HONR218Z
Contemporary American Culture and Its Insecurities GenED
Fall Semester 2014
TTh 11:00-12:15 in TWS 3136
Prof. Horst Tonn
Office: 3225 Tawes Hall
email: horst.tonn@uni-tuebingen.de
florian.nuxoll@gmx.net
Office hours: tuesday, 2 – 3 and by appointment
REQUIRED READINGS
Adam Haslett, Union Atlantic (2010) (ISBN 978-0-385-52447-6)
Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis (2003) (ISBN 978-0330524933)
Rubén Martínez, The Other Side (1992) (ISBN 0-679-74591-2)
Additional readings will be found on the moodle site for this course. Access to this internet site will
be explained at the first class meeting.
Students are expected to print this material, read it, and bring it with them to class on the day it is
assigned.
Recommended:
Hugh Gusterson & Catherine Besteman, eds.: The Insecure American (2010)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This seminar will offer a learning environment in which UMD students will engage with students
from the University of Tuebingen in Germany. Students in this class will interact online with their
German counterparts via video conferences, blog entries and email. This setting will encourage
transnational and multiperspectival thinking on current issues of global relevance. Participants on
both sides of the Atlantic will work closely to explore issues such as urban life, shifting family and
gender relations, work and the economy, etc.
Insecurity has been identified as a relevant concept in many areas of contemporary life such as
family patterns and foreign politics, gender issues and homeland security, economics and identity
formation, globalization, migration and ethnic relations. Generally speaking, insecurity occurs when
cultural assumptions and practices no longer seem to work successfully, when we find ourselves
confronted with experiences which threaten or undermine our way of life, our norms, values and
ideals. In this seminar we will discuss how viable the idea of insecurity may be for interpretations of
contemporary U.S. culture. The class will read and discuss selections from contemporary American
literature and film supplemented by theoretical texts from other disciplines (cultural theory,
globalization studies, ethnic studies, media studies, etc.)
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Grades will be based on group work and preparation of video conference sections with Tuebingen
students (40%); two argumentative essays of 2-3 pages each (30%); and a longer 10-page paper
(30%). Assignments for the written work will be specified at the beginning of the course.
All written assignments must be submitted in hard copy and with the following format: 1” margins
on all sides, double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, black ink, stapled, with page
numbering and no cover sheet. Late work will not be accepted, except in the case of a documented
personal emergency. Students are strongly encouraged to do frequent backups and to keep all graded
materials until the end of the term
You are expected to come to every class and you must come to class prepared and on time. Late
papers will be downgraded unless an extension has been formally granted in advance. If you
anticipate schedule conflicts at any time in the semester please see me well in advance. (See below
for details.) No incompletes permitted except under extraordinary circumstances. All assignments
must be completed in order to pass the course.
COURSE GOALS
This class will offer you the opportunity to participate in a transatlantic classroom setting. The class
will collaborate with a parallel course at the University of Tuebingen/Germany. U.S. and German
students will communicate via video conferences and they will do group work together by way of the
internet. In this course you will acquire experience and skills in intercultural communication. You
will improve your ability to communicate productively with students from a different cultural
background. You will learn how internet formats can be used for academic purposes (e-learning).
The class will familiarize students with a variety of viewpoints on contemporary American culture.
Literary texts, films and social science sources will be analyzed and critically evaluated in this class.
Students will improve their skills in systematic analysis and critical judgment.
PLEASE NOTE ALSO:
1) Disabilities. If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations
with me, please contact me immediately.
2) Religious Observance. The University System of Maryland policy on religious observances
provides that students should not be penalized because of observances of their religious beliefs.
Students shall be given an opportunity, wherever feasible, to make up within a reasonable time any
academic assignment that is missed due to individual participation in religious observances. It is the
student’s responsibility to inform the instructor in advance of any intended absences for religious
observances. Notice should be provided as soon as possible, but no later than the end of schedule
adjustment period.
3) Excused Absences for University Sanctioned Events. It is also the student’s responsibility to
inform the instructor in advance of any intended absences for university sanctioned events (e.g.
competitions, conferences, athletic events). Notice should be provided as soon as possible, but no
later than the end of schedule adjustment period.
4) Excused Absences for Medical Reasons. Regular attendance and participation in this class is the
best way to grasp the concepts and principles being discussed. However, in the event that a class
must be missed due to an illness, the policy in this class is as follows:
For every medically necessary absence from class, a reasonable effort should be made to notify the
instructor in advance of the class. Email is good for this. When returning to class, students must bring
a note identifying the date of and reason for the absence, and acknowledging that the information in
the note is accurate.
If a student is absent more than twice, the instructor may require documentation signed by a health
care professional.
If a student is absent on days when tests are scheduled or papers are due, or other such events as
specified in the syllabus, he or she is required to notify the instructor in advance, and upon returning
to class, bring documentation of the illness, signed by a health care professional.
Documentation must specify that the student was physically incapable of attending the missed
classes.
5) Honor Code. The Student Honor Council has requested that faculty members place the following
passage in their course syllabi:
“The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity,
administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at
Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for
upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the
consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the
Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit
http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/whatis.html."
I assume that every member of the class is fully aware of the Code and the consequences for failure
to live up to the code. I urge you to visit the website indicated above and take seriously what you
read there. All cases of academic dishonesty will be referred to the Honor Council.
6) Email. If you send email to me, please be sure to include the course number and your name on the
subject line of the message, so your message doesn’t get lost. Please check your email regularly for
announcements sent to the class email reflector.
7) Submitting Papers. All papers must be submitted in person, in hardcopy, and signed with the
Pledge. Under no circumstances may papers be emailed or faxed either to me or to the English
Department.
8) Inclement Weather or other University Emergencies. Assignments and exams will be
rescheduled as needed, and as feasible, on a case-by-case basis in the event of university closings or
the instructor's absence. Please check your email for announcements.
9) Learning Assistance. If you are experiencing difficulties in keeping up with the academic demands of
this course, contact the Learning Assistance Service, 2202 Shoemaker Building, 301-314-7693. Their
educational counselors can help with time management, reading, math learning skills, note-taking and exam
preparation skills. All their services are free to UMD students.
10) Writing Center. I would encourage all of you to make use of the Writing Center, TWS 1205.
Information can be found online at: http://www.english.umd.edu/academics/writingcenter.
Appointments can be made either online or by calling (301) 405-3785. This is a free service
administered by the English Department and open to all undergraduates regardless of major. The
Writing Center provides opportunities for undergraduate students to improve writing and thinking
skills in their academic work, and also in preparation for their careers. In a comfortable and
supportive atmosphere, trained consultants with a variety of majors assist writers individually at all
stages of the composing process.
11) Cell Phones and Laptops. Cell phones must be OFF during class and both off and out of sight
during tests. We will use laptops in some class meetings to communicate with our Tuebingen
counterparts.
SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Note that the schedule below indicates the dates on which works will be discussed. This schedule is
subject to modification. Be alert for changes.
Assignments appear on the date they are due. Minor changes may be made if necessary.
Sep. 2
Course Introduction
Sep. 4
Zygmunt Bauman, Liquid Times. Living in an Age of Uncertainty (2007)
Introduction and chapter 1 (excerpts on moodle)
I.
Fluid Identities: Family, Gender, Social Relations
Sep. 9
„American Beauty“ I – film screening and discussion
Sep. 11
„American Beauty“ II – film screening and discussion
Sep. 16
Anthony Giddens, Runaway World (2002): chapter 4: „Family“ (moodle site)
Sep. 18
Resource session: web-based communication and intercultural learning
Sep. 23
Adam Haslett, Union Atlantic (2010)
Sep. 25
Adam Haslett, Union Atlantic (2010)
Sep. 30
Adam Haslett, Union Atlantic (2010)
Oct. 2
First video conference with Tuebingen: Introductions;
Hugh Gusterson & Catherine Besteman, The Insecure American (2010),
„Introduction“ (moodle site)
Oct. 7
David Foster Wallace, „Incarnations of Burned Children“ (moodle site)
First written assignment is due
II.
Labor, Class and the Economy
Oct. 9
David Graeber, „Neoliberalism, or The Bureaucratization of the World“
(moodle site)
Oct. 14
„The American Dream“ I – film screening and discussion
Oct. 16
„The American Dream“ II – film screening and discussion
Oct. 21
Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis (2003), pp. 5-61
Oct. 23
Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis (2003), pp. 63-107
Oct. 28
Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis (2003), pp. 111-148
Oct. 30
Video conference with Tuebingen: student presentations
Nov. 4
Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis (2003), pp. 149-209
Nov. 6
Video conference with Tuebingen: student presentations
Second written assignment is due
III.
Urban Experience Today: The Case of Los Angeles
Nov. 11
„Crash“ – film screening and discussion
Nov. 13
Video conference with Tuebingen: student presentations
Nov. 18
Zygmunt Bauman, Liquid Times, chapter 4 (moodle site)
Nov. 20
Video conference with Tuebingen: student presentations
Nov. 25
Rubén Martínez, The Other Side (1992); pp. 1-5, 26-50
Nov. 27
Thanksgiving
Dec. 2
Rubén Martínez, The Other Side (1992), pp. 67-84, 102-127
Dec. 4
Video conference with Tuebingen: student presentations
Dec. 9
Round-up:
Anthony Giddens, Runaway World, chapter 5: „Democracy“
(excerpts on moodle)
Long paper is due today!
Dec. 11
Round-up video conference with Tuebingen
Transatlantic Seminar – Workgroups
Each workgroup will have 4 students – two Tuebingen and two UMD students.
Their task is to prepare a 15 minute presentation followed by a 15-minute discussion period.
The presentations will be given in a video conference which both classes attend.
Students organize their own working process and choose how they want to communicate. You
are free to use whatever electronic communication devices and social media you find useful
for your work: email, blogs, skype, google hangout, etc.
Be prepared for technological failures! In other words, think of how you will do your
presentation if our digital link to the other classroom breaks down.
How we view and interpret the world is largely shaped by the culture in which we grow up
and live in. The focus of our work in this class will be on cultural differences, that is cultural
assumptions, norms and values. An environment in which U.S. and German students work
together offers excellent opportunities to identify, discuss and articulate cultural differences.
Each group will be assigned a topic and a text or a film that they concentrate on. The groups
should proceed in three steps:
1. Begin with a general exchange of ideas, opinions, attitudes about your topic in the
group. In the process, identify cultural differences. How does one’s particular cultural
background influence and shape the ideas and values that we hold?
2. Then focus on the assigned text or film. To what degree do cultural differences have
an impact on how you interpret this particular text.
3. Explain how all of this is relevant to our topic „insecurity“!
Conferences:
October 2: first video conference
October 30:
Union Atlantic: family issues
„American Beauty“: gender & beauty
November 6: Foster Wallace, „Incarnations..“: social relationships
„American Dream“: trade unionism
November 13: Cosmopolis: insecurities of finance capitalism
Graeber, „Neoliberalism, ...“: neoliberalism
November 20: „Crash“: race
„Crash“: urban mobility
December 4: Bauman, „Out of Touch Together“: urbanity today
The Other Side: Los Angeles again
December 11: Round-up video conference