Jazz Explorations

Jazz Explorations

Winter 2023 – Kalamazoo College

MUSC165
Dr. Beau Bothwell
Email: beau.bothwell@kzoo.edu

Class: MWF 9:40-10:55am
Fine Arts Room 11
Office Hours: M 11am-12pm, T 10-11am,
or by appointment.
Office: Fine Arts 128

Romare Bearden, Jammin’ at the Savoy (1981-82)

Description:

This course is intended to introduce students to the cultural context, instrumentation, theory, form, and analysis of jazz from its early West African roots to contemporary times. Emphasis will be placed on listening to various artists and styles. No music reading or basic theory knowledge is required.

The primary objectives of this course are to:

  1. Increase your knowledge and enjoyment of jazz and related musics both as historical and cultural phenomena and as vehicles for creative expression
  2. Develop the skills necessary to become an active and perceptive listener
  3. Experience the joys (and frustrations) of creating music that incorporates improvisation
  4. Explore and understand the social and historical influences on the development of jazz and related creative musics

Assignments and Evaluation:

Students will be evaluated according to the following criteria

AssignmentsValue
Attendance and Participation 9
Daily Pre-Class Reading/Listening Qs 15
Concert Attendance (2) 5
Trio Performance Assignments20
Midterm Exam18
Final Exam33


Required Reading and Listening:

For the first half of the course, we will be drawing extensively from Ted Gioia’s The History of Jazz. I highly encourage you to purchase a physical copy for reference and to use in class. Used copies of the first edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998) are available online for less than $10. The book is also available online via the Kalamazoo College library. Additional readings will be posted on the course website.

Preparation and Daily Assignments:

I will post a will be a brief set of questions online about aspects of the reading and listening assignments, and your submissions is due each day before class. (Access to the daily questions will require your K login.) Additionally, the course will include a significant amount of discussion, and students should come to class ready to discuss and ask questions about daily reading and listening assignments.

Maximum Possible Points on Daily Questions:

Daily Questions…Points
Completed before class11/10
Completed before the subsequent class8.5/10
Completed any time after the subsequent class7/10

Course Website

All reading and listening assignments will be posted on the course website.This is the site you should be checking frequently.
password: changes
Moodle will be used exclusively to post grades.

Performance Trio Projects

You will form a jazz trio with fellow class members and perform the following in class:

  • Rhythm Band Project (Week 3)
  • Melodic Improvisation Project (Week 5)
  • 12-Bar Blues Project (Week 9)
  • American Songbook Standard project (Week 10)

I will describe each of these in detail over the coming weeks, but in brief: Your composition projects must include improvisation by each partner and utilize several of the jazz techniques discussed in class. (E.g., call & response, pitch bends, timbral variation, scat singing, stop-time, double-time, solo breaks, trading twos, fours, eights, etc. More to follow.)

  • Due at Final Exam time a two-page Reflection Summary of your performance projects detailing the learning experience/process. This is not graded, however, failure to submit this assignment will automatically lower your final grade by ½ letter grade

Required Music Streaming Service

This semester, we will primarily be using Spotify and Youtube as our music portals, supplemented by online databases accessed through your Kalamazoo login, as well as a variety of online resources. All students should sign up for a (free) Spotify account.

A note about studying for a listening-intensive course

There will be extensive listening portions on both the midterm and the final. Please keep in mind that it is impossible to cram aural information the way you cram visual information. No matter how hard you might be studying, it still takes over an hour to listen to Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite from beginning to end. Don’t wait until the last minute to try to familiarize yourself with the listening.

Class Participation

Participation will be evaluated on the following criteria:

A: You contribute to class frequently (almost every session, though I don’t expect everyone to be “on” every day). Your comments reflect excellent preparation, build from the comments of others and/or offer direction for the discussion. If you were not in the class, the quality of discussion would be diminished markedly.

B: You contribute to class sometimes. Your comments reflect good preparation, sometimes build from the comments of others and/or sometimes offer direction for the discussion. If you were not in the class, the quality of discussion would be diminished.

C: You contribute to class rarely. Your comments reflect adequate preparation, occasionally build from the comments of others and/or occasionally offer direction for the discussion. If you were not in the class, the quality of discussion would be diminished somewhat.

D: You contribute to class very rarely or not at all. As a result, there is little or no basis for evaluation. If you were not in the class, the discussion would not be changed.

Also D: You contribute to class but your contributions reflect inadequate preparation and offer no direction for the discussion. If you were not in the class, the discussion would be improved

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend every class session. In the event that you must miss a class due to religious observance, illness, family emergency, etc…, please provide notification as soon as possible, preferably in advance of the absence. After two unexcused absences, each subsequent absence will result in a 4% reduction in total course grade.

Statement on Academic Integrity

Acts of academic dishonesty are prohibited. Cheating includes, but is not limited to: (1) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations; (2) use of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems; or carrying out other assignments; (3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the College community; (4) engaging in any behavior specifically prohibited by a faculty member in the course syllabus or class discussion. If you have any questions about these policies, please ask, and refer to the guidelines here.

Statement on Learning Difference

Any student with a learning difference who needs an accommodation or other assistance in this course should make an appointment to speak with me as soon as possible. Please do feel free to reach out as soon as possible.

An Important Tip for The Rest of Your Life

Whenever you send an assignment to a professor, a resume to a potential employer, or a request to a new contact, you should assume that this person receives dozens (or hundreds) of files as attachments every week. As such, it is in your interest to title your file in such a way that it is easy to track and identify at a glance. Using very specific filenames will also make your life much easier down the road when you are trying to find an old file.

Good Filename: MyName__Week1Response_Sept2022.doc
Bad Filename: Assignment1.doc

Good Filename: MyName_NewOrleansBoucePaper_10Oct22.pdf
Awful Filename: NewOrleans.pdf

Good Filename: MyNameResume_PositionTitle-CompanyName_2Nov24.prf
No Good, Terrible Filename: Resume.pdf

If you send me a filename similar to the bad examples above, you will receive a reply email consisting entirely of “what.huh?”

Draft timeline for the quarter

Major Assignments/Exams area listed below. See course website for daily reading/listening assignments.

Week One

Wednesday

First Day of Class

Week Two

Week Three

Monday

No Class, MLK Day

Friday

Rhythm Band Performance Due (in class)

Week Four

Week Five

Wednesday

Melodic Improvisation Project (in class)

Friday

No Class, Winter Break

Week Six

Wednesday

Midterm Exam

Week Seven

Week Eight

Week Nine

Friday

Blues Performance Project (in class)

Week Ten

Friday

Standard Performance Project (in class)

Finals

Final Exam: Tuesday, 3/14, 8:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

St. Louis Cluster Information

In January of 2022, Kalamazoo College received a three-year Mellon grant (For information about the grant, see Humanities Grant Boosts Experiential Learning Project.) Entitled Humanities Integrated Locational Learning (HILL), this initiative examines how many problems of our time can be analyzed through the lens of location and dislocation. To develop a deeper knowledge of these disruptions (physical, psychological, social, linguistic, and more) with the aim of generating the potential for change, HILL supports the formation of class clusters linked to specific places within and beyond Kalamazoo. Our course contributes to a “Beyond Kalamazoo” Cluster focused on St. Louis, comprised of the following winter courses: ENGL230 – U.S. Ethnic Literature (Dr. McDade); JAPN301 – High Intermediate Japanese (Dr. Sugimori); HIST215 – Victorianizing America (Dr. Boyer Lewis); SEMN201 Beauty Across Cultures (Dr. Zhang); MUSC165 – Jazz Explorations (Dr. Bothwell.)

While these courses will function independently, they are united by their engagement with St. Louis as a historical and contemporary site, as well as the way they draw from humanistic inquiry to construct justice-based notions of land, place, and belonging in response to humanistic concerns and social inequities (i.e., systemic racism, body and border policing, economic inequity, global warming, etc.)

After the conclusion of the quarter, cluster faculty and selected students will extend the classroom to St. Louis for a 7-day, fully-funded study away experience (includes travel, housing, and meals). During this partial-unit experiential social justice research seminar in St. Louis (June 5-12, 2023), 2-5 students from each cluster course will undertake individual and collaborative research within and across the disciplinary knowledges acquired in their respective courses in order to produce a supradisciplinary research project. The trip will prioritize place-based learning, humanities-based inquiry, and social justice problem-solving via relevant site visits, partnerships with local community organizations, and student-led discussion and reflection. At the end of the trip, students will publish their research on a digital humanities website.

Note: The partial unit will be credited in the summer, appearing on the Fall 2023 transcript.

Application process: Interested students will need to submit an application and a research proposal to the HILL site by Tuesday of 9th Week Feb. 28th. In the application, students will be asked to submit a <1000-word proposal that addresses the following questions:

  1. What are your general areas of research interest? Feel free to highlight subject matters, themes, texts, etc. from your cluster course for support.
  2. How does St. Louis’ “placeness” (history, geography/landscape, culture, etc.) pertain to your research interest? How do you see the theme of “location and dislocation” at work?
  3. How do your research interests connect to relevant social justice concerns?
  4. Have you had any experiences that may have prepared you for this experiential research seminar? Please detail any past research (individual or collaborative), service-learning courses, and/or experiential learning engagement you identify as relevant.

Applications will be reviewed by cluster faculty in conjunction with the Center for International Programs. Participants will be chosen based on potential collaborative research intersections across cluster courses and the importance of St. Louis as a site. Those selected for the experiential research seminar in St. Louis will be notified no later than 10th Week Friday (10 March 2023.)

Selection for the St. Louis Cluster Seminar will require the following mandatory commitments:

  • Additional preparatory work throughout weeks 5-10 of the Spring term to prepare you for site engagements in St. Louis. You will be provided with a seminar syllabus in the Spring after cohort selection is finalized.
  • Weekly meetings with your research group (held weeks 5-10 in the Spring on Mondays during common time, Hicks Banquet Hall West)
  1. Attend information sessions with community partners
  2. Meetings with the HILL Digital Humanities Coordinator, Bruce Mills
  3. Submission of pre-departure materials, week 10 Spring
  4. Write and submit a group project research proposal
  • Individual or group seminar experiential reflection blog, video, interview due (TBA following St. Louis seminar.)
  • Research project, due (DATES TBD, Summer) , with revision and approval in consultation with cluster faculty and DH Coordinator finalized (DATES TBA, Summer)


Additionally, a $4,500 summer research stipend for June-August 2024 is open to all students, with priority given to students who want to return to St. Louis after the cluster trip or students who participated in one of the St. Louis cluster courses in 2023. More information is available on our website.

Reading the World: Social Justice Syllabus

Reading the World: Social Justice

Local Literacies
Reading the World
Spring 2023


Instructor: Dr. Monique McDade
Class time & location: MWF 2:45-4:00; Upjohn Library Commons 308
Contact: Monique.McDade@kzoo.edu

Office Hours & location:
MW 1:30-2:30, Humphrey House 205

Course Description

“Literacy is the most basic currency of the knowledge economy.”

President Barack Obama


Illiteracy is a global epidemic, and its consequences are far reaching. Illiteracy is tied to generational poverty, lack of healthcare, and job/educational inequities. According to the World Literacy Foundation, 1 in 5 people are completely illiterate and three-billion people around the globe struggle with basic reading and writing. More locally, 1 in 8 Kalamazoo adults face challenges with basic reading (Kalamazoo Literacy Council). But what do these numbers mean and what can be and is being done to address high rates of illiteracy in our local and global communities?

In this Reading the World course we will study local and global literacies and illiteracies in all their complexity. We will begin with addressing historical ways illiteracy has been weaponized against communities of color and women to control their access to a number of vital rights and services. We will then move to draw out and extrapolate upon the variety of literacies/illiteracies that impact our local community and to acknowledge the systematic power structures that contribute to illiteracy in each of these arenas. The course will end with an evaluation of local initiatives and organizations fighting to correct illiteracy.

In addition to completing the reading and writing assignments, students in this class are also committing to engaging with a series of community leaders as they visit our classroom. We will also be spending one of our class periods working with the Kalamazoo Public Library’s mobile library to recruit K College students to sign up for public library cards on campus. These community components of the course are integral for the learning outcomes and will be invaluable resources as you complete your writing projects.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs):

  • Identify the different kinds of [il]literacies that operate both locally and globally.
  • Discuss how [il]literacies have been and continue to be weaponized against marginalized and underrepresented groups.
  • Understand the foundational role [il]literacies play in the distribution of generational wealth, knowledge, and democratic agency.
  • Engage in ongoing debates about local and global [il]literacies through a dynamic research agenda.
  • Demonstrate your ability to critically and argumentatively enter into ongoing conversations about local and global [il]literacies through writing.
  • Reflect on your own [il]literacies and situate yourself and your “home” communities within this discourse.

Grading Scale

AA-B+BB-C+CC-D+DD-F
100-9493-9089-8887-8483-8079-7877-7473-7069-6867-6463-6059-

Required Assignments

Writing ProjectsGrade Percentage
Attendance & Participation15%
Literacy Narrative20%
Research Paper20%
Group Writing Project25%
Reflection Paper20%

Brief Assignment Descriptions

  • Attendance & Participation: Attendance and participation are important in any college classroom. Your learning depends on your presence as well as your contributions to discussions and activities. But it is even more important in our class. Over the course of the term, we will have a series of visitors talking to us about [il]literacy. We will also be assisting the Kalamazoo Public Library in recruiting K College students to sign up for a public library card here on campus. These components of our course are priceless to our understanding and engagement with local [il]literacies and your attendance and participation is crucial to your own learning and the overall success of the course.
  • Literacy Narrative: The first major assignment requires that you reflect on your own literacy journey. You will write a three-page critical literacy narrative that will be posted in a public forum.
  • Local Literacies Research Paper: After writing your own literacy narrative, you will then spend a few weeks collecting literacy accounts from others. Once you have collected these narratives, you will write a five-page research paper on the topic of local [il]literacies.
  • Group Writing Project: Our final project in this course is a group and class initiative. This project will build upon your individual research papers and the literacy narratives you collected for that paper will once again be useful for you here. As a class, we will use Wix to create a class website intended to inform our local community about [il]literacies and the resources available to combat illiteracy. Each group will be responsible for a specific topic. We will also create a receptacle to display and share our own literacy narratives and the literacy narratives we collected from the research paper.
  • Reflection Paper: Lastly, each student will write their own reflection paper to cap the course. This is an opportunity for you to critically engage with what you learned—what were your misconceptions about [il]literacy? What did you take for granted? What did you gain from the various components of the course. This assignment is to be more than just a diary or journal entry, but a critical essay in and of itself. You will utilize course readings and reflect on specific experiences you had in the course.

Required Texts

  • Richard Wright, Black Boy
  • John Corcoran, The Teacher Who Couldn’t Read
  • Seventeen Syllables, Hisaye Yamamoto
  • Flying Kites
  • Our Bodies, Ourselves
  • Arlie Russel Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land
  • You will need access to Netflix
  • Additional materials provided via Moodle

**This class also incorporates visits with local organizations involved in literacy projects. Some of these visitors will come to us and for others we will go to them. “Field trips” will typically happen after 4:00 and will have complimentary and mandatory assignments attached.**

COURSE Schedule

Week 1: March 27th – 31st

Week

Week 1: March 27th-31st

Literacy: what it is & what it gives us

Monday

Reading due:

  • William Meredith, “Illiterate”
Wednesday

Reading due:

  • Richard Wright, Black Boy (Ch. 13 & 14)
  • David A. King, “The Library Card Episode”
Friday

Reading due:

  • “Literacy Narrative,” Kiki Petrosino

Week 2: April 3rd – 7th

Week

Week 2: April 3rd-7th

Unit One: Defining & Undefining Illiteracy

Monday

Reading due:

  • “Is the Literacy ‘Crisis’ Real”
  • John Corcoran, The Teacher Who Couldn’t Read (Prologue through Chapter 9)
Wednesday

Reading due:

  • John Corcoran, The Teacher Who Couldn’t Read (Chapter 10 through Epilogue)
Friday

Reading due:

  • Hisaye Yamamoto, “Seventeen Syllables” & “Reading and Writing” from Seventeen Syllables

Week 3: April 10th – 14th

Week

Week 3: April 10th – 14th

Unit Two: Local illiteracies, Libraries, & Social Justice

Monday

*Kalamazoo Literacy Council Visitor*

Reading due:

  • “Five Facts about Literacy in Kalamazoo”
Wednesday

Reading due:

  • Right to Read, PBS documentary
  • “The Library Card,” Deb Fallows

*Introduce Research Paper*

Friday

*No class*

Workday.

Assignment due:

  • Literacy Narrative due by midnight to Moodle

Week 4: April 17th – 21st

Week

Week 4: April 17th – 21st

Unit Two, cont.: Local illiteracies, Libraries, & Social Justice

Monday

Reading due:

  • “The Complicated Role of the Modern Public Library”
  • Select news clips from Michigan specific libraries

**Kalamazoo Public Library visit on Tuesday, April 18th 4:30-5:30**

Wednesday

*Mobile Library Van*

Reading due:

  • View: Our Towns, HBO
Friday

*Debriefing day*

Reading due:

  • “The Bible Didn’t Say So,” Allen

Week 5: April 24th – 28th

Week

Week 5: April 24th – 28th

Unit Three: Weaponizing Literacy

Monday

Reading due:

  • Selections from Frederick Douglas
Wednesday

Reading due:

  • Charlotte Perkins-Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper”

*Ladies Library Visit Thursday, April 27 at 4:30-5:30*

Friday

*No class*

Workday.

Week 6: May 1 – 5th

Week

Week 6: May 1 – 5th

Unit Five: The Wakes of Illiteracy; Incarceration, Crime, & Illiterate communities

Monday

Reading due:

  • Brandon Griggs, “The Illiteracy-to-prison pipeline” TEDx Talk
  • Flying Kites
Wednesday

Reading due:

  • Flying Kites
Friday

Reading due:

  • Flying Kites
  • Malcolm X, “Literacy Behind Bars”

Week 7: May 8th – 12th

Week

Week 7: May 8th – 12th

Unit Five: The Wakes of Illiteracy; Health politics

Monday

Reading due:

  • Our Bodies Ourselves, The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective
  • Feminists: What Were They Thinking (Netflix documentary)
Wednesday

*YWCA Presentation*

Reading due:

  • YWCA resource packet
Friday

DOGL

Week 8: May 15th – 19th

Week

Week 8: May 15th – 19th

Unit Six: Threats to literacy; Online & AI

Monday

Reading due:

  • Amy Tan, “Mother Tongue”

Assignment due:

  • Local Literacies Research paper due by midnight to Moodle

*Introduce Group project*

Wednesday

Reading due:

  • “We Asked ChatGPT About Art History,” Ben Davis
  • “ChatGPT Sends Shockwaves”

*Class project discussion & group assignments*

Friday

Reading due:

  • The Great Hack, Netflix Documentary

Week 9: May 22nd – 26th

Week

Week 9: May 22nd – 26th

Unit Six, cont.: Threats to literacy; Misinformation

Monday

Reading due:

  • Strangers in Their Own Land, see Moodle for specifics
  • “Mind the Climate Literacy Gap”
Wednesday

Reading due:

  • Strangers in Their Own Land, see Moodle for specifics
Friday

Reading due:

  • Strangers in Their Own Land, see Moodle for specifics
  • Resilient Michigan website video series

Week 10 (May 29th – June 2nd)

Week

Week 10: May 29th – June 2nd

Monday

*No class: Memorial Day*

Wednesday

*In-class Workshop Day*

Bring all your work materials.

Friday

*No class: work on wrapping up final project*

Assignment due:

  • Group Project due by midnight to Moodle

Finals Week: June 5th – 9th

Week

Finals Week: June 5th – 9th

Monday

Assignment due:

  • Individual reflection essay due by midnight to Moodle
Wednesday
Friday

Victorianizing America and Its Challengers

Victorianizing America and Its Challengers
HIST 215
Winter 2023

Professor Charlene Boyer Lewis

Class: MWF 2:45-4:00 in Dewing 310
Office: Dewing 303E
e-mail: clewis@kzoo.edu
Phone: 269-337-7058

Office Hours:
M:1:30-2:30 PM; W: 10:30-11:30 AM; Th:2:30-3:30 PM; F:1:30-2:30 PM; and by appointment at other times convenient to both of us.

Land Acknowledgment: We gather on the land of the Council of Three Fires–the Ojibwe, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi. Indigenous nations of the Great Lakes region are also known as the Anishnaabe (Ah-nish-nah-bay) or original people, and their language is Anishinaabemowin (Ah-nish-nay-baymow-in). We acknowledge the enduring relationship that exists between the People of the Three Fires and this land.

Structure

This course will combine lectures, readings, films, and weekly book discussions. Questions from students will always be appreciated.

This class counts as a History and/or an American Studies credit. Please talk with me if you are interested in these as majors, minors, or concentrations.

Course Goals

This course will improve your skills as a historian as we examine how the White middle class set out to “Victorianize” American society as well as the resultant challenges to that project from around 1830 to around 1910. We will pay special attention to the impact of class, gender, and race on these cultural and social developments. We will also explore how many other groups–artists, workers, immigrants, radicals–responded to and often challenged the efforts and power of the middle class. Your critical thinking and writing skills will also improve through your analysis of sources in discussions, papers, and exams.

Assigned Readings

All of the assigned material–documents, essays, and books–should be considered required reading. Along with every lecture and discussion, it will be treated as fair game for the exams.

Make sure you purchase the EXACT books I have listed here.

  • Halttunen, Karen. Confidence Men and Painted Women: A Study of Middle-Class Culture in America, 1830-1870. Yale University Press, 1982.
  • Ritter, Luke. Inventing America’s First Immigration Crisis: Political Nativism in the Antebellum West. Fordham University Press, 2020.
  • Ball, Erica L. To Live an Antislavery Life: Personal Politics and the Antebellum Black Middle Class. University of Georgia Press, 2012.
  • Davis, Janet M. The Circus Age: Culture & Society under the American Big Top. University of North Carolina Press, 2002.
  • Stansell, Christine, American Moderns: Bohemian New York and the Creation of a New Century. Henry Holt and Co., 2000.

Additional selections on our class Moodle site. Follow the syllabus carefully!!

Requirements

Class Participation (20%)
Class participation consists of regular, prompt attendance; reading and other preparation for class; and, most importantly and primarily, significant contributions to daily class discussions. On book discussion days, if you do not come to class prepared and ready to talk, DO NOT come to class at all.

Godey’s Lady’s Book Short Paper (10%; due Jan. 20)
We have online access to one of the most popular magazines of the nineteenth century and you will write a short paper of at least 1,000 words based on your readings of three issues in the magazine. Further details will be provided in class.

Discussion Leader (10%)
Three or four of you will lead discussion for each one of the assigned books. You will have some choice in which book you want to discuss. Your group will meet before the discussion to go over questions and main points. Further details will be provided in class.

Midterm Exam (15%; on Feb. 8)
The midterm exam tests for comprehension of assigned reading and lecture material to date. The exam will include both short-answer (usually identification) and essay questions.

Primary Source Research Paper (20%; due March 10; I will be happy to accept early papers)
This paper will examine some aspect of Victorian American history and will be based on primary source web sites and printed materials. The paper should be at least 9-10 typed, double-spaced pages. Further details will be provided in class. Your research topic statement and a short annotated bibliography will be due Feb. 17.

Final Exam (25%; March 14, 7:30-9:00 PM )
The final exam tests for comprehension of assigned reading and lecture material over the entire semester. It will consist of a second midterm and a cumulative section. The cumulative part will be a take-home exam and will be 10% of your final grade. The second midterm section of the final will be done in class and will include both short-answer (usually identification) and essay questions; it is 15% of your total grade. The cumulative will be strictly essay and will be due at the final exam time.

Course Policies

You are expected to take the exams, participate in discussion, and turn in the papers on the scheduled days. Make-up exams will be given ONLY for officially excused reasons. Unexcused late papers are penalized a full letter grade (10%) for the first day and half a letter grade (5%) for each subsequent day. For example, a B paper handed in a day late would be recorded as a C; two days late recorded as a C-. There is no way for you to make up a missed discussion. If you do not turn in all of the required papers and exams, you will receive a failing grade (a F) in this course.

I expect you to attend class every day. I reserve the right to lower grades due to more than three missed classes or frequent tardiness. Of course if you are ill or have an emergency, we will work out a plan. Obviously, whether you are in class or not (even in cases with valid excuses), you are responsible for all of the material presented. This means both procedural material–the unlikely, but not unprecedented, changing of an exam date, for example–and substantive material–the ideas, events, and themes covered in each lecture.

If the campus is closed because of inclement weather, we will have our class on Teams at our usual time (yep–no more snow days!).

I am committed to everyone having what they need to do well in this course. If you have any learning accommodation, I’m happy to make it. I will need a note from the College to do so.

There will be no coming and going during class. Take care of your needs before class begins.

Turn off (don’t leave on vibrate) ALL cell phones, your fancy fitbits/watches that get texts, and other electronic devices during class AND PUT THEM AWAY. I do not want ever to see you checking your phone or texting; I will lower your grade substantially for paying more attention to your electronics than to class. I strongly discourage the use of laptops. If you believe you must use one, you will need to discuss this with me. If you need to use a laptop, you must sit in the front of class. Think seriously about whether you want to use a laptop–study after study has shown that you do not learn as well as taking notes by hand and students who use laptops regularly receive poorer grades.

Students must practice academic honesty. Remember that all of you signed the College’s Honor Code when you started here. Plagiarism (whether from the Internet, a published source, or someone else’s work) or cheating of any kind will result in a failing grade in the course. I will also turn over every suspected case to the Student Development Office and will use any resources for finding plagiarism. Ignorance is no excuse for plagiarism. Make sure you fully understand how to cite and quote sources BEFORE you turn in your papers.

A good history paper–or any paper–should be a well-conceived and well-developed work. Use primary and secondary sources to create an argument of YOUR OWN. Do not claim the ideas or words of someone else as your own (that’s plagiarism). Do use the ideas and words of others to help you develop your own arguments. Feel free to have friends read and comment on your drafts of your papers–but not write them. ALWAYS give explicit credit (footnotes or endnotes) when you use anyone’s exact thoughts or language, whether paraphrasing or quoting them. A good rule of thumb: three or more words or an unusual phrase MUST be in quotes. Intellectual work is about developing and sharing your ideas, and it’s about taking note of and praising other people who have shared good ones with you.

When you cite sources, you are to use Chicago Style for Notes and Bibliography for your citation style, as all historians do. Check out the Library’s web site about citing sources in this style if you need more information. The reference librarians are also happy to help you. Make sure you know the difference between endnote/footnote citations and bibliographic citations. NEVER use in-text citations.

General Schedule

(subject to later revisions)

Week 1

Jan. 4

Introduction/The Making of the Middle Class

Jan. 6

The Middle Class and Respectability

Readings: Moodle: Davis, “Anxious Spirit of Gain” selections

Week 2

Jan. 9

Civic Order and Class Conflict

Readings: Moodle: Victorian Theater documents

Jan. 11

Self-Made Men and Benevolent Women

Readings: Moodle: At Home in Nineteenth-Century America documents

Jan. 13

Discussion: Halttunen, Confidence Men and Painted Women

Week 3

Jan. 16

Martin Luther King Day – No Class

Jan. 18

Marriage and Victorian Sexuality

Readings: Moodle: Attitudes toward Sex in Antebellum America documents

Jan. 20

Religious Awakenings

**Godey’s Lady’s Book Short Paper DUE**

Readings: Moodle: Emerson, “Self-Reliance” and Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience” and “Walden”; Fuller, Woman in the Nineteenth Century

Week 4

Jan. 23

Social Reform Movements

Readings: Moodle: Education and Temperance documents

Jan. 25

Nature, Nationalism, and the Fine Arts

Readings: Moodle: Victorian American Nationalism documents

Jan. 27

**Discussion: Ritter, Inventing America’s First Immigration Crisis

Week 5

Jan. 30

Radical Reform

Readings: Moodle: Abolition and Women’s Rights documents; David Walker’s Appeal

Feb. 1

Radical Utopias: Religious and Secular

Readings: Moodle: Utopias documents and Fanny Wright on Nashoba

Feb. 3

Winter Break Day – No Class

Week 6

Feb. 6

**Discussion: Ball, To Live an Antislavery Life

Feb. 8

**Midterm Exam**

Feb. 10

New Dilemmas

Readings: Moodle: Centennial Exposition images and documents; Chief Joseph documents; and Henry Grady speech

Week 7

Feb. 13

Labor Conflicts

Readings: Moodle: “Sorrows of Labor” documents

Feb. 15

Capitalism and Inequality

Readings: Moodle: Justifying Inequality documents and Veblen, “The Economic Theory of Women’s Dress”

Feb. 17

Midwestern Victorian Culture

**Paper Statement and Bib. Due**

Week 8

Feb. 20

Immigrants and the City

Readings: Moodle: Mary Antin, Emma Lazarus, and Thomas Aldrich writings

Feb. 22

Civilizing the Other

Readings: Moodle: Civilizing the Other documents

Feb. 24

Discussion: Davis, The Circus Age

Week 9

Feb. 27

Segregation and the Black Response

Readings: Moodle: Segregation documents and Wells, Washington, and Du Bois excerpts

Mar. 1

Progressive Reform

Readings: Moodle: Jane Addams and Jacob Riis writings and Riis photos

Mar. 3

Strenuous Men and New Women

Readings: Moodle: “New Women, Strenuous Men, and Leisure” documents

Week 10

Mar. 6

Discussion: Stansell, American Moderns (except pp. 145-222)

Mar. 8

Realism and the American Renaissance

Bring to Class: an image of an art object of “Realism”

Mar. 10

The Decline of Victorian Culture

**Research Paper Due**

Final Exam

Tuesday, March 14, 7:30-9:00 PM

U.S. Ethnic Literature: Pathways West

U.S. Ethnic Literature

Pathways West
English 230
Winter 2023


Instructor: Dr. Monique McDade
Class time & location: MWF 1:20-2:35 in Upjohn Library Commons 308
Contact: Monique.McDade@kzoo.edu

Office Hours & location:
MW 3:00-4:00 in Humphrey House 205

Course Description

In 1845, John O’Sullivan coined the term “Manifest Destiny” in an essay that argues for the U.S. to continue to conquer lands west of the territories gained in the Louisiana Purchase. O’Sullivan’s arguments ultimately gave birth to an American exceptionalism that posits that Anglo-America was better equipped to manage land, people, and resources on the continent than Indigenous and Mexican communities. O’Sullivan’s essay ignited a Western-American history that has come to dominant the national imaginary through cowboy (in)justice, pioneers in their covered wagons, and dramatized depictions of Indigenous and Mexican populations.

Eventually the American West came to represent the American promise. Dominant narratives suggest that in the West freedom and equality are finally realized. The West was, after all, inducted into the official nation as “free” states (meaning there was never legal slavery in the American West) and, given the isolation from the nation’s capital, there was a certain amount of freedom for women and people of color to assert themselves in ways that were not possible in the American South or Northeast.

However, as this course will evaluate, the story of the American West has become flattened through the very process of creating this narrative of Western-American freedom and equality. We only need to look to contemporary television series such as the Yellowstone franchise or HBO’s West World to understand just how pervasive these manipulated if not fully fabricated histories of westward travel and settlement are to us even today, nearly two centuries later. For, as we will see, the West was largely settled by the underprivileged in American society. Immigrants, communities of color, and the extreme impoverished sacrificed all they had in order to try for the American promise again but this time, in the West.

“Pathways West” is a course that rearticulates and visually renders the pathways by which communities of color and immigrants found themselves in the American West. We will read autobiographical and semi-autobiographical texts to better understand the ways these communities found themselves West, what the West meant to them, and how the West treated them as they settled in to call it home. We will also use these narratives to reconstruct maps that depict westward travel. I am sure we have all seen images of pioneers and their covered wagons, played the game, Oregon Trail, and watched a John Wayne-inspired western film or two. But these Western stories are, as we will see, just a fraction of what the West is. Underprivileged communities from the mid-19th century to our contemporary moment find the West in alternative ways, using alternative technologies, and battling underrepresented obstacles and violence. We will map these pathways West to critique the geopolitical narratives that undergird the American West and its histories of “Manifest Destiny,” American exceptionalism, and freedom.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs):

  • Identify the geopolitical and literary pathways by which people “arrived” in the American West.
  • Discuss the identity formations and narratives derived from different “pathways” and the various environmental, social, and political implications therein.
  • Understand the multivalent histories that inform the “pathways” taken west and the legacies, both the unreconciled and the overinvested—that continue to inform a “Western American” culture.
  • Engage in the complimentary work of close reading and digitalization of Western American “pathways” to realize and visualize nuanced connections and dialogues between authors, texts, and communities of people.
  • Demonstrate critical awareness for the complicated histories of westward travel through synthesis of digitalized mapping content.
  • Reflect on what digital maps do for literary criticism and how it can serve a larger community outside the academic classroom.

Grading Scale

AA-B+BB-C+CC-D+DD-F
100-9493-9089-8887-8483-8079-7877-7473-7069-6867-6463-6059-

Required Assignments

Writing ProjectsGrade Percentage
Midterm Exam15%
Tenth Week Exam15%
Mapping Project (and components)60%
Attendance & Participation10%

Brief Assignment Descriptions

  • Exams: There are two exams in this course. Both exams will be open-book short essays that, while designed to be completed in class, are also able to be completed ahead of time and turned in on exam day. Here’s how it will work: two weeks ahead of the scheduled exam day, I will provide you with the exam prompts and instructions. Over those two weeks you can either create notes and prep materials to bring into class to write the exam in our allotted class time or you can pre-write the entire exam and turn it in on exam day. The goal is that you choose the one that best suits your study habits and exam style. The only rule is that all students must show up in person to the start of exam day even if it is to turn in the exam and leave.
  • Mapping Project: This project is a term-long project with various parts or checkpoints due throughout the quarter. Each student will be responsible for mapping in Google Earth the pathways our authors or their characters took to arrive West (or to leave the West). Students should map each text as they read it. By the end of the term, students will write a theoretically supported paper that argues what their maps reveal about the American West and westward expansion. *You will receive a more detailed project sheet in Week 2 that will detail the requirements and prompts you will need to address. *
  • Attendance & Participation: The humanities are about community. The discipline is interested in and cares about different and complex points of view. For this reason, student participation is foundational to the structure of the course. You may have heard the age-old adage: “you get what you put into it,” and that is true. But it is also true that your peers only get what you put into it as well. We want to hear your voice. We want to understand your particular approach to a text. Those are valid things for us to discuss. As such, attendance and participation is a graded category. See the attendance and participation policy below.

Required Texts

COURSE Schedule

Week 1: January 2 – 6

Week

Week 1: January 2-6

Getting Started:

  • Maps & the West
  • Getting familiar with the dominant narratives.
  • Race and Ethnicity

Foundational Keywords:

  • Frontier
  • Manifest Destiny
  • American Exceptionalism
Monday

No class: campus holiday.

Wednesday

Readings due:

  • “Asian Americans and Anti-Blackness,” Claire Jean Kim
Friday

Readings due:

  • 1883, episode 1, Taylor Sheridan
  • Entertainment interview with LaMonica Garrett

Week 2: January 9 – 13

Week

Week 2: January 9-13

Unit One: Connecting Histories: Manifest Destiny & Slavery

Unit Keywords:

  • Freedom
  • Progress
Monday

Readings due:

  • The Life and Adventures of Nat Love, Nat Love, Preface-Ch. XII
Wednesday

Readings due:

  • The Life and Adventures of Nat Love, Nat Love, Ch. XIII-end
Friday

Readings due:

  • All I Asking For is My Body, Milton Murayama

Week 3: January 16 – 20

Week

Week 3: January 16-20

Unit One, continued.

Monday

No class: Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Wednesday

Readings due:

  • When We Were Colored: A Mother’s Story, Eva Rutland, Ch. 1-5
  • Selections from Sara Ahmed

*come prepared to class ready to use Ahmed theoretically in close readings of Rutland*

Friday

Readings due:

  • When We Were Colored: A Mother’s Story, Eva Rutland, Ch. 6-end
  • Letter from Rutland’s archive

Week 4: January 23 – 28

Week

Week 4: January 23-28

Unit Two: Borders and Pathway
Rearrangements

Unit Keywords:

  • Individualism
  • Nationalism
  • History
Monday

Readings Due:

  • Who Would Have Thought It?, María Amparo Ruiz de Burton, Ch. I-XXIX
  • Ruiz de Burton archive: The Bancroft letters
  • “Manifest Domesticity,” Amy Kaplan
Wednesday

Readings Due:

  • Who Would Have Thought It?, María Amparo Ruiz de Burton, Ch. XXX-XLIX
  • Ruiz de Burton archive: book review
Friday

Readings due:

  • Who Would Have Thought It?, María Amparo Ruiz de Burton, Ch. L-end
  • Ruiz de Burton archive: Ruiz de Burton obituary
  • “The Female Complaint,” Lauren Berlant

Assignments due:

  • Google Earth checkpoint

Week 5: January 30 – February 3

Week

Week 5: January 30-February 3

Unit Two, continued.

Monday

Readings Due:

  • “Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of an Eurasian,” Sui Sin Far
Wednesday

Readings Due:

  • “In the Land of the Free,” Sui Sin Far
  • “The Land of the Free,” Sui Sin Far

Assignment due:

  • Theoretical proposal due
Friday

No class: midterm break.

Week 6: February 6-10

Week

Week 6: February 6-10

Unit Three: West of what?

Unit keywords:

  • Independence
  • Borders
Monday

Readings due:

  • Barrio Boy, Ernesto Galarza, Parts 1 & 2 (pg. 1-171)
Wednesday

Readings due:

  • Barrio Boy, Ernesto Galarza, complete
Friday

*Midterm Exam*

Week 7: February 13 – 17

Week

Week 7: February 13-17

Unit Four: Legacies of the Pathway West

Unit keywords:

  • Memory
  • The “First West”
  • St. Louis/MO
Monday

Readings due:

  • The Autobiography and Reminiscences of S. Pollak, St. Louis, MO, Simon Pollak, Ch. I-IX (skipping X-XV)
Wednesday

Readings due:

  • The Autobiography and Reminiscences of S. Pollak, St. Louis, MO, Simon Pollak, Ch. XVI-end
  • ‘The Double Life of St. Louis”
Friday

Readings due:

  • Riding the Trail of Tears, Hausman (Ch. 1-7)

Assignments due:

  • Mapping project paper, rough draft due

Week 8: February 20 – 25

Week

Week 8: February 20-25

Unit Four, continued.

Unit keywords:

  • Memory
  • The “First West”
  • St. Louis/MO
Monday

Readings due:

  • Riding the Trail of Tears, Hausman (Ch. 7-15)
Wednesday

Readings due:

  • Riding the Trail of Tears, Hausman (Ch. 15-end)
Friday

Readings due:

  • The Saloon Keeper’s Daughter, Drude Krog Janson, Ch. 1-9

Assignment:

  • Final exam distributed

Week 9: February 27 – March 3

Week

Week 9: February 27-March 3

Unit Five: Progress in Transition

Unit keywords:

  • The “far west” vs “Midwest”
  • The Western Ideal
  • Railroad
Monday

Readings due:

  • The Saloon Keeper’s Daughter, Drude Krog Janson, Ch. 10-end
Wednesday

Readings due:

  • China Men, Maxine Hong Kingston, “On Discovery” through “The Ghostmate” & “The Grandfather of the Sierra Nevada Mountains” entire section
Friday

Readings due:

  • China Men, Maxine Hong Kingston, “The Making of More Americans” entire section & “The American Father” entire section” & “On Listening” (last short chapter)

Week 10: Week 10: March 6 – 10

Week

Week 10: March 6-10

Wrapping Up by thinking global

Monday

Readings due:

  • Once Upon a Time in the West, Sergio Leon
Wednesday

*Presentation day (part of rough draft grade) *

Readings due:
• No readings due

Friday

*Tenth Week Exam*

Finals Week: March 12 – 14

Week

Finals Week: March 12-14

Monday

*Mapping Project Paper due Monday of finals week by midnight.*

Wednesday
Friday

Modern Chinese Literature in Translation

CHIN 235 Spring 2023

Modern Chinese Literature in Translation

(Clockwise from top left corner: the Potala Palace布达拉宫 in Lhasa, Tibet, a destination of spiritual pilgrimage and a site of cultural and political importance; Eileen Chang 张爱玲, one of the most famous and acclaimed female writers in modern China; a cartoon representation of the Qiang ethnic group 羌族 in Sichuan; Lu Xun 鲁迅, a revolutionary writer widely recognized as the founding father of modern Chinese literature.)

Instructor: Prof. Yanshuo Zhang
Class: MWF 2:34-4:00 pm

Email: yzhang@kzoo.edu
Office Hours: MW 4:30-5:30 or by appointment

Course Description

From the soaring heights of the Tibetan Plateau to the revolutionary spirit of dismantling the last imperial dynasty, what propelled Chinese writers from different ethnic backgrounds to engage with the nation and converse with the world? Taking this course will take you into the complex, exciting, and multicultural world of modern China in the 20th and 21st centuries, as we read fiction, poetry, drama, and other Chinese literary works in English translation. No Chinese language skills required. This course fulfills the Chinese Minor requirement.

Learning Outcomes for Literature

Students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate a basic understanding of the literary, historical, social, or cultural influences that inform literary works, including diversity of perspectives, experiences, and traditions
  • Articulate in writing and discussion their responses to literary texts with a view to equipping them with the knowledge, values, and sensitivity to succeed as persons and professionals
  • Demonstrate a basic critical ability to identify, interpret, and evaluate the ideas and formal features of an integrated body of literary texts in the context of a socially responsible learning community of high quality scholarship and academic rigor
  • Show a sensitivity to the plurality of meanings within a literary text, including the moral implications of human choices

How Literature Learning Outcomes Will Be Met

  • Literary History: Students will gain familiarity with the outline of Chinese literary development of the traditional and modern periods, and the diversity of perspectives and experiences as well as the continuity of major traditions over time.
  • Cultural History: Students will understand significant themes and concerns characteristic of Chinese culture, as they have impacted literary forms.
  • Social History: Students will understand the socioeconomic and gendered contexts from which Chinese literature emerged, as well as the multiple regional and ethnic identities that have contributed to its formation and development in both the traditional and modern periods.
  • Literary Analysis: Students will develop the ability to analyze the themes and forms of literary works, and to appreciate the plurality of meanings within literary texts, including their ethical dimensions, skills that will serve them well no matter where their future professional activities take them.
  • Writing Skills: Students will develop the skill of writing both concisely and creatively about literary works, and to express their opinions persuasively.

Class Requirements and Grading

  • Active class participation and preparation (20% of final grade). This means showing up in class on time and actively participating in class discussions and raising questions. You are expected to have read the assigned texts and done the homework before each class session. Only one unexcused absence is allowed. For any additional absences (only one additional absence is allowed, except for documented emergencies), please notify the instructor in advance and make up for them by writing a three-page reflection essay on any of the class readings. More than one unexcused absence will negatively affect your grade.
  • Two literary analysis papers (30% total). Submission of two reading reflections (4-6 pages each, double-spaced) of your own choice based on the weekly reading schedule. The essays should be distributed evenly between the first five weeks and the second five weeks of the quarter. The essays should be based on at least 3 different readings from two different weeks (i.e. you cannot select three readings from the same week). In these short reflections, you should synthesize the thematic and/or stylistic elements of the different readings and compare and contrast the different readings. You can write about the language, style, theme, social context, cultural implications, and your personal interpretation of the texts. You should feel free to cross-reference from different readings of the week and throughout the semester. No outside research is required for the short essays. We will workshop the first drafts of these papers in peer review sessions in class and you are required to submit ONE revised paper after the workshop.
  • Team oral presentation (15%). With one or two other members of the class, you will present during one class session by engaging with the literary and scholarly works assigned for that session. Presenters should introduce the author and his or her body of work, the historical and cultural background of the literary texts and their main themes and concerns. Presenters should also use the assigned scholarly/historical readings of the week to interpret the literary texts presented. Presentations should last between 25-40 minutes (including discussion and Q & A). You are encouraged to work with your teammates after class and come up with creative ways, such as posters, handouts, Powerpoint slideshows and short performances, to help the class understand and interpret the texts assigned for your session. You should also engage the whole class by asking questions and initiating discussions. A sign-up sheet for presentations will be distributed during the second week.
  • Final research paper (35% total; 10% first draft, 25% final draft, including smaller assignments within the final research paper requirement, such as posting of topics and annotated bibliography and a final brief presentation of your project). One final paper of 8-12 double-spaced pages is required. You should address a theme, a problem or a topic that interests you based on class content and use outside sources (do research) to support your point. You can focus on one major text or compare a few texts we read during the semester. You are encouraged to consult the instructor with the selection of topic and use outside materials when necessary. We will visit the library and invite a reference librarian to speak to the class about how to conduct independent research. After you finish your first draft, you will exchange the first draft with members of the class and help critique each other’s work during a workshop session toward the end of the term. You will also receive the instructor’s feedback on your first draft. After the workshop, you should reflect on the feedback and critique you will have received from your classmates and the instructor and incorporate their insights into your revision. The final revised draft will be due one week after the workshop. Grading for the final draft will be based on how well you incorporate the comments you receive and how much your paper improves from its first draft.
  • Extra credit: You can earn up to 2% of your final grade by writing blog articles about any Chinese-culture related events you participate during the quarter. Post a short blog article of 500 words under the Discussions section on Moodle. You can also write blog articles about any other aspects of Chinese literature and culture, including reviews of Chinese films and performances, as well as events and books you have read in relation to Chinese culture. If you write about materials not covered in class, it is preferred that you draw some connections or comparisons between these materials and our class discussions and readings. Others are welcome to join the discussion by posting responses to the initial blog. Each completed post that meets the requirement is worth 0.5% of your total grade. You are allowed to post a max. of 4 posts.
  • Accommodations. Dr. Zhang strives to create an equal and inclusive learning environment for all. If you need to arrange any special accommodations, please visit the Resources for Students with Disabilities page. You are also encouraged to share your concerns and/or needs with Dr. Zhang to the degree that you feel comfortable.

Weekly Schedule

(This weekly schedule is subject to change per the instructor’s notice.)

Week 1: Historical Background and Contextualizing Modern Literature in China

Monday (Mar. 27)

Intro lecture and self-intro

Wednesday (Mar. 29)

Readings due:

Patricia Ebrey’s Cambridge Illustrated History of China, “Taking Action: The Early Twentieth Century, 1900-1949” (read p. 260-272 until “Building a Party-state”)

Friday (Mar. 31)

Readings due:

Ebrey, “Taking Action,” p. 273 (from “Building a Party State” to p. 291)

Week 2: Male Writers’ Voices for Saving the People and Salvaging the Nation

Monday (Apr. 3)
  • Lu Xun (Columbia Anthology) “Preface to the First Collection of Short
  • Stories, Call to Arms,” p. 4-7 and “A Madman’s Diary,” p. 8-16
Wednesday (Apr. 5)

Lu Xun “The New Year’s Sacrifice” in Lau, Tsia and Lee, p. 17-26

Friday (Apr. 7)

Yu Dafu (Columbia Anthology), “Sinking” (p. 31-55)

Week 3: Qiu Jin: China’s First Modern Feminist Writer and Activist

Monday (Apr. 10)
  • Ebrey, “Liberating Women,” p. 279-282
  • Idema and Grant (Moodle), “The Beheaded Feminist: Qiu Jin,” p. 767- 770; “Student and Feminist,” p. 779-785
Wednesday (Apr. 12)

Film in class:

Autumn Gem, A True Story of China’s First Feminist

Friday (Apr. 14)

Discussion of film and Qiu Jin’s legacies

Week 4: Women’s Dilemmas and Liberation in Early Twentieth-century China

Monday (Apr. 17)

Eileen Chang, “The Golden Cangue” in Lau, Tsia and Lee, p. 530-560

Wednesday (Apr. 19)

Ding Ling, “When I was in Xia Village” (Columbia Anthology), p. 132-
146

Friday (Apr. 21)

Workshop for first Literary Analysis paper. Bring the draft of your first paper to class for peer-review workshop; no readings for today.

Week 5: Modern Chinese Poetry: Romantic and National Sentiments and The Shattered Dreams of Chinese Male Intellectuals

Monday (Apr. 24)
  • Xu Zhimo (Columbia Anthology), “Second Farewell to Cambridge,” “Love’s Inspiration” and “Chance” in Lau and Goldblatt, p. 499-501
  • Dai Wangshu, “Rainy Alley,” in Lau and Glodblatt, p. 510-511
Wednesday (Apr. 26)
  • Wen Yiduo (Columbia Anthology), “Dead Water,” “One Sentence” and “Prayer,” in Lau and Glodblatt, p. 502-504
  • Ai Qing (Columbia Anthology), “Snow Falls on China’s Land” and “The North,” p. 516-521
Friday (Apr. 28)

Bai Xianyong (Columbia Anthology), “Winter Nights,” p. 210-223

Week 6: Tumultuous Transitions: The Cultural Revolution and Its Aftermath

Monday (May 1)

Ebrey, “Readical Reunification: China Since 1949”, p. 294-321 (before “Promoting Economic Growth”)

Wednesday (May 3)

Bai Jin, “Rembering Xiaoshan”

Friday (May 5)

Second Literary Analysis workshop; bring your draft to class for a peer review workshop; no reading for today

Week 7: China Embraces the World: The Reform Era and Literature from the Working Class

Monday (May 8)

Ebrey, p. 321-332 (from “Promoting Economic Growth to end of p. 332)

Friday (May 12)

Watching movie “Iron Moon: A Documentary” in class; no readings for today

Week 8: Literary Voices from China’s Ethnic Borderlands

Monday (May 15)

Mark Bender, Intro in The Borderlands of Asia: Culture, Place, Poetry

Wednesday (May 17)

Selected poems from China’s ethnic minority groups

Friday (May 19)

Library workshop for final research projects

Week 9: Fiction and Reality in Contemporary Tibet

Wednesday

Pema Tseden, “Enticement,” p. 73-90

Friday (May 26)

Final paper research workshop

Week 10: Final Reflections and Sharing of Research Projects

Monday (May 29)

Memorial Day, no class

Wednesday (May 31)

Presentations of final research projects

Friday (June 2)

Final reflections and presentations of final research projects

In the Eyes of Different Beholders: The Rhetoric of Beauty Across Cultures

Shared Passage Winter 2023

In the Eyes of Different Beholders:
The Rhetoric of Beauty Across Cultures

Instructor: Dr. Yanshuo Zhang

Source of Image: Women’s Resource Center http://www.thewomensresourcecenter.com/

Course Description

We have all heard the saying “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,” but how do cultures condition our ideas of beauty? As we grew up, how did we become socialized into certain standards of feminine and masculine beauty? How do such ideals influence our personal and group identities? How does the rhetoric of beauty reflect a society’s values and fears, particularly a society’s gender norms, aesthetic tastes, and judgments of different racial and ethnic groups?

In this course, we will examine how the rhetoric of beauty is shaped by cultural values, and how the powerful concepts of “beauty” in turn shape our personal lives. Through a wide selection of texts across different cultures in different genres (investigative journalism, art, multimedia sources), we will delve into the problem of how the rhetoric of beauty reflects social norms and values, and how it commands social members to assume certain gender, racial, and cultural roles. We will also investigate how the conceptions of beauty play into scientific fields such as biology and quantum physics. Based on your own scholarly investigation, you will develop a research-based paper or project on how “beauty” shapes and transforms human social and scientific life. By the end of the course, you will have a fresh pair of eyes to look at the question of “beauty” in both your everyday life and a variety of socio-cultural contexts.

Learning Objectives

As a student in this Shared Passage class, you will:

  • Learn to view “beauty” as a critical intersection of culture, gender, and race and analyze social phenomena based on the lens of beauty.
  • Learn critical concepts about rhetoric, as well as the cultural and social function of rhetoric in meaning-making and in mobilizing social change.
  • Develop critical skills for understanding and articulating ideas cross-culturally.
  • Develop skills for interdisciplinary learning and research, as this class touches upon the topic of beauty from various cultural, aesthetic, and scientific perspectives.
  • Learn library research, working with sources, and citation as integral steps in joining an academic conversation.
  • Develop habits of mind and practice required recursively with each assignment in the sequence: Awareness of your own position within the rhetorical situation and writing habits that respond to the specific purposes and audiences you identify for each writing task, both for this class and in the world.

Class Expectations and the Class Commitment

This Shared Passage class will be an interactive, discussion-based seminar. It requires maximum participation and investment from you as a student. Following the guidelines below will give you the best chance of growing as a writer and researcher as well as fulfilling the requirements for this class:

  • Masking: Although it may be your choice to wear a mask outdoors or in common indoor spaces after week 1, the proper use of masks is required while in our classroom or while in my office. Students who are not masked will be asked to leave and be marked absent. Please keep a mask supply in your backpack/bookbag.
  • Attend every class session; actively participate in class discussions and writing exercises. (Note: If you have any COVID exposure or symptoms, please follow the Health Center’s recommendations for quarantine and getting tested. You will NOT receive any penalties for COVID-related or other emergency-related absences.)
  • Come prepared to every class session, having completed all reading and writing assignments.
  • Meet all due dates for written work, including drafts and revisions.
  • Show up on time for all conferences with questions about how to improve your work.
  • Participate in peer review with the intention of learning from your classmates and grow together as a class community.
  • To approach the work of the course with the habits of mind critical for success at the university level: intellectual curiosity, openness to new ideas, critical engagement, and creativity.
  • To conduct yourself in accordance with the College’s Honor Code.
  • Accommodations: If you have any special needs for accommodations, please notify the College and the instructor. The instructor will strive to meet your needs for special accommodations.

Please maintain clear and timely communication with me in the case of any difficulty that arises during the quarter, such as learning challenges, sickness, and emergencies. I will make every effort to accommodate you for the challenges that you encounter, but I expect timely communication from you to solve the issues together and ensure that your learning is not compromised during such times.

Class Requirements and Grading

  • Consistent Presence and Active Class Participation (20% of final grade). This means showing up in class on time and actively participating in class discussions and raising questions in a consistent manner, completing all readings and assignments on time. You are expected to have read the assigned texts, watched assigned films and reviewed artworks before each class session. Unless you have a COVID-related situation or other emergencies, in which case you should notify the instructor immediately, more than one unexcused absence will negatively affect your grade (you will receive 0 points of your for the days of unexcused absences.) Excused absences include: health related situations; athletic situations; other unavoidable and emergency situations.
  • Writing Workshop (20%). For the Writing Workshop, you need to review your classmates’ writings in small-group settings and provide them with written feedback. The Writing Workshop will build your critical skills as writers and readers for academic papers. The instructor will provide you will a separate sheet of feedback so you can write out your feedback and share it with your partner. If you have an excused situation for the in which
  • Two Cross-Week Critical Question Papers (10% each; 20% of final grade; you need to choose one of these two papers to do a thorough revision on after the peer review sessions in class). These short papers are not conventional reading summaries or reflection papers; rather, they encourage you to ask a critical question and integrate readings from different weeks to address that question. For each paper, you should identify one critical problem/issue/topic and examine how 3 different readings or course materials from at least two different weeks respond to that question. For example, you could write about how beauty is experienced and expressed differently based on communities with differing gender and sexuality identities; you could also write about how feminine beauty is articulated differently in diverse cultural communities. The goal of this assignment is to cultivate your critical abilities to engage with and articulate ideas from interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives. Each paper should be about 4 double-spaced pages, 12 font Times New Roman in Word documents.
  • One Team-Presentation on Course Readings/Contents (10%) You will sign up to do a team oral presentation with one or two other people from the class on a given day’s readings/contents. The presentation itself should last between 30 to 45 minutes, and you should also lead a Q & A session at the end of the presentation. You and your teammates should take up the entire class period on your presentation day.
  • Final Research Project (30%)

This final project helps you summarize your learning for the whole quarter and requires a outside/library/internet research to find 3-5 sources related to beauty. This is a multiple-step project and requires your consistent participation spreading out through different weeks.

  • A. Around Week 5 Week 6, you will post a short project proposal (2-3 paragraphs) on Moodle, detailing the topic you want to cover and the materials you imagine would be helpful for your project. You will also provide comments to at least one other person’s proposal posted on Moodle. We will go over potential topics in class together. (5% of final grade)
  • B. Around Week 7 and Week 8, you will post a preliminary Annotated Bibliography on Moodle, listing and explaining 5-8 sources you plan to use for your project. We will work with the librarian to familiarize you with library research. At least 3 of your sources should be from outside of our class readings. These sources can be either Primary Sources (images, cinema, literature, interviews, documentary films, scientific data, etc. and other creative expressions and or scientific data about beauty) or Secondary Sources (conceptual/theoretical/historical/academic writing). You will also comment on one other person’s post. (5% of final grade).
  • C. Orally present the major findings and discoveries and surprises of your project, including how it grew from your peers’ comments, library research, and your own research (6-8 minutes). These presentations are semi-formal, meaning you don’t need to present the full scope of your project, but just need to focus on 1-2 aspects that are particularly memorable to you. Be sure to showcase your findings, be them a new theory you discovered, a set of artistic works that are illuminating, or a surprising convergence of experience of two seemingly unrelated minority groups, or other discoveries (5% of final grade).
  • D. Submission of a final paper (7-10 pages) toward the end of the quarter that includes a full argument and discussion of the materials you used. More guidelines will be provided later this quarter (15%)

For every assignment and your final grade, I will adopt the following grading scale:

Letter GradePercentage
A94% and above
A-90% – 92.99%
B+87%-89.99%
B83%-86.99%
B-80%-82.99%
C76%-79.99%
C-70%-75.99%
D64%-69.99%
D-60%-63.99%
F< 60%

Note: Any late submissions (submitted the day after due date) will receive a grade deduction of 5% per day, unless there is a documented emergency or you receive prior approval from the instructor. If you need help reaching the deadlines or think you might need more time to finish your drafts for any legitimate reason, please notify me ASAP.

Any incomplete submission that does not meet the length or content requirement of the assignment will receive a grade no greater than C-.

Required Texts

Most of the readings for this class are available on Moodle. Apart from them, there are a few books that you need to purchase from the Book Store. If you can find e-books for these, they are acceptable.

Women in the Picture: What Culture Does with Female Bodies by Catherine McCormack

A Beautiful Question: Finding Nature’s Deep Design by Frank Wilczek

Thick and Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom

Tech Policies and Sensitive Topics

In the spirit of making the class a safe and welcoming community that maximizes the learning experience for all, I would like to invite everyone to observe the following policies on the use of technology and the discussion of sensitive topics to ensure that we learn effectively and respectfully together:

  • Please silence or turn off your cellphones and put them away during class time.
  • If you like to take notes and do in-class writing exercises on your laptop, please strictly restrict your use of your laptop to in-class activities. No web-browsing, email-checking, and Facebook is allowed in class unless instructed by me. When we do all-class analysis and discussions, I may ask you to close your laptops to focus on class discussions.
  • Some texts and topics in our class touch upon deeply personal issues, such as gender identities, cultural practices, and sexual orientations. When discussing such issues in class and in writing, please be aware of the personal effect of such topics and make comments respectfully. We strive to create a community that respects diverse identities and values. Making comments mindfully and learning from the diverse backgrounds of your classmates are important components of your education. If you feel vulnerable around certain topics, please communicate with me privately. Let us all take responsibility in creating a safe and welcoming community of learners where we exchange ideas respectfully and ethically.
Ancient Greek statues of females
“African Venus” (1851)
by Charles Henri Joseph Cordier
France
Cover of GQ magazine,
men’s fashion and style magazine (U.S.)

Class Schedule

Week 1 – Encountering Beauty: Introduction to Class Theme

Wednesday, Jan. 4
  • Introduction to class theme and the rhetorical situation
  • Analyzing images of beauty and understanding the rhetoric of beauty

In-class Writing:

  • What are your perceptions of beauty?
  • What social, cultural, and familial factors shaped your perceptions of beauty?
  • What have your experiences as writers been?
  • How does your role as a writer vary in different (rhetorical) situations?
  • What kinds of writing are considered as beautiful in your culture, and why?
Friday, Jan. 6

Reading:

Aristotle, selections of Rhetoric: Parts 1, 2 and 3

Small Digital Assignment Due:

Find two very different images of beautiful people, landscapes, or bodies
from Two sources.
Identify the nature of the sources, briefly describe them, and
upload images to Moodle; please also comment on at least one other person’s
posting.

Week 2 – Foundational Understandings of Beauty in Western Philosophical and Cultural Discourses

Monday, Jan. 9

Catherine McCormack, Women in the Picture, Preface (p. 1-21)

Wednesday, Jan. 11

McCormack, Women in the Picture, Chapter 1, “Venus,” (p. 23-74)

Friday, Jan. 13
  • Emmanuel Kant, selections of Critique of Judgement: P. 22 of the PDF: Preface;
  • p. 40 “Of the Aesthetical Representation of the Purposiveness of Nature;” p. 74″ Of the Ideal of beauty” (until p. 77)

Week 3 – Constructing and Deconstructing Feminine Beauty Across Cultures

Monday, Jan. 16

MLK Day, no class

Wednesday, Jan. 18

Reading Due:

Kyo Cho, “The Search for the Beautiful Woman: Chinese and
Japanese Beauty”

Friday, Jan. 20
  1. “Little Girls or Little Women? Disney Princess Effect”
  2. “The Culture of Thin Bites Fiji”

Week 4 – Constructing and Deconstructing Feminine Beauty Across Cultures, continued

Monday, Jan. 23

Ping Wang, Selections from Aching for Beauty: Footbinding in China

In-class Songs:

Beyonce, “Pretty Hurts;” India Arie, “I’m Not My Hair”

Wednesday, Jan. 25

Reading Due:

“Nennu and Shunu: Gender, Body Politics, and the Beauty Economy in China”

Friday, Jan. 27

First Critical Question Paper due; class time will be used entirely for peer review of first paper. Please submit your digital draft to Moodle before class and bring two hard copies of your paper to class for peer review.

Week 5 – Constructing and Deconstructing Masculine Beauty Across Cultures

Week 6 – How Race, Culture, and Gender Intersect in “Beauty,” Part I

Monday, Feb. 6

Selections from Black Skin, White Masks

Wednesday, Feb. 8

Selections from Thick and Other Essays

Friday, Feb. 10

Midterm review and preparing for second Critical Question Paper; no
readings for today

Week 7 – How Race, Culture, and Gender Intersect in “Beauty,” Part II

Monday, Feb. 13

Reading Due:

“About Face: Why is South Korea the World’s Plastic Surgery Capital?” (If you can’t access the online article, you can find a PDF under this week’s section.)

Wednesday, Feb. 15

Reading Due:

“This is What Gender Non-Binary People Look Like” (If you can’t access the online article, you can find a PDF under this week’s section.)

In-class Discussion:

  • How do the authors utilize different rhetorical strategies (ethos, pathos, logos, doxa, kairos) to make a case for the social, racial, and gender implications of the pursuit of beauty in a variety of contexts (Africa, Korea, LGBTQ community)?
  • How are standards of beauty constructed and challenged in a white-dominated, Western-centered, heterosexual global society?
  • How do images make an argument by working hand-in-hand with texts?
Friday, Feb 17

Bring the draft of your Second Short Critical Paper to class for a peer review writing workshop. If you don’t have a draft for your peers to work on, you will receive 0% for the first part of a two-part writing workshop, which together makes up 15% of your final grade.

Week 8 – Queer Beauty and Preparations for Final Project

Monday, Feb. 20

Reading Due:

“Queer Beauty: Winckelmann and Kant on the Vicissitudes of the Ideal.” First half

Wednesday, Feb. 22

“Queer Beauty,” Second Half

Friday, Feb. 24

Final Project workshop. Post your final research project topic to Moodle
and comment on at least one other person’s project BEFORE class.

Week 9 – Daoist and Scientific Understanding of Beauty

Week 9 Important Note

Two short critical papers due this week.

Monday, Feb. 27

Library research workshop

Wednesday, Mar. 1

Reading Due:

“Beauty (Mei 美) in the Zhuangzi and in Contemporary Theories of Beauty”

Friday, Mar. 3

“How Beauty is Making Scientists Rethink Revolution”

Week 10 – Scientific Understanding of Beauty and Final Project Presentations

Monday, Mar. 6

Reading Due:

Selections from A Beautiful Question: Finding Nature’s Deep Design

Wednesday, Mar. 8

Presentations on final projects

Friday, Mar. 10

Presentations on final projects and class evals