University of Texas at Austin Undergraduate Studies Signature Courses UGS 302: Modern Savages Spring 2020 Course Description
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University of Texas at Austin Undergraduate Studies Signature Courses UGS 302: Modern Savages Spring 2020 Instructor: Petre Petrov Tuesday, Thursday 3.30 – 5 pm Office: BUR 476 Burdine Hall (BUR) 228 Email: [email protected] Office hours: Tuesday, Thursday 12-1pm Office tel. #: 512-232-9230 Course Description and Format Under the umbrella name “modern savages,” the course will explore the persistent fascination in our modern Western cultures with the idea of the (noble) savage, the primitive, the pre- or non-rational 'other'. It will address a cluster of cultural ideas that emerged in the late nineteenth century and influenced significantly twentieth-century Western culture: Darwin-inspired theories of degeneration and racial superiority; Freud’s probing of the unconscious; intellectual forebodings of the decline of Western culture (often accompanied by an anxious anticipation of the “new barbarians”); artistic flirtations with the primitive, infantile, and naïve; etc. In exploring these intellectual and artistic currents, we will be asking: Why is it that Western modernity, with its galloping technological progress and breathless trust into the future, propelled by scientific rationality, call up visions of its opposite, of atavism, the uncivilized, and the irrational? This is a Signature Course, intended for first-year students at the University of Texas. There are no prerequisites for enrollment. The course meets twice a week in a format combining lecture and discussion. Like all UGS Signature Courses, this one carries a Writing Flag; it is designed to help students improve their skills and critical thinking through regular and varied writing practice, feedback, and revision. Also in accordance with the Signature Course format, the course will aim to enhance students’ information literacy and oral communication skills. Outside the classroom, students will have the opportunity to explore one of the “gems” of UT (the Blanton Museum of Art) and attend a lecture in the Spring 2020 University Lecture Series. Books to Buy: The only book you will need to buy (or otherwise get a hold of) for the course is: Joseph Conrad, The Heart of Darkness, 4thor 5th Edition (New York: Norton, 2005; 2016). We’ll first need it in Week 6; make sure you order it sufficiently in advance. All other readings for the course are available as PDF files in Canvas or electronic texts via the UT library website. Course Requirements and Grading: You will be required to • complete the reading (or viewing) assignments for each class; • participate actively and intelligently in class discussions and group activities; • give two short presentations in class; • complete the midterm examination scheduled for Week 7; • complete a sequence of writing assignments (as described below); • attend events scheduled as part of the Signature-Course curriculum (public lecture, library information session, visit to the Blanton Museum). Your final grade will be made up of the following components: • Presentations (2x5pts) 10pts (max) • Class participation: 15pts … • 15 discussion posts (x1pt): 15pts … • Midterm exam: 20pts … • Term paper: 40pts o proposal & revision: (5pts) o rough draft: (5pts) o research log: (10pts) o final draft: (20pts) Total = 100pts GRADING SCHEME: 89 – 87 = B+ 79 – 77 = C+ 69 – 67 = D+ below 100 - 94 = A 86 – 83 = B 76 – 73 = C 66 – 63 = D 60 = 93 – 90 = A- 82 – 80 = B- 72 – 70 = C- 62 – 60 = D- F Description of Assignments: WRITTEN WORK: The written work in the course will build toward a term paper of 2,000-2,500 words, based on an artifact of contemporary culture (book, film, TV series, art project, musical album, etc.). This will be an opportunity for you to reflect on the functions and meanings that the savage (or the primitive, or the barbarian) carries in our present-day world. During the semester, you will be asked to complete several scaffolded tasks that lead up to the term paper: a topic proposal, revision, research log, and a rough draft. A detailed description of these assignments can be found in Canvas under Assignments. The paper should demonstrate awareness of the topics and readings covered in the course and reference at least 5 critical sources (scholarly articles and/or books; general information sites like Wikipedia do not qualify). In all aspects of formatting and citation the paper should follow the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (for a useful summary of the MLA style, visit: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/). The term paper is due by 11.59pm on Monday, May 11, via electronic submission. CLASS PRESENTATIONS are scheduled for two sessions: Thursday, March 12 and Thursday, April 16. The first one, following our visit to the Blanton Museum, will be devoted to representations of Native Americans in art. For it, each of you will be asked to present one work of art and briefly comment on its significance and aesthetics. The second presentation will be part of a collective project devoted to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and the Ballets Russes. Each of you will be asked to prepare one slide devoted to a particular aspect of the topic and present it as part of a large “exhibition.” DISCUSSION POSTS are short responses to the reading for a particular class session. They are to be entered on Canvas, as answers to specific prompts. Typically, you will be asked to respond to a question, summarize the argument in a reading, or take a position on an issue. You will receive credit for your post as long as it is submitted on time and demonstrates that you have done the reading and thought about it. THE MIDTERM EXAMINATION will take place on Thursday, March 5, during regularly scheduled class time. It will test your knowledge of material covered during the first half of the semester. A review sheet for the exam, outlining its structure and the topics to be covered, will be posted by the end of Week 6. A review session is scheduled for the class meeting before the exam. CLASS PARTICIPATION: An optimal participation record in the course amounts to the following: you come to class always on time; always show clear evidence of having read the assigned texts and thought about them; you regularly pose questions that evidence critical thinking and intellectual curiosity; you contribute to each class discussion and group activity, and most of what you have to say adds to the understanding of the text or issue being discussed; even when not engaged in group work, you address your classmates (and not just the instructor), engaging them in a dialogue on the issues that interest you; you are an attentive listener of others, able to endorse their valuable contributions and respectfully argue against views you find unconvincing; sensitivity to class organization, time constraints, and the need of others to also say something means that you do not monopolize the conversation nor indulge in long-winded, rambling soliloquies. I will take notes of your participation after each class and keep a record for each student. You are welcome to inquire about your standing at any point during the semester, but I encourage you to do so early, rather than late. I also encourage you to keep the above standards in mind at all times, judge the quality of your own participation, and improve your performance as necessary. Attendance You are expected to attend all classes. Missing classes jeopardizes your participation record and puts you in danger of missing important information. More than two unexcused absences will adversely affect your final grade. More than five will result in automatic failure of the course, regardless of prior standing. To have your absence excused for reasons such as illness or death in the immediate family, these must be documented no later than a week after your return to class. In case of absence, it is your responsibility to obtain from your classmates any information passed out during the class you missed. I therefore encourage you to make friends in the class and exchange contact information with them. If you are experiencing special problems in the course, do not hesitate to make an appointment with me. Canvas By enrolling in “Modern Savages,” you automatically gain access to the Canvas site for the course. Please, familiarize yourself with its main areas and contents. If you are not familiar with the interface, consult the Canvas Student Guide: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4121. Academic Integrity By remaining enrolled in the course, you agree to abide by the regulations concerning academic dishonesty, as outlined in Section 11-402 of the Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities. Make sure you are thoroughly familiar with it: http://catalog.utexas.edu/general-information/appendices/appendix-c/student-discipline-and- conduct/ Disability Policy If you have a disability that requires special testing accommodations or other classroom modifications, please notify both me and the University Services for Student with Disabilities (SSD): http://ddce.utexas.edu/disability/, tel. 512-471-6259, email: [email protected] Concealed Carry A recent Texas law that I (and many of my colleagues) consider incompatible with the basic principles of humanistic education has given concealed-carry license holders the right to bring firearms into university classrooms. If you are a CCL holder and decide to exercise this right, it is your sole responsibility to become familiarized with and abide by the law (http://www.legis.state.tx.us/…/8…/billtext/html/SB00011F.htm) and with the University of Texas Campus Carry Rules (https://campuscarry.utexas.edu/). Remember, “concealed carry” of a handgun means that the handgun cannot be visible, either partially or wholly, and must not be intentionally or knowingly displayed in plain view of another person. Exposing a weapon, even if accidentally, is both a crime and a violation of university policy.