Ams 311S: the Culture of the Right
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AMS 311S: THE CULTURE OF THE RIGHT INSTRUCTOR: CARRIE ANDERSEN EMAIL: [email protected] MWF 11:00am - 12:00pm in Burdine 436A The culture of the right has engaged in a vast political and social transformation in America since the nation’s inception. From fear of centralized power following the Revolution, to nostalgia for a quiet, mythic South, to skepticism about modernity and technology, to revulsion towards Communism and attraction towards a strong national defense state, to pushback against postwar social movements, conservative politics have shaped cultural life for many Americans for decades. What does it mean to be conservative? How has that definition transformed over time, and how has conservative ideology been expressed in different forms of culture and media? How did the Right transform from the “Party of Lincoln” to the “Party of Trump”—or has it? This is not a course squarely about party politics, political theory, or policy. This is a course about political culture: the beliefs, practices, cultural tastes, and everyday lives of Americans who consider themselves conservative. In this class, students will think through and analyze a wide variety of media and cultural forms in which political ideas are defined, shaped, and shared, from films to video games to popular music. And, in tracking the historical development of the Right, we will also attend to the interplay between conservative ideology and race, gender, sexuality, class, and religion: markers of identity and culture. This course meets the requirements of the Writing Flag. 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 me to help you improve your writing. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from your written work. Writing Flag classes meet the Core Communications objectives of Critical Thinking, Communication, Teamwork, and Personal Responsibility, established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. More information can be found here. COURSE GOALS This class has three principal emphases: Historicizing the culture of the right. As this course is taking place concurrently with a significant and complicated presidential election, we will continually draw connections between the history of the Right as well as contemporary iterations of conservatism, with particular attention to points of difference. Analyzing cultural and political manifestations of conservative ideologies. We will explore how these ideologies have been expressed and revised in political theory texts, speeches, works of journalism, film, literature, television, video games, art, and other cultural works. Understanding the cultural consequences of the Right. As political beliefs and cultural expressions of politics never occur in a social vacuum, students in this class will think broadly about the social, political, and cultural consequences of conservative ideologies—especially as they pertain to race, class, gender, sexuality, and religious preference. In addition to learning about the history of conservatism in America, this course has several skills-based objectives that you will develop over the course of the semester. These skills will not only be useful over the course of your academic career, but are essential in the workplace and to the development of an active, informed, and engaged citizenry. Writing skills. We will learn how to cogently craft an argument based on specific evidence, and how to respond to counter-arguments. We will also learn how to craft clear thesis statements and organize an argument effectively. Critical discussion. Because this course deals with some heated political topics, we will learn how to rationally and respectfully disagree with colleagues with whom we might have differences of opinion. We will learn how to marshal factual evidence in the development of well-reasoned oral and written arguments. Close reading and analysis. We will learn how to interrogate and analyze cultural media that express political ideologies, however subtly. COURSE POLICIES Readings. All readings will be either posted on Canvas or will be available in a coursepack, available at Jenn’s Copies at 2518 Guadalupe Street. If a reading is only available online, please bring a hard or virtual copy to reference during class discussions. You will be required to watch a handful of movies; these are available for inexpensive rental via Amazon Video or other streaming sites and DVDs will be put on reserve at the library. Attendance. This class is discussion-oriented, so daily attendance is required. Missing more than two classes will negatively affect your participation grade and missing more than six classes (e.g. two full weeks of class) will result in a 0 for your participation grade. Attendance will be taken in class beginning 8/31. By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence. Absences for sanctioned travel for sporting events or military service will be excused once you provide documentation. Unforeseen absences, such as illness or family emergency, will also be excused once you provide proper documentation. Students who arrive to class late, especially those exhibiting chronic tardiness, will be penalized, as will students who do not respect the policies listed below. Office hours. I encourage each of you to come to office hours at least once (preferably more) during our session so you can get the most out of the course. This is an opportunity for you to go over assignment expectations, any confusing or sticky aspects of our readings, and seek initial feedback or advice on your written work before you turn it in—or just come by to say hello! Devices. Phones will not be permitted in class, so please keep them on silent and in your backpack or pocket. That said, I know on rare occasions we all need to be accessible by phone—if we are expecting an important/emergency call, for example, from a family member—so if this applies to you on one or two occasions (so, not a regular thing), please speak with me before class. Please resist the urge to catch Pokémon during class. On the laptop question: because a handful of our course readings are only available online, you may, when necessary, use a laptop or tablet to reference readings in class discussions and activities. On days when readings are solely in our coursepack, laptops will not usually be necessary or permitted. These devices may not be used for any reason other than course-related material, so please avoid the temptation to peruse Facebook or chat with friends online. I trust you all will use technology responsibly. Failure to abide by this policy will result the docking of your participation grade. I suggest that, for the sake of your grades and your retention of the course material, you take notes by hand rather than with a computer or tablet. Scientific studies have shown that “people remember lectures better when they’ve taken handwritten notes.” Communication. Course-related announcements, relevant or interesting links, and other important information will be sent to you via email, so please check your email at least once per day. Emails sent to me at [email protected] will be responded to within 24 hours of receipt; if I haven’t responded after 24 hours, please ping me. Keep tabs on our Canvas page, which will include your readings and course announcements. Discussion. This course is built upon discussing topics that are often controversial and difficult. I encourage all of you to share your informed opinions, feelings, and experiences, and to engage in conversations that invite productive and respectful disagreement. As such, we all must maintain respect for a safe classroom environment and for our colleagues: no name-calling, slurs, interrupting, or otherwise fashioning a hostile environment. Be willing to have your own points of view challenged, and be willing to respectfully challenge others with concrete evidence. I encourage you to be open to hearing all points of view, especially those that you disagree with. Canvas. Check Canvas frequently for course announcements, links, assignments, and other relevant material. You are responsible for staying up to date on all course requirements. Late work. Since you know all of your assignment due dates in advance, late work is not accepted, nor will extensions be granted unless under absolutely extraordinary circumstances with proper documentation. You must clear this with me before the assignment due date: i.e., before midnight of the day the assignment is due. Late or missing assignments without an extension granted by me before the due date will receive a zero. In essence: communicate, communicate, communicate. Keep me in the loop. Plan accordingly for your workload over the course of the semester. Assignments. All assignments must be typed with 1-inch margins, 12-point font, Times New Roman (take a look at your word processor’s default on this; the margins and fonts are often set differently). Please put page numbers on each page. All assignments must include a descriptive title (not simply “Autobiography Assignment,” for example). Use a standard citation style (e.g. Chicago Style, MLA style) to cite your sources. All papers must be turned in as hard copies in class on their due dates—no emailed papers will be accepted. Changes to the syllabus. I may make minor adjustments to the course schedule, assigned readings, and due dates (note: assignments will never be due earlier than they are listed in the syllabus).