Ethnic Studies 4652-001
Fall 2009
Bianca C. Williams Robinson
bianca.robinson@colorado.edu
24F Ketchum
MWF, 10:00-10:50 AM
303-492-5344
Office hours, M 2-4 PM or by appt
Contemporary Issues/African American Studies:
BLACK WOMEN, POPULAR CULTURE, AND THE PURSUIT OF
HAPPINESS
This course takes an in-depth look at how the pursuit of happiness in the United States is affected by
race and gender, particularly for Black women. By putting theories and representations of Blackness,
womanhood, and happiness present in self-help books, travel writings, Black music, films, magazines,
blogs, and other forms of media into conversation with one another, students will be able to examine
the extent to which historical processes of racism and sexism continue to leave their imprints on an
individual’s ability to attain happiness and success. Using analytical lenses from Black studies,
anthropology, psychology, cultural studies, and women’s studies, this course will provide students
with an intense interrogation of Black feminist thought, race theories, and gender studies. Therefore,
the following questions are of interest for this course:
(1) How do various individuals and populations in the U.S. define “happiness” differently?
(2) How do race and gender affect an individual’s ability to pursue happiness?
(3) What are the emotional and economic “costs” of happiness? In other words, how do Black
women negotiate work/life balance, including professional success, educational pursuits,
family development, intimate relationships, friendships, and mental health while pursuing
happiness?
(4) What do the experiences of Black women pursuing happiness in the U.S. mean for the
broader American pursuit of happiness?
REQUIRED TEXTS
Collins, Patricia Hill. 2008. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of
Empowerment.
Gilbert, Elizabeth. 2007. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India,
and Indonesia.
Gilbert, Daniel. 2007. Stumbling on Happiness.
Haidt, Jonathan. 2006. The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom.
Mullings, Leith. 1996. On Our Own Terms: Race, Class, and Gender in the Lives of African-American
Women.
Stone, Pamela. 2008. Opting Out? Why Women Really Quit Careers and Head Home.
Williams, Terrie. 2008. Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We’re Not Hurting.
You will be responsible for reading most of the chapters in the books listed above therefore these
books are required. In addition to the texts above, there are several articles/book chapters available
on the class website on CU Connect you will need to read. These additional readings will be specified
in the Weekly Schedule.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Each session, you are responsible for coming to class prepared. This includes completing the
readings and thinking critically about them in relation to one another, and in relation to the broader
themes of the course. Keep the aforementioned questions in mind while reading the texts assigned.
Attendance is an important part of your class participation grade. This includes being present
for the class session, and actively engaging in class discussion. If for some reason it is extremely
difficult for you to participate in discussion, please see me during the first two weeks of class, so we
can figure out a weekly written assignment that you will complete as an alternative.
You are allowed three absences during the semester. These three absences include missing class for
religious holidays, for travel, or for being ill. Four or more absences will result in a letter grade
drop in your final grade, unless you have a written excuse/explanation from your Dean one
week after the absence (ex: an “A” will be dropped to a “B”). Students should meet with the
professor outside of class after an absence to find out if any handouts were provided or if films were
screened. It is strongly suggested that each student get the information of at least two classmates with
whom to exchange lecture notes in the event a class is missed.
 Weekly Discussion Leadership: One student will be responsible for facilitating/leading
discussion of the readings each Friday throughout the semester. This person will read the
classes’ Written Reflections (see below), combine them with his/her reading of the texts,
highlight the important issues, and ask questions that will generate dialogue. To aid in
facilitating lively discussion, EVERYONE will come to class with one written question
about the readings. In other words, although the discussion facilitator will be responsible for
guiding fellow students in dialogue about the texts, every student is responsible for
formulating one question and bringing it to class. The professor has the right to call on ANY
student to contribute their question during the class session, so be prepared. While
constructing these discussion questions, you should attempt to make careful and creative
connections between the texts, using your ability to synthesize lectures and previous class
discussions. Remember, as a learning community, we are all responsible for the quality of
conversation and knowledge exchange that takes place. Be respectful, thoughtful, and
deliberate with your comments. Also, please engage in a spirit of charitable interpretation of
other people’s views.
 Written Reflections: You are required to write TEN 1-2 page (single-spaced) analytical
reviews of the class texts (including photos, films, music, and other resources presented that
week). One review is due for each week that you decide to turn one in. These papers should
be turned into pdf files, and then posted on CU Connect by Thursdays at 3:00 pm. NO
LATE POSTINGS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Please make sure you have completed TEN
reviews by the end of the semester, as you will earn a zero for each one less than ten. In
your paper, you should address the following questions:
1. What was the general argument/point the author/artist made?
2. What definition of “happiness” does the author present?
3. What major premises, themes, concepts regarding “Blackness” did the author
employ? How do race and gender affect happiness, in their opinion?
4. What evidence did the author use? (ethnographic, personal experience)
These questions do not form a template for your analytical review, as some questions may
not be particularly relevant for specific texts, or you may want to address other issues. These
questions, however, should help you structure your reading, note-taking, and critical writing.
 Midterm Assignment: This 5-7 page (double-spaced) paper, due on October 19, is your
opportunity to be creative. Think outside the box. There will be several options for this
assignment, and all of them will be described in a handout closer to the actual due date.
However, for now, here are two of the options:
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--Create an advertisement for an item that you believe will promote happiness to,
and for, Black women. Use the analyses and critiques we have learned from the
course readings to conceptualize your product and create the advertisement. The 5-7
page paper that accompanies the advertisement should explain why you believed
this product would be useful for a Black woman’s pursuit of happiness, and must
incorporate the texts from the class to support your argument. This item cannot
already exist on the market.
--Use the tools from the course to analyze the media messages about Black women
and the pursuit of happiness included in two music videos or a film. The professor
will suggest music videos and film titles, however, you can submit your choice of
titles for approval.
 Final Paper: In this final paper you will provide your definition of happiness in relation to
the experiences and analyses included in the texts throughout the term. Pay particular
attention to how your own racialized, classed, gendered, sexualized, nationalized, and
religious experiences influence your definition, and use the texts and your own life narratives
to support your arguments. In this paper, I want you to balance rigorous theoretical
discussion with attention to life stories. In other words, this paper should be both analytical
and reflective. Please come see me if you are not sure how this should sound. Additionally,
you will make a 5-minute presentation in class explaining your definition to your peers. More
information about this project will be provided closer to the due date.
(1) Rough Draft: Each student will need to bring a rough draft of their final paper to
class on December 4, in order to participate in a peer-review editing process.
Rough drafts need to be at least 15 pages (double-spaced). You will bring two copies
of your paper to class, give a copy to two of your classmates, and they will provide
you with feedback. Student editors will take these papers home, complete a Peer
Review Form, and prepare comments for the student author. Authors and
reviewers will share feedback with one another in a small-group session in class on
December 7. Authors will incorporate their editors’ feedback into their final paper.
If you want my feedback, come to office hours or make an appointment by Dec. 9.
You should be able to explain to me orally what your argument is, and what you
need help with, as I will not read your entire rough draft. I am more than happy to
provide you with feedback on your thoughts and analyses, but please be able to
engage in a dialogue with me about them when you come to see me. Remember
writing is thinking, but you’ll truly know if you understand an idea or argument if
you are able to teach it to someone else. If you need help with your rough draft,
there are various offices on campus, such as the SASC center, that would be happy
to provide you with comments.
(2) Final papers should be between 10-12 pages (double-spaced), and hand-delivered
to the professor’s office by 3:00 pm on December 12. Any writing over page 12
will be discounted.
All papers submitted must be an original copy. No reproductions (Xerox, ditto, etc.) will
be accepted. MAKE SURE YOU KEEP A COPY FOR YOUR OWN FILES. All
papers should be in Times New Roman or Garamond 12pt font. Absolutely no late papers
will be accepted. If you are going to miss class because of a religious holiday or travel, you
must turn in the paper BEFORE your absence. Please check your papers for grammatical
errors and typos.
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GRADES
Grading will be based on oral and written assignments and class performance:
10%
30%
25%
35%
Attendance (on-time arrival), Discussion Facilitation, and Class participation
(quantity and quality)
Written Reflections
Midterm Assignment
Final paper and presentation
Overall course grades will be assigned on the following scale:
A 93-100%
A- 90-92.9%
B+ 87-89.9%
B 83-86.9%
B- 80-82.9%
C+ 77-79.9%
C 73-76.9%
C- 70-72.9%
D 64.5-69.9%
F 0-64.4%
Extra Credit: After attending an event relevant to the class, you may write up a 1-2 pg. event analysis
briefly describing the event and linking it with a reading (or at least question/theme) from the course.
This will not be a fixed amount of credit, but will be considered when calculating your final grade.
Approved events will be announced in class throughout the semester, or check with the instructor
before you attend an event to make sure it is appropriate.
The Honor Code and Community Standard: CU Boulder has an honor code that I expect each
student to adhere. Although collaborative research and discussion on certain assignments are
encouraged, your writing must be your own prose, and ideas and quotes from all sources (including
the world wide web) must be properly cited. Please note that plagiarism will be treated as academic
misconduct. Students are encouraged to review the Honor Code booklet at
http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/files/honor%20code%20booklet.pdf. The Honor
Code mission reads as follows:
As citizens of an academic community of trust, CU-Boulder students do not lie or cheat whether they are on
campus or acting as representatives of the university in surrounding communities. Neither should they suffer
by the dishonest acts of others. Honor is about academic integrity, moral and ethical conduct, and pride of
membership in a community that values academic achievement and individual responsibility. Cultivating honor
lays the foundation for lifelong integrity, developing in each of us the courage and insight to make difficult
choices and accept responsibility for actions and their consequences, even at personal cost.
Classroom Respect: Naturally, racial or sexual harassment or other forms of harassment will not be
tolerated and will be dealt with authoritatively. The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on
Discrimination and Harassment (http://www.colorado.edu/policies/discrimination.html), the
University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment, and the University of Colorado policy on
Amorous Relationships applies to all students, staff, and faculty. Any student who believes he or she
has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age,
disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination
and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550.
Information about the ODH and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding
discrimination or harassment can be obtained at http://www.colorado.edu/odh.
Cell phones and other forms of technology: All communication devices must be turned off or
silenced upon entering the classroom and are not to be used during class sessions. Respecting the
classroom-learning environment includes not speaking on wireless phones, text messaging, or
accessing the Internet on your laptop during class time.
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Accommodation of students with disabilities: Students with disabilities desiring a reasonable
accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act must contact Professor Williams during
the first two weeks of class to discuss their needs and seek assistance at the Disability Services Office,
located at Willard Administrative Center, Room 322, 303-492-8671 (voice/TTY),
DSinfo@colorado.edu. Please bring your letter from Disability Services with you to our meeting.
Office Hours and Email Policy: Feel free to stop by and discuss the course with me during my
office hours or by appointment. A sign-up sheet for a time slot is available on my office door. I look
forward to seeing you. You may also contact me by email if you have a question, but please allow up
to two business days for a response, especially during busy times in the semester such as midterms or
final exams. All questions about papers must be in my email inbox by noon the day BEFORE the
paper is due in order to be answered in a timely fashion. For example, questions about the Midterm
Assignment due on October 19 must be in my inbox by noon on October 18, in order to be
answered.
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