ILS 4320: (De)Constructing Race
Tentative Course Schedule Spring 2022
MW 12:30-1:45 ACAD 431
NOTE: This schedule may change as needed. Your presence in class ensures correct assignments
WEEK 1
M 1/10 Course Introduction; FW: What is race and is it important to talk about it?
Discussion; How Can We Address Centuries of Racism in Art?" by Titus Kaphar
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/12):
- Read and Study Syllabus Carefully; Complete Syllabus Quiz in Ulearn; See Quizzes
link
- Set Up Blog; email the Web address to your page to Professor Harmon:
kenny.harmon@jwu.edu by class time.
- Listen to The Story of Skin Color (with Bill Nye, the Science Guy; 40 min)
- Watch "The Origin of Race in the U.S." (PBS) (10 minutes)
- Complete the Race Literacy Quiz (California Newsreel/PBS)
- Do Response #1: How do these sources challenge often generally accepted
definitions of race (including your own? What do you see as the significance of this
info?; 300 words min.; upload to ulearn
W 1/12 Discussion; What is Argument? Important Argument Terms (Theory);
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/19):
- Watch "What Science Tells Us About Race and Racism" (The Royal Institution of
- Great Britain, Science Education); (1 hour and 30 minutes)
- Do Response 2; Explain how this video appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos; min. 2
pages; upload to ulearn
WEEK 2
M 1/17 NO CLASS, MLK JR. DAY
W 1/19 Share Reader Response 2 & Discussion of Video (using clips); blog post
The Negro Page by Aelbert Cuyp; Analyzing Images; blog post
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/24):
- Read "Ideology & Race in American History" by Barbara Fields" (1990) (19 pages)
Do Reader Response 3: What do you see as Fields central point (thesis)? Identify the
specific sentence. Does Fields adequately argue and support her thesis? Why or why
not? What are some particularly strong or weak points made by the author? Explain
what makes them "strong" or "weak."; How does the author appeal to logos, pathos,
and ethos? Min. 450 words
- Watch "The Urgency of Intersectionality" by Kimberlee Crenshaw (TED, 19 minutes)
- Watch "The Most Common Myths People Tell About Race" (NBC News, 4 minutes)
WEEK 3
M 1/24 Discuss Fields;
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/26):
- Michael Omi and Howard Winant (Preface to 1994 edition, Preface to the 1986
- edition, and Introduction); (26 pages);
- Do Response 4: What are some important points that Omi and Winant make
- and how do they connect to the others texts we've read so far this term? Response
- should be a min. of 2 full pages
W 1/26 Discuss Omi/Winant; Discuss Essay 1
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/31):
- Bernstein (2009); (29 pages)
- Do Response 5: What do you see as a significant connection between Bernstein and
- Omi/Winant? Why? Response should be a min. of 300 words.
- Locate a print ad that somehow engages with cultural expectations of and socially
- constructed meanings of race (or select one provided in ulearn).
WEEK 4
M 1/31 Discuss Bernstein
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/2):
- Come to class with ad that engages with cultural expectations of and socially
constructed meanings of race
W 2/2 Invention Work, Essay 1
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/7):
- First Draft of Essay 1 Due; min.3 FULL pages; upload to ulearn
Also submit draft to Smarthinking tutor (through JWU Link)
WEEK 5
M 2/7 First Draft of Essay 1 Due; Exchange for Peer Critique; CONFERENCES
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/9):
- Typed Critique of partner's essay due; Upload to Ulearn (both parts)
Smarthinking Report and Revision Plan Due; Upload to Ulearn (both parts as one
document)
- Revise Essay
W 2/9 Peer Critique; How and Why Do We Critique? ST report and revision plan due;
CONFERENCES
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/14):
- Continue to Revise Essay
- Final Draft of Essay 1 due with reflection (upload to ulearn as one document)
WEEK 6
Introduction to Film and Film Terms; Race and Film
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/16):
- Read Short Guide to Writing About Film and Complete Reading Quiz in Ulearn
Complete Quiz in Ulearn (Guide to Writing About Film)
W 2/16 Analyze Film Clip; Blogging
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/21):
WEEK 7
M 2/21 Analyze Film Clip; Blogging
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/23):
W 2/23 Analyze Film Clip; Blogging
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/28):
WEEK 8
M 2/28 NO REGULAR CLASS MEETING. Work on Initial discussion Board Post about Black
Masculinity in American Culture; Discussion Board in Week 8 Folder
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/2):
- Complete initial 450 word post and submit to discussion board by class time
- Watch film for essay 2 (either Django Unchained, Twelve Years a Slave, The Color
- Purple, or Mudbound); Mudbound at Neflix, remainder at Amazon
W 3/2 Analyze Film Clip; Blogging
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/14):
- Respond to the posts of two other students on discussion board
- First Full Draft of Essay 2 Due; min four FULL pages
Submit draft to Smarthinking Tutors (via JWU link)
SPRING BREAK, NO CLASS MARCH 7-11
WEEK 9
M 3/14 First Full Draft of Essay 2 Due; Exchange for Critique; Conferences
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/16):
- Typed Critique of partner's essay due (both parts); upload to ulearn as one
document
- Smarthinking Report and Revision Plan, Essay 2 due (upload both parts to ulearn
as one document).
W 3/16 Peer Critique; ST Report and Revision Plan Due; Conferences
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/21):
- Final Draft of Essay 2 due with reflection; submit both as one MS Word file
WEEK 10
hours, 3 min., 1994)
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/23):
- Locate an article that deals with the historical context of Mary Shelley's
Frankenstein (the novel from 1812); you might want to search the terms "new
historicism" and "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein 1812"
Read source carefully and complete an annotation; upload to ulearn
W 3/23 CLASS MEETS ONLINE; Complete Film and Discuss in Relation to Film Content;
Monster as Metaphor
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/28)
- Watch "Planet of the Apes" (1968) (1 hour, 52 minutes)
- Do Response 6: Choose one scene (3-5 minutes) and argue how this film may
engage with race metaphorically; min. 2 full pages
- Locate a library source that deals with in important historical event connected to
the idea of race from the years 1965-1968; Carefully read and complete annotation
- Initial Post Due for Online Discussion: The Modern Idea of Monstrosity in film
(submit before 12:30pm; see detailed instructions in week 10 folder of ulearn)
WEEK 11
M 3/28 CLASS MEETS ONLINE; Complete Online Discussion, The Modern Idea of
Monstrosity in Film; Initial post due before 12:30pm; Responses to two other
students due by 2pm
Homework (Due 3/30):
- Do Response 7: How does this film, as a whole (not just the two previous scenes we
watched) engage with the idea of race as the monstrous/monster? Include
a quote from your library article below; min. 2 full pages
- Locate a library source that deals with in important historical event connected to
the idea of race from the years 1986-1989; Carefully read and complete annotation
W 3/30 Discuss Judith Butler and Gender as Performance; Your Behavior Creates Your
Gender; How Discourse Creates Homosexuality; Discuss Group Project and
Annotated Bibliography
Homework (Due 4/4):
- Watch Moonlight (2016), 1 hour 50 minutes
Do Response 8: How does this film engage with the idea of race as the
monstrous/monster? How does this differ from the monster/monstrous metaphor
presented in Do The Right Thing? Are there any simiilarities?
Include a quote from Bennedetti (see 3/21)
- Read New Historicism
- Locate a library source that deals with in important historical event connected to
the idea of race and/or sexual identity from the years 2013-2016; Carefully read
and complete annotation
WEEK 12
M 4/4 Work on Topic Proposal in Groups
Homework (Due 4/6):
- Topic Proposal Due (submit one copy for group)
W 4/6 Proposal Due; Work on Claim and Subclaims
Homework (Due 4/11):
- Claim and Subclaims Due (submit one copy for group)
WEEK 13
M 4/11 Begin work on Draft: Drafting in class; Discuss Course Portfolio
Homework (Due 4/13):
- First Two FULL Pages of Draft Due
W 4/13 Revise first 2 pages; drafting in class
Homework (Due 4/18):
- First Full Draft Due (submit one copy for group to ulearn)
- Submit Draft to Smarthinking
WEEK 14
M 4/18 Bring draft and Smarthinking Reports to Class; complete Revision Plan; Revise
CONFERENCES
Homework (Due 4/20):
- Continue to Revise Group Project
W 4/20 CONFERENCES
Homework (Due 4/25):
- Final Draft of Group Project Due (submit one copy for group)
- Each group member submits their own inidividual reflection (both parts,
including group grading); 2 pages
WEEK 15
M 4/25 Final Draft of Group Project Due with Reflection; everyone submit own individual
reflection, but only submit one copy of the paper for the group
HOMEWORK (DUE 5/2):
- Course Portfolio Due (by 3:30pm)
T 4/26 Reading Day
WEEK 16
M 5/2 Course Portfolio Due by 3:30PM
