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The focus of this course will be to analyze the ways in which ethnic and gendered identities are represented in American film since the early twentieth century, and to gauge the effects of those representations. Although this course... more
The focus of this course will be to analyze the ways in which ethnic and gendered identities are represented in American film since the early twentieth century, and to gauge the effects of those representations. Although this course focuses on the traditional interlocked representations of African-­‐Americans and European-­‐Americans in classic American films, we will also analyze the representation of other ethnic groups so that we may construct a narrative of race in American film, gleaned from a variety of perspectives. Themes covered include: the origins of racial and gendered stereotyping in film, interracial family romance, film and social activism and Civil Rights, representation in film, model minorities, Whiteness, tokenism, coming-­‐of-­‐age, sexuality, labor, and the white savior, among others. Course Objectives: • Learn to distinguish between film representation and historical reality • Learn the relationship between film theory and film images • Learn to analyze films as literary and historical narratives • Acquire specialized vocabulary to discuss and analyze film • Learn to write a film review • Improve writing and critical thinking skills • Sharpen public speaking skills through an oral presentation • Sharpen skills working as part of a team through a group project • Interpret the various intersections of race, gender and sexuality • Develop a rhetoric for discussing race that manifests sensitivity and care
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This course will function like a summer reading group: we will read novels and talk about them as a collective via Blackboard's discussion board with several weekly touchpoints. Framing our discussion will be the question: " What is Black... more
This course will function like a summer reading group: we will read novels and talk about them as a collective via Blackboard's discussion board with several weekly touchpoints. Framing our discussion will be the question: " What is Black literature now? " That is, we will read novels published within the past few years to explore how writers use the imaginative space of fiction to evaluate the conditions of Black life in the twenty-first century. The novels we will read take place in the United States and Nigeria; however, they are all published in the United States. Therefore, we will examine black cultures and identities rooted in different historical experiences while paying close attention to how contemporary globalization and diasporas engender cross-cultural interactions and transformations. In addition to geographical and historical diversity, we will consider the ways gender, sexuality, and class affect racialized experience, and how these experiences impact black cultural expression. Lastly, we will pay attention to the ways popular media outlets are responding to and engaging with this body of literature, and we will attempt to determine what this says about the world we live in now.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Course Description: This course examines narratives written about contemporary (1980-present) African immigration to the United States. We will explore different forms of narrative including fiction, memoir, ethnography, and history,... more
Course Description: This course examines narratives written about contemporary (1980-present) African immigration to the United States. We will explore different forms of narrative including fiction, memoir, ethnography, and history, paying close attention to the various disciplinary and genre styles. Topics discussed include: reasons for emigrating countries of origin, reasons for coming to the United States, staying vs. returning, economic opportunities, transnationalism, race relations in the United States, identity (race, national, diasporic), gender and sexuality, and inter-generational relationships, among others.
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