Course Detail

ALANA U.S.Ethnic Studies: American Identity 21st Century

ALAN 095 OL1 (CRN: 60655)

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3 Credit Hours

"This summer session four-week ALANA course explores the complex idea of identity in America in building a frame of analysis that will allow us to pose new considerations and critiques on American identity in the twenty-first century. We will address and think through African American, Latino/a, and Asian American experiences and identities in contemplation of the distinct heterogeneity of American experience, and the impossibility of having any firm definition of American identity. We will pressure this type of thinking through the dynamics of how one is seen, imaged, and imagined in American society according to such factors as community, inequality, race, ethnicity, and gender. We will focus on a variety of readings that include critical essays and analyses, journalistic commentaries, and short stories. Our readings will be complemented by other multi-media lectures, interviews, and biographies."

Instructor

Notes

Dates: May 20 - June 14, 2013

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Section Description

"No one in the world seems to know exactly what it describes, not even we motley millions who call ourselves Americans." James Baldwin, _The Discovery of What it Means to be an American_. This summer session four-week ALANA course explores the complex idea of identity in America in building a frame of analysis that will allow us to pose new considerations and critiques on American identity in the twenty-first century. We will address and think through African American, Latino/a, and Asian American experiences and identities in contemplation of the distinct heterogeneity of American experience, and the impossibility of having any firm definition of American identity. We will pressure this type of thinking through the dynamics of how one is seen, imaged, and imagined in American society according to such factors as community, inequality, race, ethnicity, and gender. We will focus on a variety of readings that include critical essays and analyses, journalistic commentaries, and short stories. Our readings will be complemented by other multi-media lectures, interviews, and biographies. In first section of our course we will explore 20th century historical problems of American identity in our reading of critical essays by W.E.B. DuBois, James Baldwin, and Angela Davis in focusing on the African American experience in America in comparison to a 21st century multimedia assignment of work done by Henry Louis Gates Jr. In the second section we will read selections from CNN journalist, Soledad O Briens book Latino in America in focusing on the Latino/a experience, which will be accompanied with a multimedia assignment on IIan Stavans and the film A Better Life. In the third section of our course we will focus on Asian Americans in America through reading short stories and critical selections from Jhumpa Lahiri and Sumbul Ali-Karamali, in addition to multimedia through work done by Edward W. Said. In the last week of our course we will broaden our lens in further reflection and contemplation on American Identity in the 21st century in regard to global awareness and dynamics vis-a-vis multimedia assignments on multiracial identities in America. Our course will also be highlighted with articles and videos from The New York Times Race Remixed series.

Section Expectation

This course will move at a very comfortable pace during our four weeks this summer, where you will submit posts for a forum on Mondays and Wednesdays, and our forum discussion will occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Communication expectations and policies: 1. Two weekly posts in response to assignments that I will pose for two weekly forums on the discussion board. 2. Pose at least two carefully considered questions in response to two different student posts per forum. 3. Respond with at least two critically well-thought critical commentaries to two different posts per forum. 4. Weekly 500 word (minimum) private journal entries due on Fridays. There are no exams or further papers.

Evaluation

Grading Policy - 100% of your grade will be based on: 1. Your independence in how you establish the strength of your presence in the forums on the discussion board, and your contribution to creating a dynamic online classroom community. 2. Your particular use of language in posts, comments, and questions, and how this is indicative and reflective of your skills of textual interpretation and critical thought in establishing clear relations between the readings of texts and national/global perspectives. 3. Your abilities of textual analysis in how you assess and address the readings in critical discussion and argument with your colleagues. 4. The caliber and degree of reflection in your weekly private journal entries.

Syllabus

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Meetings

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Location

Online Course

Times

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