Butler University
FYS 102 – First Year Seminar
Assessing the American Dream Through the Lens of Black Women
Spring Semester 2011
Jordan Hall 176
Tu/R – 2:30 – 3:45p
Dr. Terri Jett
Office – Jordan Hall 347B
Office Hours – Tu /R 1 – 2p and W 3 – 4p and by appointment
Phone – 940-8451
E-Mail – Tjett@Butler.edu
Required Texts:
Alice Walker – The World Has Changed: Conversations with Alice Walker
J. California Cooper – In Search of Satisfaction
Alice Walker – In Love & Trouble
Toni Morrison – The Bluest Eye
Alice Walker – The Third Life of Grange Copeland
J. California Cooper – The Matter Is Life
Ntozake Shange – For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Was Enuf
Poetry from Maya Angelou, Audre Lorde, Sonia Sanchez, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni and others will infuse our learning throughout the semester.
Plus additional items posted to Blackboard or distributed in class.
“If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other’s people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” – Audre Lorde
Course Objectives:
This semester will serve as part two of the First Year Seminar (FYS) course where we are studying the concept of the “American Dream” through the lens of black women, particularly African American women, but not exclusively. Upon completion of both semesters you will additionally be given a waiver for the speech requirement for the core curriculum because speech is essentially also a part of this course. During the first semester of this course you were guided through reading, writing, thinking and speaking about this perspective of black women through non-fiction works such as the slave narrative of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, June Jordan’s political essays, Angela Davis’ political writings and Zora Neale Hurston’s creative autobiography. This semester our exploration will be shaped by novels, short stories, poetry and films, and we will use the knowledge acquired in the first semester to analyze and interpret these works. This course embraces the core theme of “Self, Community and World,” and is also a part of the Collaborative for Critical Inquiry Into issues of Race, Gender, Sexuality and Class.
Continuing with the same objectives, together we will explore:
1) Some general history that is shared among black women;
2) Interlocking gender, racial and economic issues that black women face;
3) How the experiences of black women have collectively shaped their distinctive political outlook;
4) The complex relationships between black women and black men, white men and white women, and;
5) The womanist perspective, as created by Alice Walker.
Relationship of this course to a Liberal Arts Foundation:
This course will be taught from a premise that acknowledges the true value of what students learn in this class will not be realized until one is fully and independently engaged in this diverse and complex society and world. By looking at the concept of the “American Dream” from the perspective and voice of a group of people who are systematically and deliberately denied its’ full actualization, students will eventually understand that a liberal arts foundation is only as good as it’s values of justice, equality, free expression and multiculturalism, for example, are put into practice. By the end of the year students of this course will be more versed in listening, observing and discerning whether or not Americans truly live by the very creeds they hold as superior. Quite simply it is a call to question.
A note about discourse and objectivity:
This core course follows a seminar style and embraces a pedagogical format which values inquiry, empathy, and an open dialogue of ideas and varying worldviews where you develop your own critical, constructive and creative voice. I do not expect you to engage with the material from an “objective” stand point where you silence either/or your logical and emotional responses and in the spirit of openness, I will share my own thoughts and informed opinions from time to time. You will not be graded on whether or not you share my ideas and values though I may encourage you to further articulate your point as I am intrigued by where your opinions originate. My opinions are based on my experiences including my cultural and political socialization as well as my educational attainment and the fact that I read.
Special Accommodations:
It is the policy and practice of Butler University to make reasonable accommodations for students with properly documented disabilities. Written notification from Student Disability Services is required. If you are eligible to receive an accommodation and would like to request it for this course, please discuss it with me as soon as possible. This conversation will be kept strictly confidential. If you have questions about Student Disability Services you may wish to contact Michele Atterson, JH 136, ext. 9308.
Butler University Academic Honesty Code:
Students are expected to abide by the Butler University Academic Honesty Code. A full description on academic integrity is available in your student handbook. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that both the letter and intent of this code are met in all circumstances. Ignorance of this code, or of proper rules of citation, provides no defense. Violations of this code will be dealt with appropriately. Plagiarism or cheating can result in an “F” for this course.
Grading System:
97% = A
92% = B-
88% = B+
85% = B
80% = B-
78% – C+
75% = C
70% = C-
68% = D+
65% = D
60% = D-
Grading
In-class writes – 2 points each
Class Attendance and Participation – 20 points
Reflection Papers – 5 points each
Essay Papers – 15 points each
Midterm Exam – 30 points
Final Exam – 40 points
Spoken Word Project – 50 points
In-class writes – 2 points each
Careful reading – in which you consider what a person is saying, why she is saying it, and how she is staying it – is an essential prerequisite to effective writing. Please read all assignments carefully, marking passages that seem particularly important and write questions and comments in the margin. You will be asked to respond to one or two questions in class, on occasion.
Class Attendance and Participation – 20 points
As stated previously, your learning experience will be much more rewarding if you come to each class prepared to discuss the assigned reading material. Some in-class reading will take place. Students who are consistently late and/or miss more than three classes (excused and unexcused) will be penalized by a deduction of half of the attendance/participation points at the end of the semester.
Reflection Papers – due almost every Thursday throughout the semester (two pages, typed, double-spaced) – 5 points each
Every week (unless otherwise indicated) you are to reflect and write on the reading and discussion of the previous class, reading for the current class, interesting questions or thoughts that weren’t answered, and why these questions or thoughts are important. This will be looked over by one of your peers and will inform our class discussion. You will then hand the reflection paper in at the end of class. Do not e-mail.
Essay Papers – 15 points each
There will be three formal writing essay assignments this semester. Specifics on these assignments will be given out two weeks prior to the due date.
Midterm and Final Examination – 30 and 40 points respectively
There will be two take-home exams this semester that will consist of both short and long essay questions. These two exams will cover material from the reading assignments, as well as, class discussions and films. Make-up exams will only be allowed for excused absences, such as documented illness, documented family emergency or university activities of which you are a key participant. Otherwise if you miss an exam with no valid excuse you will receive a 0 (zero). No exams will be given early.
Spoken Word Project – 50 points
You and one other person will perform a spoken word creative piece on the American Dream on our final exam day. I will leave the details of this up to your imagination but it must include at least two references from any of the texts we have read and discussed this semester. I strongly suggest you begin working on this early in the semester and that you seek input and support from the Speakers Lab on more than one occasion. Along with the performance the team must hand in a two-to-three page paper discussing the process and journey of creating this work. I will randomly selecting team members for this project.
Tentative Schedule
RP = Reflection Paper Due
Reading Assignments due on the date indicated
Week of January 16
1/17 – Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday (observed)
1/18 – First day of class – Syllabus distributed
1/20 – Alice Walker – Conversations – “Chronology,” “Introduction,” and “Interview with John O’Brien”
Week of January 23
J. California Cooper – In Search of Satisfaction
1/25 – Cooper – “Prologue” through “Chapter 13”
1/27 – (RP) – Cooper – “Chapter 14” through “Chapter 19”
Week of January 30
J. California Cooper – In Search of Satisfaction
2/1 – Cooper – “Chapter 20” through “Chapter 33”
2/3 – (RP) – Cooper – “Chapter 34” through end “Chapter 49”
Week of February 6
Alice Walker – In Love & Trouble
2/8 – Walker Conversations – “Interview with Claudia Tate”, “Interview with William R. Ferris”
Walker In Love – “Her Sweet Jerome” and “The Child Who Favored Daughter” and “Roselily” and “The Flowers”
2/10 – (RP) – “Really Doesn’t Crime Pay” and “Everyday Use” and “We Drink the Wine in France”
Week of February 13
Film Viewing: “The Color Purple”
Alice Walker – In Love & Trouble
2/15 – First Essay Topic Distributed
Walker In Love – “To Hell With Dying” and “The Revenge of Hannah Kemhuff”
2/17 – (RP) – Walker Conversations “Interview with Claudia Dreifus” and “A Conversation with Jody Hoy”
Week of February 20
Alice Walker – In Love & Trouble
2/22 – Walker In Love – “Entertaining God” and “The Diary of an African Nun”
2/24 – (RP) Walker in Love – “The Welcome Table” and “Strong Horse Tea”
Walker Conversations – “Alice Walker and Margo Jefferson” and “Interview with Amy Goodman” and “A Conversation with Marianne Schnall”
Week of February 27
Toni Morrison – The Bluest Eye
3/1 – First Essay Due
Morrison – “Autumn”
3/3 – (RP) – Morrison – “Winter”
Week of March 6
Toni Morrison – The Bluest Eye
3/8 – Second Essay Topic Distributed
Morrison – “Spring”
3/10 – (RP) – Morrison – “Summer”
Week of March 13
Spring Break
Week of March 20
Alice Walker – The Third Life of Grange Copeland
3/22 – Take-Home Midterm Exam distributed
Walker – “Part I – Part VI”
3/24 – Second Essay Paper due
Walker – “Part VII” through end “Part XI” and “Afterword”
Week of March 27
Work on Take-Home Midterm Exam
3/29 – No class – Alabama
3/31 – No class – Alabama
Week of April 3
J. California Cooper – The Matter is Life
4/5 – Take-Home Midterm due
4/7 (RP)
Week of April 10
J. California Cooper – The Matter is Life
4/12 – Third Essay Topic Distributed
Cooper – “The Big Day” and “How, Why to Get Rich” and “Evergreen Grass” and “Friends, Anyone?” and “Vanity”
4/14 (RP) Cooper – “I Told Him!” and “No Lie” and “The Doras”
Week of April 17
Ntozake Shange – For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf
4/19 – Shange – Begin reading in class
4/21 (RP) – Shange (TBA) and more in-class reading
Week of April 24
Ntozake Shange – For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf
4/26 – Comprehensive Take-Home Final Exam distributed
Shange – (TBA) and more in-class reading
4/28 – Last Day of Class – Third Essay Due
Set. No. 2
By Sonia Sanchez
I’ve been keeping company, with the layaway man.
I say, I’ve been keeping company, with the layaway ma.
Each time he come by, we do it on the installment plan.
Every Friday night, he comes walking up to me do’
I say, every Friday night, he comes walking up to me do’
Empty pockets hanging, right on down to the floor
Gonna get me a man, who pays for it up front
I say, gonna get me a man, who pays for it up front
Cuz when I needs it, can’t wait til the middle of next month
I’ve been keeping company, with the layaway man
I say, I’ve been keeping company, with the layaway man
Each time he come by, we do it on the installment plan
Each time he come by, we do it on the installment plan