Faculty Directory
Interview with Peter Bohmer
Recent Teaching History
MPA; Fall 2000
Alternatives and Resistance to Neoliberalism; Spring 2000
Political Economy and Social Movements: Race, Class and Gender; Fall 1999-Winter 2000
Worker Cooperatives: Their Past, Present and Future; Summer 1998
Economic: Mainstream and Radical; Spring 1998
Political Economy of Inequality; Fall 1997-Winter 1998
Millennium Shifts and Heightened Realities: Focuses, Directions and Frames of Reference for the Next Millennium; 1996-97
Economic: Mainstream and Radical; Spring 1998
Decoding Political Economy of Media; Spring 1996
Political Economy; Fall 1995-Winter 1996
Toward Year 2000: Liberation of Fascism; Spring 1995
Advanced Political Economy/Capital/Intermediate Macro Economics; Fall 1994-Winter 1995
Comparative Economic Systems; Summer 1994
Introduction to Political Economy; Fall 1993-Winter 1994
Master of Public Administration Program-Research Methods, Political Economic Context of Public Administration, NAFTA; 1992-93
Individual Contracts
Recent and Current Areas of Interest
Basically I am concerned with growing economic inequality, both within the United States and internationally within the global capitalist system. Secondly, I am concerned with critiquing the ideology of neo-Liberalism, the idea of unregulated free market capitalism that is dominating most of the third world. Finally, I am interested in developing an alternative in both the short and long run. In the short run I am interested in radical reforms, and in the long run alternatives to capitalism as a social system. In the short term I am concerned that people become involved in social movements that both improve peoples' lives and at the same time raise consciousness about how the society works. Thus, I have a real interest in politics, not simply in electoral terms, but in terms of finding ways to have people as individuals within collectivities take power over their own lives. I am always concerned with race, class, and gender issues. I try to think about the needs of the people who are most oppressed in the society and how their needs can be met. I find that given my background in economics I think about how economics processes, like capital accumulation, shape and reshape issues around race, class, and gender.
My concern with these issues arises from the real belief in the dignity of all human beings. I see that this growing inequality prevents dignity, sbustantive democracy, and the creations of a society which is designed to meet human needs. Human dignity is really bound up with substantive democracy at the local and global levels. I am committed to the ideal of an egalitarian democratic social order in all spheres, especially the economic one.
Are there particular authors/artists/thinkers whose work you interested and which you often ask students to examine?
I really think Marx s important, but the people I use most frequently in my classes are writers like, Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, bell hooks, Manning Marable, Frances Fox Piven, Eduardo Galeano, Sheila Rowbotham, Sam Bowles, Paul Sweezy and the Monthly Review school of economists and writers. By looking at these authors students get an understanding of the operation of capitalism as an economic system and see the relation of contemporary social problems to capitalism. These authors are very critical of the contemporary social system, but also believe very seriously that people can transform social systems.
Are there specific areas of interest or issues you want to work with students on in the current year?
I am interested in working with students on neo-Liberalism, social movements, especially the labor movement, and economics generally both mainstream and critical.
I have found that introductory micro and macro economics, and also statistics contracts as individual projects are not often very successful. Sometimes cluster contracts on advanced topics in economics work well, but it is hard to get the basic ideas and skills without a lot of classroom work, practice, and explanation.
Specific Skills, Competence, Techniques:
I am very good at helping students see the big picture. I can really help them see how social structures influence what is going on in peoples' lives rather than taking a straight individualist perspective. I work hard on helping people develop critical thinking. I am good at helping students see how they can make differences in the world in small and big ways. Although I am not sure it is a skill exactly, I am good at giving students a real sense of what capitalism is as an economic system.
In terms of work with writing I tend to focus on helping people work on the structure and argumentation and data, on content, rather than the fine structure of grammar. I stress collaborative work and I manage to create a relaxed atmosphere in class. I tend not to push as much close reading of the text as I should.
What are key qualities you look for and techniques you use to assess and help students assess their work?
Engagement with the material is central for me. I really like to see growth in students' understanding of the issues and their capacity to write, read and analyze the material. I look to the individual and see how they are changing, rather than measuring them on some absolute scale. I tend to use journals and comment on them and ask students to exchange their journals. I often suggest, but seldom require, rewrites.
Teaching Style:
How would you characterize yourself as a teacher?
I am an excellent lecturer and I try to share my understanding of the world with students. I try to make sure that in my lectures I address different levels of skills and backgrounds. I try to let students see the historical roots of issues. I think of myself as an impassioned teacher. I like to encourage students to develop their own views. I don't want them to become clones of me. I am enthusiastic about teaching and I like and am concerned about the material. I am reasonably demanding in terms of the amount of work that I require and its analytical nature. I really like the connection between theory and practice and I am personally involved in political and social action. This often helps students see these connections between study and action.
What types of students tend to do well with you?
I have strong rapport with students of color on campus. I also work well with students who think there is something substantially wrong with the way the society is working and want to figure it out. I do well with students who have strong backgrounds, but I also often do well with students whose background is considerably weaker, but are really motivated to work on the issues, especially issues of class, race, and gender. Students who love to learn and enjoy working get along well with me.
What types of students have a hard time with you?
Students who lack discipline, who don't attend to the materials, who don't care about social problems, don't do well with me. I don't like to get into straight ideological arguments, but I do enjoy being challenged on many of my understandings. I really didn't get along with a few people in the MPA program, who thought of themselves as experts and were threatened by critiques of expertise. In general, I do get along well with students whose opinions are different from my own views.
What do your student evaluations say about the way you come across to students?
Students always feel that I treat them with respect. My evaluations are almost uniformly excellent. Students say they learned a lot, that they were challenged, that I was passionate and mixed analysis and experience well in my teaching. I get criticized for speaking too fast or trying to do too much in lectures. Sometimes students feel overwhelmed by the amount of information I put out and feel that they don't have enough information to disagree with me despite misgivings about what I am saying.
Expectations about Contracts, Internships, and Evaluations
What qualities do you look for in a student who comes to you for work in a contract?
Contracts are often used in the Politcal Economy area at Evergreen because we don't really offer much advanced work. So we use contracts, but often that work could be done better as group work. But we use internships and contracts effectively around issues of social change. Internships are really good ways to combine theory and practice. I really think the pattern of study-act-reflection is really a critical pattern for internships.
More than for programs it seems important that students on contract be self motivated independent learners. People need to be able to read the books, do the work, and see me as someone they can talk with rather than as an enforcer. Students need to be able to bring an interpretation of the text with them rather than depending on me to help generate it. Typically I look for advanced students. Most frequently I do contracts with students I have worked with previously.
What information do you want to see when a person comes to look for a contract?
My first conversation with a student can be rather open, but before I agree to anything there needs to be a clear proposal with some clear idea of what they will study, how it relates to past study and future work , some of the activities they will engage it, books they will write, and things they will produce. I really like to work on cluster contracts where groups of students work on particular issues.
When writing evaluations what are the key qualities or attributes of student work you access?
I try to assess whether they did the work. Did they complete most of it? Did they grow in terms of what was being discussed? I find myself writing about intellectual curiosity, engagement, analytical ability, concern for social justice, capacity to write well, seriousness, creativity and independence of thought. I write very long evaluations that are descriptive of the work the person does. I tend to write them stressing the positive, and writing about areas of suggested improvement rather than about weaknesses.
Interviewer: Matt Smith