ISSUES OF POLITICS AND IDENTITY AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY
General Education, First Year Seminar
Political Science G113, Fall 2007
Mon. & Fri., 8:30-9:20; Wed., 8:30-10:20
Professor: Elizabeth Bussiere
Office: Wheatley Hall, 5th Floor, Room 65
Office Hours: Mon. 9:30-10 & 1:30-2:30, Fri. 9:30-11
Contact: 617-287-6930; elizabeth.bussiere@umb.edu
Mentor: Carolina Gomez
Office Hours: To be announced
Contact: carolinagomez86@gmail.com
Advisor: Ana Ketler; ana.ketler@umb.edu
Course Description
This First Year Seminar examines the processes by which individuals and groups develop a sense of
political identity and the political consequences of holding one identity (or set of identities) over another.
Together we will address such questions as: To what extent do individuals Achoose@ or Ainherit@ their
identities? What are some of the psychological factors, conscious and unconscious, involved in the
formation of identity, including political identity? What role does group affiliation (e.g., race, ethnicity,
religion, sex, etc.) play in an individual=s evolving sense of self B and in our own particular selves? How
do the different forms of group identity as well as political institutions (e.g., political parties) shape our
individual and collective political identities? What is the relevance of historical context to identity
formation? Of (sub)-cultural? Is there such thing as a national political identity? Although the course
will examine Arab cultures and the phenomenon of Ajihad,@ most of our attention will be paid to the
United States.
One major difference between high school and college is that intellectual inquiry in the latter setting
sometimes does not produce clear, right answers or conclusions. For some students, the ambiguity
encountered in college courses is very frustrating, especially after being used to a sense of academic
certitude (e.g., fact-memorization) in high school. However, the very difficulty in arriving at any definitive
conclusions on something as broad and weighty as Apolitical identity@ is also what will help propel our
class discussions in sometimes wonderfully unpredictable but stimulating directions!
Goals of the First Year Seminar
First Year Seminars (FYS), which span a range of topics, welcome new students (with fewer than 30
credits) to U. Mass. Boston with small-sized courses designed to prepare them for a successful and
fulfilling college experience. FYS are characterized by intense yet open-ended intellectual inquiry,
drawing on insights from multiple academic disciplines. A major goal of FYS is to encourage students to
practice the habits of mind and “capabilities” essential to university-level educational success: 1) Careful
reading; 2) Clear writing; 3) Critical thinking; 4) Information technology/information literacy; 5) Working
effectively in groups; 6) Speaking/Listening; and 7) Academic self-assessment. (These capabilities, in one
combination or another, are also integral to professional achievement.) You will note in the syllabus that
class sessions and assignments are designed to help foster those seven “capabilities.” Although this course,
like all FYS, has a syllabus with a schedule of readings and other assignments, I will strive to be attentive
to the special curiosity, unique intellectual rhythms, and particular group dynamics of our class.
All FYS meet 4 hours per week and carry 4 credits. Usually each FYS has a mentor, typically an
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undergraduate student at U. Mass. Boston (UMB), and an academic advisor from the University Advising
Center. Among other kinds of assistance, your undergraduate mentor, Carolina Gomez, will not only help
you with computer accounts, e-mail, Blackboard, and library research, but also introduce or connect you to
different on-campus offices, organizations, events, and opportunities. In addition, she will help facilitate
small-group activities and, from time to time, on-line discussions. Our academic advisor, Ana Ketler, will
visit our class once (in September), and students can contact her for help with choosing courses, selecting a
major or minor, navigating the financial-aid process, accessing U. Mass. Boston (UMB) services, and with
any other problems you may be having with university life in genera. The Healey Library staff is very
student-friendly, especially to FYS members! Together we hope to make your FYS experience as
educationally fulfilling as possible.
Note: If you entered UMB with 30 or more transferable credits from other institutions, you should not be
enrolled in this course. If you do enroll, you will be retroactively withdrawn during the semester and will
not receive credit for it. In addition, if you have taken another G-100 level course in any UMB
department, you cannot receive credit for this one.
Course Format and Environment
This course is a SEMINAR in which the class of students, the mentor, and the faculty member works
together towards a depth and clarity of understanding that each of us could not achieve by working alone.
The success of any seminar depends directly on the preparation and cooperation of every one of us. Thus,
students must arrive at class on time and having read and reflected on the reading assignments and
questions posed in class and on the syllabus. We want to promote the full participation of every class
member, since only then will we be able to benefit fully from our group effort. Towards that end, we will
experiment with a range of class activities: discussion in pairs and in small and larger groups; class
debates; possible simulation exercises; formal and informal oral presentations. Lecturing will be minimal.
We will also interrelate our budding academic knowledge to our own lives. So, be prepared B both in class
and on the Blackboard course web site B to respond to ideas or experiences presented by others, not just
always offering your own view. Be prepared, as well, to defend your claims with evidence and reasoned
argument, but also be open to the persuasive arguments of others. You might even find yourself changing
your mind about a position that you thought you had held tightly. Don=t hesitate to disagree with
members of the seminar, but always express disagreements in respectful terms, without personal attacks. It
is my hope that in sharing this intensive seminar experience we will get to know each other as full human
beings B not merely as walking brains B and that our own class= unique identity and character will enrich
each of us academically and otherwise.
Accessibility: My office hours are listed at the top of the syllabus, but please do not hesitate to ask for an
alternate appointment if your schedule conflicts with them. I know you’re very busy.
Accommodations
The Americans with Disabilities Act, passed by Congress by a huge margin in 1990, provides guidelines
for accommodations to students with documented special needs. I will make every effort to provide such
accommodation. Students should provide the relevant documentation to the Ross Center for Disability
Services, located in room 2100 of the Campus Center, and meet with a professional staff member there in
order to work out a plan. The Ross Center will then have you communicate that plan to me. The Ross
Center=s phone number is 617-287-7430.
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Student Referral Program
If it appears to me that you might not pass this First Year Seminar, and if our mentor and I cannot figure
out how to support your success in the course, I may inform the director of the Student Referral Program
(Campus Center, room 1100; 617-287-5500). Program staff will try to help you address the difficulties
that are interfering with your success in the class. If you do not want me to let the Student Referral
Program know that you are having difficulty, please inform me.
Assessments of First Year Seminars
In addition to course evaluation forms that are routinely administered at the end of each UMB course, a
FYS Assessment Committee will look at randomly chosen student writing from FYS=s. Therefore, please
save all your writing in this course so that if you are randomly chosen you will have your work available.
This will help to improve the quality of particular courses, as necessary. Of course, you should feel free to
remove or blacken your name from your papers if you choose to submit them anonymously.
Blackboard Course Web Site
Starting the second week of classes, my technology advisor will create a course web site for this FYS so
that I can post course documents (e.g., the syllabus, class assignments, academic-skills guidelines, etc.);
provide links to applicable web sites and the course “wiki” that has been created for us; provide an e-mail
list for the class; offer the names, e-mail addresses, or phone extensions of important campus offices; and
establish the capacity for students to post and read each other=s on-line comments on the readings, class
discussion, and other parts of the course. (See elaboration under AAttendance and Participation.@) This
will be my first experience with a course web site, and so I thank you in advance for your patience.
Course Books
---Fawaz A. Gerges, Journey of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy (New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2007).
---Philip Roth, The Human Stain (New York: Vintage Books, 2000).
---Dawn Prince-Hughes, Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey through Autism (New York: Three
Rivers Press, 2006).
These three texts B one academic book, one novel, and one memoir B are on sale (for about $36) at the
UMB Bookstore, located on the upper level of the Campus Center: Coming from the shuttle bus, enter the
Campus Center, and immediately turn right. The bookstore will be facing you. Whether you buy them on
or off-campus or borrow them from a library, it is essential that you have these books and bring them to
class on the relevant days. Meaningful participation in class discussions is nearly impossible without them.
E-Reserves
In addition to the three books, we will read a number of articles and book chapters that are available
through the Healey Library=s AE-Reserves.@ Go to the Healey Library web site from UMB=s home page
(www.umb.edu), and click on E-Reserves. I think it=s easiest to access the e-reserves by instructor. Just
click on my last name and then select the e-reserves for this course. The password is Aidentity@ (no need to
put the word in quotation marks, though). You’ll note that under the daily assignments I refer to the
readings short-hand in order to save space, but the list of e-reserve readings with full citations is on the last
page of this syllabus. Suggestion: It=s always wise to print up the e-reserves well in advance of the date
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you are expected to have read them so as not to be caught off guard by any technical problems. Be sure to
bring the relevant e-reserve readings to class on the relevant days because it is hard to effectively
participate otherwise. For example, sometimes we will want to zero in on specific passages in order to
puzzle out an author=s meaning or to compare one author=s writing style or mode of argument with that of
another author.
Course Requirements &Grading Summary
Attendance & Participation
First Graded Paper (3-4 pages)
Second Graded Paper (6-7 pages)
Four Ungraded Writing Exercises
Team Library Work & Presentations
Self-Assessment
15%*
15%
25%
15%**
15%***
15%
*As explained under AAttendance and Participation,@ a student who misses more than 12 hours of class
time (3 weeks of class time) is unable to pass this course unless I am persuaded that there are extenuating
circumstances.
**One must successfully complete all four ungraded writing assignments on time in order to receive the
full 15% credit; otherwise, appropriate deductions to the final course grade will be made.
***Each team member will receive the same grade, which will be based on the overall quality of the
research, the group=s findings, and the oral presentation.
Incomplete Policy
Following University policy, I will grant a grade of AIncomplete@ only under extenuating circumstances
(usually requiring documentation); and only in cases in which a student has already completed at least 2/3
of the course assignments and regularly attended class; and only through my prior approval, never granted
retroactively; and only after the student and I sign a contract spelling out the timetable for completion.
When appropriate and in order to protect the integrity of the grading process, I reserve the right to give
assignments (for the course work still to complete) that are different from those that had been given to the
rest of the class.
Designation of Capabilities
This course is designed to foster the key “capabilities” that are necessary for success in and beyond the
classroom. In our schedule of readings and assignments, the capabilities are designated as: 1) Careful
Reading = CR; 2) Clear Writing = CW; 3) Critical Thinking = CT; 4) Information Technology/Information
Literacy =ITIL; 5) Team Work = TW; 6) Speaking/Listening = S/L; and 7) Self-Assessment = S/A.
Course Assignments
Attendance and Participation Regular attendance and engaged participation advance both the overall quality of a seminar and a
student=s individual success. One cannot get the most out of the course readings without discussing them
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face-to-face with class members. Seminar members will prod each other to think more deeply and
critically about the authors= claims and arguments. Also, there is something about having to put into words
one’s silent thoughts that often sets off the light bulb going in one=s head! This class meets four hours
weekly. If you miss more than four hours of class for unexcused reasons, you will lose points for this
component of the course grade; obviously the more class hours you miss, the more severe the penalty.
After all, one cannot really say that s/he Aparticipated@ in a seminar if s/he was not actually consistently
present in class sessions. As noted, anyone who misses more than 12 hours of class will not be able to pass
the course unless I agree there are extenuating circumstances. Lateness to class, or early departures,
accumulates towards absences, so do make a habit of arriving and leaving on time. Important
announcements will be made at the start of class. In addition, except between our first and second hours
on Wednesdays and in otherwise exigent circumstances, students will be expected not to walk in and out of
the classroom during our sessions because such movement is very distracting to the class.
Class participation takes multiple forms. The standard form is oral: responding to questions raised in class,
raising your own questions, seeking clarification of points made in class, being active in small-group
discussions and helping to present your group=s insights, participating in class debates or other exercises,
and making short, informal oral presentations that we might organize impromptu. Additional ways to
express Aengaged participation@ include: listening attentively (no mean feat at 8:30 a.m.!), having the
assigned reading open in front of you, taking careful notes in class, maintaining a reading journal, bringing
relevant on-line materials to share with class members, speaking with me during office hours or other
appointments, and posting thoughtful comments in the Adiscussion threads@ on our course web site. I will
consider all such facets of class participation. Mentor Carolina Gomez and I will welcome meeting you
one-on-one, for such individualized contact makes teaching all the more enjoyable!
A note about on-line discussions: Once our course web site is up and running (through Blackboard), you
will be asked to post observations, comments, queries, etc., that focus on the course readings and/or points
raised in class, respond to other students= postings, interrelate course material to life experiences, apply
themes in our course readings to current events, interrelate course readings to on-line reading you may do,
interrelate course readings to research you read about or hear on the news, and so forth.
Students will not be graded on the content of their postings, but they must contribute to on-line discussion
each week. Your postings can be as short as three sentences and as long as the equivalent of half page of
typed single-page of text. You may choose to write conversationally or more formally in this forum.
Associated Capabilities: CR, CT, S/L, TW
First Graded Paper: Draft and Revision On Wednesday, October 3 you will submit a 3-4 page draft paper on an assigned paper topic (to be
distributed in class and posted on Blackboard two weeks before the deadline for the first draft), which will
address some analytical questions pertaining to the course readings. Your draft and final paper should be
typed double-spaced in 12-point font and with regular margins, submitted to me in hard copy (not by email). Based on my feedback and your own further reflections on the material, you will revise the paper
and submit it no later than Wednesday, October 24. Both drafts will be graded, with attention paid to how
well you responded to questions, comments, and suggestions.
Second Graded Paper: Draft and Revision On Monday, November 12 you will submit a 6-7 page draft on an assigned paper topic (to be distributed in
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class and posted on Blackboard several weeks before the deadline for the first draft), which will address
some analytical questions pertaining to the course readings and themes that have surfaced in class
discussions. Your draft and final paper should be typed double-spaced in 12-point font and with regular
margins, submitted to me in hard copy (not by e-mail). Based on my feedback and your own further
reflections on the material, you will revise the paper and submit it on Monday November 26. Both drafts
will be graded, with attention paid to how well you responded to questions, comments, and suggestions.
Associated Capabilities: CR, CW, CT, S-A
Four Ungraded Writing Exercises Successful academic writing goes beyond mastering the mechanics of competent writing, such as the rules
of grammar. It is connected with critical reading/ thinking and involves being able to break down an
assignment into manageable parts: understanding the key concepts in a reading; identifying an author=s
main points or arguments; finding similarities and differences in the main assumptions, claims, and
conclusions of two or more authors; formulating a clear and meaningful thesis statement; and constructing
and supporting your own arguments typically through a series of logical steps and the use of appropriate
evidence. There will be four ungraded writing exercises, in addition to an ungraded written selfassessment (see below). Students who successfully complete them on time will receive the full 15 points.
Two of the exercises will consist of 1-page typed Areader responses@ to an assigned reading. Two will
consist of in-class Abrainstorming@ exercises in which you will write informally for about 20 minutes,
producing a 1-2 sentence thesis statement. While students should take these ungraded assignments
seriously for maximum benefit, they are also meant to be relatively low-stress. Playing with ideas can be
enormously stimulating, but unfortunately so often that joy is lost when one sits down TO WRITE. We
need to find ways of maximizing the joy! In this vein, students are strongly encouraged to keep a journal
whose entries (whatever their length) engage the course readings and your reactions to them.
Associated Capabilities: CR, CW, CT, S-A
Team Library Work, Information Technology, and Oral Presentation The class will be divided into 4-5 Ateams,@ each of which will be responsible for conducting academic
research on a subject that illuminates some aspect of our course material. When we have our library
session late September, you will learn about the on-line book catalog, on-line data bases and other web
sources, reference books, stacks, microfilm, and on-line and print academic journals. This assignment will
help develop multiple skills, including: increasing your information and technical literacy, equipping you
to evaluate the reliability of various sources for research, enhancing your ability to work with others on a
shared goal, and practicing oral-presentation skills. At the end of the semester, each group will make an 810-minute presentation of their key findings. Guidelines to be distributed in class and posted on line.
In addition, at the end of a class I will periodically ask you to take a few minutes to search online for web
sites and short pieces that help to illuminate aspects of our course readings and discussions.
Associated Capabilities: CR, CW, CT, ITIL, TW, S/L
Ungraded Self-Assessment A typed 3-4 page Aself-assessment,@ to be due during final-exam week, will ask you to evaluate your
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learning in the seven capability areas, giving yourself a grade for your sense of growth and competency as
a student. (The capabilities are: critical reading; clear writing; critical thinking; information/technical
literacy; team work; and self-assessment.) This assignment will enable you to take stock of your progress
and to identify remaining weaknesses and areas needing improvement. One prerequisite to becoming a
better student is being able to give a realistic self-assessment. The assignment will consist of a welldeveloped paragraph for each of the capability areas and a concluding paragraph. Although this
assignment is ungraded, you must do a satisfactory job on it in order to secure the 15% credit.
Associated Capabilities: CW, CT, S-A
Communicating with Me
Again, it is a great pleasure to speak with UMB students outside of class; therefore, I hope you will make
use of my regular office hours or to set up an appointment at an alternate time. I will do everything I can to
accommodate your very busy schedules. I am also very happy to help you in whatever way I can with
course and career advising, buttressing the assistance you receive from Advisor Ana Ketler and the
University Advising Center. Of course, you can also reach me by e-mail (elizabeth.bussiere@umb.edu) or
by office phone (617-287-6930). Note, however, that I do not communicate by e-mail about the
substantive course material B e.g., the content of course readings, the concepts and theories explained in
class, etc. B due to the very heavy e-mail flow that comes with my being a Department Chairperson. Email is perfect, though, for quick messages and administrative matters, and when called for, I will do my
best to reply promptly.
Non-Course Class Announcements
I firmly believe in disseminating as much information about UMB to students so that you know about this
vibrant community. Such announcements will include seminars, colloquia, and conferences open to the
public; academic-skills workshops; extra-curricular events; possible internship opportunities, and the like.
Please let me know if you would like to announce a campus event or club, or prefer to have me do it.
Academic Misconduct
A University requires a culture of academic honesty and integrity. Academic misconduct thwarts the
educational advancement of the offending individual, along with that of the entire academic community
that is tarnished by it. A huge loss of educational opportunity, academic misconduct is also a colossal
waste of time for faculty and administrators who must ferret it out and prosecute it. There are extremely
serious consequences for those who engage in academic misconduct such as cheating on an exam,
representing someone else=s work as one=s own (or facilitating such misrepresentation, e.g., by Alending@
another student one=s completed paper), and plagiarism. Penalties range from failing the particular
assignment to being suspended or expelled from the University. Faculty members are required by
University policy to report any instances of academic misconduct to the Office of Undergraduate Studies.
Even when a student wins a case on appeal, it takes UMB professional staff time to remove the stain from
the record. Also, in my experience, higher-level administrators tend to be even more severe in their
punishment than faculty are because they are highly sensitive to protecting UMB’s reputation.
Students are responsible for reading the University=s policy and procedures on academic misconduct,
which can be located through the University=s web site as well as in Ahard copies@ inside the Student
Handbook and in the latest edition of the Undergraduate Catalogue. These latter two publications are
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available in the undergraduate admissions office (Campus Center, upper level, room 00320) or in the
Political Science Department office (Wheatley, 5th floor, room 70). To help students understand and avoid
the most frequent form of academic misconduct, plagiarism, I will take the following steps: First, I will
place on regular reserve at Healey Library a book that clarifies various forms and dimensions of academic
misconduct: Doing Honest Work in College: How to Prepare Citations, Avoid Plagiarism, and Achieve
Real Academic Success, by Charles Lipson (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004). Second, for
students seeking help with writing problems, I will place on reserve Barron=s Pocket Guide to Correct
Grammar, 4th edition, by Benjamin W. Griffith, Vincent F. Hopper, Cedric Gate, and Ronald C. Foote
(Hauppauge, N.Y.: Barron=s Educational Series, 2004). A writing guide that many students continue to
find very useful, and one available in most book stores, is Style:Toward Clarity and Grace, by Joseph M.
Williams (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990). Third, I will distribute a guideline sheet
produced by the Political Science Department t; and, fourth, I will be glad to answer-- as many times as
necessary -- any questions you may have about the difference between proper attribution and plagiarism.
Schedule: Course Topics, Readings, Class Activities, and Assignments
WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE AND TO ONE ANOTHER 1
W 9/5: The First Year Seminar and Course Overview
Quick look at syllabus; complete questionnaire
F 9/7: Ice Breaker B Getting Acquainted
Readings: Carefully read syllabus
In Class: Discuss syllabus; getting acquainted
Capabilities Developed: CR, S/L, TW
WEEKS 2 & 3: THINKING ABOUT IDENTITY
M 9/10: Issues of Identity
Reading: Prince-Hughes, Songs of the Gorilla Nation, pp. 1-7; Huntington, e-reserve, Who Are We? pp.
xv-xvii
In Class: Practice classmates= names; discuss the different dimensions of our own individual identities
W9/12: Forms and Expressions of Identity
Reading: Huntington, e-reserve, pp. 3-20
In Class: In pairs, discuss the idea of Anational identity@ and what weight it should have in our lives
Fourth Hour: So, what are Acritical reading@ and Acritical thinking@ anyway, and how to do them well?
F 9/14: Scholars= Perspectives on Identity
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A complete list of the e-reserve readings, with full citations, is on the last page of the syllabus.
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Reading: Sen, e-reserve, Identity and Violence, pp. 18-39
In Class: Small-group discussion on to what extent individuals Achoose@ their identities
Capabilities Developed: CR, CT, S/L, TW
M 9/17: Scholars= Perspectives on Politics and Group Identity
Reading: Huntington, e-reserve, pp. 21-33
In Class: Two-group discussion of whether there is a Aclash of civilizations@ in our world today
Ungraded Writing Assignment #1: Bring to class a 1-page typed Areader=s response@ to the Huntington
and Sen readings, specifically on whether you think there is a Aclash of civilizations,@ and why or why
not.
W 9/19: Scholars= Perspectives on Politics and Group Identity
Reading: Gerges, Journey of the Jihadist, pp. 1-18
In Class: Discuss the relationship between education and political radicalization
Fourth Hour: Guest Visit by Advisor Ana Ketler
F 9/21: Making Connections
Reading: Prince-Hughes, pp. 11-26
In Class: First half of class: Small-group discussion of the vicissitudes of childhood development and
identity-formation: How do the forces of individual psychology interact with social norms and
conventions? Second half of class: Discussion of the components of an effective thesis statement.
Capabilities Developed: CR, CW, CT, S/L, TW
WEEK 4: GROUP IDENTITY AND POLITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS
M 9/24: Anxiety and Politics
Reading: Gerges, pp. 19-60; Prince-Hughes, pp. 35-62
In Class: Discuss the psychic costs of Anormalcy@ B Ahealing@ through political awareness and action?
To what analytical ends can we put personal experience? What are the benefits and hazards?
W 9/26: Group Psychology and the AFraming@ of Justice
Reading: (Charlie) Rose, e-reserve, ARace and Gender,@ pp. 91-101; Roth, The Human Stain, pp. 1-7
In Class: Brief class discussion of the social-psychological filters involving the O.J. Simpson trial.
Ungraded Writing Assignment #2: In the last 10-15 minutes of our first hour, I=ll ask you to formulate in
class a 1-2 sentence thesis statement as to whether or not you think the verdict in the O. J. Simpson case
reflected Ajury nullification@ (this term will be explained in class).
Fourth Hour: Library trip
F 9/28: Group Psychology, Ideology, and the Public/Private Boundary
Reading: Roth, pp. 8-70
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In Class: Small-group discussion and presentation of gut responses to the Aspooks@ incident and to the
different characters= responses to humiliation and rage. What are the political dimensions of the emotions
of rage and humiliation? Does humiliation or shame ever have a productive political role to play, e.g., in
our criminal justice system? An example of a Ashaming@ policy is when authorities publish the photos of
so-called “dead-beat dads” who fail to pay child support to their ex-wives.
Capabilities Developed: CR, ITIL, S/L, TW
WEEK 5: THE AINAUTHENTIC@ SELF AND THE SEARCH FOR IDENTITY
M 10/1: Creating AOutsiders@
Reading: Roth, pp. 70-102
In Class: Discuss Coleman Silks=s family life, his sense of identity as an adolescent, his coach=s advice to
suppress his identity, and Coleman=s response to such Apassing@ and secrecy.
W 10/3: Oppression and Repression
Reading: Yoshino, e-reserve, Covering, pp. 3-27
In Class: Three-group discussion of the socio-political and psychological dynamics of Yoshino=s
Aconversion,@ Apassing,@ and Acovering@ his gay identity. Analogies to other groups= experiences?
Fourth Hour: Class exercise: Peer editing B watching for thesis statement early in a paper and topical
sentences at opening of each paragraph; making effective use of transition words, phrases, and sentences;
other elements of competent writing?
F 10/5: Oppression and Objectification
Reading: Prince-Hughes, pp. 63-110
In Class: Two-way class debate over this claim: Prince-Hughes and her friend Lacey had a Afalse
consciousness@ (to be defined in class) in experiencing their professional nude dancing as acts of
Aliberation@ or self-fulfilling Agenerosity.@ In reality, the environment was exploitative and degrading.
Graded Writing Assignment Due: 3-4 page draft of first graded paper due in class (hard copy only)
Capabilities Developed: CR, CW, CT, TW, S/L
WEEKS 6 & 7: SOCIAL INEQUALITY, GROUP CONFLICT, AND POLITICAL IDENTITY
M 10/8: Columbus Day Holiday B No Classes!
W 10/10: Languages and Images of Group Subordination
Reading: Roth, pp. 102-184
In Class: Three-group discussion of Coleman=s experience with Steena, his decision to marry Iris, and his
decision to change his identity: Was Coleman fated to transform himself B why or why not? Analogies to
real life?
Fourth Hour: Guest Speaker
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F 10/12: The Politics of Racial Slurs
Reading: Kennedy, e-reserve, Nigger, pp. 136-139, 141-148; Wiltse, e-reserve,
In Class: Discuss Kennedy’s piece vis-a-vis CBS=s firing of radio Ashock jock@ Don Imus for calling the
female basketball players of Rutgers University Anappy-headed hos.@ How do you assess the claim that
it’s hypocritical to allow African-American rappers to pepper their songs with “bitch” and “ho” but to howl
when a white radio host does so. Also, what do you make of the special attraction of hip-hop music to
white adolescent boys and young men?
Capabilities Developed: CR, CT, ITIL, TW, S/L
M 10/15: Political Dynamics of Racial Segregation
Reading: Wiltse, e-reserve, Social Waters - A Social History of Swimming Pools in America, pp. 1-7;
Jennifer Hochschild, e-reserve, Facing Up to the American Dream, pp. 73-88
In Class: Four-group discussion of the racial differences between whites and blacks and of the class
differences between poor and well-off blacks in their attitudes towards the AAmerican dream@
W 10/17: Desegregation, Resegregation, and Rethinking Public Space
Reading: Wiltse, e-reserve, pp. 207-13
In Class: Discuss how public swimming pools have mirrored race, sex, and class divisions in the U.S. and
the complex legacies of both group segregation and integration for American culture more broadly.
Fourth Hour: Wrestling with the demons of writing: procrastination, writing blocks, having nothing to say,
having too much to say to organize effectively, setting overly low standards, battling perfectionism, and
feeling just plain miserable
F 10/19: Connecting in Strange Places
Reading: Prince-Hughes, pp. 111-156
In Class: Collect some information from a web site devoted to autism/Asperger=s Syndrome and discuss
Prince-Hughes=s reasons forB and ways of relating to B gorillas and their Aculture.@
Capabilities Developed: CR, CT, ITIL, TW, S/L
WEEKS 8 - 10: SOCIAL CONFLICT AND APOLITICAL MOBILIZATION@
M 10/22: Mobilizing America=s Poor for AEconomic Justice@
Reading: Kornbluh, e-reserve, The Battle for Welfare Rights, pp. 161-182
In Class: Small-group discussion of the ultimate failure of the National Welfare Rights Organization to
build or to sustain political coalitions with women=s rights organizations and broader movements for
Aeconomic justice.@ What broader conclusions might we draw for the politics of group identity?
W 10/24: Mobilizing America=s Working Class
Reading: (Thomas) Frank, e-reserve, What=s the Matter with Kansas? pp. 1-10
In Class: Two-way class debate over Frank=s claim that Kansans= voting behavior is irrational. In making
your argument, be sure to critically evaluate his implicit and explicit assumptions about political identity.
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Fourth Hour: Guest Speaker
Graded Writing Assignment Due: 4-page revision of paper #1 due in class (hard copy only)
F 10/26: Liberation through Labels
Reading: Prince-Hughes, pp. 157-177
In Class: Reflect on Prince-Hughes=s reaction to learning she has AAsperger=s Syndrome.@ Analogies to
our own lives or those of relatives or friends? What might Yoshino (October 3rd reading) say to her?
Capabilities Developed: CR, CW, CT, S/L, S-A
M 10/29: AExposing@ Identity
Reading: Roth, pp. 184-213
In Class: Small-group discussion of the psychological dynamics of Aexposure@ as Coleman experienced
it; then formulate your response to the resignation in early September 2007 of Larry Craig, a Republican
Senator from Idaho, after he pleaded guilty to charges of Adisorderly conduct@ for soliciting sex in a
men=s public bathroom at a Minneapolis airport. Was he rightly Aout-ed,@ or was there a kind of Awitch
hunt?@
W 10/31: PromotingAAnimal Rights@
Reading: Prince-Hughes, pp. 179-211
In Class: Debate: Is the treatment of primates akin to America=s enslavement of blacks from the colonial
period until it human bondage was officially abolished with passage of the 13th Amendment?
Fourth Hour: Getting a Abig bang for the buck@ in the process of editing: Adding or sharpening transition
phrases or sentences, finding good synonyms, varying sentence structure, thinking of apt analogies or
metaphors, integrating visual imagery (or any of the other five senses), and other strategies
F 11/2: The Symbiosis of Solitude and Community
Reading: Prince-Hughes, pp. 213-224
In Class: Discuss some of Prince-Hughes=s concluding themes. What does she mean by a Aculture of
one@ possibly becoming a Aculture of all?@ Is this vision sentimental nonsense?
Ungraded Writing Assignment #3: Reflecting on the questions above (for our class discussion), write a 1page Areader=s response@ to Prince-Hughes=s epilogue.
Capabilities Developed: CR, CW, CT, S/L
M 11/5: The Political Dimensions of the AHuman Stain@
Reading: Roth, pp. 213-247
In Class: Discuss what similarities and differences you see between Prince-Hughes=s and Faunia Farley=s
emotional connections to animals and some of the life=s lessons each draws. What would Prince-Hughes
make of Faunia Farley=s understanding of the Ahuman stain?@ Is Farley Roth=s voice?
W 11/7: The Politics of APolitical Correctness@
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Reading: Roth, pp. 247-283
In Class: Discuss the possible significance of Delphine Roux=s personal ad and the reasons Roth might
have had her accidentally botched its mailing. What do you think is Roth=s attitude towards women?
More broadly, what do you think of charges of “political correctness” – are they valid? Note: The term
“political correctness” harkens back to the era of Soviet totalitarianism, when the (former) Soviet Union
sent off to harsh labor campus those who dared to dissent from the Communist-Party line. To brand
something as “politically correct” thus conjures up oppression. Do you agree with this analogy? In your
view, what’s behind such charges?
Fourth Hour and Ungraded Writing Assignment #4: In-class writing exercise focused on formulating a
thesis statement for paper #2.
F 11/9: Subversive Acts and Identity B Is Athe Personal@ Political?
Reading: Roth, pp. 283-312
In Class: Discuss what has changed in your perception of Faunia Farley in getting to know her family
better and what role her illiteracy plays, in her relationship with Coleman and in the novel as a whole
Capabilities Developed: CR, CT, S/L
WEEKS 11 & 12: GROUP IDENTITY, POLITICAL RESISTANCE AND EXTREMISM
M 11/12: Individual and Group Identity and the Search for Freedom
Reading: Roth, pp. 312-361
In Class: Small-group discussion of Roth=s renunciation of family history, Roth=s ideas about identity
and human freedom, and other themes of the novel. In your view, what did Roth get right in the novel, and
what did he get wrong? If you were his editor, what you recommend he change?
Graded Writing Assignment #2 Due: 5-6 page draft of second graded paper due in class (hard copy only)
W 11/14: The Human Stain on Screen
Regular and Fourth Hour: View AThe Human Stain@ (with Nicole Kidman and Anthony Hopkins)
F: 11/16: Artistic Expression: The Human Stain, the Novel, and The Human Stain, the Film
Reading: Gerges, pp. 61-142 (assigned so that you will pace yourselves with Gerges= book!)
In Class: Two-way debate over whether the novel is more powerful than the film, or vice-versa
Capabilities Developed: CR, CT, S/L, TW
M 11/19: Narrative and Interpretation
Reading: Gerges, pp. 143-182
In Class: Discuss the discrepancies between, on the one hand, Osama bin Laden=s and Ayman alZawahiri=s narrative of jihad, on the one hand, and, the author=s account, on the other hand
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W 11/21: The Responses to 9-11
Reading: Gerges, pp. 183-229
Regular and Fourth Hour: Come to class having visited a web site of a particular civic or political
organization in a Western nation and one in an Arab nation. Small-group discussion and presentations of
the various responses to 9-11 throughout the Arab world and the West
F 11/23: Thanksgiving Break B No Classes!
Capabilities Developed: CR, CT, S/L
WEEKS 13 & 14: THE POLITICAL LIMITS OF GROUP IDENTITY
M 11/26: The AAmerican Dream@
Reading: Hochschild, e-reserve, Facing Up to the American Dream, pp. 250-260
In Class: Making sense of Hochschild=s conclusions on race/class divisions and the American Dream
W 11/28: The Conservative Challenge to ALiberalism@
Reading: Frank, e-reserve, pp. 237-251
In Class: Discuss why lower-class Democrats became Republicans; apply Hochschild=s insights above
Fourth Hour: Guest Speaker
F 11/30: The Conservative Challenge to ALiberalism@
Reading: Rieder, e-reserve, The Jews and Italians of Brooklyn Against Liberalism, pp. 27-54
In Class: Continue discussion of why lower-class Democrats became Republicans; on what points do
Thomas Frank and Jonathan Rieder seem to agree B and disagree?
Capabilities Developed: CR, CT, S/L
M 12/3: Mapping Attitudes of Rich and Poor as to AWhat=s Fair?@
Reading: Hochschild, e-reserve, What=s Fair? pp. 27-45
In Class: In small groups, trace the different patterns of attitudes as to Awhat=s fair?@
W 12/5: When AWork Works@
Reading: Shipler, e-reserve, The Working Poor - Invisible in America, pp. 254-284
In Class: Discuss the promises and limits of work; relate Hochschild=s interviewees to Shipler=s
Fourth Hour: Preparation for Group Presentations
F 12/7: The Politics of Identity
In Class: Group Presentations
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Capabilities Developed: CR, CW, CT, ITIL, TW, S/L
WEEK 15: WRAPPING UP GROUP PRESENTATIONS AND CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
M 12/10: The Politics of Identity
In Class: Group Presentations
W 12/12: The Politics of Identity
In Class: Tease out some major course themes
Fourth Hour: Complete course evaluations and say our goodbye=s
Capabilities Developed: CR, CW, CT, ITIL, TW, S/L
M-F, 12/17 – 12/21: Submission of 3-page Self-Assessment (exact date to be announced)
Full Citations of E-Reserve Readings
Thomas Frank, What’s the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America (New
York: Henry Holt and Company, 2004), pp. 1-10, 237-251, and the endnotes
Jennifer L. Hochschild, Facing Up to the American Dream: Race, Class, and the Soul of the Nation
(Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1995), pp. 72-88, 250-260, and the endnotes
Jennifer L. Hochschild, What’s Fair? American Beliefs about Distributive Justice (Cambridge, Mass.:
Harvard University Press, 1981), pp. 27-45, and the endnotes
Samuel P. Huntington, Who Are We? The Challenges to American National Identity (New York: Simon &
Schuster, 2004), pp. xv-xvii, 3-33, the endnotes
Randall Kennedy, Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome World (New York: Vintage Books,
2002), pp. 136-139, 141-148, and the endnotes
Felicia Kornbluh, The Battle for Welfare Rights: Politics and Poverty in Modern America (Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007), pp. 161-182, and the endnotes
Jonathan Rieder, Carnasie: The Jews and Italians against Liberalism (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard
University Press, 1985), pp. 27-54, and the endnotes
Charlie Rose, Interview with Gloria Steinem and Patricia Williams, “Race and Gender,” in Postmortem:
The O.J. Simpson Case, edited by Jeffrey Abramson (New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1996), pp. 91-101
Amartya Sen, Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny (New York): W.W. Norton & Company,
2006), pp. 18-39
David K. Shipler, The Working Poor: Invisible in America (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004), pp. 254-
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284, and the endnotes
Jeff Wiltse, Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America (Chapel Hill: University of
North Carolina Press, 2007), pp. 1-7, 207-213, and the endnotes
Kenji Yoshino, Covering: The Hidden Assault on our Civil Rights (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University
Press, 2006), pp. 3-27
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