Description

Black Cultural Studies Theories and Methods takes a cultural studies approach to studying media representations of Blackness in the twentieth and twenty-first century United States.  The cultural studies area of the field of communication examines cultural practices and representations and their relationships to power.  By definition cultural studies is radical and committed to social reconstruction.  Cultural studies is not an apolitical, distanced form of scholarship but instead endeavors to change structures of dominance, particularly as they apply to race, class, gender, and sexuality.  Drawing upon traditions in African American history, literature, media studies, sociology, as well as interdisciplinary fields, Black Cultural Studies examines how popular images of Blackness have been constructed and reconstructed.  Methodologically, we will historicize fiercely as we utilize the three most common modes of inquiry in cultural studies: textual analysis, audience reception, and political economy. 

Weekly Readings:

You can find your non-required book readings on e-reserve.   There are three required books for this class:

Eds. Houston Baker, Manthia Diawara, and Ruth Lindeborg, Black British Cultural Studies

E. Patrick Johnson, Appropriating Blackness

Jane Rhodes, Framing the Panthers

Class attendance and participation are required.  Please do not come late or leave early.  

Assignments:

Weekly GoPost entries                                                            10%

Review Papers                                                             20%

Seminar Discussion Facilitation                                  30%

Final essay                                                                   40%

Weekly GoPost Entries:

For five weeks (weeks 2-5 and 8) you will either:

1. Identify a passage from one of the week's readings that you find meaningful, write a brief statement about it (i.e., a paragraph to a page), and submit both to GoPost by noon on Mondays. 

OR

2. Respond to a classmate's passage (with a paragraph to a page of commentary), and then post an additional passage from one of the week's readings that you find meaningful, write a brief statement about it (a paragraph to a page), and submit all of the above to GoPost by midnight on Tuesdays.

If you are an odd number you will do A. on odd weeks and B on even weeks.  If you are an even number you will do B on odd weeks and A on even weeks.  Please print out your weekly entry and bring it to class.  Perform this exercise for five class meetings from January 10 through February 21 (you will not be doing this for the February 13, 20 or March 5, 12 class meetings).

Please post your weekly passages and statements here:

https://catalysttools.washington.edu/gopost/board/rljoseph/4166/

Response Paper:

Write two response papers: one for Jane Rhodes's talk and one for E. Patrick Johnson's performance and talk.  Your analysis should be informed by and reference the authors talks and/or performances, in-class discussions and assigned readings.  The essays should be no more than 5 pages in length, each.  See the schedule for more information. 

Seminar Discussion Facilitation:

The class will be divided into three groups.  Each group will present on a weekly basis.  One group will be responsible for preparing remarks on the assigned readings; the second will be responsible for providing information and leading discussion on the featured cultural works; and the third will present on the key "history" of the week.  Duties will alternate weekly.  Class presentations should be the result of a group effort.

• Facilitation of texts should include a summary of the main points of the text, a discussion of methodology, a mention of contribution of this work to its field(s), an analysis of strengths and weaknesses (of the style of the writing, the content provided, as well as the argument), and a linking of reading to the course's concerns. You should provide brief background on the authors, including a short biography and select bibliography.  Most important of all: write a minimum of three questions for the class to discuss.  All of this information should be included on a handout for all members of the class.  Feel free to use bullets to convey the above information.  Your hand out need-not be longer than two pages (or one if you're particularly concise).

• Presentations on a historical event should concentrate on giving specifics about the event as well as painting an overall picture or snapshot of the historic moment in which the artists were working and the texts were being written.

• Presentations on a cultural work should provide 1) short key clips of the work, 2) a short biography of the artists and/or history of the work, 2) information on and images of the type of work during that historic moment, and 3) a link to the course's concerns. All of this information should be included on a handout for all members of the class.   Your presentation of one of the cultural works should be informed directly by class readings

The spoken part of your presentation should summarize key points (but not be read from your handout) and be succinct. One member of your group will present your findings.  Members will alternate so that each is responsible for at least one seminar facilitation. 

Essay:

For this essay you will broadly engage some aspect of the class that interests you AND that fits under the heading of "Black Cultural Studies."  You must draw on a minimum of three readings from class and should have a minimum of three sources from scholarly works not covered in class.  On Wednesday, February 20 you will email me a 5-6 page paper proposal or beginning of the paper.  I will not grade this draft but will provide you with feedback.  A week after our mini-conference on Wednesday, March 19 you will turn in your final 10-12 page paper (i.e., the approximate length for a conference paper on a panel).  On the last day of class we will also have a mini-Black Cultural Studies conference, with students presenting a 10 minute version of their paper on panels of 3 students and a discussant/moderator for each paper.  We will invite members of the larger UW community to our event.