Update on Fall 2011 Papers

[This is an update to post: http://cmkularski.net/2011/09/fall-2011-semester-papers/]

Course # Paper Topic Pages Req. Status
Tutorial in Sociology SOCY 6895 Sociology of Masculinity 20-30 IP:  4 pages
LGBT Studies WGST 2050 Declassification of Homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 2-4 Graded: 100%
LGBT Studies WGST 2050 Evolution of Interaction Between Homosexuality and Western Religions 2-4 Topic Selected
LGBT Studies WGST 2050 Gay Identity vs. “Disappearance” 2-4 Topic Selected
Transnational Feminism WGST 5050 Racism and Subjugation in Sexual Tourism 15-20 Proposal Started
Theoretical Approaches to Sexuality WGST 6601 Social Construction of Non-Genital Sexualities 20 IP: 1 page

 

The paper for Tutorial in Sociology should be pretty simple to complete. I’ve been playing with outlines all semester, and of course because there is no in-person discussion for the course, all I do is write about the material, so a good amount of my ground work is done, I just have to integrate that into a cohesive discussion of the formation and maintenance of masculinity.

The two papers remaining for LGBT Studies should be fairly simple. They are just small papers that require a minimum of research and a little analytical thought, but they are not deep and probing papers. My first one has been graded and I received full credit for it, so hopefully that trend continues.

Transnational Feminism I had difficulty selecting a topic for. It isn’t my favorite course this semester, and I had a little difficulty determining what would be an appropriate topic. The topic I selected actually appeared in Theoretical Approaches to Sexuality, but I feel that it is quite relevant to Transnational Feminism. Now I have to finish off a proposal and find appropriate source material.

For Theoretical Approaches to Sexuality I have had a topic selected for a while, but I have modified the description of the topic a few times to reach a description that is most precise. I am planning to explore the social construction of sadomasochism and paraphilia, but could not quite find an appropriate way to succinctly (and positively) describe the topic. This  paper is in the process of being written. It is going slowly because I am not the type to do extensive planning and then write from a plan, for me everything has to flow.

Posted from Charlotte, North Carolina, United States.

Event: Robin James–Personally Speaking

For anyone with an interest in music, gender and/or race, I would recommend attending this event. Robin James is an absolutely brilliant philosopher and a very eloquent speaker.  See the flyer below for all of the details:

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http://www.uncc.edu/spotlight/2011/robin-james
http://library.uncc.edu/node/847
http://clas.uncc.edu/Personally-Speaking/
http://philosophy.uncc.edu/Faculty/robin-james.html
http://www.its-her-factory.blogspot.com/

Posted from Charlotte, North Carolina, United States.

My Spring 2012 Schedule

Introduction to Cognitive Science [ITCS6216]
Mark Faust
This course presents multiple perspectives on the study of intelligent systems. Broad coverage of such topics as philosophy of mind; human memory processes; reasoning and problem solving; artificial intelligence; language processing (human and machine); neural structures and processes and vision. Also includes is participation in the cognitive science seminar. — 3 hours

Planned

Principles of Human-Computer Interaction [ITIS6400]
Celine E. Latulipe
Prerequisite: Full graduate standing, or permission of department. This course will be an introduction to Human-computer Interaction practice and research. The course will include topics on the perceptual, cognitive, and social characteristics of people, as well as methods for learning more about people and their use of computing systems. We will cover the process of interface design, methods of design, and ways to evaluate and improve a design. The course will also highlight a number of current and cutting-edge research topics in Human- Computer Interaction. The course will be a balance of design, sociological/psychological, and information systems elements. — 3 hours

Planned

Queer Theory [WGST5050]
Katherine S. Stephenson
Introduction to key issues in Queer Theory, a field of studies that questions and redefines the identity politics of early Lesbian and Gay Studies. Queer Theory investigates the socially constructed nature of identity and sexuality and critiques normalizing ways of knowing and being. — 3 hours

Planned

Sociology of the Internet [SOCY4090]
Stephanie M. Mari
In this class, we will use major sociological perspectives to analyze how important elements of our “real lives” (and the essential functions of society) are increasingly taking place on the internet – a world wide web of linked sites and virtual spaces that extend the structures of established social institutions (such as mass media, government, and economy), yet also provide unique opportunities for interaction with individuals, cultures, and information. — 3 hours

Planned

Posted from Charlotte, North Carolina, United States.

Domain Popularity by Number of Queries

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I have been using Zerigo’s DNS service on some of my domains for the past 4 days. These are the current statistics regarding number of queries. Obviously icurtis.me is the preferred location of the domains that I have started using here so far. Zerigo keeps track of # of queries because there is a max query quota of 1,000,000 queries per month. Obviously, I’m no where near that for this month yet, and won’t get anywhere close.

Spring 2012 Class Schedule Released

CSLG 6150  Career Development & Cslg
W 05:30 pm-08:15 pm
Henry L. Harris (P) 01/09-05/01 DENNY 216		 MA Counseling
CSLG 6160  Theories Chemical Dependence
T 05:30 pm-08:15 pm
Laura J. Veach (P) 01/09-05/01 COED 202		 MA Counseling
PHIL 6350  Philosophy of Technology
W 03:00 pm-05:45 pm
Gordon D. Hull (P) 01/09-05/01 WINN 107		 None. Personal Interest
PSYC 6216 / ITCS 6216  Intro to Cognitive Science
TR 02:00 pm-03:15 pm
Mark E. Faust (P) 01/09-05/01 CHHS 290		 GC Cognitive Science
SOCY 6090  Race, Class, Gender, and Social Policy
R 02:00 pm-04:45 pm
Stephanie M. Smith (P) 01/09-05/01 FRET 480C		 GC Gender Studies

ITCS 6114   Algorithm & Data Structures
MW  02:00 pm-03:15 pm
Richard M. Souvenir (P)         01/09-05/01         SMITH 301

 Pre-Req. ITCS 6153
GC Cognitive Science
ITIS 6400  Prin of Human Comp Interaction
M 06:30 pm-09:15 pm
Celine E. Latulipe (P) 01/09-05/01 WOODW 135		 GC Cognitive Science
WGST 5050 Queer Theory
W 05:30 pm-08:15 pm
Katherine S. Stephenson (P) 01/09-05/01 COED 202		 GC Gender Studies
WGST 6627 Feminist Theory and its Applications
M 06:00 pm-08:45 pm
Robin M. James (P) 01/09-05/01 SMITH 201		 GC Gender Studies

The class schedule for spring has been released and I am back to having no clue what courses to take. Things seemed clearer before I was admitted to Cognitive Science, then it was simply 2 courses in my program and an elective. Now I have 2 programs to which I belong, and on top of that there are other courses that interest me.

CSLG 6150 and 6160 are “open” classes in the Counseling department. They are courses in which I can “get my feet wet” (that phrase always makes me want to put on tall boots) with the department. I don’t love the material of either of the courses, but they are a good start in the department. but do I want to take courses in the department before I know if I got in?

PHIL 6350 is a course that I saw and thought seemed interesting, but after reading its description I am uncertain about it, yet it remains in the list as a backup option.

PSYC 6216 / ITCS 6216, this is the base introductory course for Cognitive Science. I could theoretically take either the PSYC or ITCS section, with basically the same work (if not identical), but I intend to make my selection of course symbolic of my direction in the program. Do I want to approach Cognitive Science from a psychological perspective, or do I want to take it from more of a technical direction? This is a tough decision for me, as I have an interest on both sides. I am considering setting up a sample program outline utilizing both and see which one seems more palatable.

SOCY 6090 would be a course that focuses heavily on my topics of interest from gender studies in a sociological framework. I am a little concerned about the idea of this class because I am starting to feel a little burned out on this topic (it would be my 5th straight semester handing the topic)

ITCS 6114 is a very technical course, focused on programming constructs. I typically enjoy courses like this, and I suppose I will again. This course is a pre-requisite to taking Neural Networks next fall. It doesn’t directly count to Cognitive Science, but if I want to take Neural networks, which does, I must take this course first. The title and description are pretty similar to an undergrad course that I had not very long ago, so I hope it won’t be very redundant.

ITIS 6400 is a fascinating class. It touches on the ways in which computers attempt to perceive the same as humans, but also how humans utilize computers. This course covers sociological and psychological aspects of computer usage and interface design.

WGST 5050, Queer Theory. This is one of the topics from other classes that I have become interested in. It goes beyond the traditional classification of homosexuals and defining the history and social significance of ‘queer’ culture. The theory itself seeks to step away from labels and to explore everything that is not the norm.

WGST 6627, This is a core course in my program, or at least one option for it. I’m not sure I can handle another semester of feminism and feel like this may not be something I really want to take, but since it does count as a requirement I think it is at least worth considering.

I have to decide what I’m taking by November 7th.

Posted from Bessemer City, North Carolina, United States.

Nerd Nirvana: Vanity DNS Servers

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For as long as I have had domain names, I have wanted vanity DNS servers, but never had them, never even had a chance for them. Now after beginning a change of DNS providers I have 2 sets of vanity DNS servers. One for totally personal use (A-F.KULARSKI.ORG) and one for all other uses (A-F.NS.PCFIRE.NET). Just one of life’s simple pleasures I suppose Smile

Posted from Charlotte, North Carolina, United States.

Machine Learning

As if I weren’t doing enough this semester already I have decided to take on the task of learning about Machine Learning. The course is offered by a Stanford University associate professor of computer science, Andrew Ng (see http://ml-class.org if you are interested). Originally I was interested in this course simply because I’m a nerd and I like classes like that. Now I am sticking with the course and taking it more seriously because of my recent admission to the cognitive science program at UNC Charlotte. The course should provide me with direction for potential research as well as give me a bit of an edge when it comes to introductory cognitive science concepts and eventually machine learning courses in the program. So far I have only completed the introductory section of the class, but find myself drawn to the material and interested in a very serious way. Beyond the material of the course I am enjoying the way in which the course is being taught. It is designed the way I always thought that distance education courses should be, video lectures with written points, all broken down into easy to handle units. When I say broken into units, I mean each topic is given its own video, with a quiz question to confirm material understanding). If the course were designed any other way I might not be able to convince myself to integrate it into my schedule, but because so far the lectures are no longer than 15 minutes in length, I can easily work on the material any time and feel like I can get something accomplished before I have to be distracted for something else. The most interesting thing about the course design is that it is specific to the course. There is no course management software to get in the way, it IS the course itself. The difference between this course and something like Moodle is that it is cleaner, only what needs to be there is there and there are no distractions from other courses that a student may have (such a thing would not be there in this situation anyway). Why can other online courses not be like this? It isn’t so very different from any other type of course that would ordinarily be offered online.

Posted from Charlotte, North Carolina, United States.

Constructing Hegemonic Masculinity

[Cross Post: http://www.masculineimagery.net/?p=15]

In my current reading for sociology of masculinity (tutorial) I have run across some interesting and some disturbing conceptions of what drives masculinity. In the article I was focusing on tonight the author (Sharon Bird) conceived of a masculinity formed by three basic principles:

  1. Emotional distance
  2. Competitiveness
  3. Sexual objectification of women

I find the concept somewhat disturbing, but I cannot deny it either. It seems as though the current baseline of hegemonic masculinity is still founded on those ideas. I have come to accept item 2 about masculinity, but I cannot believe that 1 and 3 still hold that firmly in practice for most men. The problem with hegemonic masculinity is in the separation of the gender role and the gender identity. In hegemonic masculinity the gender role is everything that is conceived of and accepted as “masculinity” in societal norms. Gender identity on the other hand is the components of masculinity that a male decides to use, and also some components that may not reside in the standards of masculinity. The identity often contains an acknowledgement of the role and what is required to maintain a masculine identity in public. Hegemonic masculinity in the gender role side is static and self-protecting (through fag discourse and other social sanctions). This limits the amount of influence that anyone can have on it. While gender identity is always evolving, gender role is what it always has been.

One of the key components of hegemonic masculinity is a clear separation of men and women. It is what allows men to define themselves. The emotional distance is designed to protect the male from appearing weak and also provides a certain amount of control in social situations. The competitiveness functions as a way of establishing a hierarchy of distinction between men. An individual male must define himself and defend his right to be a male by being “better” then someone else. This trait of distinction is always what leads to sexual objectification of women. Men prove their significance and power by proving that women are inferior. In sexually objectifying women this boundary is established.

If I were to approach the topic from a Freudian perspective I would say that men who subscribe to hegemonic roles have developed a system of ego defense and are dependent on their own status and distinctiveness in the world for emotional stability.  From a conflict (Marxist) perspective I would see it as the normal way of the world. The Marxist perspective is the most optimistic, since it provides the hope that the women and the subordinated men will create a unified social presence and overthrow the influence of the hegemonic standard.

[thought to be continued]