Course Outline of Record Los Medanos College 2700 East Leland Road Pittsburg CA 94565
Course Title: Reflections: Representations of Race, Ethnicity Subject Area/Course Number: ENGL-133
New Course OR Existing Course
Author(s):Tess Caldwell
Subject Area/Course No. ENGL-133 Units:3
Course Title: Reflections: Representations of Race, Ethnicity and Gender in Hollywood Films and Popular Fiction
Pre-Requisite(s): None Co-Requisite(s): None
Advisories: None
Catalog Description: This course explores the effects on American culture of Hollywood’s cinematic representation of race, ethnicity and gender through a critical examination of selected popular films and novels discussed within their historical setting.
Schedule Description:
What impact does popular culture have on our perceptions of ourselves and others in America? We will analyze and evaluate images of Native Americans, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and women that Hollywood presents to us and compare and contrast them with novels and essays written by individuals from these communities revealing a variety of American experiences.
Hrs/Mode of Instruction: Lecture: 54___ Scheduled Lab: ____ HBA Lab: ____ Composition: ____ Activity: ____ Total Hours 54____
Credit Credit Degree Applicable (DA) Grading Pass/No Pass (P/NP) Repeatability 0 Credit Non-Degree (NDA) Letter (LR) 1 Student Choice (SC) 2 3
Last date of Assessment: 2015______Cohort #: 4_____
Please apply for:
LMC General Education Requirement(s): Arts and Humanities; Ethnic/Multicultural Studies
Transfer to: CSU UC IGETC Area ____ CSU GE Area____ C-ID Number ______
Course is Baccalaureate Level: Yes No
Form Revised 5-18-2016 Page 1 of 7 Course Outline of Record Los Medanos College 2700 East Leland Road Pittsburg CA 94565
Course Title: Reflections: Representations of Race, Ethnicity Subject Area/Course Number: ENGL-133
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Course approved by Curriculum Committee as Baccalaureate Level: YES NO
LMC GE Requirement Approved by the Curriculum Committee: ______
FOR OFFICE OF INSTRUCTION ONLY. DO NOT WRITE IN THE SECTION BELOW. Begin in Semester ______Catalog year 20____/20_____ Class Max: ______Dept. Code/Name:______T.O.P.s Code: ______Crossover course 1/ 2: ______ESL Class: ____Yes / No______DSPS Class: _Yes / No_____ Coop Work Exp: ___Yes / No_____
Class Code A Liberal Arts & Sciences SAM Code A Apprenticeship Remediation Level B Basic Skills B Developmental Preparatory B Advanced Occupational NBS Not Basic Skills C Adult/Secondary Basic Education C Clearly Occupational D Personal Development/Survival D Possibly Occupational E For Substantially Handicapped E* Non-Occupational F Parenting/Family Support G Community/Civic Development *Additional criteria needed H General and Cultural 1 One level below transfer I Career/Technical Education 2 Two levels below transfer J Workforce Preparation Enhanced 3 Three levels below transfer K Other non-credit enhanced Not eligible for enhanced
Form Revised 5-18-2016 Page 2 of 7 Course Outline of Record Los Medanos College 2700 East Leland Road Pittsburg CA 94565
Course Title: Reflections: Representations of Race, Ethnicity Subject Area/Course Number: ENGL-133
Institutional Student Learning Outcomes: General Education SLOs: At the completion of the LMC general education program, a student will: 1. read critically and communicate effectively as a writer and speaker. 2. understand connections among disciplines and apply interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving. 3. think critically and creatively 4. consider the ethical implications inherent in knowledge, decision-making and action. 5. possess a worldview informed by diverse social, multicultural and global perspectives.
None
Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs): 1.Independently read, comprehend, and analyze literature and non-fiction, using critical thinking strategies.
2. Respond coherently to texts in critical, creative and personal ways.
3. Write logical, coherent, well-developed academic essays about literature and non-fiction.
Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs): 1. Compare and contrast effectively in written and oral form the representations of American “minorities” as well as their experiences in movies and novels. (GE # 1, 5) (PSLO #2, 3, 4)
2. Analyze how popular films and fiction serve to acculturate and assimilate diverse groups and how some perpetuate ethnic and gender stereotypes. (GE #4, 5) (PSLO #1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
3. Critically analyze in written and oral forms the factors in film and literature that have helped shape our perceptions, assumptions, beliefs and knowledge about different racial, cultural and ethnic groups as well as the concepts of “Otherness” and “Community” and how these factors have affected or reflected the treatment of these groups by American society. (GE #1, 2, 3, 5) (PSLO # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7)
4. Recognize, critically analyze and make ethical decisions about complex social problems and issues such as prejudice, discrimination, sexism and racism in society as reflected in popular movies, fiction, and essays. (GE #3, 4, 5) (PSLO #1, 2, 3, 4, 6)
Assessment Instruments: This course fulfills the U.C. American Cultures requirement and many assessments follow its criteria that students understand similarities and differences among historically underrepresented ethnic groups.
CSLO 1, 3, 4: Students read at least three novels and 2/3 of the textbook, as well as many handouts on ethnicity, history, and gender, which they are required to synthesize. (GE 1, 3, 5)
Students will discuss in class and in small groups major class concepts such as: internalized oppression, otherness, ethnic identity, multiculturalism, stereotypes, and the costs and benefits of assimilation in preparation for synthesizing the material writing the midterm, final exam and the term paper. Their oral participation is evaluated based on their accurate use of the course terminology and their having adequately read the assignments.
For example, discussion on Ceremony would entail each group presenting how one of the concepts is developed in the novel. Students would then individually compare and contrast the novel’s concepts with the movies on the same ethnic/cultural group, Powwow Highway and The Searchers as a graded homework assignment.
CSLO 2, 3: After viewing films students will use the class handout “Questions to Answer When Watching a Film” in order to critically analyze each film during class discussion. Students answer specific questions to guide them in their discussion. Certain questions may be assigned as graded homework (GE 1, 3, 5)
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Course Title: Reflections: Representations of Race, Ethnicity Subject Area/Course Number: ENGL-133
CSLO 1, 3, 4: The take-home midterm requires students write 4 short essays, one of which requires them to compare themes of racism in the assigned novels, the others a synthesis of novels, text assignments and films. (GE 1, 3, 5)
For example, students must write an essay on racism and its effects; they might analyze how racism can devastate families or the destructiveness of internalized oppression or the impact of losing or suppressing one’s cultural/ethnic history using themes and examples from The Bluest Eye by Tony Morrison, Ceremony by Leslie Silko, Donald Duk by Frank Chin
Another essay would ask students why the Indian-White relationship was dominated by conflict, was conflict inevitable and what the relationship is like today. Students will evaluate whether the ethical decisions that led to a past that was dominated by conflict are still being perpetuated today.
Another essay would ask students to compare and contrast the general experiences of the Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos and Vietnamese in American and give the reasons for the differences and similarities.
The final midterm essay asks students to use the concepts of the course in describing themselves: how much of your identity is determined by gender; how much by ethnicity, and discuss a situation where you had to give up a piece of your identity or choose to diminish some aspect of yourself in order to fit into a particular group, event, or get a job.
CSLO 1, 3, 4: As part of the American Cultures requirement, students write a term paper comparing and contrasting how at least two different ethnic groups have experienced a specific aspect of American society.
Examples: How have different groups responded to the economic challenges facing them in America and what has contributed to the differing outcomes? For example, compare and contrast the economic achievements of Mexican Americans with Chinese Americans and analyze the causes of those similarities and differences.
Analyze how pressures of assimilation affect family relationships in examples from two different immigrant groups. (GE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
CSLO 1, 2, 3: In small groups, students analyze the representation of a particular ethnicity, including gender roles, in assigned movies, comparing and contrasting it with the representation of a corresponding novel and/or essays and the textbook; they orally present their analysis to the class and are graded on these presentations. (GE 1, 3, 5)
For example, one group will report on the concepts of machismo and marianisma and their role in Mexican-American culture using the movies American Me and Mi Familia as well as class handouts and readings in the textbook.
CSLO 1, 3: The final exam assesses the students’ ability to compare and contrast the economic and social successes among and between ethnic groups and analyze the causes of the differences and similarities. (GE 4, 5)
Method of Evaluation/Grading:
1. In class discussion and oral presentation and graded homework: 10% 2. Take-home mid-term in essay format: 30% 3. Final exam: 30% 4. Term paper synthesizing course materials and lectures: 30%
A level student work reflects sensitivity to and understanding that one's experiences in America, both positive and negative, are affected by how one is identified by "race", ethnicity and gender. In both oral and written work, the student can accurately analyze the specific social and ethical problems covered in the novels and films using correct and appropriate course terms, definitions and concepts, specific examples from these works to support the analysis, and posit intelligent solutions to the ethical dilemmas raised by their themes, indicating engagement with the ideas in the works of art. The solutions will be based on accurate syntheses of ideas and information from class lectures and texts.
All written work will directly answer the assigned questions being both focused and coherently organized, with minimal
Form Revised 5-18-2016 Page 4 of 7 Course Outline of Record Los Medanos College 2700 East Leland Road Pittsburg CA 94565
Course Title: Reflections: Representations of Race, Ethnicity Subject Area/Course Number: ENGL-133 and very minor errors in grammar, sentence structure and spelling. Especially important is that the comparisons and contrasts are well developed and their significance fully discussed.
Oral work will also directly answer the assigned question or subject by accurately synthesizing course material and cogent personal experiences, be coherently presented, and be sensitive to the emotions of others in the class.
C level student work indicates literal level reading comprehension on assignments at about 70% accuracy. In oral and written work, there is some analysis of assigned films and novels using course definitions, terms and concepts, but that analysis lacks depth and focus and sufficient examples to develop the analysis. The requisite comparisons and contrasts of novels and films and the groups they cover are minimal and also at the literal level, just facts with no discussion of the significance of the similarities and differences nor the complex social problems and issues they reflect.
Written work will be about 70% accurate but will not stay consistently focused on the subject or assigned question and will have persistent grammar, sentence structure and spelling errors.
Oral work may be more conversational in format than coherently organized and fully thought out, using ideas from course material.
Course Content:
4 Minority Groups that have been historically marginalized o Native American o African American o Asian American o Hispanic American o Jewish American Definitions and Theories of Identification o Culture o Society o Assimilation o Acculturation o pluralism, o multiculturalism o ethnicity, o Race o gender, o Prejudice o Discrimination o minority group o dominant culture Film Analysis o Theme o Narative o Point of View o Mise-en-scene o Framing o Shot Angle Racism in Film o Film making o Unintended perpetuation of stereotypes History of immigration laws and actions, especially those affecting Asians as they came to the U.S.
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Course Title: Reflections: Representations of Race, Ethnicity Subject Area/Course Number: ENGL-133
Native Americans o history of Indian o colonist relationships o role of “westerns” in creating and perpetuating mythic America’s manifest destiny o representation of Indians in Hollywood films as the Analogous Other/Invisible One o Indians as reflections of America’s preoccupations and feelings about the “other” within and outside American society, metaphors for American fears.
Asian American o general Asian-American experiences and stereotypes labeling them as anti-progress, anti-democratic, anti-American, o General histories of Chinese in America compared and contrasted with Japanese in America, o Executive Order 9066 and internment and its affects on 126,000 people of Japanese descent on the mainland, 2/3 of whom were citizens. o Filipinos and Vietnamese, comparing and contrasting the experiences of economic immigrants with political refugees. o images of Asian-American women in film. Gender Jewish immigration to America o impact of differing rate of assimilation on immigrant women and families who came to join their husbands in America African-American o historical review of : . "Reconstruction" . Jim Crow laws and segregation . political movements and people resisting racism Booker T Washington, W.E.B. DuBois Marcus Garvey Martin L. King Malcolm X Civil Rights Acts. o Female/Black double images of suppression Hispanic-Americans o film stereotypes . Mexican-Americans . Cuban-Americans as another refugee population . Puerto Ricans, comparing and contrasting with the Filipino experience. o Popularization of the Chicano in film with discussion of changes (or lack of them) in representation. Ethnic identity and inter-ethnic relations in America today.
Lab By Arrangement Activities (If Applicable): n/a Instructional Methods: Lecture Lab Activity Problem-based Learning/Case Studies Collaborative Learning/Peer Review Demonstration/Modeling Role-Playing Discussion Computer Assisted Instruction Other (explain) ______Form Revised 5-18-2016 Page 6 of 7 Course Outline of Record Los Medanos College 2700 East Leland Road Pittsburg CA 94565
Course Title: Reflections: Representations of Race, Ethnicity Subject Area/Course Number: ENGL-133
Textbooks:
Race Class & Gender an Anthology (8th Edition) Wadsworth Publishing; (February 15, 2012) 978‐1111830946
Media Messages: What Film, Television and Popular Music Teach Us About Race, Class, Gender, and Sexual Orientation (2nd Edition) Publisher: Routledge; (March 3, 2014) 978‐0765617576
Book Length Workds Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua Bluest Eye. Toni Morrison. Ceremony. Leslie Silko. Donald Duk. Frank Chin. Macho. Victor Villasenor or Caramelo. Sandra Cisneros.
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