Course Description
‘The pursuit of happiness.’ It seems obvious, does it not, that we all want to be happy? But what, really, is happiness? How do we achieve happiness for ourselves? For others? Who deserves to be happy? Who or what is responsible for happiness? In this writing course, we turn a critical eye to classic and modern attempts to answer these and related questions focused primarily on the happiness within groups. We consider what others have written from various perspectives: psychology, philosophy and ethics, neuroscience, economics, political science, etc. We define key questions and create our own answers relying on the evidence collected. We incorporate various media: academic articles and books, fine arts and literature, television and film, the Internet. We read authors as diverse as Aristotle and Freud, the National Academy of Sciences and the Tao te Ching, John Keats and Zadie Smith. We study words, sounds, and images, and also places, people, and artifacts. You will practice critical thinking and synthesis by reading, writing, and speaking. Coursework includes many short informal writing pieces, a review of other students’ writing, reflection on your writing, and oral presentations. You will be asked to present three formal essays by walking through the entire process from research to drafting and revision. Each essay may also include various media (visual or audio), as appropriate.
Professor
Deanne Harper
Paper 1
This paper set to answer the question “What is happiness?” As such, I analyzed multiple texts and incorporated a personal narrative to help explain what happiness was to me. This paper was short and required many of the skills I used to write papers in high school, so it was not a challenge in that respect. However, I consulted peer review and wrote multiple completely different drafts of a paper for the first time. Click the title below to view the full paper!
The Hardships of Happiness: A definition and Explanation of Finding Happiness
Paper 2
This paper set to answer the question “How can we achieve happiness? What does science tell us?” To answer this question, I had to research and consult outside sources to develop my argument. I enjoyed researching this question and forming my unique argument because I was following disciplines, questions, and answers that interested me along the way, letting the research guide me. My inner nerd sang praise when I ‘had to’ read three books and countless papers one marathon day in the library. Writing this paper was genuine fun, and I learned how to write for myself and my ideas, rather than those I think someone else wants to hear. Click the title below to view the full paper!
Happy Grandpa: An Explanation of How Learning Processes Affect Baseline Happiness
Paper 3
This paper set to answer the question “Who deserves to be happy?” I wrote about the anti-vaccination movement in the US. I learned how cool it feels to submit something literally the minute it is due. I sweat through a hoodie. My brain is fried, so I’ll update this later. I hope you enjoyed reading it :). Click the title below to view the full paper!
Betting Against Life: An Analysis of the Anti-Vaccination Movement in the United States
Website/ Writing Portfolio
Our last project was to create an online writing portfolio to showcase our work throughout our Dartmouth careers. I decided to incorporate big projects of mine, art (drawing, poetry, etc), a music blog, and miscellaneous pre-college work as well as sections for my Dartmouth courses. To view the site, click the following: Alex Hughes ’23. The agenda for the presentation of this site can be found here: Agenda.