Course Work: Cultural Studies

Description: This course will introduce the interdisciplary field of Cultural Studies by addressing the question: "what is cultural studies?" In recent years, Cultural Studies has become an umbrella term for a number of different modes of thought and methodologies in the humanities and social sciences. Rather than attaching a simple definition to an unruly and emerging field of inquiry, we will begin by considering the historical development of Cultural Studies, examining some of the key concepts. Then we will survey issues that practitioners have grappled with during the last two decades: popular culture, class, ideology, gender, and race, for instance. The course will end with some case studies that illustrate the practice of cultural studies in popular discourses such as cyberculture and film.

Class Policy | Syllabus

Class Policy

Grading:

• Postings to bulletin board (8 substantial required, more suggested) 15%
• Essay 1 (5 pages) 15%
• Essay 2 (5-6 pages) 20%
• Essay 3 (6-7 pages) 30%
• Class Participation 20%

Posts to the bulletin board:

• A bulletin board has been created on CourseInfo to serve as a bulletin board and email server for this class and the other freshman section of Cultural Studies. This way, you have a forum for discussion that is larger than the seminar class itself.
• Each week you should contribute one or two substantive comments to one of the threads on the bulletin board. You can respond to any thread or start a thread yourself. Each post must reflect what you have learned from and think about class readings. Substantive responses consist of a paragraph that takes into account previous posts and readings. Normally, a quote from the class reading should be included in your post.
• One time during the quarter, you will be required to start a thread. For this week, you should post a thought provoking discussion question that shows you have completed the reading and thought about the way the work responds to the goals of the class.
• You may post more than once a week, but a minimum of 8 substantive responses, one each week, and one thread initiation is required to receive the 10% of your grade. I will monitor the bulletin board and delete any responses that I think you may consider "substantive," but I do not.
• You are also encouraged, however, to respond in a less formal manner to the posts of your virtual community. Check the discussion board often and try to engage with the issues and problems presented.

Essays:

You will be expected to complete 3 Drafts and 3 Essays. Drafts should be complete versions of your paper, written and refined before they are distributed. They will be discussed in-class, revised, and resubmitted. You should be satisfied with the quality of your drafts as they will be discussed by your classmates and, at times, by the class at large. The third essay must show outside research, include a bibliography, and use MLA style format.

Class Presentations:

You will be asked to initiate the discussion in one class either by yourself or with a partner. Basically, this means highlighting what you found important in the readings and how the readings fit in the overall class. You should then ask a series of questions to begin class discussion. Sign-ups for in-class presentations will take place next week. Presentations need only last about 5 minutes, but they should fuel the rest of class discussion by bringing up points for discussion. These presentations will count towards you Class Participation Grade.

Class Participation:

Written responses to the papers of your classmates and homework assignments will be noted on a check, check minus and check plus scale. I will occasionally give pop quizzes at the beginning of the class. These will be very simple 5 question quizzes designed to assess how well you have prepared for the day's readings. In-class participation and evidence that you have prepared for class also contribute to your Class Participation grade. Because this is a seminar, I expect you to say something in EVERY class. If you are shy or don't understand a reading, come to class with a specific question written down so that you can present it for discussion.

Attendance:

You may have up to 2 absences without affecting your grade. Any more than 2 absences will hurt your final grade unless approved by me.

E-mail:

You must regularly check your CourseInfo mail account and the e-mail address you provide for the class for class announcements and correspondence from me. Please do not write me on the CourseInfo site; instead, write to the address provided above.

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Syllabus

Reading List:

• Ann Gray and Jim McGuigan -Studying Culture: An Introductory Reader
• Simon During -The Cultural Studies Reader 2nd Ed.
• David Bell and Barbara Kennedy -Cybercultures Reader
• supplementary readings available in class or on-line

Week 1:
Th 1/ 4: Course Introduction

Week 2:
Tu 1/ 9: During, “Introduction” (During)
Bring "Academic Integrity at Northwestern"
Th 1/11: Meet in Library PC lab (downstairs)
Johnson, “What Is Cultural Studies Anyway?” (packet)
Bring first post on PC disc—This disc should contain a paragraph about one or both of the first two readings. You must take a position on some aspect of the/se readings. You should have at least one quote to support your argument.
Visit www.english.nwu.edu/courses/stylesheet.html

Week 3:
Tu 1/16: Hall, “Cultural Studies and its Theoretical Legacies” (During)
Williams, "Culture is Ordinary" (Gray and McGuigan)
Th 1/18: Draft Workshop
Bring 4 copies of Essay 1 to class
Pfister, “The Americanization of Cultural Studies” (packet)

Week 4:
Tu 1/23: Draft Workshop
(In this class, sections of your draft from the previous class will be read and critiqued by the entire class. We will focus on Introductions, thesis statements and conclusions.)
Adorno and Horkheimer, “The Culture Industry” (During)
Barthes, "Dominici" (During)
Th 1/25: Essay #1 Due
Foucault, "Space, Power and Knowledge" (During)

Week 5:
Tu 1/30: Hall, "Minimal Selves" (Gray and McGuigan)
Gillespie, "Technology and Tradition" (Gray and McGuigan)
Th 2/ 1: Butler, “Subjects of Sex/Gender/Desire” (During)

Week 6:
Tu 2/ 6: West, "The New Cultural Politics of Difference" (During)
Appadurai, "Disjuncture and Difference" (During)
Th 2/ 8: Draft Workshop
Bring 3 copies of Essay 2 to class
Jeganathan, Pradeep, "eelam.com: Place, Nation and Imagi-Nation in Cyberspace" (packet)
Watch The Matrix between these classes. Take notes for class discussion.

Week 7:
Tu 2/13: Essay #2 Due
Discuss The Matrix
Th 2/15: Haraway, “A Cyborg Manifesto” (Bell)

Week 8:
Tu 2/20: Nakamura, "Keeping it Virtually Real"
Th 2/22: Library Tour –meet in library. You should have an idea for your final essay by this date.

Week 9:
Tu 2/27: Wakeford "Cyberqueer" (Bell)
Tsang, "Notes on Queer 'n' Asian Virtual Sex" (Bell)
Th 3/ 1: Draft Workshop
Bring 3 copies of Essay #3 to class
Consult about research for Essay 3.

Week 10:
Tu 3/ 6 Essay #3 due, In-class presentations of 3rd Essay.

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