Out of the turbulence and social upheaval of the last two centuries many social institutions were invented to minister to the horrible consequences of industrialization-the most significant being that set of ideas, policies, and programs called the welfare state. This seminar will address the issue from the vantage point of creative literature. Through the keen eye of imaginative artists, the phenomenological impact of industrialization, urbanization, and family disorganization becomes alive. The readings embrace problems such as crime, mental illness, poverty, and substance abuse. They include, among others, the works of writers like Dostoyevsky, Steinbeck, and Kafka.
Enrollment is restricted to freshmen only.
Professor Henry Miller has taught on the Berkeley campus since 1962. His research interests have included the problems of disaffected youth, substance abuse, homelessness, and vagrancy. He has written extensively in those fields. The Dispossessed in America.