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| Aug 18-22 | NO CLASS | COURSE SYLLABUS | Complete (Moodle): 1) Beginning-of-the-year questionnaire; 2) How much do you already know? Read: Mission & Vision of the College of Wooster |
| Aug 25-29 | Read: “The Liberal Arts Endeavor” by C. Long. Homework questions: What is the difference, in your mind, between “liberal and practical education” (v)? How would you define “liberal education”? What were some of the things that you weighed or considered before deciding to come to Wooster? What is the central argument of the assigned article and how is it already obsolete in terms of the issue that it raises? | Read: Defining Critical Thinking. Homework questions: After reading this assignment, how would you define critical thinking? What do you see as the social importance of critical thinking? What habits do you think lead to good critical thinking? What habits do you think lead to bad critical thinking? What are two things that you think that you can do starting now to become a better critical thinker? Why do you think Professor Cope thinks this last question is so important? | Read: “Othering: Cultural Diversity and Symbolic Boundaries” in American Misfits and the Making of Middle-Class Respectability by R. Wuthnow. Homework questions: Identify and discuss some of the ways that othering functions in American society based on the following definition given by the author: “Othering is the process through which a person or group is turned into somebody different from us, an “other” from whom it is possible to distance ourselves. It is at heart a relational process that occurs in social interaction, real and imagined, as a person or group defines itself in contrast with and in opposition to someone else” (258). How do the concepts of respectability and citizenship factor into the equation? |
| Sep 1-5 | Read: Roma/Gypsies in Spain View: Destiny: 21st Century Gypsies (Kanopy). Review: “Othering: Cultural Diversity and Symbolic Boundaries” in American Misfits and the Making of Middle-Class Respectability by R. Wuthnow. Homework Questions: Identify and discuss some of the ways that the documentary shows othering to function in relation to Spain’s Roma community based on the following definition given by the author of “Othering: Cultural Diversity and Symbolic Boundaries.”: “Othering is the process through which a person or group is turned into somebody different from us, an “other” from whom it is possible to distance ourselves. It is at heart a relational process that occurs in social interaction, real and imagined, as a person or group defines itself in contrast with and in opposition to someone else” (258). Do the concepts of respectability and citizenship factor into the equation? What did you find to be particularly instructive about the documentary? What did you find to be interesting the history of the Roma community in Spain? Challenge: Be prepared to briefly state how this video exemplifies the relational aspect of othering, according to Wuthnow, and the way in which respectability comes into relief. Hint: Start with identifying who is being othered in the conversation. | Read: “Kimberlé Crenshaw” in Persuasive Acts: Women’s rhetorics in the 21st Century, by Shari Stenberg and Charlotte Hogg (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2020). Homework Questions: What motivated Kimberlé Crenshaw to theorize intersectionality? What specifically is it meant to address? In what ways has the concept been broadened?How was intersectionality received in conservative circles and other sectors resistant to change? How does the author respond in her Washington Post article from 2015? What point does the author make, specifically, about talking about intersectionality? Describe intersectionality in relation to the person featured in Destiny. Share your thoughts on intersectionality, specifically its utility. | Read: Bird of Four Hundred Voices by Eugene Rodríguez (2024): Chapters 1-2. Homework Questions: (Chapter 1) The author uses a fifteenth-century Aztec poem about a bird to define culture. How does the author define culture? What happened as a result of NAFTA, according to the author? How did the arrival of large numbers of Mexican nationals to the author’s neighborhood effect the social fabric? How did it effect the author’s work? What does the author mean when he says, at the end of chapter 1, that “we must use culture to assert a vision of light”? (Chapter 2) What aspects of the author’s family history caught your attention? What lessons about culture did the author learn from his father? How do intersectionality and othering factor into his narrative? What does the author say about the role of music in his life? What does the author reveal at the end of the chapter and how do you think it might be consequential in his life? View: 1) Los Centzotles Academy – El buscapiés; 2) Los Centzontles – Naninan Upirin; 3) Un tributo a Flaco Jiménez. |
| Sep 8-12 | Read: Bird of Four Hundred Voices by Eugene Rodríguez (2024): Chapters 3-4. Homework Questions: (Chapter 3) What are some of the challenges and frustrations that the author describes in his early adult life and how did he cope with them? In what ways did he experience othering? How does the author describe the role of critical thinking in his early life and why does he portray it as being so important? What social issues arise in this chapter? (Chapter 4) How does the author describe the social landscape of Richmond? How would you describe the purpose that he conveys as he discusses his role in the non-profit arts organization? How would you describe his teaching method? How does culture figure into his purpose and method? View: 1) Los Centzontles – Arenita Azul; 2) Los Centzontles – Ojitos Verdes; 3) 1968 WS Gm5: José Feliciano; 4) José Feliciano – Light My Fire | Due: Paper 1 | Read: Bird of Four Hundred Voices by Eugene Rodríguez (2024): Chapters 5-6. Homework Questions: (Chapter 5) Describe the meaningfulness of the Veracruz trips for the author. Describe the cultural intersections that the author sees and feels? In what ways does the author’s own experiences inform what he is doing and seeing? How does the author describe the power of culture? What opinion does the author share about authenticity and culture brokers? (Chapter 6) What do you think keeps the author grounded as he experiences success and carries out collaborations with people that he admires? What are some things that caught your attention in this chapter? Definitions: 1) son = musical sound; 2) fandango = community party. View: 1) Mono Blanco: La mañanera; 2) Mono Blanco: El chuchumbé; 3) Papas Dream (tracks 1-2); 4) Los Cenzontles Juvenil ft. David Hidalgo; 5) Linda Ronstadt – Blue Bayou; 6) La cigarra – Linda Ronstadt |
| Sep 15-19 | Read: Bird of Four Hundred Voices by Eugene Rodríguez (2024): Chapters 7-9. Homework Questions: (Chapter 7) Describe the difficult lessons learned by the author as he builds the program that he is leading. How does failure factor in? What principles informed the author’s approach to teaching music to the children? What did he want to accomplish? (Chapter 8) Why does the author title the chapter “Space”? What is the importance of space for his work? Who is Marie-Astrid and what contributions does she make to the space and the pedagogical endeavor? Why is the space special according to the author? (Chapter 9) What does the author say about NAFTA? What stands out about the story that the author relates about Julián González Saldaña? What comes as a result of their collaboration? View: 1) La Llorona; 2) Soy Mexico-Americano | Read: Bird of Four Hundred Voices by Eugene Rodríguez (2024): Chapters 10-11. Homework Questions: (Chapter 10) Describe the human stories that the author relates in this chapter. What were some of the challenges that the author faced? In what ways is his work archaeological? How does he describe the social situation of his community and of the United States? (Chapter 11) How does the title of this chapter capture its focus and content? What challenges does the author describe? How does he describe the importance of the cultural arts? Why does he see folk culture as an ideal foundation for early arts education? How does he describe the problems inherent in the fundraising efforts of non-profits that serve communities of color? | Read: Bird of Four Hundred Voices by Eugene Rodríguez (2024): Chapters 12-13. Homework Questions: (Chapter 12) What does the author admire in David Hidalgo? Who is David Hidalgo? What does David Hidalgo represent for the author? Why does the author admire him so much? (Chapter 13) What technique of othering does the author describe at the beginning of the chapter? What does the author say about diversity in this chapter? What is the problem with American popular culture, according to the author? How does the historical content complement the cultural content of the chapter? |
| Sep 22-26 | Read: Inciting Joy by Ross Gay (2024): Chapter 1 (The First Incitement) | Read: Inciting Joy by Ross Gay (2024): Chapter 2 (The Second Incitement) | Read: Bird of Four Hundred Voices by Eugene Rodríguez (2024): Chapters 14-15 |
| Sep 29 – Oct 3 | Read: Bird of Four Hundred Voices by Eugene Rodríguez (2024): Chapters 16-17 | View: Latino Americans: Empire of Dreams (1880-1942) | Read: “Barrio Boy” by Ernesto Galarza |
| Oct 6-10 | FALL BREAK | FALL BREAK | FALL BREAK |
| Oct 13-17 | View (Youtube): My Family (1995) by Gregory Nava | Due: Paper 2 (Comparison of Bird of 400 Voices with My Family or “Barrio Boy”) | View: Latino Americans: Peril and Promise (1980-2000) Read: This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto by Suketu Mehta (2019): Part I, chapters 1-3. |
| Oct 20-24 | Read: This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto by Suketu Mehta (2019): Parts I & II, chapters 4-6. | Read: This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto by Suketu Mehta (2019): Parts II & III, chapters 7-10. | Read: This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto by Suketu Mehta (2019): Part III, chapters 11-14. |
| Oct 27-31 | Read: This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto by Suketu Mehta (2019): Part IV, chapters 15-18. | Topic: The Great Wall of Los Angeles (by Judith Baca). View: 1) SPARC – The Great Wall of Los Angeles; 2) Mural projects of Judith Baca Examine: Images of The Great Wall of Los Angeles *Come to class ready to talk about one of the mural panels. Each student will be invited to speak for about one minute (with another minute for further commentary by students and professor). | Due: Paper 3 (Analysis of a Panel of The Great Wall of Los Angeles with discussion of This Land is Our Land) |
| Nov 3-7: Advising | View: Latino Americans: Prejudice and Pride (1965-1980) | Academic Advising: Individual meetings, no class | Academic Advising: Individual meetings, no class |
| Nov 10-14 | Read: 1) “The Organizer’s Tale” by César Chávez; 2) “The Twenty-Ninth” by Luis Rodríguez. Review: Latino Americans 5 (44:30-47:15) | Workshop: Academic Research: 1) Keyword Searches; 2) Prospectus; 3) Bibliography | Topic: Chicano Activism and Art View: The Chicano Collection Documentary |
| Nov 17-21 | View: Latino Americans: Foreigners in their Own Land (1565-1880) | Topic: Dedicated Urban Cultural Spaces: Calle Olvera (Los Angeles) Read and View: Calle Olvera (focus on the links related to history and cultural expression; think of this as a model for your final project) | Topic: Documenting and Capturing Community and Culture Read and View: Website by LA photographer Rafael Cárdenas. |
| Nov 24-28 | TBA Due: Prospectus for Final Project | Thanksgiving Break | Thanksgiving Break |
| Dec 1-5 | Workshop: Digital Project | Workshop: Digital Project | Due (5pm): Digital Project |
| Dec 8-12 (Finals Week) | No class | Final Presentations (4:00-6:30) | No class |