AFR376 SENIOR SEMINAR: Race, Politics, and Popular Culture
Dr. Maria Franklin, Dept. of Anthropology and the
Center for African and African American Studies
Spring 2010
JES232A, Weds. 2-5pm
Phone: 471-8513 Office: EPS 2.130
Email: mfranklin@mail.utexas.edu
Office hours: Tues. 12:30-2pm and by appointment.
Course Description:
This seminar explores race and racism through the dynamics of popular culture. Popular culture is
used here in the broadest sense of the term to refer to the mainstream, mass-produced, and widely
circulated forms of cultural production: TV, movies, music, art, etc. Given pop culture’s varied
manifestations and global reach, it is an idea subject through which to approach issues of identity and
power. Popular culture’s consumers and producers come from all walks of life, cutting across lines of
sexuality, race, gender, and class. Indeed, it is a form of cultural production that is easily accessible to the
disenfranchised who have, historically, used popular culture as a means of resistance and to express
individual and collective identities. Yet, it is a highly contested field of power, where resistance is
typically met to varying degrees with dismissal, policing, and appropriation.
The readings and discussions will focus on issues of race and racism, although other vectors of
difference (gender, class, and sexuality) that intersect with race will also feature prominently. The general
goal of the seminar is to provide students with a greater context for comprehending racism in the U.S. by
examining race through the everyday practices that we all participate in but, too often, fail to consume
through a more critical lens. Popular culture’s influence on politics, society, and the economy are far
reaching, and it is the intention of this seminar to unravel these relationships.
Course Requirements:
1. Seminar coordination: Groups of 2-3 students will be responsible for co-leading three discussions. This
includes a short presentation (5-10 mins.) of the core ideas found in the readings, and preparation of a
one-page outline for each set of readings (with discussion topics/questions). One suggestion for
coordination is that you divide up the duties and have one person do the introduction of the readings, and
the other one or two co-discussants prepare the handout. It is important that you do all of the readings as
co-discussants are charged with moderating the discussion and providing their perspective on the
readings.
If you email me your handout no later than 3pm the Monday before your discussion day, I can photocopy
it for the class. Otherwise, it’s your responsibility to do so.
2. Required drafts and papers: The major portion of your grade will be determined by your performance
on written assignments. There are three 5-7 page essays (plus a rough draft of each) based on the readings
due over the course of the semester. You will be provided with the paper topics and a guideline for
formatting your papers. You are required to meet with me to discuss 2 out of 3 of your drafts, and these
meetings will take place in 10-minute time slots on the Wednesdays (from 1-2pm or 4-5pm) before the
final papers are due. Please note: final papers will not be accepted unless a draft of the paper is turned in
for comments.
You need only email me a copy of your drafts. For final papers, please turn in a hard copy plus email a
copy.
1
Due dates:
Paper 1: draft (emailed by 5pm, Weds., Feb. 17); final paper (Mar. 3 at the beginning of class).
Paper 2: draft (emailed by 5pm, Weds., Mar. 24); final paper (Apr. 7 at the beginning of class).
Paper 3: draft (emailed by 5pm, Weds., Apr. 21); final paper (May 7).
NOTE: Late drafts and final papers will be marked down 50% of the earned grade.
3. Seminar participation: Given that this is a seminar, everyone is expected to do all of the reading and
fully (i.e., vocally) participate in seminar discussions. I will call on individuals to answer questions posed
by the discussants to ensure that our discussions are inclusive. A lack of engagement will be reflected in
your final grade, which could be knocked down a grade for a consistent failure to actively participate.
4. Attendance is required, and roll will be taken. Since there are only 15 class meetings, your presence is
important. For each unexcused absence, 5 points will be deducted from your final grade. Please make
every effort to be on time to class.
5. Minute papers: Towards the end of each class, a question will be posed based on that day’s readings
and/or discussion. You will have a minute to provide a written response. You will either earn “0” or 1
point for each. Although you will turn in 13 minute papers, only 10 will count towards your final grade
(i.e., you can “throw out” three scores).
6. Reading notes: At the end of each class, please submit your notes on the day’s readings. Comments
will not be provided on your notes. They will be read in order to track your progress in the seminar and to
evaluate your comprehension of the readings.
Grading Criteria:
Co-lead 3 discussions + prepare handouts (5 pts. each) = 15 points
3 drafts (5 pts. each) + final papers (15 pts. each) = 60 points
10 “minute papers” (1 pt. each) = 10 points
Reading notes (2 pts. deducted for failure to turn in notes for the week) = 15 points
TOTAL possible points = 100
Readings
All readings (and grades) will be posted on Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu) under “Course
Documents”.
SCHEDULE OF TOPICS
January 20: Introduction to Seminar.
January 27: Africana and Black Studies
Aldridge, Delores P., and Carlene Young
2000 Historical Development and Introduction to the Academy. In Out of the Revolution: The Development of
Africana Studies. D.P. Aldridge and C. Young, eds. Pp. 3-12. Lanham: Lexington Books.
2
Rojas, Fabio
2007 From Black Power to Black Studies: How a Radical Social Movement Became an Academic Discipline.
Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Nelson, William E. Jr.
2000 Black Studies, Student Activism, and the Academy. In Out of the Revolution: The Development of
Africana Studies. D.P. Aldridge and C. Young, eds. Pp. 79-91. Lanham: Lexington Books.
February 3: Theories of Race, Racism
Delgado, Richard and Jean Stefancic
2001 Critical Race Theory: An Introduction. New York University Press, New York.
Lipsitz, George
The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: How White People Profit from Identity Politics. Temple
University Press.
Omi, Michael and Howard Winant.
1994 Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990s. Routledge.
Sanjek, Roger
1996 The Enduring Inequalities of Race. In Race, edited by S. Gregory and R. Sanjek, pp. 1-17. New
Brunswick, NJ, New Brunswick, NJ.
Suggested readings: In Discover, vol. 15, number 2 (November 1994), the following articles:
Terms of Estrangement, James Shreeve.
Race Without Color, Jared Diamond.
February 10: Black Feminist Theory and Politics
The Combahee River Collective Statement (April 1977).
http://www.feministezine.com/feminist/modern/Black-Feminist-Statement.html
Lorde, Audre. Sister Outsider. Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press, 1984.
Collins, Patricia Hill. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of
Empowerment, pp. 19-40. New York: Routledge. 1991.
Crenshaw, Kimberle. Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against
Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, Vol. 43, No. 6. pp. 1241-1299. 1991.
February 17: The Early Years of Race and American Pop Culture
Video - Ethnic Notions (Directed by Marlon Riggs)
3
February 24: Race, Gender, and Spectator Sports
March 3: Racialized Bodies in Mainstream Culture
March 10: Mixed-Race Politics: Racial Transgressions or Accomodations?
March 15-20: Spring Break
March 24: Music and Black Resistance
March 31: Whiteness and “Black” Music
April 7: Race in the Media Spotlight
April 14: Dominant Representations of Race in Cinema
April 21: Black Consciousness in the Film Industry
April 28: Case Study
Movie: Precious (Directed by Lee Daniels)
May 5: Discussion
4