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*This syllabus is tentative and subject to change if circumstances require.
Entangled Lives: Contemporary World Literature Fall Semester 2017 MENG 6260 EHall 317 Wednesday, 5:30 to 8:10 (This is a hybrid course, which means we will meet online for two weeks this semester.) Dr. Christy Call Elizabeth Hall 462 Office Hours: Wednesday 4:00 to 5:00
or by appointment [email protected]
COURSE DESCRIPTION Through the insights of ecology we understand that the planet is interconnected. Yet the nature of these connections in a full sense can be difficult to grasp. This class will seek to make these connections more evident by zooming in on the radical re-‐conceptualizations of ontology, agency, and ethics that are now underway in literature and theory, as both of these forms grapple with the erosion of what once seemed to be solid lines in various borders, boundaries, and binaries. Through a study of literary portrayals and theoretical articulations, we will examine this entangled global landscape for the mesh of nature and culture, for the increasing sense of power and limitation, for the way that solidarity increases precarity while still potentially sponsoring a more expansive ethic of relation. REQUIRED TEXTS A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid The Old Man Who Read Love Stories by Luis Sepulveda A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki Elizabeth Costello by J.M. Coetzee Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (Please note: You will need to purchase this text as it is not in the bookstore) SECONDARY TEXTS & MATERIALS (Available through Canvas) “What Is a Border?” by Etienne Balibar Excerpts from Walled States and Waning Sovereignty by Wendy Brown “Why We Look at Animals” by John Berger “Midway” -‐ the Photographs of Chris Jordan The short film: Midway Excerpts from Vibrant Matter by Jane Bennett “Precarious Life” by Judith Butler Excerpts from The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing Excerpts from Knots by Gunnhild Oyehaug Excerpts from The Open by Georgio Agamben
*This syllabus is tentative and subject to change if circumstances require.
“Literary Animal Agents” by McHugh Excerpts from Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor by Rob Nixon Excerpt from Frictions by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing MENG LEARNING OUTCOMES (applied to this course) 1: Gather, analyze, and communicate insights creatively and critically; 2: Cultivate skills in close reading, critical thinking, creative expression, and persuasive writing. 3: Understand and apply various theoretical perspectives and discipline-‐specific terminology to
interpretations of texts and /or analysis of data. 4: Acknowledge and articulate the significance of key text(s) in contemporary world literature, with
theoretical perspectives as analytical frameworks. 5: Demonstrate knowledge of current scholarship and practices. 6: Employ discipline-‐specific conventions and protocols for written or multimodal presentations. REQUIREMENTS 1) 1) Attendance/Participation: Consistent attendance, preparation, and participation are crucial to your success. You should come to class on time having read well all of the assigned readings for the day. You are allowed 1 absence for illness or for any life issue that comes up, but any work due on a given day must be turned in on that day and turned in on time in order to receive full credit. The bulk of our time in class will be spent discussing the course material and each other’s ideas. You should offer perspectives, examples, challenges, and questions. When class begins, please turn your cell phone off. As a general rule, you may expect to do between 3-‐4 hours of work outside of class for each hour in class. 2) Leading Discussions: Each week 2 of you will take the lead on conducting discussions about the readings. Leading the discussion means that you come prepared to talk at the beginning of class for approximately 10 minutes about passages that raise important issues or connect to themes. 3) Discussion Posts: We will utilize Canvas discussions after each novel is completed and on the days that we don’t meet for class. (Please see the schedule.) In composing these responses, you should look to underscore key passages, ask important questions, consider the meaningfulness or consequence behind ideas and issues, and apply any relevant theoretical insights. 4) Paper: At the end of the semester, you will write a 15-‐page research paper on a critical issue connected with our course readings. This paper will be staged so that each of you write a proposal that articulates your ideas for the paper, considers your sources, and frames the angle of your interpretation. Your paper will then go through a process of revision. I will provide feedback on your drafts. In addition to the paper itself, you will compose an abstract at the end that encapsulates your approach and argument. 6) Project: At the end of the semester, each of you will present a brief but substantive project that showcases your learning. You may use any form of media (film, video, photos, music, websites, or some combination) to engage the class more fully and to facilitate an enhanced conversation with us.
* * * Rubrics for all assignments will be posted to Canvas * * *
*This syllabus is tentative and subject to change if circumstances require.
Participation 10% LO 1, 2, 3, 4
Leading Discussions 20% LO 1, 2, 3, 5
Discussion Posts 20% LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Paper 25% LO 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Project 25% LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
UNIVERSITY POLICIES Academic Dishonesty: As specified in PPM 6-‐22 IV D, cheating and plagiarism violate the Student Code. Plagiarism is “the unacknowledged (uncited) use of any other person’s or group’s ideas or work.” Students found guilty of cheating or plagiarism are subject to failure of a specific assignment, or, in more serious cases, failure of the entire course. Core Beliefs: According to PPM 6-‐22 IV, students are to “[d]etermine, before the last day to drop courses without penalty, when course requirements conflict with a student's core beliefs. If there is such a conflict, the student should consider dropping the class. A student who finds this solution impracticable may request a resolution from the instructor. This policy does not oblige the instructor to grant the request, except in those cases when a denial would be arbitrary and capricious or illegal. This request must be made to the instructor in writing and the student must deliver a copy of the request to the office of the department head. The student's request must articulate the burden the requirement would place on the student's beliefs.” Disability Accommodation: PPM 3-‐34 notes: “When students seek accommodation in a regularly scheduled course, they have the responsibility to make such requests at the Center for Students with Disabilities before the beginning of the quarter [semester] in which the accommodation is being requested. When a student fails to make such arrangements, interim accommodations can be made by the instructor, pending the determination of the request for a permanent accommodation.” I will accommodate the needs of hearing impaired students by proving closed caption access to any audio or visual materials as well as the delivery of instruction and ensuing class discussions. Emergency Closure: If for any reason the university is forced to close for an extended period of time, we will conduct our class via the course Canvas page.