Us versus Them?

American Political Identity and the World

First-Year Seminar in Critical Inquiry

Fall Semester 2008

Dr. Jeffrey Lantis Whitney Louderback

Kauke 107, Phone #2408 Phone: 303-810-7846

jlantis@wooster.edu wlouderback10@wooster.edu

MW 3:30-5:00 pm,

or by appointment

Course Description

This seminar explores the critical theme of American political identity in the 21^st century. The first section of the seminar examines national political topics related to identity, including ideology, discrimination, and partisanship. We will devote special attention to how these themes play out in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. The second section of the seminar considers the role of the United States in the world and perceptions of American identity both at home and abroad. Drawing on contemporary sources, we will debate topics such as human rights, terrorism, and responses to genocide. The third section of the course examines the nature of identity group conflict and conflict resolution efforts around the world, including case studies from North America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Australia.

Course Objectives

Throughout the semester we will explore this topic and refine our skills in critical thinking, writing, oral expression, and research. The parallel goals for the course include providing you with intellectual tools for critical thought about identity and politics, as well as building skills for success in higher education. By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• Develop connections between disparate texts, theories, and materials for a broad knowledge base on political identity;
• Read critically and evaluate divergent interpretations of political identity;
• Demonstrate familiarity with campus resources crucial for your academic success, including the Library, the Writing Center, and online resources;
• Frame oral and written arguments using primary and secondary sources as evidence;
• Design and execute a research project investigating an assigned topic;
• Accurately evaluate strengths and weaknesses of your own writing;
• Identify and address different audiences effectively in writing;
• Organize, present and communicate your own reactions to readings, films, and public lectures in class discussions and in written assignments.

Course Requirements

First-Year Seminar is a discussion-based course in which diverse viewpoints are examined. Students are expected to attend every class and participate actively in class discussions. Course assignments include an autobiographical essay, a Forum response paper, a specialized research assignment, an essay on justice and diversity, a position paper, and a final research project. We will also consider themes of identity and politics through special reading assignments, debates, class presentations, and films. Grades for course assignments will be weighted in the following manner:

Course Participation 20%

Forum Response Paper 10%

Autobiographical Essay 10%

Research Assignment 10%

Justice and Diversity Essay 15%

Position Paper 15%

Final Research Project 20%

Required Texts

1. Paula S. Rothenberg, ed., Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An

Integrated Study, 7^th Edition, Worth Publishers, 2007

2. John T. Rourke, ed., Taking Sides: Clashing Views in World Politics, Updated 13^th

Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2008

3. Stephen Brooks, As Others See Us: The Causes and Consequences of Foreign

Perceptions of America, Broadview Press, 2006

4. Martin Luther King, Jr., Why We Can’t Wait, Signet Classics, 1964

5. Ishmael Beah, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Crichton, 2007

6. Diana Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual, 5^th Edition, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008

7. The College of Wooster, Academic Integrity, The Scot’s Key and The Handbook of

Selected College Policies, 2007-2008

Course Participation

Learning is not a spectator sport. The only way to truly learn any subject is to immerse oneself in the topic, ponder the issues at hand, and articulate one’s own perspective. Students are expected to attend class, prepare course material in advance, and participate actively in class discussions and debates. There will be ample opportunity for discussion, including time devoted to issues raised in the Wooster Forum series, films, and course readings. Class participation will be monitored closely by the instructor and teaching apprentice, and it is worth 20% of the overall course grade. Grade penalties will be assessed for unexcused absences or non-participation. If missing a class is unavoidable, students must contact the instructor by telephone, e-mail, or in person in advance of the class meeting to explain the upcoming absence.

The Forum Series and Response Papers

The Wooster Forum series is designed to raise awareness of critical issues related to the liberal arts. Forum events are held in McGaw Chapel, and you are encouraged to attend all of them. You are required to attend the three events noted in boldface type below:

Jared Cohen, Children of Jihad, September 2

Zana Briski, Born Into Brothels, September 10

Ishmael Beah, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, September 18

Alex Kotlowitz, There are No Children Here, October 7

Your assignment is to write a 2-page response paper about one of the programs that you attend. Response papers should summarize the themes raised by the speakers and analyze and critique the event. Forum response papers are due in class (normally on the class day after the event), and they become the basis for a discussion of the themes raised by the speaker. The paper is worth 10% of the overall course grade.

Autobiographical Essay

This essay assignment represents an opportunity to reflect on your own ideas about politics and society and to explore the origins of these values in your personal development. Building on classroom debates and readings, you should compose a 3-4 page, typed, double-spaced paper that defines your political beliefs and links these to formative events, issues, or personalities in your own life. The paper should include careful references to sources (Chicago style, with endnotes) and a full bibliography. This paper is worth 10% of the overall course grade, and more information on the assignment will be provided in class.

Specialized Research Assignment

This research assignment will help you to achieve two goals: 1) a deeper understanding of the origins and nature of identity struggles; and 2) development of research skills that will help you to prepare for the final research project. You will be required to conduct research on a narrow topic related to identity. Specific research themes and research strategies will be discussed in class. You are also encouraged to schedule a consultation meeting with a reference librarian for this project. A 4-5 page, double-spaced, typed paper on your findings is worth 10% of the overall course grade.

Justice and Diversity Essay

This assignment is designed to promote critical thinking and creative writing about the themes of identity, diversity, and justice. You will be provided with essay topics evaluating the achievement of liberty and justice for identity groups in our society. You are expected to reflect on these topics by referencing readings, including Martin Luther King’s Why We Can’t Wait. Papers should be 3-4 double-spaced, typed pages, including careful references to sources (Chicago style, with endnotes) and a full bibliography. The paper is worth 15% of the course grade.

Position Paper

This assignment allows you to formulate your own opinion and arguments on key issues raised by our studies. Specific topics for the paper will be handed out in advance, but might include: Has the U.S. government dealt effectively with racial discrimination? or What is the proper role for the United States in world politics? To address the topic, you should build upon (and reference) information presented in reading materials, lectures, and discussions.

This is also an assignment designed to improve your writing skills. The first version of the position paper is due on the date assigned in class. Later, you will have the opportunity to re-draft the paper based on the first grade and submit a second version of the paper by a specified date. In all cases, papers should be 3-5 double-spaced, typed pages, and you should carefully cite arguments and ideas presented by other authors as they relate to your work (Chicago style, with endnotes and a full bibliography). It is worth 15% of the total course grade.

Final Research Project

The final research project includes both an oral presentation to the class and a written report. In this assignment, you will investigate the plight of an identity group living somewhere in the United States or abroad. Identity groups share common characteristics including race, ethnicity, religion, language, tradition, culture, or historical experience. You may choose almost any specific identity group on which to focus, and you are encouraged to discuss ideas for the assignment with the instructor and teaching assistant. The group can be: either a majority or a minority; citizens of a state or members of a national group spread across many states; powerful or powerless; old or new; large or small. Based upon extensive research on the identity group, your final paper should address the following themes:

1. What is the identity group, and what are its shared characteristics?

2. What is the political history of this identity group relative to governmental authority?

3. What concerns top the political, social, and economic agendas of the identity group?

4. Does this group exist today in an environment of conflict or cooperation with others?

5. What solutions might you see to the plight of this identity group that would

promote peace and justice for its members in the 21st century?

Regardless of your choice of topic, there are some common parameters for this assignment. First, you should discuss ideas for the assignment with your instructor and teaching apprentice. Second, you should collect information on the topic through library research--and consider additional research avenues such as interviews, government sources, feature films, books, or documentaries. Second, you should draft your work and schedule a mandatory Writing Center consultation by Tuesday, November 25.

The paper should be 5-7 typed, double-spaced pages, including careful references to sources (Chicago style, with endnotes) and a full bibliography. Evaluation of this assignment will be based on the degree and quality of student coverage of the issues listed above. The paper is worth 10% of the course grade.

Class Presentation

The final part of this assignment is an opportunity to present your findings in class. You should prepare a 15-minute presentation on the results of your research and important lessons learned from the assignment. After the presentation, be prepared to answer questions and lead a discussion on the issues raised by the research. In addition, you may want to consider ways to make the oral presentation more convincing or interesting--such as handouts, a Powerpoint presentation, or other audio-visual aides. Overall, the presentation is worth 10% of the course grade, and you will be evaluated on the coherency and clarity of your arguments, the quality of information presented, and originality in the presentation. More information about this will be forthcoming in class.

Resources

The Writing Center

The Writing Center, located in Andrews Library, is available for all students who wish to have experienced writers and teachers of writing assist them with all facets of the writing process. Students can schedule appointments at the Center or seek assistance on a walk-in basis. The Center is staffed with professional consultants and trained peer tutors. For more information about the Center, contact Dr. William Macauley at ext. #2205, or wmacauley@wooster.edu, or visit their website at: www.wooster.edu/writing_center.

The Learning Center

The Learning Center offers a variety of services and accommodations to students with learning disabilities based on appropriate documentation, nature of disability, and academic need. In order to initiate services, students should meet with Pam Rose, Director of the Learning Center, at the start of the semester to discuss reasonable accommodations. If a student does not request support or does not provide documentation, the faculty member is under no obligation to provide accommodations. You may contact the Learning Center at ext. #2595 or through e-mail at prose@wooster.edu. All discussions will remain confidential.

Academic Integrity

This class will operate on a set of expectations consistent with the College’s Code of Academic Integrity and Code of Social Responsibility, outlined in The Scot’s Key (www.wooster.edu/policies/scotskey.pdf) and the Handbook of Selected College Policies (www.wooster.edu/policies/policies.pdf). The Codes and guidelines form an essential part of the intellectual contract between the student and the College.

Cheating in any of your academic work is a serious breach of the Code of Academic Integrity and is grounds for an ‘F’ for the entire course. Such violations include turning in another person’s work as your own, copying or paraphrasing from any source without proper citation, fabricating excuses or lying in connection with your academic work. You will be held responsible for your own actions. If you are unsure as to what is permissible, always consult with your course instructor and teaching apprentice.

Grading Scale

As stated in The College of Wooster Catalogue, letter grades are defined as:

“A range” indicates an outstanding performance in which there has been

distinguished achievement in all phases of the course;

“B range” indicates a good performance in which there has been a high level of

achievement in some phases of the course;

“C range” indicates an adequate performance in which a basic understanding of

the subject has been demonstrated;

“D range” indicates a minimal performance in which despite recognizable

deficiencies there is enough to merit credit;

“F or NC” indicates unsatisfactory performance.

General Guidelines

1. Please read the assigned materials before class meetings; they provide the basis for

daily class discussions.

2. Papers should be submitted in hard copy. I will not accept e-mail versions of student papers, but only stapled hard copies.

3. Late papers lose half a grade level for each day they are late.

I. Identity and Politics

1. Introduction to Life at Wooster (Week of August 25)

Holly Sklar, Imagine a Country: 2006, in Paula S. Rothenberg, ed., Race, Class,

and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study, 7^th Edition, 2007,

pp.329-338

John T. Rourke, ed., Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in World Politics, Updated 13^th Edition, 2008, Issue 2: Does Globalization Threaten Cultural Diversity?, pp.21-35

Jared Cohen, Children of Jihad: A Young American’s Travels Among the Youth

of the Middle East, 2007, pp.1-48 (handout)

2. Thinking and Writing about Identity and Discrimination (Week of September 1)

Herbert Gans, Deconstructing the Underclass, to Jean Baker Miller, Domination and Subordination, in Rothenberg, ed., pp.102-114

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, The Problem: Discrimination, in Rothenberg,

ed., pp.255-265

The College of Wooster, The Scot’s Key and the Handbook of Selected College Policies (online)

Diana Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual, 5^th Edition, 2008, pp.1-102 and pp.196-230

3. Exploring Political Identity (Week of September 8)

Stephen Brooks, As Others See Us: The Causes and Consequences of Foreign

Perceptions of America, 2006, pp.1-165

Bradley O’Leary and Victor Kamber, Are You a Conservative or a Liberal?, 1996, pp.11-16 and 45-79 (handout)

Pew Research Center for People and the Press, Beyond Red vs. Blue: Political Typology Test, online url: http://typology.people-press.org/typology/

(online survey)

* Film: The Anti-Americans: A Hate/Love Relationship

II. Searching for an “American” Identity

4. The Politics of Argument/The Arguments of Politics (Week of September 15)

Rourke, ed., Issue 3: Is U.S. Global Dominance Destructive?, pp.36-51

Rourke, ed., Issue 7: Should All Foreign Troops Soon Leave Iraq?, pp.102-113

Ishmael Beah, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Crichton Books, 2007, pp.1-229

* Draft of Autobiographical Essay Due

* Writing Workshop

5. History of Inequality and Identity Group Conflict (Week of September 22)

Michael Omi and Harold Winant, Racial Formations, to Richard Wright, The Ethics of Living Jim Crow: An Autobiographical Sketch in Rothenberg, ed., 2007, pp.13-32

Gregory Mantsios, Class in America: 2006, in Rothenberg, ed., pp.182-197

* Autobiographical Essay Due

* Film: Morgan Spurlock’s 30 Days, Minimum Wage

6. The History of Racial Discrimination in the United States (Week of September 29)

U.S. Commission on Human Rights, Indian Tribes: A Continuing Quest for Survival, to Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 1954, in Rothenberg, ed., pp.527-581

Martin Luther King, Jr., Why We Can’t Wait, 1964, pp.viii-63

Marcus Mabry, Where Whites Draw the Line, New York Times, June 8, 2008

p.D1 (handout)

7. Race and Identity in Contemporary Society (Week of October 6)

Beverly Daniel Tatum, Defining Racism: Can We Talk? to Rita Chaudhry Sethi, Smells Like Racism, in Rothenberg, ed., pp.123-153.

June Jordan, Requiem for the Champ, in Rothenberg, ed., pp.466-469

Martin Luther King, Jr., Why We Can’t Wait, 1964, pp.64-155

* Forum Response Paper Due

* Film: When We Were Kings

* Fall Break

8. Gender and Discrimination (Week of October 20)

Allan G. Johnson, Patriarchy, in Rothenberg, ed., pp.158-167

The Equal Rights Amendment (Defeated), in Rothenberg, ed., p.583

Rourke, ed., Is the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women Worthy of Support?,

12^th Edition, 2007, pp.300-313 (handout)

* Justice and Diversity Essay Due

9. Defining an American Identity (Week of October 27)

Genaro C. Armas, Census Bureau Predicts Diverse U.S. Future, to Lillian

Rubin, “Is This a White Country, or What?” in Rothenberg, ed., pp.203-245

Diana Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual, pp.1-102 and pp.196-230

* Specialized Research Assignment Due

III. Identity and the World

10. Terrorism (Week of November 3)

Peter Ford, Why Do They Hate Us? Christian Science Monitor, September 27, 2001, pp.1-3 (handout)

Matthew J. Morgan, The Origins of the New Terrorism, in Thomas J. Badey, ed., Annual Editions: Violence and Terrorism 2007/2008, pp.9-15 (handout)

Walter Laquer, The Terrorism to Come, in Badey, ed., pp.211-218 (handout)

* First Draft of Position Paper Due

* Election Night Party

11. The Clash of Civilizations? (Week of November 10)

Rourke, ed., Issue 1: Is Economic Globalization a Positive Trend?, pp.2-20

Rourke, ed., Issues 12 and 13, Is Preemptive War an Unacceptable Doctrine? and Does the United States Have a Sound Strategy for the War on Terrorism?, pp.204-253

* Film: Morgan Spurlock’s 30 Days: Muslims and America

* Second Draft of Position Paper Due

12. Identity Conflict Around the World (Week of November 17)

Sarah Glazer and Patrick Marshall, Stopping Genocide, in Global Issues 2007, CQ Press, 2007, pp.143-165 (handout)

Ishmael Beah, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Sarah Crichton Books, 2007, pp.1-229

* Film: Hotel Rwanda

* Final Version of Position Paper Due

13. Rivals and “Rogue States” (Week of November 24)

Rourke, ed., Issue 5: Will China Soon Become a Threatening Superpower? pp.70-83

Rourke, ed., Issue 14: Is Patient Diplomacy the Best Approach to Iran’s Nuclear Program?, pp.254-273

Rourke, ed., Issue 15: Is North Korea an Aggressive Rogue State?, pp.274-290

Rourke, ed, Issue 21: Does Hugo Chavez Threaten Hemispheric Stability and Democracy? pp.385-405

* Thanksgiving Recess

* Final Project Presentations

14. Future Prospects for Peace and Justice (Week of December 1)

William Rivers Pitt, Here. Now. Do Something. in Rothenberg, ed., pp.755-757

* Final Project Presentations

* Final Research Paper Due on Friday, December 5, by 4 pm