| IS 1001 | Sarah B. Buchanan |
| Section 1: M, W 8:00-8:50 | Office : 211 Camden |
| Section 2: M, W 9:15-10:05 | Office Hours: M, T, W 12:45-1:45 |
| SS 238 | and by appointment |
Tel: 589-6292 |
|
buchansb@morris.umn.edu |
First Year Seminar on Diversity:
Stereotypes in Film
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The First Year Seminar is a course designed to give all first year students
a common college experience and to help them begin to develop critical, analytical
and writing skills. The general theme of the FYS is “Human Diversity,”
and the various professors teaching it have all designed courses that fit under
that umbrella topic. Because of the two goals of the First Year Seminar, there
will be two different types of activities in this course, common experience
activities, and activities that are specific to this particular section of the
FYS.
Some of the common experience activities will include library orientation visits, the opening Convocation lecture by Prof. Martin Sampson, reading some of Prof. Sampson’s articles, having Prof. Sampson come and visit our class, “Event Cards,” and the Jamboree.
This section of the First Year Seminar will focus on stereotypes in film, and we will engage in some activities which are different from the other sections of FYS. In our section, we will begin by working to understand stereotypes. What are they? Why do we have them? How do they function? We will also study the power of media and of film for creating, establishing and perpetuating stereotypes. We will then view several films, dissecting them for the stereotypes they contain, asking ourselves how they are created in the film, why they are there, and how we react to them.
Course Objectives:
1. To provide an experience which helps students adjust socially and academically
to UMM.
2. To hone students’ ability to recognize the ways in which we classify
human beings, and to begin questioning the reasons why we do so.
3. To foster and hone critical thinking skills, including the ability to analyze
images and to assess sources of information.
4. To strengthen students’ writing skills.
Format:
This course will be conducted as a seminar, meaning that classes will mainly
take the form of discussion. Obviously, as a discussion based seminar, this
class can only succeed when you all come to class prepared. We will also have
small discussion groups, engage in some extra-classroom activities, and we will
work together to prepare for the Jamboree. Finally, there will be a few lecture
classes.
Course Materials:
There will be articles to read out of books which are on reserve under my name,
Buchanan/andor under the course & section numbers (IS1001, 1 and 2).
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Your grade for this course will be based on 5 components, each worth 20% of
your final grade: Class participation, three short papers, a viewing journal,
event cards, and the Jamboree project.
Class participation: Participation will be graded on the quality of your contributions to class discussion. Contributions must demonstrate familiarity with assigned readings, intellectual engagement with the issues before us, and a respect for others’ opinions—especially when they diverge from your own. Regular attendance is a prerequisite for satisfactory participation.
Short papers: There will be three papers (3 pages) to write for this class. This is your chance to confront and/or wrestle with a couple of the “meta” questions of this course in conjunction with your interpretation of the films we will view. These are not diatribes or “spout your opinion” pieces. Your opinions are immaterial. You will be graded on how well you draw on the readings, the tightness of your analytical reasoning, how well you support your argument and counter arguments in opposition to your own.
Viewing journal: While viewing the films presented in class, you will keep a journal of specific images, dialogue, casting, etc. which provoke your thoughts on the subjects of stereotypes and human diversity. Other topics to be considered are your emotional response to the film and what was present in the film to provoke this response, and your intellectual response to the film. The journals will be graded on the quality of your intellectual engagement with what you saw.
Event cards: You will be required to attend a number of public events throughout the semester. There are a variety of possibilities (some of which are outlined on the syllabus), and you are encouraged to attend a variety of events, which can include but are not limited to, public lectures, band concerts, orchestra concerts, choir concerts, student/faculty recitals, art exhibitions, poetry readings, theatre productions, political demonstrations. You will be required to turn in 10 different cards on which you will write down an intellectual response to the event you attended. The cards will be worth 5 points each and will be graded on the quality of your comments.
Jamboree project: The Jamboree is a yearly event at which all of the FYS students from all of the sections present the projects they have developed together. This year’s Jamboree is scheduled for November 21st, 2002. Your project is due the class period prior to the Jamboree, on Wednesday, November 20th. There will be absolutely NO extensions for any reason. Work ahead and be organized. There are several class days devoted to working on these projects, but you will also be required to do most of the work outside of class. Our project will focus on stereotypes and film, but we will decide together what form the project will take.
SARAH'S AND THE UNIVERSITY'S EXPECTATIONS:
1. This seminar is a joint collaborative venture and thus can really only succeed
if everyone comes to class ready to engage in thoughtful and critical discussion
of the material presented in the reading or other material. This has two implications.
First, keep up-to-date on the reading and viewing schedules. Second, you should
reflect and think about the readings and the viewings in reference to the other
course material, the objectives of the course and the world around us.
2. You are encouraged and expected to engage in independent critical thinking about the materials. You are also expected and strongly encouraged to develop and share your thoughts, postulates, mini-theories, hypotheses, meta-level epistemic epiphanies, etc. about the course materials with the rest of us. We are in this together and your ideas will be at least as interesting as mine. We may all disagree vehemently about a film or a reading, and that is OK.
3. The world is our laboratory. Do not hesitate to use it to test out theories and show why the conventional wisdom is right or wrong. Think critically: theory only gets better when people push it to its limits.
4. Some of the material we will consider in this course is likely to lead to personal responses, active disagreements and conflict. When engaging in discussions on these issues, you cannot avoid visceral kneejerk or emotional responses any more than you can deny your humanity. They are good, and are a part of learning. In fact, affective responses enhance engagement and thus learning. However, none of us will get anything out of the course if it becomes disrespectful, or if it becomes “touchy feely.” It is therefore important to always keep your analytical reasoning in the forefront and to keep our class a civil and safe place for all opinions. Despite the fact that we will be dealing with some very depressing and discomfiting topics at times, we need to stay focused on respect for each other’s opinions, critical thinking nad the learning goals we share.
5. Doing the reading is necessary, but not sufficient. As I note above, in my mind preparation means having done the reading and having reflected at least a few minutes (and preferably more) on it. You also need to be an informed participant in class.
6. Turn in your work on time. Anything late will lose a full letter grade for every 24 hours it is late. For the purposes of this penalty, once you pass 5:00pm on the day an assignment is due, time divides into 24 hour segments.
7. Creativity is highly encouraged.
University policies relevant to this class:
Accomodations and Accessibility: My highest priority is for our classroom
and
coursework to facilitate participation and exchange, which is essential for
meaningful learning. An important part of that goal is to guarantee to persons
with any kind of disability access to class sessions, course materials, and
the activities of the class. Disability Services (362 Briggs Library x6179)
will contact me with specific accommodation information if you are registered
with them. Please feel free to come talk to me personally if you have questions
or concerns; it may help us both if I know more about your specific needs. Communicating
with me early in the term is essential, so please come talk to me within the
first two weeks of the semester.
Credits and Workload Expectations: For undergraduate courses, one credit is defined as equivalent to an average of 3 hours of learning effort (inside and outside the classroom) per week (over a full semester) necessary for an average student to achieve an average grade in the course. For example, a student taking a 2 credit course that meets for 2 hours a week should expect to spend an additional 4 hours per week on average on homework to be done outside the classroom.
University Grading Standards:
A: achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course
requirements
B: achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet course
requirements
C: achievement that meets the course requirements in every respect
D: achievement that is worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the
course requirements
S: achievement that is satisfactory; equivalent to a C- or better
F or N: represents failure (or no credit) and signifies that the work was either
1. completed but at a level of achievement that is not worthy of credit, or
2. was not completed and there is no agreement between the instructor and the
student that the student would be awarded an incomplete.
I: incomplete, a temporary grade that indicates coursework has not been completed.
Incompletes will only be assigned when, due to extraordinary circumstances,
the student was prevented from completing coursework on time. An I requires
a written agreement between the instructor and the student specifying the time
and manner in which the student will complete the course requirements during
the next year.
Academic dishonesty: The Student Conduct Code defines a series of disciplinary offenses, including cheating on assignments and plagiarizing, as acts of scholastic dishonesty. Anyone who plagiarizes will not receive credit for the assignment in question and will be reported to the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs.
The Writing Room:
The Writing Room is located in Briggs 327 and offers students the opportunity
to consult with a trained tutor about their writing. Tutor can work with students
on specific papers/assignments, on job letters, on grad school application essays,
or on their writing in general. Their goal is not to edit students' work, but
to provide you with useful feedback on their writing in order to allow you to
become confident, independent, and
effective writers while giving you advice that is directly helpful tothe task
at hand. Check out their web site at: www.morris.umn.edu/academic/writing_room/
Class Schedule
The table below links to the weeks in the course. Click a number for the week number.
Friday, Aug. 23—First meeting
Read: Todorov, p. 1-3
Assignment: Poll as many people as possible to see how they define “diversity”
and
“stereotypes.”
Look for stereotypical images in the media
Monday, August 26
Library session
Wednesday, August 28
Share results of polls
Discuss “A Short History of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict” by
Dr. Martin Sampson
RETURN TO TOP
RETURN TO SCHEDULE
Tuesday, Sept. 3: YOU ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND THIS EVENT
CONVOCATION SPEECH 7:30pm in Edson Hall:
Dr. Martin Sampson and guests. “Israel and Palestine.”
Wednesday, Sept. 4
Read: Blaine, Bruce Evan. “Us and Them: Perceiving Social Difference Through
Categories and Stereotypes.” Psychology of Diversity: Perceiving and Experiencing
Social Difference. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Co., 2000. pp. 14-31.
Sept. 5th: Faculty Seminar by Carol Marxen and Michelle Page
Monday, Sept. 9
Read: Cortés, Carlos. “It Began with the Gypsies.” The Children
are Watching: How
the Media Teach about Diversity. New York and London: Teacher’s College
Press, 2000. pp. 1-16.
Wednesday, Sept. 11
Discuss stereotypes and September 11th
VISIT BY DR. MARTIN SAMPSON
Read: Saïd, Edward. “Introduction.” Covering Islam: How the
Media and the Experts
Determine How We See the Rest of the World. New York: Random House Vintage Books,
1997. pp. xlix-lxx.
Sept. 12th: HFA Gallery Exhibit: Body of Clay, Soul of Fire, Richard
Beshnahan and St. John’s Pottery
Sept. 13th: CAC Performing Arts: Caution—Men at Work Tap
Monday, Sept. 16
View: Zwick, Edward. The Siege. 1998. (116 minutes)
Assignment: Keep a journal of reactions to the film. What stereotypes are present?
Are
they offensive to you? Why? Do you find them funny/ironic? Why? How does the
film play with images to reinforce these images or to undercut them?
Wednesday, Sept. 18
View: Zwick, Edward. The Siege. 1998.
Assignment: Continue with journal
Sept. 22nd: Homecoming Band and Choir Concert
Monday, Sept. 23
View: The Siege
Discussion of The Siege
Sept. 23rd: Midwest Philosophy Colloquium: Michael J. Zimmerman,
“Taking Luck Seriously.”
Wednesday, Sept. 25
Turn in proposal for Jamboree project
Discussion of The Siege
Sept. 27th: Jazz Ensemble Concert
Sept. 29th: St. Cecelia Trio
RETURN TO TOP
Monday, Sept. 30
Discussion of The Siege
Read reviews at: http://www.movieclub.com/reviews/archives/98siege/siege.html
Wednesday, Oct. 2
Turn in short paper #1 on The Siege
View: Sonnenfeld, Barry. Men in Black. 1997. (97 minutes)
Assignment: Keep a journal of reactions to the film.
Oct. 3rd: Popcorn Concert
Faculty Seminar by John Schwaller
Oct. 4th: CAC Performing Arts: Ricardo Lemvo and “Makina Loca”
Oct. 5th: Concert Band Chamber Concert
Oct. 6th: Orchestra Concert
Monday, Oct. 7
View: Sonnenfeld, Barry. Men in Black. 1997.
Assignment: Keep writing in your journal
Wednesday, Oct. 9
Discussion of Men in Black
Read: Garcia, Ruben. “The Racial Politics of Proposition 187.” The
Latino/a Condition.
Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, Eds. New York and London: New York UP, 1998.
pp. 118-124.
Oct. 10th: Third Ear/Peer Health Educators present Jay Friedman
Mixed recital
Wednesday, Oct. 16
Discussion of Men in Black
Read: Pollack, William S. “Inside the World of Boys: Behind the Mask of
Masculinity.” Real Boys: Rescuing our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood.
New York: Random House, 1998. pp. 3-19.
Oct. 17th: Asian Student Association Talent Show
Monday, Oct. 21
Turn in short paper #2 on Men in Black
Library visit
Oct 21st: Midwest Philosophy Colloquium: Michael McKenna, “Free
Will, Agent Meaning”
Oct. 22nd: Driggs Distinguished Lecture
Wednesday, Oct. 23
Work on Jamboree projects
Monday, Oct. 28
View: Varda, Agnès. Cléo de 5 à 7. 1961.
Assignments: Keep a journal of your reactions to the film.
Oct. 28th: HFA Gallery Exhibit: Fred Peterson Retrospective
Oct. 29th: Mixed Recital
Wednesday, Oct. 30
View: Varda, Agnès. Cléo de 5 à 7. 1961.
Assignment: Continue your reactions in the journal
Oct. 31st-Nov. 2nd: “Dancing at Lughnasa” (UMM Theater Production)
Monday, Nov. 4
Discuss Cléo de 5 à 7
Wednesday, Nov. 6
Discuss Cléo de 5 à 7
Read: Schaef, Anne Wilson. “The Original Sin of Being Born Female.”
Women’s
Reality. Minneapolis: Winston Press, 1981. 23-50.
Nov. 7th: Faculty Seminar by Keith Brugger
Nov. 8th: CAC Performing Arts: The Rose Ensemble
RETURN TO SCHEDULE
Monday, Nov. 11
Work on Jamboree project
Nov. 11th: Concert Band Festival
Nov. 12th: International Country Fair
Mixed Recital
Wednesday, Nov. 13
Work on Jamboree project
Nov. 15th and 16th: Jazz Ensemble Concert
Nov. 17th: Orchestra Concert
Monday, Nov. 18
Prepare for Jamboree
Wednesday, Nov. 20
Prepare for Jamboree
Thursday, Nov. 21
JAMBOREE!!
Nov. 21st: Mixed Recital
Nov. 22nd: Dance Ensemble
Nov. 24th: Orchestra Concert
Monday, Nov. 25
Discussion of Jamboree
Nov. 26th: Choir Concert
Wednesday, Nov. 27
View Kassovitz, Matthieu. La Haine. 1995. (91 minutes)
Assignment: Keep a journal of your reactions to the film
Monday, Dec. 2
View Kassovitz, Matthieu. La Haine. 1995.
Assignment: Continue your journal.
Wednesday, Dec. 4
Discussion of La Haine
Dec. 5th: Faculty Seminary by James Wojtaszek
Dec. 6-8: Carol Concert
Monday, Dec. 9
Discussion of La Haine
Read: Rosello, Mireille. “The Reluctant Guest.” Declining the Stereotype.
Hanover and
London: University Press of New England, 1998. pp. 1-20.
Wednesday, Dec. 11
Turn in short paper #3 on either Cléo de 5 à 7 or La Haine
Course evaluations
Conclusion