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Faculty Interviews |
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Interview with Peter BohmerRecent Teaching History 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: 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. 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.
Expectations about Contracts, Internships, and Evaluations
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.
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.
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