From the course description:
In this section of the Literature of Culture we will be reading texts that seek to bear witness, inviting the reader not just to acknowledge a variety of economic, social, political, and cultural ills, but also to change how she goes about her daily life. These texts, then, deal directly with moral reflection and cultural diversity. While notions of witness may entail legal and cultural forms of truth, particularly with regard to why the reader would/would not enact the real-world changes sought by the text, these texts nonetheless complicate how we relate to historical events, times, and places. To what extent are the universal truths of human rights and human dignity more important than the historical occurrences that befall a particular individual? In making arguments for sweeping change, why do such texts often elide the individual stories of their authors in order to highlight the more general condition of the author’s social/ethnic/economic/racial class? How do moments of fiction actually bring us closer to the truth than the factual recording of events? How do our own ideas of truth prejudice our readings of these texts? What factors complicate the production of these texts with regard to authority, writing, and their potential reception? Does who reads in the end matter just as much as who’s doing the writing?
From the course description:
In this section of the Literature of Culture we will be reading texts that seek to bear witness, inviting the reader not just to acknowledge a variety of economic, social, political, and cultural ills, but also to change how she goes about her daily life. These texts, then, deal directly with moral reflection and cultural diversity. While notions of witness may entail legal and cultural forms of truth, particularly with regard to why the reader would/would not enact the real-world changes sought by the text, these texts nonetheless complicate how we relate to historical events, times, and places. To what extent are the universal truths of human rights and human dignity more important than the historical occurrences that befall a particular individual? In making arguments for sweeping change, why do such texts often elide the individual stories of their authors in order to highlight the more general condition of the author’s social/ethnic/economic/racial class? How do moments of fiction actually bring us closer to the truth than the factual recording of events? How do our own ideas of truth prejudice our readings of these texts? What factors complicate the production of these texts with regard to authority, writing, and their potential reception? Does who reads in the end matter just as much as who’s doing the writing?
From the course description:
In this section of the Literature of Culture we will be reading texts that seek to bear witness, inviting the reader not just to acknowledge a variety of economic, social, political, and cultural ills, but also to change how she goes about her daily life. These texts, then, deal directly with moral reflection and cultural diversity. While notions of witness may entail legal and cultural forms of truth, particularly with regard to why the reader would/would not enact the real-world changes sought by the text, these texts nonetheless complicate how we relate to historical events, times, and places. To what extent are the universal truths of human rights and human dignity more important than the historical occurrences that befall a particular individual? In making arguments for sweeping change, why do such texts often elide the individual stories of their authors in order to highlight the more general condition of the author’s social/ethnic/economic/racial class? How do moments of fiction actually bring us closer to the truth than the factual recording of events? How do our own ideas of truth prejudice our readings of these texts? What factors complicate the production of these texts with regard to authority, writing, and their potential reception? Does who reads in the end matter just as much as who’s doing the writing?
The Literature of Culture: The Literature of Witness
Fall 2014 Coulter 204 1:25-2:15
Instructor: Paul Worley Office: Coulter 409 Email: pmworley@wcu.edu Website: www.paulmworley.com Office Hours: 11:10-12:00 M/F; 2:30-3:30 W; and by appointment
I. Rationale/Purpose In this section of the Literature of Culture we will be reading texts that seek to bear witness, inviting the reader not just to acknowledge a variety of economic, social, political, and cultural ills, but also to change how she goes about her daily life. These texts, then, deal directly with moral reflection and cultural diversity. While notions of witness may entail legal and cultural forms of truth, particularly with regard to why the reader would/would not enact the real-world changes sought by the text, these texts nonetheless complicate how we relate to historical events, times, and places. To what extent are the universal truths of human rights and human dignity more important than the historical occurrences that befall a particular individual? In making arguments for sweeping change, why do such texts often elide the individual stories of their authors in order to highlight the more general condition of the authors social/ethnic/economic/racial class? How do moments of fiction actually bring us closer to the truth than the factual recording of events? How do our own ideas of truth prejudice our readings of these texts? What factors complicate the production of these texts with regard to authority, writing, and their potential reception? Does who reads in the end matter just as much as whos doing the writing?
II. Course Aims and Objectives: Liberal Studies Objectives (for the entire program) This course is a Liberal Studies course. The learning goals of the Liberal Studies Program are for students to: Demonstrate the ability to locate, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information; Demonstrate the ability to interpret and use numerical, written, oral and visual data; Demonstrate the ability to read with comprehension, and to write and speak clearly, coherently, and effectively as well as to adapt modes of communication appropriate to an audience; Demonstrate the ability to critically analyze arguments; demonstrate the ability to recognize behaviors and define choices that affect lifelong well-being; Demonstrate an understanding of o Past human experiences and ability to relate them to the present: o Different contemporary cultures and their interrelationships; 2 o Issues involving social institutions, interpersonal and group dynamics, human development and behavior, and cultural diversity; scientific concepts and methods as well as contemporary issues in science and technology; o Cultural heritage through its expressions of wisdom, literature and art and their roles in the process of self and social Liberal Studies Program Perspective Courses This course is a Perspectives course. The primary goals of the Perspectives courses are: To promote love of learning and to cultivate an active interest in the Liberal Studies; To build on the Core's foundation through practice and refinement of areas of academic emphasis; To provide students with a broadened world view and knowledge base; To provide experiences in the arts, humanities, and social sciences from which connections between disciplines can be revealed; To provide an introduction to the challenges of living in a global society; To create opportunities for reflection on values, and for discussing differences in values in a critical yet tolerant manner; To afford opportunities to make career or disciplinary choices. In addition, each Perspectives course are expected to include emphasis on one or more of the following: Critical analysis of arguments Oral communication Service learning Moral reflection Cultural diversity Any other creative but defensible area of intellectual development that a discipline wants to focus on, and that the program chooses to adopt.
P6: World Cultures: This course satisfies the P6 Perspective requirement of the Liberal Studies Program. As stated in the Undergraduate catalogue, students in this course will engage a variety of non-Western cultures via their literature, looking at diverse themes such as gender, economics, and religion. As in all Liberal Studies Perspective offerings, this course will emphasize reading, writing, and the use of information, as well as critical analysis, oral communication, moral reflection, and cultural diversity.
III. Course Materials
Required Texts: Rental Davis, Paul, et. al. The Bedford Anthology of World Literature: The Modern World, 1650-The Present. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009.
Supplemental for purchase in bookstore Barnet, Miguel. Biography of a Runaway Slave. Trans. W. Nick Hill. Willimantic, CT: Curbstone Press, 1994. Burgos-Debray, Elisabeth. I, Rigoberta Mench: An Indian Woman in Guatemala. Trans. Ann Wright. London: Verso, 1984. Mathabane, Mark. Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography. New York: Free Press, 1986. Satrapi, Marjane. The Complete Persepolis. New York: Pantheon, 2003. She, Lao. Rickshaw Boy. Trans. Howard Goldblatt. New York: Harper Perennial, 2010.
Additional readings available online through my website
IV. Faculty Expectations of Students/Course Policies
Statement on Accommodations for students with disabilities: 3
Office of Disability Services
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Western Carolina University is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions. Students who require reasonable accommodations must identify themselves as having a disability and/or medical condition and provide current diagnostic documentation to the Office of Disability Services. All information is confidential. Please contact the Office of Disability Services at (828) 227-3886 or come by Suite 135 Killian Annex for an appointment.
Student Support Services
Student Support Services provides support to students who are either first-generation, low-income or those who have disclosed a disability with: academic advising, mentoring, one-on-one tutorial support, and workshops focused on career, financial aid and graduate school preparation. You may contact SSS at (828) 227-7127 or email sssprogram@wcu.edu for more information. SSS is located in the Killian Annex, room 138.
Writing and Learning Commons (WaLC)
The Writing and Learning Commons (WaLC), located in BELK 207, provides free small-group course tutoring, one- on-one writing tutoring and academic skills consultations, and online writing and learning resources for all students. All tutoring sessions take place in the WaLC or in designated classrooms on campus. To schedule tutoring appointments, log in to TutorTrac from the WaLC homepage (walc.wcu.edu) or call 828-227-2274. Distance students and students taking classes at Biltmore Park are encouraged to use Smarthinking and the WaLCs online resources. Students may also take advantage of writing tutoring offered at the Biltmore Park campus on certain days of the week; call 828-227-2274 or log in to TutorTrac and select Biltmore Park Writing Tutoring for availabilities.
Statement on Academic Integrity (including plagiarism):
Academic Integrity Policy
"I will practice personal and academic integrity" WCU Community Creed
Western Carolina University (WCU) strives to achieve the highest standards of scholarship and integrity. Any violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is a serious offense because it threatens the quality of scholarship and undermines the integrity of the community. Any violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is a violation of the Code of Student Conduct (see dsce.wcu.edu for more information).
Violations of the Academic Integrity Policy include: Cheating - Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. Plagiarism - Representing the words or ideas of someone else as ones own in any academic exercise. Note: WCU instructors reserve the right to use plagiarism prevention software (such as SafeAssignment.com), library resources, as well as Google, Yahoo, and/or other Internet search engines to determine whether or not student papers have been plagiarized. With plagiarism prevention software, instructors may upload student papers into a searchable database or teach students how to upload their own work as part of the course requirements. Fabrication - Creating and/or falsifying information or citation in any academic exercise. Facilitation - Helping or attempting to help someone to commit a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy in any academic exercise (e.g. allowing another to copy information during an examination)
Faculty members have the right to determine the appropriate sanction(s) for violations of the Academic Integrity Policy within their courses, up to and including a final grade of F in the course. Students will be notified, in writing, of any Academic Integrity Policy allegation and have the right to respond to the allegation. The full text of the WCU Academic Integrity Policy, Process, and the Faculty Reporting Form can be found online at: academicintegrity.wcu.edu. Please visit studysmart.wcu.edu for further information. 4
Attendance Policy: M/W/F: Regular class attendance and participation are expectations for this course. Upon a students fifth (5th) absence, the students final course grade will be lowered one full letter grade (e.g., from A to B, B to C, etc.). Upon an sixth (6th) absence, the student will fail the course automatically.
The only excused absences under this policy are those absences described as excused within University policy. Those situations are: 1) bona fide medical emergencies (with documentation); 2) death of an immediate family member (with documentation); 3) pre-arranged religious observance; 4) participation in a University event sanctioned by the Chancellor to promote the university. Two of these situations (3 and 4) are foreseeable, and would require advanced notice, documentation, and coordination with the instructor in order to qualify as excused and not be counted against the numbers outlined in this policy. Students should consult the University Catalog (http://catalog.wcu.edu/) for details regarding the Universitys General Attendance Policy and University Excused Absences.
Statement on late and/or makeup assignments: Assignments submitted the course meeting following a given due date will be docked a full letter grade. In fairness to students who submitted work on time, assignments submitted up to a week late will be given no better than a C (75). Assignments are not accepted after they are a week late, and will be given an F and numerical grade of (0). Assignments that are simply not submitted will received an F with a numerical grade of (0). Furthermore, you will only be allowed to turn in one late assignment (and only if I say its OK to do so); any subsequent late work will not be accepted. You will not be able to pass this class unless you complete all assignments.
I will not accept any final draft of an assignment sent to me via e-mail. If you are having trouble with an assignment, please speak to me as soon as possible.
Statement of expectations for participation/classroom behavior: Participation: Active participation is a key component of this course. Please do not bring food to class as this will inhibit your moving about and communicating your thoughts and opinions to others. It is expected that students will be mindful and respectful of each other at all times, particularly when expressing opposing viewpoints on a given topic.
Laptops/Cellphones: Please refrain from using your cellphones and laptops in class unless otherwise explicitly told to do so by the instructor. Should cellphone use become a problem you will be asked to leave.
Recording: No student may record, tape, or photograph any classroom activity without the express written consent of the instructor. Students may not make audio or video recordings of course activities except students permitted to record as an approved accommodation. Recordings of class may not be posted publicly (online or otherwise) or distributed to individuals who are not students in the course without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are recorded.
Statement on participation in on-line course evaluations: You are highly encouraged to participate in the university-sanctioned evaluation of this course. The dates for this semester are November 9-December 6.
Statement of use of special programs or services: As part of its design, at different points in the semester this course may make use of social media. Students are therefore required to have a Twitter account (twitter.com). Student privacy is a priority, so students may opt to have an anonymous Twitter handle if they so choose. Other programs such a Blackboard will be utilized as appropriate.
Inclement weather policy: 5 In the event of inclement weather please pay attention to University announcements regarding cancellation of class or closure while maintaining an accurate assessment of your personal situation. If you live off campus and do not feel you can safely make it to/from campus, do not come.
V. Grading Procedures: Required: [You should indicate your grading scale, relative weight and brief description of all major assignments, and primary methods of assessment. A statement should be included indicating how the grading/assessment meets the course objectives stated above.]
Percentage of Grade Students Score Essay 1 10% Essay 2 15% Final Project 20% Mid-Term Exam 15% Final Exam 20% Participation and Homework 20% Final Grade:
Essays and Final Project More specific information about the design of these assignments will be distributed at a later date. The first essay will be an analysis of a work, the second will be a creative social media piece that involves a critical self-reflection, and the third will involve your translating a scene from one of the works into a comic with a theoretical critical reflection and the presentation of the piece the final day of the semester. Each paper will be between 2-3 full pages (circa 500- 750 words), double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 point font. Papers are exercises in critical thinking where you will read texts, analyze them, and draw conclusions based on supporting evidence that you will assemble. As always, papers at every stage should follow MLA format and documentation, be free of errors in spelling and grammar, and by typed. As stated below, plagiarism is not tolerated.
Exams More specific information about exam design will be distributed at a later date. The Midterm and Final Exams gauge your knowledge of, retention of, and engagement with the material.
Participation and Homework You are expected to attend class and actively participate in discussion by coming prepared, having read the days reading, bringing your book, and by asking and responding to questions. This is a discussion-based course, so if I have to call on you, you are not actively participating!
Any daily pop quizzes done in class will be allocated here.
In addition to any written homework, you will frequently be asked to prepare brief (100-200 word) response papers to prompts and/or course readings. These will be allocated here.
As part of this grade, you will be asked to do a brief presentation having to do with the course reading introducing what you feel are the relevant/salient topics from the days reading. These will be brief (10-15 minutes), require you to make use of PowerPoint, and formulate 3-4 questions around which the class will base its discussion. You are more than welcome to guide the discussion where you would like to see it go! This assignment is half of the participation grade.
Grading and Quality Point System*
Grade Interpretation Quality Points per Grade Interpretation Quality Points per Semester Hour Semester Hour
A+ Excellent 4.0 I Incomplete [ -- ] A Excellent 4.0 IP In Progress [ -- ] 6 A- 3.67 S Satisfactory [ -- ] B+ 3.33 U Unsatisfactory [ -- ] B Good 3.0 W Withdrawal [ -- ] B- 2.67 AU Audit [ -- ] C+ 2.33 NC No Credit [ -- ] C Satisfactory 2.0 C- 1.67 D+ 1.33 D Poor 1.0 D- .67 F Failure 0
* See Graduate Catalog for the graduate level grading system.
The grades of A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- and F indicate gradations in quality from Excellent to Failure. Please note that a C- grade is less than satisfactory and may not meet particular program and/or course requirements.
Composition-Condition Marks. A student whose written work in any course fails to meet acceptable standards will be assigned a composition-condition (CC) mark by the instructor on the final grade report. All undergraduates who receive two CC grades prior to the semester in which they complete 110 hours at Western Carolina University are so notified by the registrar and are required to pass English 300 or English 401 before they will be eligible for graduation. This course must be taken within two semesters of receiving the second CC and must be passed with a grade of C (2.0) or better.
Students must be familiar with the class attendance, withdrawal, and drop-add policies and procedures.
Assignments Note: Attending class without the book in which the reading is due or without having done the reading will result in a zero for homework and participation for that days class. You will not be eligible to pass this class unless you complete all assignments. Handwritten assignments at the college level are unacceptable. I will not accept handwritten work from you under any circumstances. Final drafts of essays will not be accepted unless I have seen and critiqued a preliminary draft of the essay.
VIII. Tentative Course Schedule May change to accommodate guest presenters & student needs
August 18 Introduction to the Course 20 Articles on subalternity and testimonio http://digitalunion.osu.edu/r2/summer06/herbert/testimoniosubaltern/index.html http://digitalunion.osu.edu/r2/summer06/herbert/testimoniosubaltern/testimonioroots.html 22 Montaigne, Of Cannibals http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3600/3600-h/3600-h.htm#link2HCH0030
25 Equiano, 448-77 27 Equiano, 477-93 29 Equiano, ALL
September 1 No Class 3 Barnet, Biography of a Runaway Slave, Afterword; 17-57 5 Barnet, Biography of a Runaway Slave, 61-103
8 Barnet, Biography of a Runaway Slave, 104-56 10 Barnet, Biography of a Runaway Slave, 159-200 12 Draft of Essay 1 to workshop in class 7