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Course Description
This course is about the fight for equal citizenship for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Americans, commonly known as the “gay rights movement.” Key intellectual terrain we will cover is the concept that gender, race, sex and sexual orientation (among other aspects of one’s identity) are social constructions. Using the period beginning with the birth of Barack Obama in August 1961, we will focus specifically on how the cultural, religious, legal and societal significance of marriage (and who can marry) have changed as the country enters the era of President Obama and the ascendancy of Google. Our texts will include academic articles, court cases, popular media pieces, blogs and moving images. All students in this class will be using Web 2.0 tools such as Blogger, Twitter and Facebook to facilitate their development as both consumers and producers of intellectual content. The ability to produce your own elementary website will be a learning outcome of this class. No previous knowledge is required and technological support will be provided.
Course Objectives
1) Students shall become proficient with basic web 2.0 tools, including the ability to produce web content themselves
2) Students shall be able to make evidence-based written arguments on topics related to gender, race and gay rights.
3) Students shall improve their written communication skills, particularly becoming more cognizant of their own writing process.
Course Requirements
The Core Seminar standardized requirements are distributed as follows:
Three position papers 3-4 pages each worth 10 points and 800-1000 words | (30 points) |
Other Writing Assignments and Reflections (5 pages total) | (10 points) |
Online Writing (25 blog posts at least 50 words each) | (10 points) |
Online Participation (tweets, blog comments, etc.) | (5 points) |
In-Class Participation (speaking, listening, attending) | (10 points) |
One 6 page (1500+ word) final position paper | (15 points) |
Two Exams (Mid-Term and End-of-Semester) | (20 points) |
Total | 100 points |
Grading Scale: for A= 93; A-=90-93; B+=87-90; B= 83-87; B-=80-83;
C+=77-80; C =73-76; C-=70-73; D+=67-70;D= 63-66
C+=77-80; C =73-76; C-=70-73; D+=67-70;D= 63-66
Participation:
A central aspect of this course is participation, in class and online. The minimum level of online
participation that I expect is by the end of the semester you will have posted at least 50 tweets with the hashtag #csp19 as well as commenting regularly on other students’ blog posts or in the online discussion board. Additionally, you should have published 25 blog posts (each at least 50 words long and including one hyperlink) to the CSP19 group blog.
In order to participate fully in class you need to attend regularly, and be prepared to discuss the readings when you are in class. Although class attendance is not mandatory, I will notice if you are not there and (re)evaluate your participation grade accordingly! Coming to class without doing the assigned reading is tantamount to being absent to class, because you can not participate in a meaningful way if you are not present or if you are unaware of the content in the reading.
Extra Credit Opportunities: Students can obtain up to 5 points of extra credit in the online activity component by significantly exceeding the minimum number of tweets and blog comments. This online activity must be apparent throughout the semester (or at the very least at the half-way point). There may also be extra credit sections on the in-class Exams.
The Papers:
The papers in this class are analytical. They must all have a thesis (position/analysis/argument) that persuades the reader with evidence (see Hacker 10-11). You offer evidence by including (and citing) facts from various sources, such as the readings, lectures, visual media observations and The Web. The point of your thesis is to persuade the reader with cited evidence. I will not accept late papers unless you have made an arrangement with me prior to the due date or you have a written medical excuse. Late papers will be docked one letter grade per day.
NOTE: Your first paper will be submitted electronically.
Fall Semester Avoiding Plagiarism Requirement: All frosh are required to complete the Occidental College Avoiding Plagiarism Tutorial and Exam during finals. Both the tutorial and the exam will be available through Moodle. The tutorial will introduce students to what plagiarism is, how to recognize it, and, most importantly, how to avoid it. The exam section will then ask them to apply that knowledge in a series of questions. Before beginning this tutorial, students are required to have read Academic Ethics and Academic Misconduct in the Occidental College Student Handbook, or online at http://www.oxy.edu/x8000.xml. All other information necessary for passing the exam is available in the online tutorial.
During the fall semester, Professor Dolores Trevizo will send students further directions for when and how to access the tutorial and exam. Successful completion is required. Students who do not pass the exam will be required to attend a remedial session on plagiarism early in the spring semester and subsequently retake it. Successful completion of the exam is required before students can register for Fall 2011 classes.
Students with Disabilities:
Accommodation of disability-related needs is available on request. Students with documented disabilities who are registered with Disability Services are required to present their accommodation verification card to the instructor at the beginning of each semester or as soon as possible thereafter. Students who experience significant physical or mental impairments can contact Disability Services at (323) 259-2969 to learn about available services and support.
Required Text:
Diane Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference (6th edition) is required by the Core program. You are in college now, and so it is up to you to read it and use it independently as a resource. I will probably only go over the sections on thesis (e.g. C1-C2). Use Hacker when you are drafting and writing your papers, and when you are trying to understand my written comments.
Diane Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference (6th edition) is required by the Core program. You are in college now, and so it is up to you to read it and use it independently as a resource. I will probably only go over the sections on thesis (e.g. C1-C2). Use Hacker when you are drafting and writing your papers, and when you are trying to understand my written comments.
Exams:
There are mid-term exams scheduled for Wednesday October 27th and Friday December 3rd.
Syllabus
The syllabus is also available as a PDF document.
Syllabus
The syllabus is also available as a PDF document.
