CAST 100
Oberlin College
Spring, 2009
Time: MWF 9 – 9:50
Location: King 235
Dr. Meredith Raimondo
Phone: 775-5291
Email: meredith.raimondo@oberlin.edu
Office: King 141G
Office Hours: M 10 – 12 or W 1 - 2
or by appt.
INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE AMERICAN
STUDIES
Description:
This course explores key questions and approaches in the interdisciplinary field of American Studies.
We will develop the critical tools to examine U.S. cultural and social formations, paying particular
attention to voices and groups that have been historically excluded from power. In particular, we
will explore the transnational turn in American studies by examining colonialism, citizenship, and
empire—three concepts that have been particularly central to comparative analysis and to the
political projects of scholars concerned with asking, what does it mean to study the United States at
this particular historical moment? How do we think about the history and future of the nation in the
context of globalization, militarization, and inequality? In answering this question, we will draw on
scholarship in Ethnic Studies, Queer Studies, and Gender and Women’s Studies to examine
intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, and other key axes of power to the nation. We will pay
particular attention to the production of identities and communities in historical and social contexts,
using a range of sources and methodologies. The texts we read are not meant to provide a
comprehensive chronological survey of these topics, but rather to provide case studies to think
through various theoretical and methodological approaches to the analysis of the United States. The
primary focus of this course is discussion of and writing about assigned course materials. Course
assignments are designed to create opportunities for critical reading, writing, and thinking.
The objectives of this course are:
1) to provide an introduction to the field of Comparative American Studies in relation to other
politicized scholarly projects
2) to engage critically with notions of U.S. national identity and borders
3) to introduce comparative approaches to methodologies, histories, and identities
4) to understand and apply key theoretical terms, including intersectionality, agency and
structure, social location, and transnationalism
5) to explore the importance of axes of identity such as race, class, gender, and sexuality to
understanding the operations of power in the U.S.
6) to analyze dialetics of oppression and resistance in historical and social context
7) to develop writing and communication skills focused on the critical analysis of primary and
secondary sources
**This course serves as a gateway in the Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies major**
CAST 100
2
Required Texts:
Articles marked with a * in the schedule of readings are available through Blackboard under the
“Course Materials” tab.
Books are available at the Oberlin College Bookstore (or on reserve at Mudd Library):
Briggs, Laura. Reproducing Empire: Race, Sex, Science, and U.S. Imperialism in Puerto
Rico. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002.
Campo, Rafael. The Enemy. Durham: Duke University Press, 2007.
Das Gupta, Monisha. Unruly Immigrants: Rights, Activism, and Transnational South Asian
Politics in the United States. Durham: Duke University Press, 2006.
Dorow, Sarah. Transnational Adoption. New York: New York University Press, 2006.
Espiritu, Yen Li. Home Bound: Filipino Lives across Cultures, Communities, and Countries.
Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003.
Fischer, Kirsten. Suspect Relations: Sex, Race, and Resistance in Colonial North Carolina.
Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2002.
Course Policies:
Discussion: The academic study of inequality often raises issues which are controversial or
evoke strong personal feelings. There are few right answers to the questions we are exploring;
my goal in this course is to help you to develop the skills to articulate your own positions. It is
therefore critical that everyone commits to making this classroom a space for the honest and
open expression of difference. I ask that course members respond to carefully thought-out
ideas and questions with patience and respect.
Reading: This course requires significant reading. Do not try to read every word; focus on key
arguments, methods, and sources. If you find you are having trouble finishing the reading,
please see me so we can identify effective strategies for completing the assignments.
Late Policy: It is your commitment to this class and your classmates that you will be present and
ready to begin work at the start of class. Repeated lateness (after three late arrivals) may result in
significant deductions to your final grade in this course.
Course assignments must be submitted on time in order to receive full credit. Assignments due in
class must be turned in at the start of class to receive on-time credit. I will deduct 1/3 of a grade
for each 24 hours an assignment is late (i.e., from B+ to B). Assignments submitted later than 1
week past the original deadline without a written extension will be given credit only at the
instructor’s discretion and will generally earn no greater than a minimum passing grade. Requests
for extensions must be submitted by email at least 48 hours prior to the assignment due date and
are generally available only for extraordinary circumstances. If you receive an extension, you must
include a printed copy of my approval (including revised due date) with your assignment in order
to receive on-time credit. Late papers may not receive written comments.
CAST 100
3
Please note that no late assignments will be accepted past the end of reading period without an
approved incomplete from the Dean of Studies. Extensions on final projects also require an
approved incomplete. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Assignment Format: Written assignments should word-processed, double-spaced, and use a
standard font type and size (12 point Times New Roman or the equivalent). Include your
name, the date, a title, and page numbers. If you are required to submit a paper copy, you must
staple the pages. Please be sure to proofread carefully for style and grammar. Papers that do
not follow proper formatting instructions may receive a 1/3 of a grade deduction.
P/NP: If you are taking this course P/NP, you must fulfill all course obligations and complete all
assignments in order to receive credit for the course.
Writing Proficiency: Your final paper will be evaluated using the rubric posted on the course
Blackboard site under the “Course Materials” tab. If your paper fails to achieve a “yes” rating in
two or more categories, you may not receive proficiency. Please feel free to make an
appointment to discuss writing proficiency evaluation in this course.
Honor Code: This course will follow the policies described in the Oberlin College Honor Code and
Honor System. Please include the statement “I affirm that I have adhered to the Honor Code in this
assignment” in all written work. If you have any questions about academic honesty, citation, or the
relationship of the Honor Code to your work in this course, please let me know.
Students with Disabilities: If you need disability-related accommodations for your work in this
course, please let me know. Support is available through Student Academic Services—please
contact Jane Boomer, Director of the Office of Disability Services, for assistance in developing
a plan to address your academic needs.
Assignments:
Individual Work:
The following assignments will be completed individually, although you are welcome to collaborate
by reading each other’s drafts. You may ensure academic honesty by citing significant
ideas/contributions provided by classmates.
1. PARTICIPATION (10%): In order for our time in class together to be as productive as
possible, you will be expected to contribute to three areas as follows:
Attendance: This course will be primarily conducted as a discussion course; therefore,
your consistent on-time attendance is required. After two absences, additional absences
will generally lower your final grade in the course (1/3 of a grade per two additional
absences). Please plan to arrive by 8:55 so that we can begin promptly at 9 a.m. Each
late arrival will be counted as one-half of an absence. In case of illness or personal
emergency, absences may be excused through a doctor or dean’s note.
CAST 100
4
Discussion: Your thoughtful spoken analysis and active listening will be a central
component of your work in this course. If you are uncomfortable speaking in class,
please come and see me and we can discuss strategies for your participation.
In-class Activities: In-class activities may include discussion in small groups, writing
assignments, or other collaborative work.
2. TWO CRITICAL ESSAYS (20% each). 5 - 6 pages each. Each paper corresponds to a
section of the course and asks you to think critically about its thematic focus. Due dates are
listed below; complete instructions for each essay will be provided in class and on
Blackboard under the “Assignments” tab.
a. Paper #1: Due March 2 at 5 p.m. to King 141-G.
b. Paper # 2: Due Apr 6 at 5 p.m. to King 141-G
3. FINAL PROJECT (20%). 5 – 6 pages. Due May 14 by 11 a.m. Choose a primary source to
analyze in relation to one of the three major course themes (colonialism, citizenship, empire,
activism). More detail about this assignment will be provided in class.
Team Projects:
The following assignments will be completed in your assigned team. Over the course of the
semester, pay careful attention to your group process in order to make your collaborative work as
effective as possible.
4. CRITICAL ESSAY BRAINSTORMING. Each team will schedule time outside of regular
class hours to discuss your shared understanding of the questions and the thesis and structure
of each group member’s paper. One group member will operate as recorder and submit a
brief email confirmation reporting the group members in attendance and describing your
conversation within twenty-four hours. Failure to attend the scheduled meeting will result in
a 1/3 grade penalty on the final draft.
5. WIKI CONTRIBUTION (10%). Each team will be responsible for updating the course
wiki three times over the course of the semester. Detailed instructions and a complete
schedule will be provided in class. Wiki updates should integrate recent course materials as
well as other materials group members find useful in clarifying key theoretical concepts.
Group members will receive a collective grade for their work. Groups should be prepared to
offer a brief (5-7 minutes) discussion of their update in class the week it is posted.
6. TEAM PRESENTATION (20% total). Due April 17 - 22 in class. The purpose of the team
presentation is to examine opportunities to connect theoretical and scholarly approaches to
everyday social situations and problems. Teams may choose from a list of suggested project
or propose their own. If you design your own project, you must submit it in writing and
receive written approval at least one week before your presentation date. Teams will receive
a collective grade for their work. Each presentation should last 20 minutes and use
PowerPoint or other appropriate visual aids. Teams must also submit a complete
bibliography in Chicago style.
CAST 100
5
Summary of Deadlines:
Various Dates
Various Dates
Mar 2
Apr 6
Apr 17 - 22
May 14
Essay Brainstorming
Wiki Project
Essay 1
Essay 2
Team Presentation
Final Project
Summary of Grading Policy:
Participation…………………….10%
Essay 1………….………………20%
Essay 2………….……................20%
Team Presentation………….…..20%
Wiki Project………………….…10%
Final Project…………………….20%
Schedule of Readings:
(Please note this schedule may change; if so, you will be informed at least 48 hours in advance.)
I. COLONIALISM
M Feb 2
Introductions
W Feb 4
Settler Colonialism
• Haunani Kay Trask, “The Color of Violence,” 8 – 16*
• Noriko Ishiyama, “Environmental Justice and American Indian Tribal
Sovereignty,” 119 – 139*
F Feb 6
The Politics of Sovereignty
• Roberta Grossman, Homeland (screened in class)
M Feb 9
Colonial Educations?
• Julie Kaomea, “A Curriculum of Aloha?,” 319 – 344*
• Andrea Smith, “Boarding School Abuses and the Case for Reparations,” 35 –
54*
W Feb 11
Colonial Spectacles
• Jeff Berglund, “P.T. Barnum’s American Exhibition of Fiji Cannibals,” 29 –
76*
• Elizabeth Alexander, “The Venus Hottentot,” 5 – 10*
CAST 100
6
F Feb 13
1898
• Sarah Moore, “Mapping Empire in Omaha and Buffalo,” 111 – 126*
• Rene Ontal, “Fagen and Other Ghosts,” 118 – 133*
M Feb 16
Colonialism and Cultural Memory
• Coco Fusco and Paul Heredia, The Couple in the Cage (screened in class)
W Feb 18
The Intimacies of the Colonial
• Fischer, 1 – 54
F Feb 20
Desire across Borders
• Fisher, 55 – 98
M Feb 23
Intersectionality and Racialized Sexualities
• Fischer, 98 - 158
W Feb 25
Desire, Agency, and Inequalities
• Fischer, 159 – 194
II. CITIZENSHIP
F Feb 27
Citizenship and Transnational Social Formations
• Espiritu, 1 – 45
M Mar 2
Differential Inclusion
• Espiritu, 46 - 97
M Mar 2
***Essay 1 due at 5 p.m. to King 141-G
W Mar 4
Gendering Citizenship
•Espiritu, 127 - 178
F Mar 6
Representing Home
• Laura Ingalls Wilder, “Moving In” and “Indians in the House,” 71 – 79,
132 – 146*
• Thomas King, “Border,” 56 – 65*
M Mar 9
Poetry and Politics
• Campo, 1 - 44
W Mar 11 Identity and Difference
• Campo. 45 – 99
F Mar 13 Social Citizenship
• Dorow, 1 - 64
CAST 100
7
M Mar 16 Kinship and Nation
• Dorow, 65 - 112
W Mar 18 Conjunctions of Difference
• Dorow, 113 – 164
F Mar 20 Constructing Citizenship
• Dorow, 205 – 262
M Mar 23 Spring Break
W Mar 25 Spring Break
F Mar 27 Spring Break
III. EMPIRE
M Mar 30 The Biopolitics of Disaster
• Henry Giroux, “Reading Hurricane Katrina,” 171 – 196*
W Apr 1
Nation and Empire
• Ella Shohat and Robert Stam, “Imperialism and the Fantasies of Democracy,”
298 – 305*
• Malini Johar Schueller, “Techno-Dominance and Torturegate,” 162 – 188*
F Apr 3
Mapping the Sexual Politics of Empire
• M. Jacqui Alexander, “Not Just (Any)body Can Be a Patriot,” 207 – 240*
M Apr 6
*** Essay # 2 is due by 5 p.m. to King 141-G
M Apr 6
Gender, Sexuality, Colonialism, Imperialism
• Briggs, 1 – 20, 74 – 108
W Apr 8
Population and Power
• Briggs, 109 - 141
F Apr 10 From Colonialism to Empire
• Briggs, 162 – 192
IV. ACTIVISM
M Apr 13 Transnational Activism: Cuba as Case Study
• John Gronbeck-Tedesco, “The Left in Transition,” 651 – 673*
• Ian Lekus, “Queer Harvests,” 57 – 91
CAST 100
8
W Apr 15 The Politics of the Border
• Raymond Michalowski, “Border Militarization and Migrant Suffering,” 62 – 76*
• Veronica Vélez et al, “Battling for Human Rights,” 7 – 27
F Apr 17 ****Team Presentations 1- 2
M Apr 20 ****Team Presentations 3 – 4
W Apr 22 ***Team Presentations 5 - 6
F Apr 24 Transnationalism and Resistance
• Das Gupta, 1 - 55
M Apr 27 Place Taking/Space Making
• Das Gupta, 56 - 108
W Apr 29 Activism and Intersectionality
• Das Gupta, 109 - 158
F May 1
Sexual Citizenship
• Das Gupta, 159 – 207
M May 4
Reworking Displacement
• Das Gupta, 208 - 259
W May 6
Final Project Workshop
F May 8
Conclusions: American Studies in a Time of…?
• Patricia Williams, “L’Étranger,”11 – 15*
• Dylan Rodriguez, Inaugurating Multiculturalist White Supremacy”*
Th May 14 Final Project due at 11 a.m. to King 141-G
CAST 100
9
Bibliography of Articles
Alexander, Elizabeth. “The Venus Hottentot.” In The Venus Hottentot. Charlottesville:
University Press of Virginia, 1990. 5 – 10.
Alexander, M. Jacqui. “Not Just (Any)body Can Be a Patriot: “Homeland” Security as Empire
Building.” In Interrogating Imperialism: Conversations on Gender, Race, and War, ed.
Robin Riley and Naeem Inayatullah. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2006. 207 – 240.
Berglund, Jeff. “P.T. Barnum’s American Exhibition of Fiji Cannibals (1871 – 1873).” In
Cannibal Fictions: American Explorations of Colonialism, Race, Gender, and Sexuality.
Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 2006. 29 – 76.
Fusco, Coco and Paul Heredia, dir. The Couple in the Cage: A Guatinaui Odyssey. Chicago:
Video Data Bank, 1993.
Giroux, Henry. “Reading Hurricane Katrina: Race, Class, and the Biopolitics of Disposability.”
College Literature 33, no. 3 (Summer 2006): 171 – 196.
Gronbeck-Tedesco, John. “The Left in Transition: The Cuban Revolution in US Third World
Politics.” The Journal of Latin American Studies 40 (2008): 651 – 673.
Grossman, Roberta. Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action. Oley, PA: Bullfrog Films,
2005.
Kaomea, Julie. “A Curriculum of Aloha? Colonialism and Tourism in Hawai’i’s Elementary
Textbooks.” Curriculum Inquiry 30, no. 3 (Fall 2000): 319 – 344.
King, Thomas. “Borders.” In Into the Widening World, ed. John Loughery. New York: Persea
Books, 1995. 56 – 65.
Lekus, Ian. “Queer Harvests: Homosexuality, the U.S. New Left, and the Venceremos Brigades
to Cuba.” Radical History Review 89 (Spring 2004): 57 – 91.
Michalowski, Raymond. “Border Militarization and Migrant Suffering: A Case of Transnational
Social Injury.” Social Justice 35, no. 2 (2007): 62 – 76.
Moore, Sarah. “Mapping Empire in Omaha and Buffalo: World’s Fairs and the SpanishAmerican War.” Bilingual Review 25, no. 1 (Jan-Apr 2000): 111 – 126.
Ontal, Rene. “Fagen and Other Ghosts: African-Americans and the Philippine-American War.”
In Vestiges of War: The Philippine-American War and the Aftermath of an Imperial Dream,
1899 – 1999, ed. Angel Velasco Shaw and Luis Francia. New York: New York University
Press, 2002. 118 – 133.
CAST 100
10
Rodriguez, Dylan. “Inaugurating Multiculturalist White Supremacy.” RaceWire [blog].
http://www.racewire.org/archives/2008/11/the_dreadful_genuis_of_the_oba.html. 10
November 2008. Accessed 31 January 2008.
Schueller, Malini Johar. “Techno-Dominance and Torturegate: The Making of US Imperialism.”
In Exceptional State: Contemporary U.S. Culture and the New Imperialism, ed. Ashley
Dawson and Malini Johar Schueller. Durham: Duke University Press, 2007. 162 – 188.
Shohat, Ella and Robert Stam, “Imperialism and the Fantasies of Democracy.” Rethinking
Marxism 19, no. 3 (2007): 298 – 305.
Smith, Andrea. “Boarding School Abuses and the Case for Reparations.” In Conquest: Sexual
Violence and American Indian Genocide. Boston: South End Press, 2005. 35 – 54.
Trask, Haunani Kay. “The Color of Violence,” Social Justice 31, no. 4 (2004): 8 – 16.
Vélez, Veronica; Perez Huber, Lindsay; Benavides Lopez, Corina; de la Luz, Ariana and
Solórzano, Daniel. “Battling for Human Rights: A Latina/o Critical Race Media Analysis of
Latina/o Student Youth Activism in the Wake of 2006 Anti-Immigrant Sentiment.” Social
Justice 35, no. 1 (2008): 7 – 27.
Wilder, Laura Ingalls. “Moving In” and “Indians in the House.” In Little House on the Prairie.
New York: Harper Trophy, 1971 [1935]. 71 – 79, 132 – 146.
Williams, Patricia. “L’Étranger.” The Nation. 5 March 2007. 11 – 15.