Fall 2014
ENG 19408: The Power of Injustice & the Injustice of Power
Tuesday & Thursday, 9:25am-10:40am (Friends 102)
Tuesday & Thursday, 2:35am-3:50pm (Friends 201)
Office Hours (Muller 304) – W 11:00-12:00, TR 11:00-12:00; by appointment
Course Description:
Many individuals feel they are living at the margins of society, despite the “melting pot” rhetoric of inclusivity and acceptance that dominates narratives of American identity. While we commonly consider purposeful exclusion an act of injustice on the part of the powerful, we are often unaware of the way that subtle, hidden forms of power render particular groups and individuals powerless. American literature is one of the most widely utilized platforms for articulating the specific issues that arise in response to these forms of power. This course will use American literature to explore the complexities of the life experiences of those who are forced by the powerful to live at the margins. Our discussions will consider how it feels to be victimized, harassed, publicly scorned, enslaved, and disenfranchised. We will examine a wide array of texts from both white and black, and male and female authors that deal with traditionally marginalized groups. At the same time, we will consider the possible powerlessness of individual members of traditionally privileged groups.
Because of the controversial themes and plots at work in many of these texts, we must establish ground rules for how to discuss them. First, studying literature is not an exact science, so we must be receptive to the many different textual interpretations you and your classmates will arrive at. Our unique life experiences will inevitably lead us all to distinct readings of a particular text, especially as it applies to racial and gender identities. Second, although there is no single “correct” reading of the texts under discussion, there are ways of casually misreading them. Therefore, we will ground all of our discussions and interpretations in close readings of the elements an author incorporates in her or his piece of literature. This means you must read a text, and read it thoroughly, to understand how these elements come together to create meaning. Third, we will discuss racial, gender, and sexual stereotypes when they are apparent in, or relevant to, the literature we are analyzing. This may result in moments of cognitive dissonance likely shared by your classmates, and I hope they become part of our productive class discussions. However, we will not unnecessarily impose stereotypes on a work or its author to make our own points. Last, you must give the literature a chance. I do not expect you to share my wild enthusiasm for the texts we are reading, but you mustn’t be dismissive of them without having read them.
*** Students taking this course to fulfill the requirements within the ICC are responsible for uploading at least one completed assignment (artifact) to their electronic learning portfolio in the Diversity area. The artifacts should reflect the Diversity SLOs [listed below] and possibly Perspective SLOs.For each ICC requirement area, you will need tocomplete the ICC form within the directed response folio that includes a brief rationale for why the artifact was selected and a reflection on how learning in that particular course might link to other learning experiences. Please see me with questions.
Objective 1: Articulate the ways in which systems of power impact the construction of individual and group identity, and how these identities, in turn, shape perception of the development of systematic power within social, economic, political, and/or historical contexts.
Objective 2: Analyze how social and cultural systems adapt to and resist various forms of oppression.
Objective 3: Demonstrate the ways in which a more comprehensive worldview contributes to shifts in personal understanding and the use of diverse perspectives in addressing basic human needs.
Required Texts:
Davis, Rebecca Harding. Life in the Iron Mills
Diaz, Junot. Drown
Everett, Percival. I’m Not Sidney Poitier
Larsen, Nella. Passing
Lorde, Audre. Sister Outsider
Mansbach, Adam. Angry Black White Boy
Shange Ntozake. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide…
Other Required Materials:
- Hard copies of all reading assignments with you in class. You are expected to have a printed (not electronic) copy of all reading assignments in class on the day that we are examining them.
- Writing utensils and paper for notes
- Your full attention
Course Assignments and Grading:
1. Three short essays (800 words) [45%]
2. Final Examination [30%]
3. In-class presentation [10%]
4. Quizzes [10%]
5. Attendance/Participation [5%]
Standard Percentage Equivalencies for the course:
100 – 90% = A, 89 – 80% = B, 79 – 70 = C, 69 – 60 = D, 60> = F
A final grade of Incomplete (I) can be awarded only in very special circumstances that you have discussed with the instructor ahead of time.
Short essays: These 800-word essays will be your opportunity to showcase your analytical capabilities through the use of precise and concise writing skills. Use them to delve more deeply into particular topics, issues, and concepts that we cannot fully explore in class. I expect them to reflect your best capabilities as a writer.
Final exam: A cumulative exam that covers everything we have read for the semester will be administered during final exam week. It will include three sections: identification, short response, and an essay response. The first two sections will be completed in class on the assigned date for the final exam. The essay portion will be assigned one week prior to the date of the final exam. You will complete this portion at home and submit your typed essay to the Sakai dropbox before your scheduled final exam session. The best preparation for the exam is to read the assigned material according to the schedule and to participate in our class discussions. There will be a day devoted to review, but it will be conducted with the assumption that you have already read the material.
In-class presentation: These oral presentations will be 12 – 15 minutes in length, and will introduce the class to new information about an author, a text, or some aspect of literary study that broadens our understanding of the course materials. Feel free to use things like notes, outlines, and handouts, but do NOT simply read from a piece of paper or from PowerPoint slides. In fact, PowerPoint presentations are strongly discouraged! Be creative and interesting. A presentation sign-up sheet will be circulated at the beginning of the second week of class.
Quizzes: There will be a total of 11 quizzes administered over the course of the semester that will cover each of the readings for the class. Your lowest quiz score will be dropped. No make-up quizzes will be given for unexcused absences, so come to class and be on time. Questions from the quizzes are highly likely to appear on the final exam and serve as an important study guide tool.
Attendance/Participation: Your presence in the class is only a part of your participation in this course. In my experience, the most interesting classes are the ones in which students contribute more to class discussions than the instructor. Honestly, nobody wants to listen to me ramble on and on. You need to come to class having closely read the assigned material and prepared to discuss your analyses. Treat every class as though you will have to speak on a particular subject and/or text for a few minutes. These are easy points, so long as you contribute to discussions.
Course Policies:
Students with Documented Disabilities
In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodation will be provided to students with documented disabilities on a case by case basis. Students must register with the Office of Student Disability Services and provide appropriate documentation to the college before any academic adjustment will be provided.
Attendance
Your presence is required at every one of our scheduled class meetings. You are also expected to arrive on time. Arriving 10 minutes late for class will count as half an absence. Anything more the 10 minutes counts as a full absence. Both will result in a reduction in your overall grade. I am well aware of the unpredictable madness of everyday life taking place beyond the boundaries of Ithaca College. Therefore, you will be granted 3 excused absences over the course of the semester. Just be certain to inform me of your absence as early as possible. On your sixth absence from class (essentially three full weeks of class time), you will be administratively dropped from the course.
Classroom Conduct
This one is simple – use your manners. Be respectful of others. Absolutely no talking on the phone or texting! No Facebook. No MySpace. No YouFace. Be attentive. No food or drink.
Plagiarism
The theft of the intellectual property of another individual or entity, whether it be purposeful or unintentional, is a serious offense that carries with it severe consequences. The offender will immediately fail the assignment with no chance for resubmission and will have to meet with me outside of class to discuss the infraction. The circumstances behind the plagiarism may warrant even further action as outlined in the Student Handbook. Refer to the Student Conduct Code (http://www.ithaca.edu/policies/vol7/volume_7-70102/), the “Plagiarism” library tutorial, or visit me during office hours if you have further questions.
Course Schedule:
WEEK ONE (8/28)
Thurs - Classroom introductions / Syllabus Review
WEEK TWO (9/2, 9/4)
Tues - Life in the Iron Mills
Thurs - Passing
WEEK THREE (9/9, 9/11)
Tues - Passing
Thurs - Passing
WEEK FOUR (9/16, 9/18)
Tues - In-Class Writing Workshop
Thurs - For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide…
· Essay One due to the Sakai ‘Dropbox’
WEEK FIVE (9/23, 9/25)
Tues - For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide…
Thurs - For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide…
WEEK SIX (9/30, 10/2)
Tues - Sister Outsider (Poetry is Not a Luxury & Transformation of Silence)
“Litany for Survival” (Lorde)
Thurs - Sister Outsider (Uses of Anger & The Master’s Tools & Uses of the Erotic)
“Power” (Lorde)
WEEK SEVEN (10/7, 10/9)
Tues - Sonny’s Blues (on Sakai)
Thurs - Sonny’s Blues (on Sakai)
WEEK EIGHT (10/14)
Tues - In-Class Writing Workshop
· Essay two due on 10/16 to the Sakai ‘Dropbox’
FALL BREAK: NO CLASS 10/16-10/17
WEEK NINE (10/21, 10/23)
Tues - Drown (“Ysrael,” “Fiesta 1980,” “Aguantando”)
Thurs - Drown (“Aurora,” “Drown,” “Boyfriend”)
WEEK TEN (10/28, 10/30)
Tues - Drown (“How to Date…,” “Edison, New Jersey,” “No Face,” “Negocios”)
Thurs - Angry Black White Boy
WEEK ELEVEN (11/4, 11/6)
Tues - Angry Black White Boy
Thurs - Angry Black White Boy
WEEK TWELVE (11/11, 11/13)
Tues - I’m Not Sidney Poitier
Thurs - NO CLASS
WEEK THIRTEEN (11/18, 11/20)
Tues - I’m Not Sidney Poitier
Thurs - In-Class Writing Workshop
THANKSGIVING BREAK: NO CLASS 11/22-11/30
WEEK FOURTEEN (12/2, 12/4)
Tues - I’m Not Sidney Poitier
· Essay Three due to the Sakai ‘Dropbox’
Thurs - I’m Not Sidney Poitier
WEEK FIFTEEN (12/9, 12/11)
Tues - E-portfolio & Taskstream
Thurs - Final Exam Preparation / Teaching Evaluations
FINAL EXAM DATE: (Tues/Thurs 9:25am) Wednesday, Dec 17, 4:30pm-7:00pm
(Tues/Thurs 2:35pm) Friday, Dec 19, 1:30pm – 4:00pm