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Anthropology 187: Race and Ethnicity: Diversity and
Asians in
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Professor: Jeanne L. Shea, Ph.D
Semester: Spring 2004
Class Meetings: 108 Terrill Hall, Mon., Wed., Fri., 1:25-2:15,
Office Hours: 515 Williams Hall, Mon., Wed., Fri.11:10-11:40 am, 2:25-3:00 pm
Contact Info.: JLSHEA@uvm.edu, Phone: 802-656-3181, Fax: 802-656-4406
Mailing Address: Department of Anthropology, 515 Williams Hall,
Course
Description
This course provides and introduction to issues of race,
ethnicity, culture, and diversity in North America with a focus on Asians in
the
General issues explored in the course include: the cultural, historical, and demographic context of race, ethnicity, and diversity in North America; debates concerning diversity, difference, and multiculturalism; the complex nature of identity and affinity in personal experience; the social construction of race and ethnicity; various kinds of diversity and their social meanings and implications; and patterns of inequality, prejudice, and discrimination.
Issues examined in specific relation to Asians in North America include: cultures, histories, demographics, and identities of Asians in North America; the model minority image and its implications; the foreignor image and its impact; affirmative action; patterns of discrimination; dilemmas of diversity; issues surrounding intermarriage and mixed race; and the dynamics of activism and coalition-building.
Prerequisites:Anthropology 21 or permission of instructor
Professor
Profile
Grew up in rural northern
Assigned Work
Assignments, Due Dates, and Grade Distribution
Class Participation (c.p.) Each class meeting 20%
Quiz I Mon., Feb. 9, 1:25 pm 15%
Quiz II Fri.,
Mar. 5, 1:25 pm 15%
Quiz III Wed., Apr. 7, 1:25 pm 15%
Quiz IV Mon. Apr. 26, 1:25 pm 15%
Final Portfolio of 3 Essays Thurs., May 13, 4:00 pm 20%
Final Portfolio Presentation Thurs., May 13, 4:00-7:00 pm part of c.p.
Assigned
Conrad Phillip Kottak and Kathryn
A. Kozaitis, On Being Different: Diversity and
Multiculturalism in the North American Mainstream, second edition,
Frank H. Wu, Yellow: Race in
Class participation Attendance and
prompt arrival at all class meetings. Completion of assigned readings prior to class. Attentive, considerate
conduct during class. Active, considerate participation in the Final Portfolio
Presentation session.
Quiz I Multiple-choice exam based on content from readings and lectures between January 21 and February 6. 50 minutes in class. Open-book, open-note.
Quiz II Multiple-choice
exam focusing on content from readings and lectures between February 11 and
March 3. Also involves applying
knowledge and concepts from earlier in the course. 50 minutes in class. Open-book, open-note.
Quiz III Multiple-choice exam focusing
on content from readings and lectures between March 8 and April 5. Also involves applying knowledge and concepts from earlier in the course. 50 minutes in class. Open-book, open-note.
Quiz IV Multiple-choice
scantron exam focusing on content from readings and
lectures between April 9 and April 23.
Also involves applying knowledge and concepts from earlier in the
course. 50 minutes in class. Open-book, open-note.
Final Portfolio This assignment provides an opportunity for each student to reflect upon, analyze, and conduct further research on the themes and information covered in the course. The Final Portfolio consists of three essays and is something which students can work on at their own pace throughout the course of the semester:
In Essay I, the student reflects on their own racial, ethnic, and cultural background, their own sense of identity, and their experiences with others from different backgrounds (4-5 pages). This first essay should make appropriate reference to at least one assigned class reading, one class lecture, and aspects of the student's own experiences.
In Essay II, the student analyzes an issue
concerning race, ethnicity, and diversity in
In Essay III, the student analyzes any issue of their choice
regarding some aspect of diversity in
Each essay should include a title page and a bibliography and follow the handout on Guidelines for the Evaluation of Papers. The portfolio should begin with a cover page and a table of contents and follow the handout on Guidelines for Final Portfolios.
Final Portfolio Presentation Each student is expected to bring a copy of their completed portfolio to the exam session at 4:00 pm on Thursday, May 13 (location to be announced). During the exam session from 4:00-7:00 pm, each class member will share and discuss two of their essays with several of their classmates and then write a reflection on what they learned from hearing about the content of their classmates' essays and what they learned from discussing the content of their own essays with their classmates. Students may also add neatly hand-written corrections or additions to their own essays in black ink at this time if they choose to do so.
Schedule
Course Introduction
Wed., Jan. 21 Lecture: Course Orientation
Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity in
Fri., Jan 23 Lecture:
Introduction: Race, Ethnicity, Diversity in
Mon., Jan. 26 Lecture: Identity and Affinity in a Globalizing World
Wed., Jan. 28 Lecture:
Diversity and Multiculturalism in
Fri., Jan. 30 Lecture: Ethnicity, Nations, and Nationalities
Mon., Feb. 2 Lecture: The Social Construction of Race
Wed., Feb. 4 Lecture: Human Biological Diversity
Fri., Feb. 6 Lecture: TBA
Mon., Feb. 9 Quiz I
Wed., Feb. 11 Lecture: Religious Diversity
Fri., Feb. 13 Lecture: Gender and Diversity
Mon., Feb. 16 President's Day- No Class
Wed., Feb. 18 Lecture: Sexual Orientation
Fri., Feb. 20 Lecture: Generational Differences
Mon., Feb. 23 Lecture: Disability and Difference
Wed., Feb. 25 Lecture: Socioeconomic Class
Fri., Feb. 27 Lecture: Regional Difference
Mon., Mar.
1 Lecture: Linguistic
Diversity
Wed., Mar. 3 Lecture: Family Diversity
and chapter 17 (conclusion)
Fri., Mar.
5 Quiz II
Asians in
Mon., Mar. 8 Lecture:
Introduction to Asians in
Wed., Mar. 10 Lecture:
Introduction to Asians in
Fri., Mar. 12 Lecture: The Model Minority Image & Asian North Americans
Mar. 15-19 Spring Break - No Classes
Mon., Mar.
22 Lecture: TBA
Wed., Mar. 24 Lecture: The Foreignor Image & Asian North Americans
Fri., Mar.
26 Lecture: TBA
Mon., Mar. 29 Lecture: Affirmative Action Issues & Asian North Americans
Wed., Mar. 31 Lecture: TBA
Fri., Apr. 2 Lecture: New Forms of Discrimination & Asian North Americans
Mon., Apr.
5 Lecture: TBA
Wed., Apr. 7 Quiz III
Fri., Apr. 9 Lecture: Dilemmas of Diversity & Asian North Americans
Mon., Apr.
12 Lecture: TBA
Wed., Apr. 14 Lecture: Intermarriage, Mixed Race, & Asian North Americans
Fri., Apr.
16 Lecture: TBA
Mon. Apr. 19 Lecture: The Role of Coalitions
Wed. Apr. 21 Lecture: TBA
Fri., Apr. 23 Lecture: Into the Future
Mon., Apr.
26 Quiz IV
Wed., Apr. 28 Lecture:
Preparing Your Final Portfolio
Fri. Apr. 30 Lecture: Preparing Your Final Portfolio
Mon., May 3 Lecture: Presenting Your Final Portfolio
Wed., May 5 Lecture: Concluding Remarks
Thurs., May 13 Final Portfolio due at 4:00 pm,
Location TBA
Final
Portfolio Presentation, 4:00-7:00 pm, Location TBA
[Note: This syllabus is provisional and may be subject to
modification by the professor during the course of the semester in the event of
unexpected opportunities or unforeseen challenges encountered by the class.]
Students with Special Needs, Scheduling Conflicts, or Other Challenges
An important part of your responsibilities as a college student is to inform your instructors in a timely manner of any special needs, scheduling conflicts, religious obligations, medical problems, or family emergencies that may affect your ability to complete your coursework.
For example, ACCESS students should confirm that I have received a letter from the ACCESS office, and contact me during the first two weeks of class to discuss accommodations arrangements.
Students with scheduling conflicts due to religious obligations, family duties, pre-scheduled medical appointments, sports competitions, artistic performances, or other extracurricular commitments should contact me during the first two weeks of class and provide me with a letter with a written schedule of their commitments.
If unexpected health problems, physical or mental or emotional difficulties, or personal or family emergencies arise, you should contact me as soon as you can and keep in mind that the Office of the Dean of Students, the Student Health Center, the Counseling Center, the Center for Health and Wellbeing, the Learning Coop, and many other resources are available to assist you.
Course Policies
This section
addresses course policies to ensure a positive and fair learning environment
and to make sure that everyone has a clear understanding of the expectations in
this course.
Preparation: Assigned readings must be completed
prior to each class meeting. Inadequate preparation will impair your ability to
perform well in the class. Class lectures will assume completion of assigned
readings. It is your responsibility to make sure to complete all of the
readings in a timely fashion.
Attendance: Attendance at each class meeting is
crucial to your ability to do well in this course. Classes will start promptly.
Students are expected to arrive in the classroom on time and to remain in the
classroom until the end of the class. No absences and no tardiness can be
permitted without consequences unless documentation of a serious health
problem, family emergency, religious obligation, or other excused reason is
provided. Unexcused absences, tardiness, or early departures will bring down
the student's class participation grade. If you do need to be absent, with or
without an excused reason, please touch base with the professor via a brief
note or email as soon as you can. If, during class, you need to arrive late or
leave early, you should do so quietly and considerately. It is your
responsibility to make up any content that you miss due to absence from class.
Conduct: All members of the class are expected
to be attentive and considerate, to work together to create a positive and
invigorating learning environment, and to treat each other with respect and compassion.
Inappropriate conduct will bring down the student's class participation grade.
Late papers
and make-ups: Late
papers cannot be accepted, extensions cannot be granted, and make-ups cannot be
given without documentation of a serious
health problem, family emergency, religious obligation, or other excused reason. Please mark your calendars and set your
alarm clocks carefully. Unexcused absence on the day that a presentation is
scheduled will result in a zero on the presentation in question. Unexcused late papers will be marked down
by a full letter grade per day late (e.g., one to twenty-four hours late, an A-
becomes a B-).
Plagiarism
and cheating: Plagiarism
and cheating hamper a person's ability to learn and grow and create original
work, and they stunt a group's ability to maintain fairness, honesty, and trust.
Please familiarize yourself with proper
citation practices and definitions of plagiarism and cheating. It is important to be aware that violations
can result in serious consequences, including a failing grade on the essay,
paper, or presentation in question. If
you any questions concerning the line between doing your own work and copying
the work of others, please do not hesitate to ask.