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Schrank 350i p.
California Culture-American Studies 350i-Spring 2005
Dr. Sarah Schrank
Department of History/English, CSU Long Beach
California as Myth California as Image California as Identity California as Art California as Text
Class Meeting Hours: TTH 9:30-10:45pm
Classroom: LA4-107
Office Hours: TTH 12:30-1:30 and by appointment; Office: F02-204
Email:
Phone: 562.985.2293
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
American Studies 350i-California Culture examines the many ways people experience life in the Golden State and the infinite number of images and impressions of California that exist in the American popular imagination. As early as the sixteenth century, California was globally known as a mythical land of gold inhabited by Amazonian goddesses, led by the beautiful Queen Califía. Paying close attention to the varied definitions of culture and cultural expression, this course will trace the history and imagery of California, from the late 19th century until the present day. Literature, film history, television shows, and the visual arts will provide our tools as we explore the creation of histories and images of California. Myth-making, popular consciousness, representation, and identity-formation will be key concepts explored in this course.
COURSE ASSESSMENT:
Students will be assessed on the basis of four categories: discussion, reading comprehension, writing, and historical research. Students must attend lecture and keep up with the reading. Films, in-class discussion, and reading assignments are an integral part of the course; attendance is mandatory. Typed reaction papers (1-2 pages) are due each week, either on Tuesdays or Thursdays.
Discussion: 10%
Reaction papers: 15 @ 2% each (30%)
Ramona analysis paper: 15%
Midterm examination: 15%
Final Paper: 30% (Rough Draft 10%, Final Draft 20%)
REQUIRED READING: (ALL BOOKS AVAILABLE AT 49ers BOOKSTORE)
Helen Hunt Jackson, Ramona
Lary May, The Big Tomorrow: Hollywood and the Politics of the American Way
Kirse Granat May, GoldenState, Golden Youth: The California Image in Popular Culture
Donna Wares, ed. My California
Michael Dear and Gustavo Leclerc (editors), PostborderCity: Cultural Spaces of Bajalta California
350i Course Reader
CLASSROOM STANDARDS
Etiquette: Pagers and cellular phones should be either turned off or switched to “silent” mode during the duration of the class meetings. Do not talk when I am talking. Be respectful of one another and of the space we are in. Drinking coffee or water is fine, eating an entire entrée during class is not fine.
Attendance and Participation: I expect students to attend every class meeting and to be prepared to engage the themes/topics scheduled every week. Students are responsible for all materials in the texts, classroom presentations (including screenings), and discussions. Two (2) or more unexcused absences will result in your grade being lowered one full grade.
Withdrawal from the Course: This course follows standard university withdrawal policies. It
is the student’s responsibility to follow the proper procedures to officially drop the course from the Registrar’s records.
Religious Observances: Pursuant to the California Education Code, if you will miss any class meetings or assignment deadlines because of religious reasons, you need to notify me within the first two weeks of the semester.
“Shared Community”: Discriminatory statements of any kind negate the education process and will not be tolerated. This course strictly adheres to the university’s “Principles of Shared Community,” which states that “members of the CSULB community have the right to work and learn in an environment free of discrimination….CSULB is committed to creating a community in which a diverse population can learn, live, and work in an atmosphere of tolerance, civility, and respect for the rights and sensibilities of each individual, without regard to economic status, ethnic background, political views, or other personal characteristics or beliefs.”
Students with Disabilities: I will make every effort for reasonable accommodation of the needs of students with disabilities. Please discuss your request with me within the first two weeks of the semester and/or with the Office of Disabled Student Services in Brotman Hall 270.
Plagiarism and Cheating: In order for you to learn, you must do your own work. Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated and will result in severe disciplinary action including an automatic “F” in the course and possible expulsion from the university. The university guidelines define plagiarism in cases where “you use the ideas or work of another person or group as if they were your own without giving credit to the other person or group.”
Be sure to acknowledge the source of information when writing your papers. When you paraphrase or quote directly, provide the author’s surname, the title of the book or article, and page number within a set of parenthesis after the sentence. Titles of books should be italicized or underlined, titles of articles should be indicated by a set of apostrophes. For example:
As Gerald Nash argues, “World War II left an indelible imprint on the economy of the American West” (Major Problems, 309).
“She had fled her hometown because she longed to sing and wanted something more than bowling alleys and drive-ins, and yet here she was back again in the Great Nowhere” (Echols, p. 90).
Make-ups for written work will be granted ONLY for extraordinary and verifiable reasons. Late papers will not be accepted.
Campus Resource: The Writer’s Resource Lab is open to all students. The lab is located in the Language Arts Building (LAB), the website is accessible through the CSULB webpage.
Grading: Your papers will be graded on a clear articulation of a thesis, effective use of evidence (from the lectures, required readings and film screenings) to support your thesis, analytical critique of the materials, and the development and organization (including writing clarity and cohesiveness) of the essay. Your paper should have a title, an introduction, a thesis, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Format: All written work should be typed, double-spaced, with 12-point font size. Fonts such as Times and Times Roman are acceptable. Be sure to have 1” margins. Paginate your essay (page numbers) and staple the papers together. Only hard copies of all written assignments will be accepted. Disks and email attachments are not acceptable.
ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES
Discussion: To promote the development of oral communication skills, the class combines lectures with question/answer format and provides opportunities for classroom discussions. Students must participate in thoughtful conversation throughout the semester, based on their reading of assigned course material. The discussion grade is not simply an attendance grade—just sitting in classroom without engaging with the discussion will result in a significantly lowered grade.
Reaction Papers: These short papers are to be between 1 and 2 pages in length, typed, and single or double-spaced. They are intended to encourage you to approach the weekly readings with care and concentration. Rather than summarizing the readings, write about what you find most interesting or troubling or exciting about the work. You are responsible for turning in 15 of these assignments. The best papers will reference readings from other weeks, illustrating students’ ability to develop a historical context and a frame of reference. They are due each Tuesday or Thursday, depending upon which week’s readings you have decided to focus your attention.
Analysis Paper: One of your assignments for the semester is a historical analysis of Helen Hunt Jackson’s famous nineteenth century novel, Ramona. This assignment requires the student to briefly synthesize the plot, draw out Jackson’s key themes, metaphors, and writing techniques, and place the work within the larger historical context of Mexican California and post American conquest. Students will also be asked to ponder why Ramona has had such popularity in the twentieth century and to criticize its role in cementing the Spanish Fantasy Past as part of California’s living history. An excellent analysis will place the novel within a specific historical context provided through lectures and other course readings, namely Delyser and Irwin. The essay is to be between 6 and 7 pages in length.
Midterm Examination: Students will write one blue-book midterm exam based on readings, lectures, films, and other classroom material.
Final Paper: Your major assignment for the semester is a personal essay based on your own unique experience of California. It is to be historically based---i.e.: you will research your neighborhood, your family history, or your experience in moving to California (or other grounded personal history) and use this material as the basis of a thoughtful essay about Your California, inspired by the readings in our anthology, My California. In lieu of a final examination, you are responsible for turning in an original and creative piece of prose that addresses how your experience of the culture, history and imagery of California fit into a larger history of this state. Music, art, film, television, poetry, literature, and dance are all cultural forms that may play a significant role in your California—the best essays will draw connections between personal cultural experience and California’s long and rich history. This research paper is to between 8 and 10 pages in length and comprised of primary source materials, secondary sources, and references to the assigned course readings and major themes. You will receive additional information on the research paper as the course progresses.
TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Week One
1/26: Introduction to Culture, History, and Images of California; Introduction to American Studies and the Study of American Culture
Week Two
1/31: Missions, Mexicans, and the Spanish Fantasy Past
Reading: Dydia Delyser, Ramona Memories: Tourism and the Shaping of Southern California, pp. 1-30 (Course Reader).
2/2: Missions, Mexican and the Spanish Fantasy Past
Reading: Dydia Delyser, Ramona Memories: Tourism and the Shaping of Southern California, pp. 31-63 (Course Reader); Helen Hunt Jackson, Ramona, pp. v-xviii and pp. 1-47.
Week Three
2/7: Reading Ramona
Reading: Helen Hunt Jackson, Ramona, pp. 47-153.
2/9: Race and Ramona
Reading: Helen Hunt Jackson, Ramona, pp. 153-249; Robert McKee Irwin, “Ramona and Postnationalist American Studies, America Quarterly pp. 539-567 (Course Reader).
Week Four
2/14: Reading Ramona
Reading: Helen Hunt Jackson, Ramona, pp. 250-373.
2/16:California and Hollywood in the 1930s
Reading: Lary May, The Big Tomorrow, pp. 11-53.
Week Five
2//21: Movies and Politics; Film: “We Have a Plan”
Reading: Lary May, The Big Tomorrow, pp.55-135.
2/23:Hollywood and the Wars
Reading: Lary May, The Big Tomorrow, pp. 139-213; Vicki L. Ruiz, “ ‘Star Struck:’ Acculturation, Adolescence, and the Mexican American Woman, 1920-1950,” pp. 346-361 (Course Reader).
RAMONA ANALYSIS PAPER DUE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23rd
Week Six
2/28:Hollywood, Film Noir, and the Counterculture
Reading: Lary May, The Big Tomorrow, pp.215-269.
3/2: Youth Culture and Walt Disney
Reading: Kirse Granat May, GoldenState, Golden Youth, pp.1-66.
Week Seven
3/7: Teen Movies; Films: “Gidget” and “Rebel Without a Cause”
Reading: Kirse Granat May, GoldenState, Golden Youth, pp.67-93.
3/9: Surfin’ California; Films: “Endless Summer;” “Dog-Town and Z-Boys”
Reading: Kirse Granat May, GoldenState, Golden Youth, 95-134.
Week Eight
3/14: Youth Rebellion and Conservative Reaction: From Berkeley to Watts
Reading: Kirse Granat May, GoldenState, Golden Youth, pp.135-192.
3/16: Film: “Berkeley in the Sixties”
Week Nine
3/21: Film: “Berkeley in the Sixties”
3//23: Discussion of California youth culture, midterm preparation
Week Ten
3/28: MIDTERM EXAMINATION, Tuesday, March 28th
3/30:* Alternative Youth Cultures, Alternative Urban Landscapes
Reading: Marcos Sanchez-Tranquilino, “Space, Power and Youth Culture: Mexican American Graffiti and Chicano Murals in East Los Angeles, 1972-1978” and Brenda Jo Bright, “Re-mappings: Los Angeles Low Riders” (Course Reader).
*Field Trip to the WattsTowers and VeniceBeach
Week Eleven
4/4:California Culture as Literature
Reading:My California, pp. 11-59.
4/6: CLASS CANCELED
APRIIL 10 to APRIL 14-SPRING BREAK-ALL CLASSES CANCELED
Week Twelve
4/18:California Culture as Literature
Reading:My California, pp. 61-125.
4/20:California Culture as Literature
Reading:My California, pp. 127-204.
Week Thirteen
4/25: Border Culture, Art, and Identity
Reading: PostborderCity, pp. xvii-xviii, pp. 1-45.
4/27: Cultural Hybridity
Reading:PostborderCity, pp. 47-115.
FIRST DRAFT OF RESEARCH ESSAY DUE THURSDAY, APRIL 27th
Week Fourteen
5/2: Globalization and the Regional Imagination; Film: “ChicanoPark”
Reading:PostborderCity, pp. 119-181.
5/4: New California Identities
Reading:PostborderCity, pp. 183-248.
Week Fifteen
5/9: Nations and Art
Reading:PostborderCity, pp.249-285
5/11: Conclusion: Defining California in the 21st Century
FINAL DRAFT OF RESEARCH ESSAY DUE THURSDAY, MAY 11th