WesMaps - Wesleyan University Catalog 2006-2007       Summer Session       Winter Session       Home       Archive       Search
CS92PROD
Theories of Ethnicity and 20th Century Literature
ENGL 297
Fall 2006
Section: 01  
Crosslisting: AFAM 297, AMST 298, LAST 298

How do communities of human beings shape their collective identities while creating distinctions between themselves and others? Who is included and who is excluded? This course will examine some of the major theoretical issues associated with the study of ethnicity in the U.S., including: nationalism, assimilation, the melting pot, immigration, diaspora, transnationalism, multilingualism, "race," mixed-race identity, and cultural pluralism. Emphasis will be given to the role of power relations in producing ethnic identities, the question of "consent versus descent" in American life, and contemporary theories of multicultural citizenship. How does the study of "minority" and ethnic literatures contribute to our understanding of American cultures? What do ethnic writers tell us about cultural transformation and change, and how do they depict the clashes or resonances between different cultures? What literary strategies have these writers invented in order to represent themselves, create and question their own identities, and challenge the forms of dominant culture?

Essential Capabilities: Writing
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA ENGL
Course Format: Lecture/DiscussionGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: None
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available

Last Updated on MAR-28-2024
Contact wesmaps@wesleyan.edu to submit comments or suggestions. Please include a url, course title, faculty name or other page reference in your email ? Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459