Course Description

The purpose of this course is to provide a forum for the exploration of the issues affecting students in colleges and universities with a particular emphasis on issues of diversity and multiculturalism. The course is concerned with the issues of racism, sexism, classism and other forms of oppression that impact on and the communities we serve

Course Objectives

The objectives of this course include students:

• developing an understanding of race, gender and class issues based on the readings for this class, current events, and class discussions/activities
• developing communications skills, both written and oral, through class discussion and written work

 Requirements

Students seeking credit for this course must complete all assignments and expectations as outlined below:

•  Attend and participate in each class session by sharing insights from the readings and other activities of the course

• Complete and submit the following assignments described in greater detail in the following pages:
  • weekly annotated bibliography cards
  • maintenance of a "voice" journal
  • Media Review paper
  • A "one minute paper" at the conclusion of every class

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Each student will be assigned the responsibility to bring to the attention of the class articles from specific publications throughout the term by collecting current articles/information encompassing issues of race, class, gender and other "isms" related to higher education and highlighting functions and issues in student affairs in the form of Annotated Bibliography Cards where each student will read and review on a 4 x 6 card at least one journal article or chapter of a book (other than the required texts). The topic of the article should correspond with each week's class topic.

 VOICING DIFFERENCES: LEARNING MULTICULTURAL PERSPECTIVES

(special thanks to Dr. Carney Strange and Lorraine Alston for this model on "Bridging Cross-Cultural Differences:The Power of Border Pedagogy" at the ACPA/NASPA Conference March 21, 1997 in Chicago)

• The "Voice" Project

• Select a "voice" different from your own
• Develop expertise through multiple resources
  • literature
  • media (films, music, art)
  • internet resources
  • interviews
  • personal observations
• Maintain a voice journal with regular entries
• Let your voice be heard in the context of class discussions

• Sequence

• Selecting Voice: motives and reasons for selecting voice are explored
• Information Gathering: resources are explored for purposes of gaining simple understanding of characteristics and influences of selected voice
• Engagement: personal engagement with voice produces growing affinity for gifts, challenges and barriers
• Advocacy: participants acquire sense of empathy and responsibility to seek out and remove sources of bias and discrimination

• Examples of Voices
  • traditional aged Latino male
  • African American gay male
  • Japanese American female
  • visually impaired male
  • Muslim female
  • HIV+ male
  • single parent adult female
  • traditional age Caucasian male

• Reasons for Selecting a Voice
  • To challenge childhood images and messages
  • To free oneself from constraints of culture and socialization
  • To revisit former acquaintances, recoup past experience
  • To explore issues or situations that challenge family members and friends
  • To face long-standing and deeply enculturated fears and anxieties

The "Voice" Project Instructions:

1. By the third class session, select a "voice" other than your own, for which you will assume responsibility as an advocate in letting it be heard as part of our class discussions this semester. For example, as an African American female you might wish to consider the perspective of a Caucasian male; as a heterosexual male, a gay male or lesbian female; or as a traditional age student, a returning adult learner.

    

1. Develop your expertise in that voice by, for example:

   1. examining literature and reading materials relevant to that voice (e.g., Evans & Wall, 1991-Beyond Tolerance; Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals on Campus
   2. accessing resources and personal contacts through various dedicated listservs and bulletin boards (e.g., EASI- Access to Information for People with Disabilities)
   3. observing the behavior and interacting in the context of individuals who are thought to live that voice (e.g., attending an Organization of African Unity, Organization for Latino Unity or International Student Organization meeting on campus); and
   4. interviewing people presumed to speak in that voice (e.g., an Asian American student, faculty, or staff member).

3. Maintain a "voice journal" wherein you enter a one page reaction that summarizes your feelings to the week’s class. Each paper should include the date, an overall impression of the class, what stands out in your mind about that class, how you felt about the class, how comfortable you felt speaking openly and contributing to the class discussion, and the impact the class had on you. Did you learn anything you had not known or thought about before? Was your thinking changed on any way because of this class? Did you challenge yourself or anyone else in this class? If you could revisit that class what would you do or say differently? Your writings are not shared beyond the instructors unless you decide to share comments with peers or others

    

4. Let your selected voice be heard regularly in the context of our class discussions.

Media Review

Students are expected to submit a critical review on a book, film, theatrical event or cultural event of their choice. This piece of media can be based on a novel (historical or fiction), a scholarly work, or a biography/autobiography. The theme should focus on the issues of the various "isms" studied in this class (i.e. racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, xenophobia, issues of disability, homophobia). The report should not be more than seven typed, double-spaced pages and should include: an overview of the media with a statement of the salient themes; your response to it - what impact did it have on you in terms of your understanding of the issues involved; questions that it leaves unanswered or raises; and a conclusion. In the conclusion, please include whether or not you would recommend this media form and your reasons, or if you have reservations about this media form and your reasons.

 September 28: Media Review selection due

November 23rd: Project due

Textbooks and Readings

 Required:

Anderson, M.L. & Collins, P.H., (1995). Race, Class, and Gender: an Anthology. 2^nd Ed. California: Wadsworth Publishing.

 Bauby, J., ( 1998). The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. New York: Vintage.

 McBride, J., (1996). The Color of Water: a Black Man's Tribute to his White Mother. New York: Riverhead Books.

McCourt, F., (1996). Angela's Ashes. New York: Scribner.

 Middlebrook, D.W. (1998). Suits Me: The Double Life of Billy Tipton. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Recommended

The following "textbooks" are recommended readings. Copies will be on reserve at the Library:

 Branch, T. (1989). Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-1963. New York: Touchstone Books.

 Branch T. (1999). Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years, 1963-1965. New York: Simon & Schuster.

 Evans, N.J. and Wall, V.A. (1976). Beyond Tolerance: Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals on Campus. Maryland: American College Personnel Association.

 Lukas, J.A. (1997). Big Trouble. New York: Simon & Schuster.

 Sedlacek, W.E. and Brooks, G.C. (1978). Racism in American Education: A Model for Change. Chicago: Nelson-Hall

Additional Readings and Handouts

There will be additional readings and handouts. It is recommended that each student have access to the following publications:

 Black Issues in Higher Education

Chronicle of Higher Education

New York Times 

 

DATE	TOPIC	TO READ FOR NEXT CLASS :
September 7th	Introduction and Overview Of Course: Icebreakers and syllabus Establishing a Foundation: Team Building #1: Who Are You?/Babe #1	Andersen & Collins: Shifting the Center and Reconstructing Knowledge Overview pp.11-20
September 14th	Establishing a Foundation: Team Building #2: What Defines You?/An American Love Story #1	Andersen & Collins: Conceptualizing Race, Class and Gender, pp.67-88 McBride: Ch 1-11
September 21st	Overview of the "Isms" Team Building #3: How Are We Alike? An American Love Story #2 (Pt. 1) Team Building #4: How Are We Different? An American Love Story #2 (Pt. 2)	McBride: Ch. 12-25 * Media Proposals Due
September 28th	Race, Ethnicity and Class: "The Social Issues Lexicon" An American Love Story #3 (Pt. 1) The Eye of the Storm An American Love Story #3 (Pt. 2) Submit Media Proposal and journals	McBride: Epilogue Andersen & Collins: Race and Racism, pp.89-125*
October 5th	Distinctions between Race and Class An American Love Story #4 (Pt. 1) An American Love Story #4 (Pt. 2)	Andersen & Collins: Class and Inequality pp.126-174
October 12th	An American Love Story #5 (Pt. 1) Skin Deep Reality Check : Identifying the 'Isms "Why Do We Need To Do This?" Skin Deep #2	Andersen & Collins: Education pp. 328-356* McCourt: Chapters I-IV
October 19th	Gender and Sex Roles Class and Construct The Full Monty	Andersen & Collins: Sexuality pp.437-469*, Gender and Sexism pp. 175-216* Middlebrook: Part I & II
October 26th	Let's Talk About Gender and Sex Roles as seen through Advertising Let's Talk About Sex: "The Fly on the Wall" Sex Roles and the Media: Madonna and "Paris Is Burning" (Pt. 1) Submit October Journals	Bauby: pp.3-133 McCourt: Chapters V-XII
November 2nd	Disabilities: Defining Disability "My Left Foot" (Pt.1) Guest speaker: Christine Komoroski	McCourt: Chapters XIII-XVIII Middlebrook: Part III & IV Andersen & Collins: Families pp. 270-327*
November 9th	The Impact of Family: Sex Roles and the Media: Madonna and "Paris Is Burning" (Pt. 2) "My Left Foot" (Pt.2) A Moment of Silence	Middlebrook: Part V Andersen & Collins: Work and Economic Transformation pp.217-269*
November 16th	Putting It All Together #1: "The Color of Fear" Submit Final Annotated Bibliography cards on Disability Definitions	Andersen & Collins: American Identity and Culture pp. 389-436*
November 23rd	Putting It All Together #2: Ba-fa, Ba-fa Culture and the Nacerima Submit Media Research Papers Optional submission of annotated bibliography cards	Andersen & Collins: The State and Social Policy pp. 357-388*, Violence and Social Control pp. 470-506*
November 30th	Putting It All Together #3: The Impact of Family and "The Wedding Banquet" Personal Values: "Miracle Mile" and "The Fallout Shelter" Submit Family Trees Submit November journals Submit Personal Coat of Arms Optional submission of annotated bibliography cards	Andersen & Collins: Education pp.328-356*, Making a Difference pp. 507-562*
December 7th	Putting It All Together: The Trial What Difference Can I Make? Closing Exercise