CI-179 Myths of Self-Making
In this course, students examine and engage with one of the major mythological figures of the American imagination: the "self-made man." The idea of the enterprising person who "pulls himself (or herself) up by the bootstraps" is distinctively American. But where and why does it arise? How did it come to prominence in American culture, politics, and economics? And, by gaining understanding of both the limits and the potential of this cultural ideal, what can we draw from it in our own careers and lives? Students will practice skills of close reading, analysis, and argumentation in the first half of the semester, prior to moving onto more complex and interpersonal forms of scholarly creativity and problem-solving in teams and in the community. Course content will follow a similar trajectory. In the first half of the semester, we will focus on how the myth of the self-made man originates and develops, and consider some critiques of it as an ideal. After spring break, we will apply the concepts we have studied to a robust analysis of issues in contemporary politics and economics including financial speculation, entitlement reform, technological disruption, and the gig economy. This contemporary focus will culminate in a Group Project & Final Presentation in which students aim for an innovative approach to a current question in light of the works we have studied.