Michael R. H. Swanson, Ph. D.
Office: GHH 215 Phone:  ext. 3230
Hours:  M, T, Th, F 9:00-10:30
  or by Appointment
mswanson@rwu.edu

The Week's Work
AMST 333
House and Home in America
Roger Williams University
Fall, 2013 M, W, F:  1:00-1:50
GHH 208
On Friday The Sixth  I'd like to spend a little time talking about the video we watched.  It wasn't quite as good as the one I loaned to someone and didn't get back.  :-(  but it make give us some thoughts about energy consumption and what running out of cheap fuels may do to the "suburban dream".  Guess what?  Since I sent you the e-mail version of this note, I found the video I wanted on YouTube.  My Karma goes up and down, up and down
We'll continue this on Monday as necessary, and also look at the Souweine combo, including the architect.  We'll also take a look at the plan for the house--why it seems "perfect" for Jonathan, and why Judith gets along so much better with the carpenters--to the point of participating in the carpentry herself.  Is there something about Jonathan vis a vis Jim Locke's father which makes the relationship between Jonathan and Jim particularly tense?  What do you think?
I want to move then to a discussion of Kidder's book, starting with a look at some human relations.  First, I'd like to look at some inter-generational relationships.  On the Apple-Core Side, I'd like to look at the father-son relationships between Jim Locke and his dad, Richard Gougeon and his family history and story, Ned Krutsky has a third kind of life history, and comes to construction by a different route, and while it seems like it would be the most normal way to enter the construction field, Krutsky is often the least happy of the carpenters on the job.  Is there anything in his family of origin which might explain this?  Finally, Alex Ghiselin.  Any of you with some insight into psychiatry might be able to explain first, what his favorite part of the job is, and second, why he may have left his first career for his second one.  Could you imagine doing the same thing? 
Friday, December 6
Monday, December 9
Take-Home Final Exam
Due, Tuesday, December 17 by Bridges

Length:  the traditional 5 pp., more or less
Write a reflective paper on one of the two themes presented below.  By reflective paper I mean something other than a mere summary of the facts involved with the themes described below.  I want you to interact and react to the situations Kidder describes--put yourself into the picture.  How would you feel? Who would you sympathize with?  Who would you like?  How might you try to resolve certain conflicts; or would you think they were not resolveable?
Theme One:Houses and Personalities...Conflicts and Causes


Theme TWO:The Perfect House:  Jonathan, Judith, Careers and
Gender.

Extra Credit?

Write on both.