Responding to Political Turmoil (FYS)
RL&L 148F
Fall 2020 not offered
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"What just happened? What's going to happen? What do we do now?" Political turmoil, while disconcerting to say the least, is nothing new. This course will look at case studies from various times and regions--including the creation of the U.S.; Fascist Spain; the 1960s in the U.S., France, and elsewhere; Brazil's military dictatorship; Italy in the 1990s; the Arab Spring; contemporary Mali and D. R. Congo--to see how others have responded to periods of political oppression and upheaval. After an initial period of discussion based on readings, we will hold conversations with members of our campus community who have experienced various forms of authoritarianism. The course is both academic and project-based: as we gain perspective through academic readings and assignments on the issue of political turmoil, we will turn what we learn into well-informed, measured, concrete action. In particular, we will workshop several writing exercises related to the topic and intended to make an impact (e.g., letter to the editor, letter to an elected official, public service announcement for the radio). All students (including those whose first language is not English) are welcome in the course and will receive individualized attention to their writing. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: None |
Major Readings:
Solnit, Hope in the Dark (2016); Satrapi, Persepolis I & II (2008); Snyder, On Tyranny (2017); essays and stories by Fanon, King, Lorde, Eco, Arenas, and others; various primary documents and news articles.
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Examinations and Assignments:
textual analysis; opinion piece; letter to the editor or an elected official; research paper; other small and topical writing forms. |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
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