This course is designed to
introduce you to a variety of cultural perspectives and to teach you how to
critically analyze all the texts you read. Our course material will include
literature, popular culture, and ethnographic texts, all chosen to help you think
about issues of power, ideology, and difference within and between cultures.
Although this is an English class, the texts and issues we will be dealing with
are interdisciplinary, and you will be able to use the analytical skills gained
in this class in other courses, as well as in your life in general. In addition to learning how to analyze a
variety of texts, you will also produce several types of writing (including a
journal, informal writing pieces, and formal essays) to show you how each genre
can be utilized to your benefit, both in and outside of academia. Upon
completion of this course, you will be able to recognize and understand
ideologies and biases inherent in texts, have the skills to analyze the details
of texts to understand their messages, produce several forms of writing
relevant to various situations, and understand the multiple roles writing can
play in academic and regular life.
Required Texts:
Articles, assignment sheets,
and handouts will be available on laulima
Assignments:
-5 essays (graded
individually; revision grades will register in portfolio grade)
-16 journal entries (graded
as a whole unit)
-In class writing such as
free writes, brainstorming for essay topics, generating ideas for discussion
(graded in participation)
-portfolio (3 essays which
demonstrate your best work; each revision is worth 5% of total class grade)