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Spring 2020 MAS 361 MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL STUDIES SEMINAR Unique #40010 TTh 11am-12:30 pm GAR 2.128 Dr. Rachel González-Martin Department of Mexican American & Latina/o Studies GWB 2.314 (MALS Suite) [email protected] Office: 512-475-6775 Office Hours: Mondays 10am-1pm at my office Course Description In this course, students will engage with methods, theories and applications of Latinx cultural studies. We will explore the ideas of cultures-in-practice and culture-as-practice to engage with multiple authors and discourses about U.S. Latina/o/x communities. Together, we will problematize how ideologies about communities as subjects and objects of inquiry are reified through the academic “creative” process and at the same time show how community-scholars work to reclaim voice through counter discourses that take shape as written works and multi- platform performance-texts. Figure 1 “Our Lady of Controversy" Serigraph by Alma Lopez By the end of the course students will be able to: 1. Identify major themes that affect the public discourse and presentation of Mexican American and U.S. Latino communities. 2. Evaluate cultural studies and adjacent disciplinary texts to understand how authorship and notion of cultural authority factor into the production of academic discourse about Mexican American and U.S. Latina/o/x communities. 3. Critically read academic texts and identify their main theoretical and or methodological premises. This course carries 2-flags: Cultural Diversity in the United States: Cultural Diversity courses are designed to increase your familiarity with the variety and richness of the American cultural experience. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and histories of at least one U.S. cultural group that has experienced persistent marginalization. 1 Writing: Writing Flag courses are designed to give students experience with writing in an academic discipline. In this class, you can expect to write regularly during the semester, complete substantial writing projects, and receive feedback from your instructor to help you improve your writing. Students should therefore expect a substantial portion of his/her grade to come from your written work. Required Texts All articles and chapter excerpts will be made available on CANVAS. There are 3 required texts to purchase: • Queer Brown Voices: Personal Narratives of Latina/o LGBT Activism (2015), Quesada, Gomez and Vidal-Ortiz. (QBV) • Keywords for Latino Studies (2018), Vargas, et al. (KLS) • Juliet Takes a Breath (2016), Rivera. Course Policies Classroom Expectations: Students will… 1) arrive to class on time and prepared to contribute to class discussion. 2) complete all assigned readings before class. 3) communicate with instructor regarding absences, questions, problems, or concerns. 4) cultivate a respectful classroom environment. Attendance Policy: Attendance is required. If an unplanned absence causes you to miss an assignment or in-class quiz or test, you must bring in official documentation of your absence (by a doctor, lawyer, civic-authority, etc.) to justify earning credit for work submitted after the due date. Participation: Participation is worth 20% of your course grade. This is a seminar. Our classes are fueled by both lecture and group discussion. It is vital that every student engages and actively contributes in every class meeting. In order to do so successfully, you must do the readings, and be prepared to discuss them. This will include your responses on online forums through CANVAS. Students are responsible for checking their email and class-based discussion threads before our class meetings. Accommodations: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-6441 TTY. Or go to: http://ddce.utexas.edu/disability/accommodations-and-services/. Academic Integrity: All students are responsible for reviewing and understanding the University’s guidelines on academic dishonesty. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/ or dismissal from the University. For further information about what constitutes academic dishonesty on the UT campus visit: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acint_student.php. Student Safety: Starting January 1, 2020 all employees who witness or receive information about 2 sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking that involve a current student or employee must promptly report the incident to the University’s Title IX Coordinator or a Deputy Title IX Coordinator. I AM A MANDATORY REPORTER. FAQ about Title IX and the new SB 212 see: https://titleix.utexas.edu/faqs?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=FAQ &utm_campaign=sb212-december-update Assignments: Weekly news. Each Tuesday, students will bring in a news article that broadly relates to Latina/o experiences in the United States. This can range from critical reports on immigration debates, to movie reviews. These will be used to start class discussions about the diverse discourses about U.S. Latina/o communities. Students will be asked to share their articles with the class. Reading Presentations: Each student select 2 readings to present to the class and initiate group discussion. Students may choose any presentation style they wish, but all presentation should address the following: • Summary of article (What are topic(s) covered, broadly and specifically?) • Argument (What is the author out to prove with this research?) • Methodology (How is the author proving their point?) • Critique (Did the author answer the question fulfill the presumptions of their thesis? Was the argument convincing? Interesting? Worth recommending? etc.) • Broad Conclusions (Does the overall project alert us to potential patterns in research practice related to larger social factors such as race politics, gender ideologies, class inequity, ethic in research practice? Etc.) Short Critical Abstracts: Students will be required to write short (250 word) précis (critical abstract) for one reading each week. Students should choose readings that if possible, help further their larger semester project. Annotated Bibliography: Students will be asked to conduct library research and develop an annotated bibliography for a topic area of her/his choice. This will help build a useable core of resources for the students’ final research paper/project. Research Project: Students will draw on a research topic or area from class and develop a question they would like to pursue in-depth in a final 10-page paper. In addition to library research, this project will require students to conduct an interview with someone whose personal experiences relates to the topic being studied. The project will be broken down into smaller assignments: 1. Paper Proposal (1 page) 2. Annotated Bibliography (Minimum of 7 sources) 3. Assessment of Interview/Fieldwork (2-3 pages) 4. Peer Review Assessment (1 worksheet) 5. In-Class Research Presentation (10-15 minutes) 6. Final Draft Course Evaluation 3 Late Assignments: Late assignments will not be accepted without prior permission of the instructor (see Attendance Policy). Length Requirements: All written work must meet the length requirements established by the instructor. A 10-page paper should be 10 FULL pages in length with 1-inch margins all around, at maximum of 12-point font in “Times” or “Times New Roman” style. Papers that do not meet length requirements will be penalized according to the percentage of material missing. Grading: Participation____________________20% Research Project__________________50% Attendance_________________5% Proposal_________________5% Reading Presentations __10% Annotated Bibliography____10% General Involvement _____5% Interview Review____________ 5% Précises________________________30% Peer-Review Worksheet_____5% Presentation_____________5% Final Draft_______________20% MAS 361-Class Schedule: Note: All listed readings are due on the date they are listed. Unit 1: Cultural Studies: Discipline & Approaches Week 1 Tuesday 1/20: Introduction to Course & Syllabus Reading Theory Handout Review Précis Handout Thursday 1/22: Introduction to Cultural Studies KLS: “Latinidad” (Aparicio) & “White” (Dowling) Reading Presentation Sign-Ups Syllabus Quiz Week 2: Tuesday 1/28: Studying---CULTURE. Stuart Hall. “Cultural Studies and its Theoretical PRÉCIS DUE Legacies.” FRIDAY, 5pm KLS: “Culture” (Davila) & “Popular Culture” (Valdivia) 4 Thursday 1/30: Semester Project Topics, In-Class Discussion Project Guide PRÉCIS DUE Research: Investigate and Report on 3 FRIDAY, 5pm possible topics (Discuss 1/30) Week 3 Tuesday 2/4: What is Culture? Hierarchies of Raymond Williams. 1978. “Culture” and Experience “Hegemony” in Marxism & Literature KLS: “Modernity” (Aranda) Thursday 2/6 Cultural Studies and the Practice of Stuart Hall. Representation: Cultural Representing Others Representations and Signifying Practices. PRÉCIS DUE Introduction & Chapter 1. FRIDAY, 5pm KLS: “Language” (Nieto-Phillips) Week 4 Where is Culture? Power and Homi Bhabha. 1994. “Locations of Culture, Tuesday 2/11: Perspective Border Lives: the Art of the Present.” The Location of Culture. QBV: “Dancing at the Crossroads” (Guerra) KLS: “Borderlands” (Guidotti-Hernandez) Thursday 2/13: Mexican American/ Chicana/Chicano