AFRS 104W - Writing About American Inequality Syllabus

8/4/2019 AFRS 104W - Writing About American Inequality Syllabus

1/9

-1-

AAAFFF RRRSSS 111 000 444WWWWWWRRR III TTT III NNN GGG AAABBB OOO UUU TTT AAAMMM EEE RRR III CCC AAA NNN III NNN EEE QQQ UUU AAA LLL III TTT YYY :::

AAANNNAAALLLYYYZZZ III NNN GGG DDD III FFF FFF EEE RRREEE NNN CCC EEE ,,, OOO PPP PPP RRREEE SSS SSS III OOO NNN ,,, AAANNN DDD AAAGGG EEE NNN CCCYYY

T.HASANJOHNSON,PH.D.FALL 2011

Course Meeting Time: Tue/Thu 2-3:15pmClass Location: Speech Arts, Rm #153Phone: (559) 278-8805

Email: [email protected] Location: Science Bldg # 1, Rm#168Office Hours: Wednesday, 11-2pm

CCC OOO UUU RRR SSS EEE DDD EEE SSS CCC RRR III PPP TTT III OOO NNN

Writing About American Inequality will focus on the ways in whichresearchers analyze American society, emphasizing the myriad forms ofmicro and macro oppressions that plague the lives of many of its

documented and undocumented residents. Students will be expected tostudy and discuss the various approaches to researching oppression andsocial difference, while incorporating them into their own writing.Written work will be shared by peers, thus ensuring that each person

receive critique, while also developing ones own writing style byreviewing others work.

CCC AAA TTT AAA LLL OOO GGG DDD EEE SSS CCC RRR III PPP TTT III OOO NNN

AAIS 104W. Writing about American Inequality (3)Prerequisite: satisfactory completion (C or better) of the ENGL 5B and 10 graduationrequirement. Analysis of poverty, social class, and inequality in America. Students receivefeedback in preparing papers on poverty and inequality. Emphasis on research techniques,evaluation and documentation of evidence, and style and mechanics of writing. Meets theupper-division writing skills requirement for graduation. (Formerly ETHS 104W)

RRR EEE QQQ UUU III RRR EEE DDD CCC OOO UUU RRR SSS EEE TTT EEE XXX TTT SSS

Marable, Manning. How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America: Problems in Race,Political Economy, and Society. South End Press Classics Series, Vol. 4) (Paperback) ISBN-10: 0896085791. ($25)

Healey, Joseph F. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender. Thousand Oaks: PineForge Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-4129-7647-3 ($43)


2/9

-2-

GGG RRRAAA DDD III NNN GGG PPP LLL AAA NNN

In-Class Writing Exercises (10%)Exams (2) (40%)

Midterm (20%)Research Writing Papers (3) (30%)

GGG RRRAAA DDD III NNN GGG CCC RRR III TTT EEE RRR III AAA

90 - 100+ A80 - 89 B70 - 79 C60 - 69 D

(59 and under is an F)

CCC O

OO U

UU R

RR S

SS E

EE A

AA S

SS S

SS I

II G

GG N

NN M

MM E

EE N

NN T

TT S

SS

Achievement of the preceding goals will be demonstrated by satisfactory completion ofexams, papers, group work projects, and class attendance outlined below.

1. IN-CLASSWRITING EXERCISES(10%): Measures in-class presence and participation,interactivity with other students as it pertains to group activities and peer grading, and thecompletion of in-class written work.

II NN -- CC LL AA SS SS PP AA RR TT II CC II PP AA TT II OO NN RR UU BB RR II CC +8-10 +5-7 +2-4 +0-1

AttendanceAttends everyclass.

Attends mostclasses.

Attends someclasses.

Does not attendclasses regularly.

QuestioningUsually asksquestions aboutthe topic

Often asksquestions aboutthe topic

Sometimes asksquestions aboutthe topic.

Rarely asksquestions aboutthe topic.

AnsweringAlways tries toanswer questionsin class.

Usually tries toanswer questionsin class.

Sometimes triesto answerquestions in class.

Rarely tries toanswerquestions inclass.

Working withClassmates

Always respectsclassmatesdifferences.

Always tries to

work togetherwell.

Usually respectsclassmatesdifferences.Usually tries to

work togetherwell.

Sometimesrespectsclassmatesdifferences.Sometimes does

not work togetherwell.

Rarely respectsclassmatesdifferences.Rarely workstogether well

with otherstudents.

In-ClassGrading

Grades peerspapers and givesuseful feedback.

Grades peerspapers with somefeedbacks.

Grades paperswith no feedback.

Inadequategrading andsubstandard (tono) feedback.

OnlineAssignments

Completes allonline activities

Usually turns inassignments and

Sometimes turnsin assignments

Rarely turns inassignments and


3/9

-3-

and turns them inas per theinstructorsrequest.

mostly submitsthem in theproper format.

and may submitthem in theproper format.

seldom submitsthem in theproper format.

2. EXAMS(2) (40% each): Two online quizzes on BlackBoardwill be given to assessstudent progression.

QQ UU II ZZ RR UU BB RR II CC CCAATTEEGGOORRYY 3333--4400%% 2266--3322%% 1177--2255%% 88--1166%% 00--77%%

Errors Most (90-100%) of theanswers haveno errors.

Almost all (80-89+%)answers haveno errors.

Some (70-79+%) of theanswers haveno errors.


Most (0-59%)answers haveerrors.

Completeness

Answers arecomplete andpresented ina neat, clear,

organizedfashion.

Answers aremostlycomplete andare presented

in a neat andorganizedfashion that isusually easy toread.

Answers aremostlyincompleteand are

presented inan organizedfashion butmay be hardto read attimes.

Answers arefairlyincompleteand are

presented inan somewhatorganizedfashion butare often hardto read attimes.

Answers areincompleteand appearsloppy and

unorganized.

3. MIDTERM(20%): Midterm exam will be given at mid-semester to assess studentprogression.

MM II DD TT EE RR MM RR UU BB RR II CC

CCAATTEEGGOORRYY ++1188--2200%% ++1155--1177%% ++1133--1166%% ++99--1122%% ++00--88%%Errors Most (90-

100%) of theanswers haveno errors.

Almost all (80-89+%) answershave no errors.



Most (0-59%)answershave errors.

Completeness

Answers arecomplete andpresented in aneat, clear,organizedfashion.

Answers aremostlycomplete andare presentedin a neat andorganizedfashion that is

usually easy toread.

Answers aremostlyincomplete andare presentedin an organizedfashion butmay be hard to

read at times.

Answers arefairlyincomplete andare presentedin an somewhatorganizedfashion but are

often hard toread at times.

Answersareincompleteand appearsloppy andunorganized.


4/9

-4-

4. RESEARCHWRITINGS(30%): Students will complete three two-page (single spaced/1,000word) papers according to the course schedule. Students also will receive informationduring the first weeks of class on research writing guidelines. Papers may be required onBlackboard and in hardcopy format.

RR EE SS EE AA RR CC HH

WW RR II TT II NN GG SS

RR UU BB RR II CC

GGRRAADDEE LLeennggtthh OOrrggaanniizzaattiioonn SSttrruuccttuurree CCoonntteenntt

A-B

You wroteno less than

twopages/1000

words..

Paper was wellordered and wellstructured, with a

clear structure withsupporting sections

throughout thepaper.

Font was either Ariel,Times, or Book Antiqua

font; 12-point font; single-spaced; used proper

references, and had anorganized bibliography

(with at least two entries) asper the paper-writinghandout given at the

beginning of the semester.

Content was wellresearched and

material wasthorough; accurate

sources wereprovided.

C-D

At least apage and ahalf written(850 words).

Paper was partially

structured, with asomewhat cogent

argument, but lackssupporting

framework forthesis argument.

Also, thesis is notdetailed and direct.

Font was not an approvedfont format, not single-

spaced; used other than 12-point font; used less than

two entries in bibliography.

Sources providedwere scattered or

random; andresearch material

was not thorough.

FLess thanone page

written.

Paper structure wasdisjointed and poor,with no coherentsupport for thesis

argument (or nothesis argumentprovided).

Proper fonts were not used;did not provide footnotes;

did not provide a

bibliography.

Content waspoorly researched,

overlyopinionated,

and/or sourceswere not provided.

RRR EEE SSS EEE AAA RRR CCC HHH PPP AAA PPP EEE RRR GGG UUU III DDD EEE LLL III NNN EEE SSS

Write 3 two-paged research papers on some aspect of race as studied in coursediscussions. The paper must be turned in on the day of class listed in the course schedule.

After addressing the subject of your study, the paper should describe the subjectshistorical and cultural antecedents. Also, describe the breadth of your subject byaddressing these questions:

a) What types of settings does this occur?b) How long has this been happening?c) Where does this occur geographically?d) Is this a regional, national, or international phenomenon?e) What groups are involved in this occurrence?f) What types of various meanings do representations of race carry?g) How race in popular culture influence perceptions of blackness, (or whiteness),

color, sexuality, gender, class, health?


5/9

-5-

Does their media representation succeed or fail? How have they been read differently fromwhat may have been their intent? If possible, include pictures or other media that mightbe pertinent (keep in mind that pictures should be at the end of your paper as appendicesand they will not be counted as part of your page requirement). Follow the guidelineslisted in the Writing Tipshandout you will receive in class. Please use at least five textsources (although you may use them, internet sources will not be counted). Remember,

your research paper is worth 20% of your course grade, so be thorough!

LLL EEE AAA RRR NNN III NNN GGG OOO BBB JJJ EEE CCC TTT III VVV EEE SSS

1. Students will learn relevant histories and theories regarding race from the fields of:Africana Studies, Media Studies, and History.

2. Students will analyze historical and theoretical issues regarding the development ofthe concept of race in the 20th Century.

3. Students will compare overlapping forms of socio-political oppression and describehow they function in society.

4. Students will learn to formulate their own arguments and pose them in writing.

LLL EEE AAA RRR NNN III NNN GGG EEE XXX PPP EEE RRR III EEE NNN CCC EEE SSS

1. Students will attend lectures, read assigned texts, participate in class discussions,and watch in-class films.

2. Students will write reviews on reading assignments.3. Students will read articles regarding micro and macro-oppressive forms of white

supremacy, patriarchy, classism, and heteronormativity.5. Students will present their research to the class and scrutinize each others work,

engaging critique from student peers.

LLL EEE AAA RRR NNN III NNN GGG OOO UUU TTT CCC OOO MMM EEE SSS

1. Students will learn how to include critiques of academic arguments, beginning withwriting an abstract, an outline, and the primary sections of a research paper in drafts(including peer critiques).

3. Students will be able to think critically about concepts of interdisciplinarity andmultidimensionality, and apply them to contemporary issues.

4. Students will learn how to formulate an original argument, develop it, and articulate itin both a protracted text presentation.

5. Students will become familiar with written argumentation, learning to defend anargument while incorporating anticipated critiques.

CCC LLL AAA SSS SSS PPP OOO LLL III CCC III EEE SSS

A. Attendance, Tardiness, and Absences: In order to do well in this class, attendance isMANDATORY. If for any reason you need to miss class, you must call or e-mail me inadvance. A class roster will be circulated during each class meeting. It is the studentsresponsibility to sign it. The student is also responsible for securing notes on class


6/9

-6-

lectures and announcements.ARRIVE ON TIME!! Late arrivals disrupt the lectureand you may miss important announcements as well as lecture material.

B. Cell phone policy: cell phones may be kept on vibrate or silent only. If a call must beanswered, it must be answered outside of the class. No text messaging or emailingshould be done in class. In the best interest of the class, please be considerate of yourclassmates by following these guidelines.

C. Make-up essays and extensions of due dates: Requests for approved absences must besubmitted in writingpriorto missing class. Requests for an extension or make-upopportunity must be submitted prior to the assignment due date, in writing. However,submission of request in no way guarantees professors approval.

D. Participation: Even though this class is primarily a lecture course, active--not passive--participation in class is a MUST. By active, I do not mean just being in class physically.

Active participation entails being engaged with the material and being able tocomment/critique the readings and films. I will not hesitate to call on you, so it wouldbe in your best interest to come to class prepared to discuss the issues addressed in thematerial. In borderline cases, your participation level will determine your final grade.

CCC EEE RRR TTT III FFF III CCC AAA TTT EEE OOO FFF SSS PPP EEE CCC III AAA LLL SSS TTT UUU DDD YYY III NNN RRRAAA CCC III AAA LLL UUU NNN DDD EEE RRR SSS TTT AAA NNN DDD III NNN GGG

The Africana and American Indian Studies Program and the Department of Social WorkEducation jointly offer the Certificate of Special Study in Racial Understanding. This 12-unit program consists of three required courses and one related interdisciplinary elective.The certificate is designed to prepare students and practicing professionals to developknowledge and skills necessary to understand racial difference and underlying racism andmanage conflict resulting from it. The special study seeks to promote racial awareness andracial harmony, diversity competency, and cultural understanding in our multiracial and

multicultural society.

UPPER-DIVISION REQUIREMENTS (9 UNITS)

AAIS 104W, 144; SWRK 136

ELECTIVES (3 UNITS)

Select one of the following courses: AAIS 137 (same as WS 137); AAIS 189; ANTH 120; CI140; CLS 170; CRIM 175, 176; PAX 120; SOC 111; SSCI 180; SWRK 137; WS 120

TOTAL (12 UNITS)

In addition, three units of field experience may be available from the National CoalitionBuilding Institute (NCBI) Train-the-Trainer seminar offered through the Women'sResource Center.

ADVISING NOTES

1. Open to all students.


7/9

-7-

2. Coursework must be completed with a minimum grade of 2.5.HHH OOO WWW TTT OOO SSS UUU CCC CCC EEE EEE DDD III NNN TTT HHH III SSS CCC OOO UUU RRR SSS EEE

A. If you are not used to reading a lot, GET USED TO IT!!! This course is the equivalentof a course offered at any UC, Cal State, or private college/university (USC, Stanford,Chapman, Pomona, etc.). Therefore, the reading load for this course may be heavy. Itis expected that you spend a minimum of at least eight (8) hours a week on thereading and preparation for this course. There may be times when you feeloverwhelmed by the reading material. However, here are some suggestions that mayhelp you along the way:1) Find a quiet space away from any distractions so that you can concentrate fully

on the reading assignments.2) When you are doing the reading, do it as if you are on a mission. This means that

you should look for the main ideas, concepts, and arguments in each textbookchapter, article, and document that is assigned. Ask yourself questions when youread: What are the main points in this chapter/article/document? What does the

author of the textbook/article/document want me to know?3) Outline and/or summarize the assigned chapters, articles, and documents

in your notes. When you are reading chapters from the textbooks, look forheadings and subheadings. Write down the main points that are addressed undereach heading and subheading. When you are reading articles or documents,outline the points that are made in each paragraph of the article or document.

4) DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!! While it is human nature to wait until the lastpossible minute to do the work assigned for your classes, this strategy has beenproven, time and time again, to lead to a student's downfall. Do not wait until thenight before a quiz/exam to do all of the reading that the quiz/exam will cover. If

you do,you will find yourself trying to cram a large amount of reading

material that most likely you will not remember when you take thequiz/exam. The reading for this course has been broken up so that you will havereading assigned for days when there will not be a quiz. It is extremely importantthat you do the reading assignments for those days so that you will not have tocram at the last minute for quizzes or exams. In addition, the readings will help

you to understand the lectures for those days on which they are assigned.5) Review your notes after you have written them!!6) If it is possible, form study groups with your colleagues. Obtain the phone

numbers of some of your colleagues and schedule times when you can get togetherand discuss the readings.

7) If you are having trouble with the concepts addressed in the readings, do nothesitate to contact me.

UUU NNN III VVV EEE RRR SSS III TTT YYY PPP OOO LLL III CCC III EEE SSS

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Upon identifying themselves to the instructor and theuniversity, students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learningand evaluation. For more information, contact Services to Students with Disabilities inMadden Library 1049 (278-2811).


8/9

-8-

CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM: Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent ordeceptive acts for the purpose of improving one's grade or obtaining course credit; suchacts also include assisting another student to do so. Typically, such acts occur in relationto examinations. However, it is the intent of this definition that the term 'cheating' not belimited to examination situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a studentthat are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptivemeans. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating which consists of the misuse of thepublished and/or unpublished works of others by misrepresenting the material (i.e., theirintellectual property) so used as one's own work. Penalties for cheating and plagiarismrange from a 0 or F on a particular assignment, through an F for the course, to expulsionfrom the university. For more information on the University's policy regarding cheatingand plagiarism, refer to the Class Schedule (Legal Notices on Cheating and Plagiarism) orthe University Catalog (Policies and Regulations).

Any student wishing to submit a written assignment that is the partial or entire product ofwork completed for another course must FIRST obtain WRITTEN permission from theinstructor specifying the extent to which the earlier work is acceptable, and also include a

copy of the earlier work with the current submission. Note that in NO case is a paper thatwas prepared for another course acceptable as a submission in the General Educationcourses. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in the initiation of actionsregarding breaches of policy on Cheating and Plagiarism.

COMPUTERS: At California State University, Fresno, computers and communications linksto remote resources are recognized as being integral to the education and researchexperience. Every student is required to have his/her own computer or have otherpersonal access to a workstation (including a modem and a printer) with all therecommended software. The minimum and recommended standards for the workstationsand software, which may vary by academic major, are updated periodically and are

available from Information Technology Services (http://www/csufresno.edu/ITS/) or theUniversity Bookstore. In the curriculum and class assignments, students are presumed tohave 24-hour access to a computer workstation and the necessary communication links tothe University's information resources.

DISRUPTIVE CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR: The classroom is a special environment in whichstudents and faculty come together to promote learning and growth. It is essential to thislearning environment that respect for the rights of others seeking to learn, respect for theprofessionalism of the instructor, and the general goals of academic freedom aremaintained. Differences of viewpoint or concerns should be expressed in terms which aresupportive of the learning process, creating an environment in which students and facultymay learn to reason with clarity and compassion, to share of themselves without losingtheir identities, and to develop and understanding of the community in which they live.Student conduct which disrupts the learning process shall not be tolerated and may leadto disciplinary action and/or removal from class.

COPYRIGHT POLICY: Copyright laws and fair use policies protect the rights of those whohave produced the material. The copy in this course has been provided for private study,scholarship, or research. Other uses may require permission from the copyrightholder. The user of this work is responsible for adhering to copyright law of the U.S. (Title


9/9

-9-

17, U.S. Code). To help you familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, theUniversity encourages you to visit its copyright web page.http://www.lib.csufresno.edu/libraryinformation/campus/copyright/copyrtpolicyfull.pdf

Digital Campus course web sites contain material protected by copyrights held by theinstructor, other individuals or institutions. Such material is used for educational purposesin accord with copyright law and/or with permission given by the owners of the originalmaterial. You may download one copy of the materials on any single computer for non-commercial, personal, or educational purposes only, provided that you (1) do not modifyit, (2) use it only for the duration of this course, and (3) include both this notice and anycopyright notice originally included with the material. Beyond this use, no material fromthe course web site may be copied, reproduced, re-published, uploaded, posted,transmitted, or distributed in any way without the permission of the original copyrightholder. The instructor assumes no responsibility for individuals who improperly usecopyrighted material placed on the web site.

HONORCODE: Members of the CSU Fresno academic community adhere to principles of

academic integrity and mutual respect while engaged in university work and relatedactivities.

You should:a) understand or seek clarification about expectations for academic integrity in this

course (including no cheating, plagiarism and inappropriate collaboration)b) neither give nor receive unauthorized aid on examinations or other course work

that is used by the instructor as the basis of grading.c) take responsibility to monitor academic dishonesty in any form and to report it to

the instructor or other appropriate official for action.

Instructors may require students to sign a statement at the end of all exams andassignments that "I have done my own work and have neither given nor receivedunauthorized assistance on this work." If you are going to use this statement, include ithere. Please refer to the policies document athttp://academicaffairs.csufresno.edu/undergrad_studies/RequiiredSyllabusPolicyStatements.htm

SPECIAL NOTE: This syllabus is subject to change in relation to the needs of theclass (and in the best interest of learning) as assessed by the instructor.

Documents

AFRS 104W - Writing About American Inequality Syllabus