurate understanding of plagiarism,
each student is
responsible for having read and consulted appropriate guidelines
for bibliographic
methods. One such guideline is the chapter on researching
(pp. 295-325) in Diane
Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference, published by St. Martin’s Books,
and available in the
College Bookstore, the College Library, and
the Writing Center (J-105).
Always back up your work
in this and all classes.
Spelling, punctuation and
grammar all count in written work.
Cut and paste from the
internet is plagiarism and is not tolerated.
If you miss a class you
are responsible to find out what happened.
I reserve the right to
change the plans/dates of the itinerary.
Do not plagiarize. Plagiarism
is never tolerated.
And while there is a
formal academic style that you must adhere to
(MLA, paragraph
organization, grammar, not using contractions or
conversational language)
that does not mean that your writing must be
devoid of personality.
The school requires a
professor turn a plagiarist in upon discovery.
A letter will go into your
file at that point. If you are caught plagiarizing
a second time, you will
be dismissed from Stockton permanently.
Plagiarism does include cutting and pasting something you copied
from a
website and then changed
a few words on. It does
include paraphrasing,
even if you put a source
down. The idea is to think your own thoughts,
synthesize your learning,
and articulate your new knowledge in your
own words.
You
can always turn anything in early. You
can always create
a
project, work of art, an in-class assignment, etc. and turn that
in as
well. Sounds strange, but this is the
Witches class. We
do
strange and wonderful things with what we learn.
3-5 pp, usually results in a C or B, though I have
read some outstanding
5-8pp, usually results in a solid B, though again,
I have gotten
some fantastic five-pagers.
7-12 pp, usually results in an A, though I have
received twelve pages
of nonsense which resulted in an F
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