ewhite3

ewhite3@arizona.edu

Phone

(520) 626-3315

Office

Harvill 337C

White, Eddy

Professor of Practice

Our task - and the task of all education - is to understand the present world, the world in which we live and make our choices.

(E.F. Schumacher, Small is Beautiful, 1973)

Eddy White joined the University of Arizona in 2011 and served as Assessment Coordinator until 2019. His background, research and expertise in classroom-based assessment has included a range of related publications and presentations. His assessment-focused career has also included promoting assessment literacy, and training educators, both nationally and internationally, in assessment fundamentals and best practices.

Eddy has also been a teacher for more than 30 years, including at universities in Canada and Japan. Since joining the Department of Public & Applied Humanities, he has been engaged in his primary passion for teaching and learning. This has included creating and teaching new courses, such as:

Car Nation: The Automobile and the American Experience
Friendship: Life’s Fundamental Bond
Working: The Rewards and Costs of Employment
Weird Stuff: How to Think About the Supernatural, the Paranormal, and the Mysterious
Motorcycle Culture: Free Spirits, Easy Riders, and the Human Experience

(see course descriptions below)

As an educator, a source of much satisfaction for Eddy is bringing such courses to life - and engaging and collaborating with students in the primary educational task (according to Schumacher) of better understanding this present world in which we live and make our choices.

A life-long student of the Humanities (esp. History and Philosophy), Eddy enjoys hiking, bicycling, and the art of Shakespeare and Bob Dylan.

Currently Teaching

PAH 150A2 – Weird Stuff: How to Think About the Supernatural, the Paranormal, and the Mysterious

Few claims seem to arouse more interest, evoke more emotion, and create more confusion than those dealing with the paranormal, the supernatural, or the mysterious. "Weird stuff", as it is often called; astrology, ghosts, fairies, ESP, psychokinesis, UFO abductions, channeling, dowsing, near-death experiences, prophetic dreams, demon possession, time travel, and parapsychology, among others clearly defies conventional wisdom and understanding, yet belief in them is a widespread component of human culture, often exerting a profound effect on people's lives. Why are such unusual beliefs part of the human experience for so many? Why do some people find such phenomena to be compelling, while others reject them outright? How do we decide which claims are credible? What distinguishes rational from irrational claims? This course is designed to help students answer such questions, to understand why people believe weird stuff, and through that process become more empathetic and independent thinkers and learners.

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PAH 150B2 – Car Nation: The Automobile and the American Experience

Whether Americans drive/ride in a car daily or almost never, they inhabit a nation, landscape, society, culture, and economy which were remade during the 20th century around the privately-owned automobile. Automobility is a national way of life. While more than a billion vehicles populate the planet today, the United States was the first mass-motorized society in the world. Consumers embrace the luxury, flexibility, and status of automobile ownership, while national leaders pursue automobile manufacturing as a path to prosperity and industrial prowess. This course is a road trip, exploring how cars have both propelled and reflected the American experience since the invention of the automobile in 1886. In this course we will examine the evolving nature of cars and their profound impact on American culture and society. The course examines current and future changes in the auto industry - from driverless cars to electric vehicles - that will have profound consequences for how we live and organize our lives. We will explore people's relationship to/through cars and the stories that describe and define those relationships.

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PAH 150B4 – Friendship: Life's Fundamental Bond

Making and having friends is a central aspect of everyday life in all human societies. Friendship is one of the deepest pleasures of life and has always been central to human existence. What does it mean to be a friend? What roles do friendships play in our own development? How do we befriend those across the race, ethnicity, gender, and orientation spectrums? What happens when a friendship turns sour? What is the effect of friendship--good and bad--on our mental health? Friendship is regarded as crucial to living a good life. But how does friendship make our lives better? Do all friendships make our lives better? What sorts of interactions are necessary for maintaining valuable friendships? This course addresses these questions and examines the ideology and practice of friendship. Situating the subject in the modern digital era, the course also examines the possibilities and challenges of technology and social media on our friendships. It examines friendship as a communicative phenomenon and explores the ways in which friendships are created, sustained, managed, produced, and reproduced. This course teaches that nurturing old and new friendships is a ritual, a necessity, and one of the most worthwhile things we can do in life.

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PAH 320 – Working: The Rewards and Costs of Employment

This course is about work and what it does for people and to people. It examines the physical, psychological, and philosophical costs and challenges of employment and how they affect people's lives. Students will examine the overall impact of labor on the psyche and character of the worker, considering the key question, "What does the work do to the worker"?

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