Blog Post: Due for Class Tuesday 7/5

In a thoughtful, focused paragraph of approximately 200 words, engage a specific passage or set of passages in the assigned reading for the day. Choose one of the following questions to answer:

1) How does the thesis of Sean Joe's piece relate to the idea of the the sociological imagination? Point to a specific excerpt from the text to support your argument.

2) How does the social construction of what is beautiful or "cute" affect the characters in The Bluest Eye? Point to a specific example from the text to support your argument, and include an analysis of Morrison's use of literary devices to convey this effect. (Use your Literary Terms sheet at the beginning of your reader.)

3) What is the connection between the Toni Morrison excerpts and the Sean Joe piece? What common theme do you see? Explain the connection using specific examples to support your point.

Origins of the Other: Individual Meetings

Sign Up Sheet (All meetings held at NGS center)

6/29

3:20 – 3:35 Matt Hernandez (you need to reschedule)

3:35 – 3:50 __________________________________________

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

6/30

3:20 – 3:35 __________________________________________

3:35 – 3:50 Ryan Chung

3:50 – 4:05 Ellis Tran

7/1

3:20 – 3:35 Osmar Mazariegos

3:35 – 3:50 Ivan Shaw

3:50 – 4:05 Marcia Mata

7/5

3:20 – 3:35 Monica Cardenas

3:35 – 3:50 Yaqueline Rodas

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/6

3:20 – 3:35 Angela Ho

3:35 – 3:50 Elvira Correa

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/7

3:20 – 3:35 Valeria Ramirez

3:35 – 3:50 Giovani Camara

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/8

3:20 – 3:35 Selena Hernandez

3:35 – 3:50 __________________________________________

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/11

3:20 – 3:35 Eric Zepeda

3:35 – 3:50 __________________________________________

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/12

3:20 – 3:35 Johnny Xu

3:35 – 3:50 Ellis Tran

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/13

3:20 – 3:35 Yoel Iskindir

3:35 – 3:50 Mario Diaz

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

First Blog Post: Due for class Wednesday 6/29

Please post your first blog post as a comment here. Post your comment before midnight on Tuesday night so that your classmates and I can read it over before class.

In a thoughtful, focused paragraph of approximately 200 words, engage a specific passage or set of passages in the assigned reading for the day. You may either choose one of the readings, or draw a connection between both. Using your passage as point of entry, formulate a question for class discussion. As you craft your paragraph, use the following format:

1. Identify a particular passage or set of passages that you find especially rich, provocative and critical to the core argument of the text(s) at hand. Clearly identify your passage, and use page numbers.

2. In 3-5 sentences, offer a brief critical paraphrase of the passage(s) you’ve selected, quoting key phrases to anchor and support your paraphrase.

3. In 2-3 sentences, pose a question or comment that explicitly draws out the implications of the passage, makes connections to other course readings, or otherwise opens the text up for further, focused discussion. If you choose to pose a question rather than a comment, then be sure to provide your own answer to your question.

Literary Terms Handout

Literary Terms

Allegory – A story in which a second meaning is to be read beneath the surface

Alliteration – the repetition of one or more initial consonants in a group of words or lines in a poem

Allusion - A reference to a person, place, or event meant to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea

Ambiguity – A vagueness of meaning; a conscious lack of clarity meant to evoke multiple meanings and interpretation

Analogy – A comparison that points out similarities between two dissimilar things

Antagonist - A character or force in a work of literature that, by opposing the protagonist, produces tension or conflict

Antithesis – A rhetorical opposition or contrast of ideas by means of a grammatical arrangement of words, clauses, or sentences

Apostrophe – A locution (word, phrase or expression) that addresses a person or personified thing not present.

Archetype - An abstract or ideal conception of a type; a perfectly typical example; an original model or form

Assonance – The repetition of two or more vowel sounds in a group of words or lines of a poem

Cacophony – Grating, inharmonious sounds

Connotation – The suggested or implied meaning of a word or phrase; Contrast with denotation

Denotation – The dictionary definition of a word: Contrast with connotation

Diction - The choice of words in oral and written discourse

Euphemism – A mild or less negative usage for a harsh or blunt term; pass away is a euphemism for die

Expository essay - The expository essay is a genre of essay that investigates an idea, evaluates evidence, expounds on (gives detail on) the idea, and sets forth an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner. This can be accomplished through comparison and contrast, definition, example, the analysis of cause and effect, etc.

Figurative language – In contrast to literal language, figurative language implies meanings. Figures of speech include metaphors, similes, and personification, among many others.

First-person narrative – A narrative told by a character involved in the story, using first-person pronouns such as I and we

Foreshadowing – Providing hints of things to come in a story or play

Genre – A term used to describe literary forms, such as novel, play and essay

Hyperbole – Overstatement; gross exaggeration for rhetorical effect

Imagery – The mental pictures created by a piece of writing

Irony – A mode of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is stated, often implying ridicule or light sarcasm; a state of affairs or events that is the reverse of what might have been expected

Metaphor – A figure of speech that compares unlike objects without using like or as

Mood – The emotional tone in a work of literature

Motif – A phrase, idea or event that through repetition serves to unify or convey a theme in a work of literature

Narrative – A form of verse or prose that tells a story

Omniscient narrator - A narrator with unlimited awareness, understanding, and insight of characters, setting, background, and all other elements of the story

Onomatopoeia – The use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning

Oxymoron – A term consisting of contradictory elements juxtaposed to create a paradoxical effect

Paradox – A statement that seems self-contradictory but is nevertheless true

Paraphrase – A restatement of a text or passages, usually in a simpler, more concise form

Personification – A figure of speech in which a non-human entity, such as an object or animal, is given human characteristics

Plot – The interrelationship among the events in a story; the plot line is the pattern of events, including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution

Point of view – The relation in which a narrator or speaker stands to the story or subject matter of a poem. A story told in the first person has an internal point of view; an observer uses an external point of view

Protagonist – The main character in a work of literature

Rhetoric – The language of a work and its style; words, often highly emotional, used to convince or sway the audience

Rhetorical stance – Language the conveys a speaker’s attitude or opinion with regard to a particular subject

Satire – A literary style used to poke fun at, attack or ridicule an idea, vice, or foible, often for the purpose of inducing change

Setting – The total environment for the action in a novel or play. It includes time, place, historical milieu, and social, political, and even spiritual circumstances.

Simile – A figurative comparison using the words like or as

Stream of consciousness – A style of writing in which the author tries to reproduce the random flow of thoughts in the human mind

Style – The manner in which an author uses and arranges words, shapes ideas, forms sentences, and creates a structure to convey ideas

Subtext – The implied meaning that underlies the main meaning of a work of literature

Symbolism – The use of one object to evoke ideas and associations not literally part of the original object

Syntax – The organization of language into meaningful structure; every sentence has a particular syntax, or pattern of words

Theme – The main idea or meaning; often an abstract idea upon which a work of literature is built

Tone – The author’s attitude toward the subject being written about. The tone is the characteristic emotion that pervades a work or part of a work – the spirit or quality that is the work’s emotional essence

Voice – The real or assumed personality used by a writer or speaker.

Syllabus

The Origins of the Other

A Sociological Exploration of Writing and Composition

Shanna Kohn / shanna@nextgenerationscholars.org / NGS Summer ‘11

Class: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30-10:30

Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 3:15-4:15 or by appointment

http://originsoftheother.blogspot.com

Course Description

“The real death of America will come when everyone is alike.” – James T. Ellison

In this course we will explore the concept of “The Other.” We will begin by discussing the roots of otherness, its effects, and the ways that it is carried out or performed in society. This theme will carry through the course as we examine how otherness plays out in fiction and biographical prose as well as in non-fiction academic articles. The goal of the course is to learn to integrate the factual and the figurative by exploring how a skilled author brings a vivid voice to the sociological facts. At the end of the course you will have a chance to do this yourself in a final essay in which you tell your own story. In addition to providing preparation for the college essay writing process, this course will build skills in writing and analysis that will be essential in the college classroom.

About Me

I am a Junior at Vassar College majoring in American Culture. (Ask me about my major, I probably won’t be able to explain it.) I grew up in Marin and live in San Rafael with my mom Maureen and small dog Jojo. Sally helped me with financial aid during the college admissions process, and I liked her so much that I decided to keep coming back and bugging her. You may have seen me here last summer as a teacher’s aid, and I’m excited to be coming back this summer as a teacher. Feel free to ask me questions about college, the strangeness of the east coast, or anything else you’d like to know about me and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Assignments

Weekly Readings (15%)

> You will be assigned two short readings before almost every class. These readings are the basis of the course, and it is crucial that you complete them before class in order to be prepared for discussion and written assignments. You will be graded on your comprehension of the readings based on your participation in class.

Blog Posts (15%)

> In a thoughtful, focused paragraph of approximately 200 words, engage a specific passage or set of passages in the assigned reading for the day. Using your passage as point of entry, formulate a question for class discussion. As you craft your paragraph, use the following format:

1. Identify a particular passage or set of passages that you find especially rich, provocative and critical to the core argument of the text(s) at hand. Clearly identify your passage, and use page numbers.

2. In 3-5 sentences, offer a brief critical paraphrase of the passage(s) you’ve selected, quoting key phrases to anchor and support your paraphrase.

3. In 2-3 sentences, pose a question or comment that explicitly draws out the implications of the passage, makes connections to other course readings, or otherwise opens the text up for further, focused discussion. If you choose to pose a question rather than a comment, then be sure to provide your own answer to your question.

Midterm Paper (Two Drafts and Outline) (25%)

> This paper asks you to analyze two pieces we have read in class, one critical and one literary, and investigate how they relate and support one another. In this essay you will discuss the origins of otherness – how it is created, performed, or internalized – using examples from both texts to support your argument.

Final Paper (Two Drafts) (45%)

> Bearing in mind the devices and techniques of the authors we have read in class, you will write a personal essay that gives a voice to a broader sociological theme. This essay gives you a chance to convey your own experience of otherness in a vivid and articulate manner.

Texts

Brent Staples – “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space” (4)

C. Wright Mills – “The Promise” (7)

Paul Laurence Dunbar – “We Wear the Mask”

Elizabeth Lozano – “The Cultural Experience of Space and Body” excerpt

Toni Morrison – The Bluest Eye Excerpts pgs. 74, 205 (2)

Sean Joe – “Implications of Focusing on Black Youth Self-Destructive Behaviors Instead of Suicide When Designing Preventive Interventions” (6)

James Baldwin – “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is? (3)

Gloria Anzaldúa – “How To Tame a Wild Tongue” *(13)

Nancy Mairs – “On Being a Cripple” (13)

Eduardo Bonilla-Silva – “‘New Racism,’ Color-Blind Racism, And the Future of Whiteness in America (17)

Frederick Douglass – “Learning to Read and Write” (6)

Malcolm X – “Learning to Read” (10)

Discussion Topics

<< Week 1 >>

Monday 6/27 – Introduction: The Origins of the Other

In-Class

> How would you define the concept of “The Other?” > Where does the concept of the other come from? Ourselves? Our family? Our peers? Broader society? > How does otherness become a source of disempowerment or, conversely, empowerment? > Who is your other? Do you see otherness as empowering, disempowering, or both? In-Class Text: Literary terms handout Annotation handout

Homework

Blog Post (Due by 9am on 6/29) You must have completed the assigned reading to complete this assignment

Read and Annotate (Due Wednesday 6/29): Please circle and vocabulary you are unfamiliar with and come to class with definitions of these words. Review Syllabus Brent Staples – “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space” C. Wright Mills* – “The Promise” * This is a foundational Sociological text. If you like this reading, you may want to check out Sociology as a potential major!

Wednesday 6/29 – Otherness as a Social Construct

In-Class

Reading Review: What are the key concepts in Staples’ and Mills’ pieces? > The person with whom you find yourself identifying in a story sometimes depends on your own identity. With whom did you identify at the start of Staples’ essay, and how did it affect your reading of the full piece? > In Staples’ essay, how is otherness assigned to him? How does he cope with being labeled as the other and with the implications this label has? > How the concepts discussed in Mills’ piece relate to Staples’ experience? Does Staples’ employ the “Sociological Imagination” in coping with the label of the other? > What literary devices does Staples use to convey a sense of otherness?

Homework

Thesis for Midterm (Due Tuesday 7/5) Carefully look at the pieces we have read by Brent Staples and C. Wright Mills. Provide a statement and an argument that answers this question: Is a personal and or creative response an effective way to address a larger sociological issue? Why? Your answer should draw on key passages from the texts as well as the vocabulary we have covered in class (specifically the Literary Terms Handout). These terms will help you explain what makes the creative essay effective. This essay should be about 3 pages in length. You will be graded on the strength and clarity of your argument and the evidence you use to support it.

Blog Post (Due by 9am on 7/5) You must have completed the assigned reading to complete this assignment

Read and Annotate (Due Tuesday 7/5): Toni Morrison – The Bluest Eye Excerpts pgs. 74, 205 Sean Joe* – “Implications of Focusing on Black Youth Self-Destructive Behaviors Instead of Suicide When Designing Preventive Interventions” *If you like this article, Sean Joe is an Associate Professor of Social Work and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at University of Michigan’s RCGD Institute for Social Research

Individual meeting sign up (by Tuesday 7/5): You must sign up for at least one individual meeting with me between during the first and second weeks of class (June 29 - July 13th) You must come to this meeting prepared with at least two questions for me about your midterm or anything else you are concerned about. See sign up sheet.

<< Week 2 >>

Tuesday 7/5 – The Internalization of Otherness

In-Class

> How do the characters in The Bluest Eye define beauty? > How do the characters in the Morrison excerpt internalize a sense of otherness? Do they see their otherness through the sociological imagination, or do they see it as a personal issue? > In what ways do the main ideas in Joe’s article relate to the idea of the internalization of otherness? What affect does this internalization have on the African American youth he discusses?

Homework

Detailed Outline for Midterm (Due Thursday 7/7): Includes thesis, topic sentences, and supporting evidence

Blog Post (Due by 9am on 7/7) You must have completed the assigned reading to complete this assignment

Read and Annotate (Due Thursday 7/7): Baldwin – “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is? Anzaldúa – “How To Tame a Wild Tongue”

<< Week 3 >>

Thursday 7/7 – The Voice of the Other: Language as Identity

In-Class

> How do the challenges discussed in Anzaldúa’s essay tie in to the issues discussed in Baldwin’s? > How is identity shaped by language, both internally and by society? How does this relate to the broader themes we’ve been discussing? > What literary devices does Anzaldúa use to convey the importance of the relationship between language and identity? > Compare language to clothing. Do you think we “wear” our otherness with the way we speak?

Homework

Midterm Rough Draft Due (7/12)

Tuesday 7/12 – Writing Workshop

In-Class

On this day I will hold individual conferences about your final paper in addition to a peer-editing workshop.

Homework

Midterm Final Draft Due (714)

Thursday 7/14 – TBA

In-Class

> How do our actions recreate and reinforce the concept of the other? How do we “perform” otherness? > Talk about Final

Homework

Final Exam Topics (Due 7/19) Bearing in mind the techniques of the authors we have read in this class, form an answer to this question: Write a sociological exploration of a personal experience. How did that experience affect you? In what ways does it demonstrate a broader sociological issue? This is your chance to try out the techniques we’ve talked about that make the personal essay effective. Look back in your notes to review these techniques and intentionally include at least three in your writing. This essay should be 3-4 pages in length.

Blog Post (Due by 9am on 7/19) You must have completed the assigned reading to complete this assignment

Assigned Reading (Due Thursday 7/19): Nancy Mairs – “On Being a Cripple” Eduardo Bonilla-Silva* – “‘New Racism,’ Color-Blind Racism, And The Future of Whiteness in America *If you liked this reading, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva is a Professor of Sociology at Duke University

<< Week 4 >>

Tuesday 7/19 – Shaping the Other Through Language

In-Class

> How does the way we talk about otherness affect our perspective on it? > What devices does Mairs use in her essay to effectively convey the issues that arise around the way we speak about the other?

Homework

Blog Post (Due by 9am on 7/21) You must have completed the assigned reading to complete this assignment

Assigned Readings (Due Thursday 7/21): Frederick Douglass – “Learning to Read and Write” Malcolm X – “Learning to Read”

Thursday 7/21 – The Power of Reading and Writing

In-Class

> How to Douglass and Malcolm X use descriptive writing to convey the way the world opened up to them once they learned to read and write? Point to examples, and discuss the techniques they use. > Douglass teaches himself to read and write in a society that condemns literacy for people like him; the education and the society Malcolm X describes in “Learning to Read” are very different. How are they similar? > What are the parallels between the ways Malcolm X and Douglass learned to read? What are the parallels and differences in the things they learned from their reading?

Homework

Final Exam Rough Draft (Due Tuesday 7/26)

<< Week 5 >>

Tuesday 7/26 – Writing Workshop

In-Class

On this day I will hold individual conferences about your final paper in addition to a peer-editing workshop.

Homework

Final Exam Final Draft (Due Thursday 7/28)

Thursday 7/28 – Last Day

In Class

Final Exam Excerpt Presentations

Individual Meetings: Sign Up Sheet

Origins of the Other: Individual Meetings

Sign Up Sheet

6/29

3:20 – 3:35 __________________________________________

3:35 – 3:50 __________________________________________

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

6/30

3:20 – 3:35 __________________________________________

3:35 – 3:50 __________________________________________

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/1

3:20 – 3:35 __________________________________________

3:35 – 3:50 __________________________________________

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/5

3:20 – 3:35 __________________________________________

3:35 – 3:50 __________________________________________

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/6

3:20 – 3:35 __________________________________________

3:35 – 3:50 __________________________________________

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/7

3:20 – 3:35 __________________________________________

3:35 – 3:50 __________________________________________

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/8

3:20 – 3:35 __________________________________________

3:35 – 3:50 __________________________________________

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/11

3:20 – 3:35 __________________________________________

3:35 – 3:50 __________________________________________

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/12

3:20 – 3:35 __________________________________________

3:35 – 3:50 __________________________________________

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________

7/13

3:20 – 3:35 __________________________________________

3:35 – 3:50 __________________________________________

3:50 – 4:05 __________________________________________