Soc 147.01 Business in Literature Spring 2000 Dr. Gary Hull

Offc. Loc.: 240 North Bldg Offc. Hrs.: TBA Phone: 660-5608 Email: gahull@soc.duke.edu

Syllabus

The image of business presented in serious and in popular literature has a crucial impact on both an executive’s self-perception and on society’s perception of business. In this course, we will read some novels and articles, and see a few movies that portray executives as heroes, ordinary individuals, and villains. We will identify the underlying philosophic ideas in the works of art - and then discover the very practical personal, social, and political effects of how literary works present the pursuit of profit. If, as some novelists and filmmakers contend, executives are evil shysters driven by the desire to pillage, then the public will feel outrage when it hears names such as Andrew Carnegie and Bill Gates. If, as other novelists and filmmakers portray, moneymakers are morally great, then a society will lionize its Henry Fords and Warren Buffets.

Textbooks: The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair

Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand

Class Packet

For the first week: By the second day of class, turn in your answers to these two questions. Keep each answer under 100 words; handwritten is fine. 1) Name three of your heroes from the twentieth century and identify their character traits that you admire. 2) Which one of the following two statements do you most agree with and why? “To make money is a moral activity.” “The love of money is the root of all evil.”

Weeks 1-8: General introduction to the course. How have artworks such as novels and movies portrayed business? Why have the profit motive, industry, and capitalism been presented that way? What are the philosophic issues involved? Does it make any difference - politically, economically, personally - how literature portrays business?

We will identify the themes, ethics, politics, and cultural influences of The Jungle and “Wall Street.”

Reading: See “Wall Street” by the end of week 2; finish The Jungle by the end of week 6. Start reading AS.

CP: 1-5, 8-10, 14

Week 3: In-class assignment #1, 15 minutes

Week 7: In-class assignment #2, 15 minutes

Week 8: First paper due

Weeks 9-14: Business and the market place as portrayed in AS. By contrast to “Wall Street” and The Jungle, what are this novel’s views on money, government regulation of industry, politics, and morality?

Reading: Finish reading AS by the end of week 12

CP: 6, 7, 11-13

Week 12: In-class assignment #3, 15 minutes

Final papers: TBA

Grading policy:

There are two 5-7 page papers. Each paper counts as 30% of your grade. I will give you a list of paper topics. There are model papers available, which I highly recommend that you read.

In-class assignments: There are three of these, each of which counts as 10% of your grade. I will give you a list of three questions one-week prior to the assignment. From that list, I will choose one question on the day of the quiz, and you will have 15 minutes to write your answer. You may not use notes or books. The questions will be on the major issues covered in class or in the reading.

Class participation: 10%

Warning: Stay current with the reading.