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 College Courses - Psychology 20 |
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College Courses - Psychology 20 |
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Freshman Seminar: PSYCHOLOGY AND SCIENCE FICTION Units: 4 Prerequisite: Freshman standing. Psychology 1 may be helpful but is not required. Course Objectives: Psychological issues are central to much of the best contemporary science fiction, as well as to many classic works in the genre. This seminar will focus on representative examples of psychological science fiction, in print and on film. We will consider how an understanding of certain psychological concepts may increase our appreciation of such science fiction, and how science fiction may improve our understanding of psychological concepts. We will also explore the psychology of science fiction writers and the psychology of science fiction fans. Course Format: The seminar will meet for two 2-hour sessions per week. During each week we'll focus on a set of readings, supplemented at times by appropriate films. Each student will be asked to lead the class discussion during at least one meeting of the seminar. Guest appearances by science fiction writers and psychologists are planned. Seminar members are expected to write four short papers (2-3 pages each), due every other week, plus a longer term paper (8-10 pages) due at the end of the quarter. Students will be graded on class participation (1/3 of the course grade), the bi-weekly papers (1/3), and the term paper (1/3). Texts: A variety of stories will be chosen from two anthologies: The Norton Book of Science Fiction, edited by Ursula K. Le Guin and Brian Attebery, and The Road to Science Fiction, Volume 4: From Here to Forever, edited by James Gunn. Seminar members will also be asked to read one novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick. Other reading material will be provided by the instructor. Instructor: Alan C. Elms
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