COURSE UNIT TITLE

: ETHNIC AND IMMIGRANT AMERICAN LITERATURE

DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
AKE 2008 ETHNIC AND IMMIGRANT AMERICAN LITERATURE ELECTIVE 3 0 0 5

Offered By

American Culture and Literature (English)

Level of Course Unit

First Cycle Programmes (Bachelor's Degree)

Course Coordinator

PROFESSOR DOCTOR NILSEN GÖKÇEN ULUK

Offered to

American Culture and Literature (English)

Course Objective

This course will study in historical, theoretical texts as well as fictional narratives how ethnic and immigrant groups contributed to, challenged, and transformed the American society and how each of them is perceived, marginalized, and/or accepted by the mainstream American culture from the earliest foundations of the US to the present.
This course is designed to introduce to the student a significant part of American history and social makeup. Since America was founded primarily as a nation of immigrants a melting pot or a kaleidoscope in which all the varieties and colors of human races and cultures are amalgamated and represented, an understanding of the American culture and history that overlooks their ethnic and immigrant components is at best incomplete. At the end of this course, in addition to an understanding of the intricate and intimate relations between race, class, and gender, the students are expected develop an understanding of the (shifting) margins and center(s) of American culture, relations between ethnic groups and the mainstream culture as well as interrelations among ethnic groups.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Discern through major works of American literature the multiplicity of narratives underlying and often challenging the official version of American history and culture,
2   Grasp the experience of immigration and migration as an essential part of the history of mankind in general and of the US in particular,
3   Develop sensibilities towards issues pertaining to immigration, ethnicity, cultural/racial/gender minorities, and center-margin relationships.
4   Become familiar with the variety of the literary, cultural and critical texts on ethnicity and immigration,
5   Learn the development of and apply the theories of ethnicity,
6   Comprehend the cultural, economic, legal and historical background of immigration to the US,
7   Analyze and coherently synthesize literary texts in which stories of immigration are portrayed and presented,
8   Develop sensibilities to differences in their own cultures.

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Introduction to the Course: Is America an Immigrant Culture : Immigrants and non-Immigrant Ethnics. Lecture and Discussion
2 Different Experiences of Landing and Encounter: Takaki, Part One: Boundlessness. Part Two: "Borders: Toward the Stony Mountaings: From Removal to Reservation." Part Three. "Distances: 'The Indian Question': From Reservation to Reorganization." Crevecoeur, "Letters from an American Farmer." Lecture, Discussion and Text Analysis
3 Paula S. Rothenberg, ed. Race Class and Gender. "Sun Chief: Autobiography of a Hopi Indian," "Indian Tribes: A Continuing Quest for Survival" Student Reports on Erdrich, Love Medicine Lecture, Discussion, Text Analysis and Student Presentation
4 Sollors, "Romantic Love, Arranged Marriage, and Indian Melancholy," "Interlude: From Indian to Urban," "Some Tales of Consent and Descent." Student Reports on Erdrich, Love Medicine. Lecture, Discussion, Text Analysis and Student Presentation
5 Takaki, Part Two: Borders: "No More Peck o'Corn: Slavery and Its Discontents." Part Three: Distances: "To the Promised Land: Blacks in the Urban North." Student Reports on Rothenberg Part II and III Lecture, Discussion, Text Analysis and Student Presentation
6 Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself Student Reports on Rudolfo Anaya, Bless Me, Ultima Lecture, Discussion, Text Analysis and Student Presentation
7 Midterm Exam
8 Takaki: "Borders: 'Foreigners in Their Native Land': Manifest Destiny in the Southwest." Part Three: "Distances: 'El Norte': The Borderland of Chicano America." Sowell, "Americans from Latin America." Lecture, Discussion, Text Analysis and Student Presentation
9 Student Reports on Rudolfo Anaya: Bless Me, Ultima Student Presentation
10 David Hollinger, Postethnic America, "Introduction," "Haley's Choice and Ethno-racial Pentagon," "From Species to Ethnos" Student Reports on Rothenberg Part VI Lecture, Discussion, Text Analysis and Student Presentation
11 European Backgrounds: Thomas Sowell, "Americans from Europe." Oscar Handlin, The Uprooted: "Peasant Origins," "The Crossing," "The Daily Bread," "Generations," "The Shock of Alienation," "Restriction," "Promises." Student Reports on Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives Lecture, Discussion, Text Analysis and Student Presentation
12 Handlin, "New Worlds, New Visions," "Religion as a Way of Life," "The Ghettos," "In Fellow Feeling," "Democracy and Power." Student Reports on Cahan, "The Imported Bridegroom." Lecture, Discussion, Text Analysis and Student Presentation
13 Takaki: Part Two: Borders: "Emigrants from Erin: Ethnicity and Class within White America" Part Three: "Distances: 'Between Two Endless Days': The Continuous Journey to the Promised Land." Student Reports on Jen, Who is Irish Lecture, Discussion, Text Analysis and Student Presentation
14 Richard H. Thompson, Theories of Ethnicity: "Introduction: Ethnicity and Human Nature," "In Genes We Trust," "Primordial Versus Civil Ties: The Dialectic between Ethnicity and the State." Hollinger: Epilogue Sollors: Conclusion Lecture, Discussion, Text Analysis and Student Presentation
15 Cahan: Yekl Lecture, Discussion, Text Analysis and Student Presentation
16 Final Exam

Recomended or Required Reading

Thomas Sowell, Ethnic America
Oscar Handlin, The Uprooted
Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives
Paula S. Rothenberg, Race,Class, and Gender in the United States
Ronald Takaki, A Different Mirror
Richard H. Thompson, Theories of Ethnicity
Werner Sollors, Beyond Ethnicity
David Hollinger, PostethnicAmerica
Gordon Hutner, Immigrant Voices
Abraham Cahan, The Imported Bridegroom and Other Stories
Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine
Gish Jen, Who is Irish
Rudolfo Anaya, Bless Me Ultima
Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lecture
Discussion
Student Reports
Text Analysis

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
2 ASG ASSIGNMENT
3 FIN FINAL EXAM
4 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.30 +ASG * 0.30 + FIN * 0.40
5 RST RESIT
6 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.30 + ASG * 0.30 +FCG * 0.40


Further Notes About Assessment Methods

Since the assessment method for this course indicated below has not yet been entered the system, the closest choice from among the existing methods has been tentatively indicated above.
Midterm: 30 %
Quizzes: 10 %
Presentations: 20 %
Final Exam: 40 %

Assessment Criteria

The exams will be given in class and may include a variety of question types. The minimum evaluation criteria for the essay type questions include the logical associations with the question, ability of analysis and synthesis of texts, coherence and consistency on the unfolding and development of the idea(s), and the accurate and fluent usage of language.
In the quizzes, the questions are tailored to evaluate the student s class preparation for the day; therefore, they will be based on facts in rather than interpretations of the assigned materials.
Personal interpretations must be supported by facts and fact-based knowledge on the part of the student.
The grade from class participation will be earned based on the intellectual level of the student s class participation in discussions.
In the presentations the minimum criteria for evaluation are an overall command of material, clarity and succinctness of verbal expression, organization of thoughts and ideas, timing, and the knowledgeableness of the presenting student in answering questions in the ensuing discussion.

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

In order to be able to follow class discussions and lectures, the students must read the required material for the week. Each student is thus expected to be ready to participate in an intellectually stimulating discussion of the texts. In addition, s/he is expected to establish ties between the present and previously introduced material in order to be able to develop a wider perspective on underlying issues.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

Office phone: 232 301 86 78
E-mail: gokcenils@yahoo.com

Office Hours

By appointment

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 14 3 42
Preparation for quiz etc. 2 1 2
Preparing assignments 1 6 6
Preparing presentations 1 5 5
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 14 4 56
Preparation for midterm exam 1 6 6
Preparation for final exam 1 8 8
Midterm 1 2 2
Final 1 2 2
Quiz etc. 1 0,5 1
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 130

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10PO.11PO.12PO.13PO.14
LO.155435255
LO.2554354235
LO.35555354555
LO.4555555455
LO.544455
LO.6554453
LO.7555555555
LO.8555

CONTACT INFORMATION
Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Cumhuriyet Bulvarı No: 144 35210 Alsancak / İZMİR
Phone: +90(232) 412 12 12 - Fax: +90 (232) 464 81 35

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