Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. New York:
Sage. (Abbreviated as Hall in ... Lavenda, Robert H. and Emily A. Schultz. 2002.
Core Concepts in Cultural Anthropology, 2nd Edition. London: Mayfield
Publishing ...
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Collective Identity and Political Violence: Representing 9/11 ANTH 240
Lec 10517R
Professor:
Fall 2004
T/TH 9:30-10:50
GFS 118
Lanita Jacobs
Office:
Grace Ford Salvatori Hall (GFS) 128 [Note: To get to my office, you must first enter the Anthropology Dept. in GFS 120]
Phone:
213-740-1909
Email:
[email protected]
Office Hours:
T/TH 2-3PM; also by appt. You can also contact me Monday-Friday via email.
Course Webpage:
http://www.usc.edu/isd/locations/cst/911Website/index.html [username: tommy password: anthro240]
Required Texts: 1. ANTH 240 Reader (Abbreviated as RDR in Reading & Exam Schedule) [Available for purchase at The Paper Clip in University Village; 746-1500] 1. Dudziak, Mary L. (ed.). 2003. September 11 in History: A Watershed Moment? London: Duke. (Abbreviated as Dudziak in Reading & Exam Schedule) [$22.95-new/$17.25-used) 2. Hall, Stuart (ed.). 1997. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. New York: Sage. (Abbreviated as Hall in Reading & Exam Schedule) [$37.95-new/$28.50-used] 3. Langewiesche, William. 2002. American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center. New York: North Point Press. (Abbreviated as Langewiesche in Reading & Exam Schedule) [$13-new/$9.75-used] 4. Lavenda, Robert H. and Emily A. Schultz. 2002. Core Concepts in Cultural Anthropology, 2nd Edition. London: Mayfield Publishing Company. (Abbreviated as L&S in Reading & Exam Schedule) [$69.25new/$51.95-used; shrinkwrapped with Applying Anthropology text] 5. Podolefsky, Aaron and Peter J. Brown. 1999. Applying Anthropology: An Introductory Reader, Fifth Edition. Mt. View, CA: Mayfield Publishers. (Abbreviated as AA in Reading & Exam Schedule) 6. Sturken, Marita and Lisa Cartwright. 2001. Practices of Looking: Images, Power, and Politics. In Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Abbreviated as Sturken & Cartwright in Reading & Exam Schedule) [$39.95-new/$30-used] NOTE: All course texts are on reserve in Leavey Library. Course Description: This course examines the political implications of representing culture(s), with the 9/11 terrorist attacks serving as a topical anchor. Each week we will consider dimensions of representation as they emerged around the events of 9/11 and analyze how those dimensions operate in other cultural contexts. Some of the central questions to be addressed include: How do we “read” visual, textual, and aural portrayals of 9/11 attacks? How have representations of American identity been refashioned in light of the catastrophic events of 9/11 and how is this reshaping of identity reflected in and across global and local landscapes? What are the political ramifications of certain representations and what implications might they have for the way we view Western and non-Western cultures? These and other questions will be addressed through a critical synthesis of ethnographic, theoretical, and popular films/videos and texts, as well as a series of guest speakers who will comment on topics relevant to the terrorist attacks (e.g., gender roles, U.S. foreign policy in Middle East). This course aims to show how qualitative and historically-situated “ways of seeing” and representing culture can deepen our understanding of 9/11 and its aftermath. More broadly, this course will show how various mediums construct cultural representations that have implications for people’s lived experience, cultural identity, and political perspectives.
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Grading: There will be a midterm and a final exam covering assigned readings, films, and guest speaker presentations. Your score on the midterm will constitute 30% of your grade and your score on the final exam will constitute 40%. Each of the exams will include short-answer and essay questions and will be “noncumulative.” The final 30% of your grade will be determined by your participation and performance in discussion sections. Extra-credit opportunities (4 points total) will be provided on the midterm and final exam in the form of a 2-point bonus question. The bonus questions will be based on optional readings. The grading scale is as follows. Grading Scale: 94-100 = A 90-93 = A-
GRADE BASIS
87-89 = B+ 84-86 = B 80-83 = B-
77-79 = C+ 74-76 = C 70-73 = C-
67-69 = D+ 64-66 = D 60-63 = D-
≥ 59 = F
Discussion Section: 30% Midterm: 30 % Final Exam: 40%
An Official Note on Examinations: Make-up exams will only be given under extraordinary circumstances and will require documentation from a physician. The content and form of any make-up exam will be at my discretion. In any case, you should inform me via email or phone prior to missing an exam. If you feel you must reschedule an exam on account of having (a) two additional exams scheduled at the same time or (b) three exams in a 24-hour period, inform me at least two weeks prior to our scheduled mid-term. The final exam must be taken at the time noted below. Attendance: A grading percentage will not be given for class attendance. However, consistent and punctual attendance in lecture and discussion section(s) is strongly encouraged to increase your understanding of course materials. Your record of attendance may also be considered in the case of borderline grades. It is ultimately your responsibility to be aware of class lectures and assignments. Should sickness, family emergencies, or other events necessitate your absence from class, I recommend that you consult your peers for lecture notes. Academic Accommodations: Students requesting academic accommodations based on a disability should register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP when necessary documentation is filed. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible, preferably by or before fifth week. DSP is open MondayFriday, 8:30AM-5PM. The office is in Student Union 301 and their phone number is 213-740-0776. Class Structure: Class meetings will consist of both lecture and discussion, with a clear emphasis on the latter. As such, it is essential that you keep up with the weekly readings and that you hand in discussion section assignments on time. Fifty-minute discussion sections meet consecutively on Mondays at 9AM (Dis. 10518) and 11AM (Dis. 10518R) in GFS 107. Your T.A. is Courtney Everts Mykytyn (
[email protected]). Class Resources: This course has an interactive web page designed to enhance critical discussion about course readings and themes. Consult the web page for discussion questions pertinent to assigned readings, as well as course media (e.g., video, audio, photos, magazine articles) that relate to class themes. The discussion questions are an important resource for the midterm and final exam. This course is also registered in Blackboard (https://totale.usc.edu). Access the ANTH 240 course site for access to class information (e.g., syllabus, grades, announcements, assignments, mock essay and short answer questions, exam study guides, etc.)
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READING & EXAM SCHEDULE* Week 1: 8/24 8/26
Week 2: 8/31 9/2
Week 3: 9/7 9/9
Week 4: 9/14 9/16
Week 5: 9/21 9/23
COURSE INTRODUCTION: How has 9/11 Impacted everyday Life?
QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR EXAMINING AND REPRESENTING CULTURE: How might we explore and represent culture and cultural diversity in its complexity?
9/28 9/30
Agar: Who Are You To Do This [in RDR] AA, Ch. 1: Body Ritual among the Nacirema [optional] Geertz: Thick Description [in RDR] L&S, Ch. 3: Anthropology
POLITICS OF REPRESENTATION: REPRESENTING THE “OTHER”: How is cultural diversity based on race, religion, gender, and nationality represented post 9/11?
Abu-Lughod: Writing Against Culture [optional; in RDR] Besinger: Muslims, Arabs, and Misconceptions [in RDR] Hall, Ch. 4: The Spectacle of the “Other” L&S, Ch. 5: Religion and Worldview White: Religion and Middle Eastern Terrorism [optional; in RDR] Film: In My Own Skin
GENDER, CULTURE, AND REPRESENTATION: Is “cultural relativism” relevant to the practice of veiling in the Middle East?
Abu-Lughod: Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? [in RDR] El Guindi: Chapters 7 & 11 [optional; in RDR] Fernea & Fernea: Behind the Veil [in RDR] Hornstein: The Question that We Should be Asking [optional; in RDR] Nagengast: Women, Minorities, and Indigenous Populations [in RDR] Film: Beneath the Veil, The Ladies Room
ISSUES AND CRISES OF IDENTITY: REPRESENTING A NEW AMERICA: How have broad conceptions of America and U.S. citizenship been reconfigured in light of the events of 9/11?
Week 6:
Class Overview: Syllabus, Expectations, Assigned Readings, Nature of Films, Exam Policy, Essay Guidelines, What this class is not about Morrow: Has Your Paradigm Shifted? [in RDR] Film: In Memorium: 9/11 – New York City (HBO)
Brownstein: Following Sept. 11, Nation Accepts Unprecedented … [in RDR] Carlson: The Case for a National ID Card [optional; in RDR] Dudziak: Introduction (1-9) Kantrowitz & Naughton: Generation 9-11, Newsweek Response Letters Film: Life or Liberty
“READING” POPULAR REPRESENTATIONS OF CULTURE: How do we “read” video, text, and photographic images, and musical performances around 9/11?
Hall, Ch. 1: The Work of Representation Sturken & Cartwright: Practices of Looking - Images, Power, and Politics Lowry: Time for a Refresher Course in Media Literacy [optional; in RDR]
REMINDER: RDR=ANTH 240 Reader, Dudziak=Sept. 11 in History, Hall=Representation, Langewiesche=Unbuiilding the WTC, L&S=Core Concepts in Cultural Anthropology, AA=Applying Anthropology, Sturken & Cartwright=Practices of Looking
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Week 7: 10/5 Midterm 10/7
Week 8: 10/12 10/14
LANGUAGE, POLITICS, AND 9/11: What is the nature of political rhetoric around 9/11 and its aftermath?; how does this language serve to construct collective identity and difference or notions of “us” versus “them”? Dudziak: Kaplan- Homeland Insecurities (55-69) Lakoff: Metaphor and War [in RDR] Martelle: New Words for a Nation’s Anguish [in RDR] Mohan, Geoffrey: Graduation Speech Riles Sacramento [optional; in RDR] Tawa, `9-11’: The Term Sparks a Minor War of Words [optional; in RDR] Films: Flag TV, We Too Sing America Midterm on Monday 10/5! 9/11 (COUNTER)NARRATIVES: What forms of representation or counter-discourses have emerged about the 9/11 attack? [African American/urban comedy as a form of socio-political critique]
Week 9: 10/19 10/21
Week 10: 10/26 10/28
9/11 AND EDITORIAL CARTOONS: What forms of representation, or counterdiscourses have emerged about the 9/11 attacks? [Editorial cartoons as socio-political critique]
11/2 11/4
Nichols: Huey Freeman: American Hero [in RDR] Beal: Boondocks Cartoon Censored [in RDR] Films: Running Mate: Gender & Politics in Editorial Cartoons Drawing Conclusions: Editorial Cartoonists Consider Hillary Rodham Clinton
RACE, REPRESENTATION, AND 9/11: RACIAL PROFILING: What are the political implications of racial profiling post 9/11; do increased instances of racial profiling against ethnic minorities in the U.S. unsettle notions of collective “American” identity and nationhood post 9/11?
Week 11:
Gwaltney, Introduction and Ch. 1: A Nation within a Nation [in RDR} Jacobs-Huey: “The Arab is the New Nigger: AfAm Comics Celebrate Irony & Tragedy of 9/11” Lawrence: You So Crazy, Ch. 1 [optional; in RDR] Neuman: Hear the One About the Traveling Taliban? [optional; in RDR] Watkins: Introduction - On the Real Side [in RDR] Guest Speaker: TBA
Ansary: An Afghan-American Speaks [optional; in RDR] Dudziak: The Citizen and the Terrorist- Leti Volpp (147-162) Foner: The Most Patriotic Act [in RDR] Kingsolver: And our Flag was Still There [optional; in RDR] MacDonald: The Myth of Racial Profiling [in RDR] Rothschild: The New McCarthyism [in RDR] Winton: Hate Crimes Soar following Attacks [optional; in RDR] Film: Homeland Insecurity
9/11 AND RACIAL PROFILING: What are the political implications of racial profiling post 9/11; what does history tell us about what’s at stake?
AA, Ch. 17: White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack Tuan: I’m American with a Japanese Look [in RDR] Waters: The Costs of a Costless Community [in RDR]
REMINDER: RDR=ANTH 240 Reader, Dudziak=Sept. 11 in History, Hall=Representation, Langewiesche=Unbuiilding the WTC, L&S=Core Concepts in Cultural Anthropology, AA=Applying Anthropology, Sturken & Cartwright=Practices of Looking Fall 2004
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REMEMBERING 9/11: MUSEUM AND OTHER DISPLAYS: How do we “remember” the events of 9/11?; how do museums represent notions of collective and national identity?
Week 12: 11/9 11/11
Week 13:
ADVERTISING AND 9/11: What images and values are implicit in advertising post 9/11?; in what ways does advertising reflect the post 9/11 socio-political climate ?
11/16 11/18
Week 14: 11/23 11/25 No Class
Week 15: 11/30 12/2
Hall, Ch. 3: The Poetics and Politics of Exhibiting Other Cultures Sturken: Memorializing Absence [in RDR]
AA, Ch. 40, Advertising and Global Culture [optional] AA, Ch. 41, The Price of Progress [optional] Dudziak: Echoes of the Cold War-Elaine Tyler May (35-54) Silberstein: Selling America [in RDR] Sturken & Cartwright: Consumer Culture & the Manufacturing of Desire Wehr: The Events of 9/11 [in RDR; Optional] Film: Affluenza
POST- 9/11 REALITIES: UNBUILDING THE WORLD TRADE CENTER: What can be learned about identity, memory, and nation in the de-construction of the WTC?
Langewiesch: Unbuilding the World Trade Center
9/11 AND QUESTIONS OF CULPABILITY: What do we do with what we’ve learned and discussed? Where do questions of culpability and/or morality fit in this critical exercise?
Dudziak: Civil Liberties in the Dragons’ Domain (163-179) Dudziak: Afterward: Remembering September 11 (212-214) Sundar: Toward and Anthropology of Culpability Film: TBA
FINAL EXAM: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9TH 8-10AM GFS 118 *The Reading and Exam Schedule may be subject to modification (e.g., trimming, additions, etc.).
REMINDER: RDR=ANTH 240 Reader, Dudziak=Sept. 11 in History, Hall=Representation, Langewiesche=Unbuiilding the WTC, Fall 2004 L&S=Core Concepts in Cultural Anthropology, AA=Applying Anthropology, Sturken & Cartwright=Practices of Looking
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COURSE BIBLIOGRAPHY (TEXTBOOKS IN BOLD) ANTH 240 Reader Abu-Lughod, Lila. 1991. Writing Against Culture. In R. Fox (ed.) Recapturing Anthropology: Working in the Present (137-162). Santa Fe, NM: School of American Research Press. Abu-Lughod, Lila. 2002. Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?: Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others. American Anthropologist 104(3): 783-790. Agar, Michael. 1996. Who are You to Do This? In The Professional Stranger: An Informal Introduction to Ethnography, 2nd Edition (91-111). New York: Academic Press. Ansary, Tamim. 2001. An Afghan-American Speaks. (September 14). www.salon.com Beal, Frances M. 2001. Boondocks Cartoon Censored. The Black World Today (December 7). Besinger, Gail. 2001. Muslims, Arabs, and Misconceptions. Brownstein, Ronald. 2001. Following Sept. 11, Nation Accepts the Unprecedented With Unimagined Ease. Washington Outlook (November 5). Carlson, Margaret. 2002. The Case for a National ID Card. Time (January 21): 52. Dudziak, Mary L. (ed.). 2003. September 11 in History: A Watershed Moment? London: Duke. El Guindi, Fadwa. 1999. The Veil of Masculinity. In Modesty, Privacy, and Resistance (117-128). Oxford: Berg. El Guindi, Fadwa. 1999. Contexts of Resistance. In Modesty, Privacy, and Resistance (169-176). Oxford: Berg. Fernea, Elizabeth W. and Robert A. Fernea. 1986. Behind the Veil. In The Arab World (104-112). New York: Anchor Press Foner, Eric. 2001. The Most Patriotic Act. The Nation (October 8). Geertz, Clifford. 1971. Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture. In The Interpretation of Culture (3-30). New York: Basic Books. Gwaltney, John Langston. 1993. A Nation within a Nation. In Drylongso: A Self Portrait of Black America (xix-23). New York: The New Press. Hall, Stuart (ed.). 1997. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. New York: Sage. Hornstein, Alison. 2002. The Question that We Should be Asking. Newsweek (December 17). Jacobs-Huey, Lanita. n.d. “The Arab is the New Nigger”: African American Comics Celebrate the Irony and Tragedy of 9/11. Unpublished Manuscript. Katrowitz, Barbara and Keith Naughton. 2001. Generation 9-11. Newsweek (November 12). Kingsolver, Barbara. 2001. And Our Flag was Still There. San Francisco Chronicle (September 25). Lakoff, George. 1991. Metaphor and War: The Metaphor System Used to Justify War in the Gulf; Part I and II. Viet Nam Generation Journal & Newsletter, 3(3): November. Langewiesche, William. 2002. American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center. New York: North Point Press. Lavenda, Robert H. and Emily A. Schultz. 2002. Core Concepts in Cultural Anthropology, 2nd Edition. London: Mayfield Publishing Company. Lawrence, Martin. 1994. You So Crazy (1-7). New York: Miramax Books. Lowry, Brian. 2001. Time for a Refresher Course in Media Literacy. Los Angeles Times, Calendar (October 31). MacDonald, Heather. 2001. The Myth of Racial Profiling. City Journal, 11(2): Spring. Martelle, Scott. 2001. New Words for a Nation’s Anguish. Los Angeles Times (November 11). Mohan, Geoffrey. 2001. Graduation Speech Riles Sacramento. Los Angeles Times (December 20). Morrow, Lance. 2001. Has Your Paradigm Shifted? Time (Nov. 19th). Nangengast, Carole. 1997. Women, Minorities, and Indigenous Peoples: Universalism and Cultural Relativity. Journal of Anthropological Research, 53: 349-369. Neuman, Johanna. 2001. Hear the One About the Traveling Taliban. Los Angeles Times (December 17). Nichols, John. 2002. Huey Freeman: American Hero. The Nation (January 28). Podolefsky, Aaron and Peter J. Brown. 1999. Applying Anthropology: An Introductory Reader, Fifth Edition. Mt. View, CA: Mayfield Publishers. Rosaldo, Renato. 1993. Subjectivity and Social Analysis. In Culture and Truth: The Remaking of Social Analysis (168-195). Boston: Beacon Press. Rothschild, Matthew. 2002. The New McCarthyism. The Progressive (January 1). Silberstein, Sandra. 2002. Selling America. In War of Words: Language, Politics, and 9/11. New York: Routledge. Sturken, Marita. 2002. Memorializing Absence. In C. Calhoun, P. Price, and A. Timmer (eds.) Understanding September 11 (374-384). New York: The New Press. Sturken, Marita and Lisa Cartwright. 2001. Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Sundar, Nandini. 2004. Toward an Anthropology of Culpability. American Ethnologist 31(2): 145-163. Tawa, Renee. 2002. `9-11’: The Term that Sparks a Minor War of Words. Los Angeles Times (January 8). Tuan, Mia. 1999. “I’m an American with a Japanese Look”: Emerging Identities and Practices (127-151). In Forever Foreigners or Honorary Whites: The Asian Ethnic Experience Today. London: Rutgers University Press. Waters, Mary C. 1990. The Costs of a Costless Community. In Ethnic Options: Choosing Identities in America (147-169). Los Angeles: University of California Press. Watkins, Mel. 1994. Introduction and Black Humor … What It Is. In On the Real Side: Laughing, Lying, and Signifying – The Underground Tradition of African American Humor that Transformed American Culture from Slavery to Richard Pryor (11-41). New York: Simon & Schuster. Wehr, Stephen. 2001. The Events of 9/11: Implications for Brands and Advertising. Campbell Mithum Report, Wave II (October 25-28). White, Jonathan R. 2002. Religion and Middle Eastern Terrorism. In Terrorism: An Introduction. Third Edition. (152-170. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Winton, Richard. 2001. Hate Crimes Soar Following Attacks. Los Angeles Times (December 21).
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