ENG 2000: Perspectives in Literature
Course Title: Globalization and Literature
Spring 2013
Eng 2000; Section 1220
Instructor: Professor Sean Scanlan
Classroom: Namm 602A
Time: Tuesday 6-8:30
Office: Namm 520
Office Hours: Mon 3-4; Tues 4-5; & by Appt.
Email: sscanlan@citytech.cuny.edu
Course Website:
https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/
scanlan-eng2000-globalization-s2013/
Mailbox: Namm 512
Office phone: 718-261-5123
General Introduction to the Course:
In this course, we will study literature across genres, eras, and locales. We will examine broad themes such as family and home, the individual and society, good and evil, and the conflicts surrounding globalization.
Specific introduction:
In “Globalization and Literature,” we will examine the fascinating and yet confusing concept of globalization, especially its relation to literature. The central question that we will ask in this class is: what does globalization feel like? The novels, short stories, non-fiction essays, and drama that we will read will help us answer this question, for literature is very good at revealing and performing feelings.
We will begin the semester with an examination of the terms globalization and transnationalism. The global or transnational writer is often without a stable home, or perhaps between homes, or even displaced from home. For these reasons we will examine the idea of homesickness as it is bound up with the problems of globalization. Indeed, anybody who has moved from one home to another, from one country to another, might have encountered homesickness too. Homesickness can bring us closer to others who share a lost home or homeland, but homesickness can also divide those who have not experienced the same loss. Homesickness, and its common synonym nostalgia, can reflect the desire for a home or homeland that never was; and it can also convey the mourning of actual displacement due to war, genocide, or economic disaster. In this course we will ask: who is homesick, what are they homesick for, and is there an ethical adjustment within the process of homesickness?
Besides learning about the histories and theories of globalization and homesickness, we will also examine the highly contested field of postcolonial studies. The transnational writer is often from a country that was once a colony of a more powerful nation. Understanding the history of colonialism and postcolonialism will help illuminate the diverse geography covered in our literary texts, and it will reveal the anxieties of both the colonizer and the colonized. This background will also help us to contend with the topics of slavery, anti-colonial resistance, immigration, cosmopolitanism, industrial capitalism, and liquid modernity.
I encourage each student to patiently engage with new ideas that may conflict with their worldview. Why? Two reasons. First, transnational writing style is often “upside down.” And second, I believe that the legacy of colonialism and the ongoing force of globalization will affect each one of you on a personal level in the coming years—in fact, you may have already been affected.
Required Books:
1. Open City (Random House 2012)
Author: Teju Cole
ISBN-13: 978-0812980097
Price: 15.00
2. The White Tiger (Free Press 2008)
Author: Aravind Adiga
ISBN-13: 978-1416562603
Price: $16.00
3. The Complete Persepolis (Pantheon 2007)
Author: Marjane Satrapi
ISBN-13: 978-0375714832
Price: $24.95
4. Globalization: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford UP 2009)
Author: Manfred Steger
ISBN-13: 978-0199552269
Price: $11.95
**All books are available at the City Tech Book Store: 259 Adams St. in the General Building.
** I do not require that you buy a grammar/language usage book, but I recommend that you own at least one; and I recommend that you familiarize yourself with Purdue University’s well-respected and free OWL website (Online Writing Lab) at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ (This site is listed on our OpenLab course website).
Other Materials:
Bring to class one sturdy notebook with paper for notes and at least one folder with pockets for handouts/assignments. Both spiral-bound or 3-ring are acceptable. It is very important that you save all of your work for this class. Devise a filing system that allows you to maintain prior drafts and final copies of all assignments. In addition to keeping a copy of your work on the hard drive of your computer, save all of your course work on a stable format such as a flash drive or on a remote hard drive/server such as iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Docs. Never throw away or delete drafts or notes until after you have received your final grade. Computer/Printer malfunctions are not viable excuses for late or lost work.
Grading:
Journals (6): 15% —1-2 page reflections on course readings
Quizzes (2): 8%
Midterm Essay: 25% — a 3-4 page critical analysis paper using globalization theories
Final Essay: 25% — a 3-4 page critical comparison paper
Final Exam: 12%
Participation: 15%
—————————-
100%
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. Attendance: Attendance is mandatory in this discussion-based course. Arriving late or leaving early will count as a partial absence. City Tech’s policy states that three of more absences will result in a WU grade—see page 49 in the Student Handbook. I will not grant excused absences since two absences are permitted without penalty. Being absent is not an excuse for missing or late work: you must get notes from a classmate and keep up with the assignments. Also, I recommend sending me an email if you are absent.
2. Drafts and Typing: The essays will require organization, honesty, and clarity. In order to practice the process of writing, the essays will require drafts. All essays must be typed. If you have word processing questions, please ask me. If you do not have access to Microsoft Word, you can use Google Docs for free (https://docs.google.com/) or Open Office for free(www.openoffice.org/).
3. Late Papers: For each day that an assignment is late, one full letter grade will be deducted. After five days the assignment we be recorded as a 0.
4. Plagiarism: Is the unauthorized use of another person’s ideas, language, or research as your own, whether intentionally or unintentionally. City Tech does not tolerate plagiarism. Using proper documentation and textual analysis will help you avoid plagiarism. If you have any questions about plagiarism, please ask me. Any cases of plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade and appropriate administrative measures. Please familiarize yourself with City Tech’s policies on academic honesty in the Student Handbook (89-92), or at: http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/files/students/handbook.pdf (pp. 76-79)
5. Be on time: tardiness disrupts the entire class. Come prepared: turn off/silence all gadgets, please. Beverages are fine, but no food that makes noise.
6. The Atrium Learning Center: For each of the essays, you should take advantage of the writing tutors at the Learning Center. This is an excellent recourse for writers of all abilities. ATRIUM LEARNING CENTER: Atrium Building G-18, Director: Judith Rockway, Phone: 718-260-5874. jrockway@citytech.cuny.edu.
7. Assignments and Grading: There will be times when your expectations and my evaluation do not match. I am always willing to explain my comments on your assignments, and to discuss ways in which your work might benefit from additional effort. Lower grades most often result from misunderstanding the assignment goals, and from insufficiently realized or poor executions of these goals. I do not grade beliefs or values. If you are unhappy with a grade, or unsure as to why you received such a response to your work, please make an appointment to see me.
8. Homework: It is a standard measurement at colleges and universities that each hour of in-class instruction requires two hours of out-of-class preparation. That means for a 3-hour course, students should expect 6 hours of homework—per week—on average; such demands are part of college accreditation and follow national standards for what is known as the Carnegie Hour.
