Final Questionaire

Age: 21

Sex: female

Degree subject: Maths

Does ‘Being Bad’ relate well to the other modules you are taking?
Not at all, I took this module for fun. I'm an exchange student from America, and I'm taking 3 other modules, all of which are maths modules.

If so, how? And if not, why not?
Too much Maths gets a bit boring, so I like taking at least one module every semester that is something completely different. It keeps my mind active in different subject areas.

Have you found ‘Being Bad’ too demanding, too easy, or at an appropriate level?
For me, the level of difficulty was perfect. I was just looking for an interesting extra module, and I didn't find the module very difficult.

Do you think the list of topics covered on the module was appropriate?
I found most topic appropriate. Bandits seemed to be a bit of a stretch, I didn't find that one to be very interesting at all.

Are there any topics not included in the module that you would like to see included?
Bad politicians and bad media would be great topics, and much more relevant to modern society than some of the topics that discussed more history than current thinking.

Do you think that the format for classes has worked well?
Yes, I liked the format and think it worked well for the large class size.

What did you think of the module team?
The variety of lecturers was good for the subjective nature of most topics, better than hearing the same lecturer's opinions each week.

Do you think it would have been better to have had more:

Small group discussions?
No, I found these to waste time, unfortunately. It's just the way students are.

Discussion and debate among the class as a whole?
Yes, I liked the remotes for the masturbation lecture. I would have liked to use those more often.

Information and talk from lecturers?
There was a good amount of this; some lectures could have been a bit more interactive. For two hours, there needs to be more variety than just a lecture.

The approach taken in the module is interdisciplinary (drawing on perspectives from English Literature, Film Studies, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies and Politics): do you think this a useful way of approaching the topics covered in the module?
Yes, I do.

Do you think that interdisciplinary modules are a good idea?
Yes, it's important to be well-rounded and able to discuss a topic from a variety of angles.

Do you think you have benefited from the interdisciplinary approach taken in the module?
I do, but I'm also used to talking "general education" modules in America. We are required to take modules in a variety of subjects to supplement our degree(s).

Would you like to see more modules that cover this kind of subject matter?
I don't think it's necessary to have a lot of modules like this, as it's more of a general knowledge and discussion module than one that teaches specific skills or facts.

Are you planning to take the follow-up module PH2004 ‘It Shouldn’t Be Allowed’ at level 2?
No, I am only here for this semester, then I go back to my school in America.

Would you recommend ‘Being Bad’ to a friend?
Yes I would.

Do you think that the blogs (web logs) were a good idea?
Yes, it's a great way to collect assignments for such a large group, and I like the informal and interactive nature of it.

What did you think of the other assessments (e.g. would it be better to have one longer assessment rather than two shorter ones?)?
I would rather have one long assignment, as I found 300 words for a creative writing piece to be too short.

What have you learned from the module?
The motivation of some people to do various "bad" things, and how varied societies views are and have been about "deviant" behavior.

What parts of the module have you found most useful and why?
The polls in the masturbation lecture were the most useful, it was interactive and effective.

What parts do you think were a waste of time and why?
I think the assignments can be a waste of time, as they are so short. I also found some topics I wanted to write an essay about, but didn't like any of the topics.

Are there any other comments you wish to make regarding ‘Being Bad’?
If the lectures could be more interactive, I think people would stay more focused (come to class, perhaps talk less, stay until the end, etc.)

Comment: Football Hooligans

In response to Louise's post:

Ive never understood what the facination is with watching a group of men kick a ball around, but millions op people seem to think it is the be all and end all, there is nothing worse than goning out for a drink with someone and all they can talk about is football, surley there intellegence exstends further than a pitch and a ball? or does it?. Football creates so much violence, anger and binge drinking. When people get together in mass numbers why does it creates so much violence?

As an American, the fascination with football is pretty new to me. It's a big sport at home, but American football is definitely the big one, followed by baseball.

The closest thing we have to hooligans is fan rivalry, which is a bigger deal in baseball. Red Sox (New England) fans and Yankees (New Your) fans are known to be enemies... only a fool would wear a Red Sox cap or shirt in New York City. I think the crowd mentality and the primitive, aggressive way fans can act when they're in large groups satisfies a need that many people have. They feel like they belong to something, especially when everyone's worked up about the same thing.

Comment: Suicide is selfish

In response to Taking Your Own Life by stundreded:

I wondered at the beginning of this module, why suicide wasn't included as one of the topics. Like I've admitted before though, I do have a morbid curiosity -but I wasn't waiting for something tragic like this to happen before bringing the subject up in my blogs.

Suicide must be the ulitimate personal statement. I also have to admit that sometimes in my rather murky alcoholic past, it has been something that played on my mind quite a bit - as a way out of a situation I felt I had no control over. Alcoholism is a process of slow suicide in its own right, if you take it to the bitter end.
I digress though. The question in my mind isn't so much the 'why?' - but the 'how?' Not the mechanics of doing it, obviously, but how someone can feel so utterly at the point of no return, where they can actually go through with it. There are those that would say it's the coward's way out, but in my opinion, it's one of the most courageous things anyone can do. The act goes against a lot of peoples' beliefs and opens a whole debate on the rights and wrongs of it.One train of thought is that life was given to us by God, and only he can take it away again. I'm not a religious person, and feel that our life is our own and it's up to each individual to make the decisions in their life that they feel are the right ones for them; whether that be from the most basic and trivial, right through to what is probably the most difficult - whether to take your own life or not - it does have a certain finality about it; once you've done it, you can't change your mind.There's also the big question of what happens if it goes wrong? With some methods - such as hanging, a person could end up permanently brain damaged, and then they could have to live the rest of their lives powerless to do anything because they're trapped in a mind they have little or no control over - which to me would be worse than dying. Would that be seen by some as God's punishment for trying to take something that wasn't theirs to take in the first place? I'm sorry, but I can't see it that way. Mark Speight - Telegraph

I agree with what you say about suicide, that it must be the ultimate personal statement. I do not at all, however, agree with your statement that it is one of the most courageous things people can do.

Having lost a high school boyfriend to suicide when left home for Uni several years ago, I have a very different view of this tragic act. Think about how many people are affected by one suicide, and how the one committing suicide will never need to deal with the aftermath. Everyone else will hurt, and need to cope, and why? Because someone didn't want to suffer anymore. Suicide is selfish, causing everyone else involved to suffer. I consider the real victims of suicide to be the survivors.

Always Pushing the Line

Society's ideas about what's good and what's bad shift so drastically from generation to generation. Long before my time, rock and roll was considered to be bad: Elvis Presley was only shown on the Ed Sullivan Show from the waist up, because the way he shook his hips was considered to be too provocative. Today, you can see nearly naked young people drunk in a hot tub together on the Real World.

It makes me wonder how far things will go, in my lifetime. How many "bad" things will society deem acceptable in the name of entertainment? Or, will there be a return to more conservative values?

Is TV Really So Bad? by Dr Joel R. Beeke