Course Title：黑人文学与文化思考的基础

This course is intended to provide students from a variety of disciplines with a deeper understanding of the major ideas and debates in humanistic scholarship that have informed black U.S. writing since the beginning of the twentieth century. In an effort to maintain a certain balance and cover a great deal of material, the course is organized into five units, allowing us to consider the key historical periods and the central concerns not only about race and the impact of racism, but more specifically about the freedom to write, about empowerment and equality; about the function of black expressive culture and how it is to be judged; about the role of the writer in relationship to the struggle for human, civil and equal rights; and about the convergence of fields under the Black/Caribbean/Diaspora Studies umbrella. Identifying the periods, questions and topics in advance, we will highlight the rhetorical and aesthetic features in black writing and black expressive culture, the trends, critical shifts and transformations, as they increase in intensity especially in the latter part of the 20th century. The stated Course Objectives, demonstrated in written assignments & active class engagement, will encourage you: To master the ability to read closely and analyze critically (not summarizing); To identify select research questions and methodological approaches in your interest area; To explain at least one argument, scholarly trend, or critical shift you consider important in twentieth century black thought; To gain more practice with the use of critical vocabularies in professional/academic writing; To participate effectively in collaborative work; To develop new skills for successful engagement with 21st century working environments. Requirements and Due Dates (DD) •Weekly reflection paper comparing two points from the assigned readings: (15%) •A lit review* of a research question (3-5 pgs) (20%) •A content analysis*of BL/C journal or anthology (3- (20%) •Team-led class session: -- 1/2 hr of class (10%) Subtotal 65% •Final Paper Due Dates in Sequence: - Interview with a scholar during your research TBD (5%) - Concept and working bibliography (5%) - 1stDraft for Graham (5%) - 2nd. Draft for Peer workshop (5%) - Final revised paper (15%) Total paper points 35% •Mini Conference: 10 min. presentation December 6 (5%) ` TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 105% Final Paper Options: (samples available upon request): Conference Paper Draft (identify conference to which you will submit) A detailed study of a scholar’s critical work (minimum 2 critical works). Suggestions will be provided upon request. Consultation with me required. Managing our digital archive: responsible for creating and formatting a digital archive and accompanying website that includes essays/readings/bibliographies discovered throughout the course.