Philosophy 216
Philosophy and Cultural Diversity
CRN37812
Spring 2005
Instructor: Roxy Green
Office: PLC 333
Office Hours:Wednesday and Thursday 1-3, and by appointment.
Course Description:This course focuses on the philosophical issues implicit in the cultural diversity of American society.Several different cultural perspectives will be considered including Native American, European, African, Latin American, Asian, and Islamic.This course will raise questions pertaining to the resolution of social conflict through philosophical investigation.Specifically considered in terms of social conflict, students will have the opportunity to investigate and think through problems the United States faces concerning issues of cultural diversity.
This course satisfies the Arts & Letters group requirement and the University multicultural requirement (as an ÒACÓ or American Culture course).
Required Texts:
Course Packet (available at the Copy Shop on 13th)
Gloria Anzuldua.Borderlands/La Frontera
Wendell Berry.The Hidden Wound
Vine Deloria, Jr. and Daniel R. Wildcat.Power and Place.
Maxine Hong Kingston.The Woman Warrior
Recommended Text:
Seyyed Hossein Nasr.Ideals and Realities of Islam.
Books are available at Black Sun Books.
Course Requirements:
Attendance10%
Autobiography15%
Cultural Awareness Project15%
Short Essays230%
Examinations 230%
Course Schedule:
Week 1
M 3/28:Introduction, Philosophical Theories of Self and Identity
Parker, ÒFor the White Person Who Wants to Know How to be My FriendÓ
T3/29: DuBois, selections fromSouls of Black Folk.Course Packet.
Jones and Baraka.ÒThe Legacy of Marlcolm X, and the Coming of the Black Nation.ÓCourse Packet.
W 3/29: Shakur,Assata: An Autobiography.Course Packet.
Chuck D. and Yusuf Yah.Fight the Power: Rap, Race, and Reality.Course Packet.
Hurston, ÒHow It Feels to be Colored Me,Ó (Handout)
T 3/30:Discussion
Recommended: Descartes,The Philosophical Works of Descartes,Locke,An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,Hume,A Treatise of Human Nature.Course Packet.
Week 2
M4/4:Anzuldua,Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza,Chapters 1 and 2
Cultural Autobiography Due in class
T4/5:Anzuldua,Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, Chapter 3
W 4/5:Anzuldua,Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza,Chapter 4
T4/6:Discussion
Week 3
M4/11:Anzuldua,Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza,Chapter 5
T4/12:Anzuldua,Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza,Chapter 6
W4/13:Anzuldua,Borderlands/La Frontera:The New Mestiza,Chapter 7
T4/14:Discussion
Recommended: Neumaier, ÒJudy Baca: Our People Are The Internal ExilesÓ
Week 4
M4/18:Berry,The Hidden Wound,Chapters 1-4
T4/19:Berry,The Hidden Wound,Chapters 5-8
W 4/20:Berry,The Hidden Wound,Chapters 9-13
T 4/21: Discussion
First Short Paper Due
Week 5
M 4/25:Berry,The Hidden Wound,Chapters 13-15
T 4/26:Exam I
W 4/27:Deloria &Bearcat,Power and Place, Chapters 1-2
T 4/28:Discussion
Week 6
M 5/2:Deloria & Bearcat,Power and Place,Chapters 3-6
T 5/3:Deloria &Bearcat,Power and Place,Chapters 7-8
W 5/4:TBA
T 5/5: Discussion
Recommended: Allen,ÒSome Like Indians EndureÓ
Week 7
M 5/9: Kingston,The Woman Warrior,Chapters 1-2
Second Short Paper Due
T 5/10:Kingston,The Woman Warrior,Chapter 3
W 5/11: Kingston,The Woman Warrior,Chapter 3
T 5/12:Discussion
Week 8
M 5/16:Kingston,The Woman Warrior,Chapter 4
T 5/17:Kingston,The Woman Warrior, Chapter 5
W 5/18:Kingston,The Woman Warrior,Chapter 5
T 5/19:Discussion
Recommended: Liu,ÒThe Accidental Asian,ÓCourse Packet
Week 9
M 5/23:Al-Ghazali,The Alchemy of Happiness, Course Packet
T 5/24:Nasr,Reflections of Islam and Modern Life,Course Packet
W 5/25:Al-Faruqi, ÒWomenÕs Self-Identity,Ó Course Packet
T 5/26:Discussion
Week 10
Culture and Identity in the United States
M 5/30:Memorial Day, No Classes
T 5/31:Religion and Identity
W 6/1:Race and Identity
T 6/2:History and Culture: Borderlands Synthesis
Cultural Awareness Project Due
Final Exam: Monday, June 6, 3:13, PAC 11.
Cultural Autobiography Project
You will be required to compose a brief cultural autobiography detailing the cultural story of your family.Topics to include are customs, habits, languages, celebrations, etc. that are specific to your own cultural background.More details will be given the first week of class.Autobiographies may be modeled on some of the writings we will discuss in class (Chuck D, Du Bois, Hurston, Jones, Shakur).Autobiographies must be typed, double-spaced and no more than five pages in length.
Cultural Awareness Project
This assignment is specifically designed to give you the opportunity to address some of the issues discussed in class to your wider life-experiences.You will be asked to analyze a form of popular media using some of the information we are discussing in class.Acceptable forms of media include, but are not limited to the following: TV shows, radio, music, advertising, art, newspaper or other journalistic articles, novels, travel books, museum exhibits, etc.You will not be able to use any of the films from the film list for this project.You will be required to write a short paper of your analysis (no more than 5 pages) that will be submitted along with a copy or description (when applicable) of the media you chose.Ideally, some connection will be forged between this project and your cultural autobiography project from the beginning of the course.More details will be given in class.
Short Essays
You will be required to write two short essays (3-5 pages in length) in response to question topics distributed in class.Questions will be handed out one week prior to the due date for the papers.These arecriticalandphilosophicalpapers; general reflections will not be accepted.The paper should introduce a thesis response to the question(s) given and move from exposition to critical engagement with the material.Quotes should be kept to a minimum and cited properly.
Examinations
Two exams will be given in this course.Both (mid-term and final) will consist of a series of multiple choice and short answer questions and longer essay questions.More details will be given in class.
Attendance
Attendance is required.If two or more classes are missed, your grade will be negatively affected!After two absences, your overall course grade will drop my one third for every absence.If you have extenuating circumstances, please discuss your situation with me.Absences will only be excused for illness with a doctorÕs note.
If you have any special needs at all, please speak with me as soon as possible so that your needs can be addressed.
Extra Credit Opportunity:
There will be an extra credit opportunity for those wishing to improve their grade in the course.You may choose one film from the film list, watch it and write a short paper explaining the ways in which this film intersects the themes of cultural identity and awareness that we have been discussing in class.The film list will be distributed the third week of the term.Extra credit papers will be due by the end of the 10thweek.
Note that this syllabus and schedule of readings is subject to change.It is requisite that you keep informed of any changes as they are announced in class.If you have any questions, it is important that you contact me.