Renny Christopher and Beth Hartung: Narratives of the Working-Class

Prof. Beth Hartung elizabeth.hartung at csuci.edu

Prof. Renny Christopher renny.christopher at csuci.edu

Course Texts:

Shipler, David The Working Poor: Invisible in America 2005)

Tea, Michelle, Without a Net: The Female Experience of Growing up Working Class (2004)

Ricketts, Wendell, Everything I Have is Blue: Short Fiction by Working-Class Men about More-or-Less Gay Life (2005)

Rivera, Tomás, And the Earth Did Not Devour Him (1987)

 

There will be additional short pieces assigned which may be accessed through Blackboard, or through the Library's electronic reserve, which may be accessed at: http://csuci.docutek.com/ The password for the electronic reserve list for this class is "labor."

Catalog Description:

Examines the lives of working people using various thematic approaches and disciplinary methodologies. Materials include literature, film, case studies.

Expanded Description:

This semester, Narratives of the Working Class meshes sociological and literary perspectives, and enables students to work on writing their own narratives.

Course Requirements:

This course centers on the reading and discussion of the assigned texts; therefore keeping up with the reading, attending class and taking part in class discussions are vital elements of participation in this course.

 

All requirements must be met. All due dates are listed in the syllabus. Students should be aware that under CSUCI's academic dishonesty policy plagiarism is a punishable offense.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completing this course, students will:

Explain class structures in the U.S. and internationally;

Discuss issues of blue-collar and pink-collar employment and unemployment

Analyze textual representations of working-class life

Explain the historical development of class stratification

Discuss issues of classism

Have completed their own working class narrative via use of the oral history method

 

Course information may also be accessed through Blackboard csuci.blackboard.com

Grading:

+/- system

Participation (including attendance, in-class writings, discussions) 50 points

Essay on a literary work 50 points

Midterm exam 50 points

Oral History 50 points

Final Exam 50 points

Total points possible: 250

 

The following list of assignments is subject to change with notice.

 

Week 1 Jan. 23-25

Introductions

What is Social Class?

 

Week 2 Jan 30-Feb. 1

Class and consumption; articles by Fussell & Peterson

 

Week 3 Feb. 6-8

Shipler

 

Week 4 Feb. 13-15

Shipler

 

Week 5 Feb. 20-22

Shipler

 

Week 6 Feb. 27-Mar 1

Rivera

 

Week 7 Mar 6-8

Rivera

 

Week 8 Mar. 13-15

Rivera

 

March 20-26 is Spring Break

 

Week 9 Mar. 27-29

Ricketts

 

Week 10 Apr 3-5

Ricketts

 

Week 11 Apr. 10-12

Ricketts

 

Week 12 Apr. 17-19

Tea

 

Week 13Apr. 24-26

Tea

 

Week 14 May 1-3

Tea

 

Week 15 May 8-10

Bringing it all together

 

Final exam period: Monday, May 15, 1-3

CSUCI policy on academic dishonesty:

All work that students submit as their own work must, in fact, be their own work. For example, if a paper presents ideas of others, it must clearly indicate the source. Word-for-word language taken from other sources - books, papers, web sites, people, etc. - must be placed in quotation marks and the source identified. Likewise, work on tests and exams must be the student's own work, not copied or taken from other students' work, and students must comply with instructions regarding use of books, notes, and other materials.

 

In accordance with the CSU Channel Islands policy on academic dishonesty, students in this course who submit the work of others as their own (plagiarize), cheat on tests and examinations, help other students cheat or plagiarize, or commit other acts of academic dishonesty will receive appropriate academic penalties, up to and including failing the course.

DISABILITIES STATEMENT:

Students who have disabilities or special needs and require accommodations in order to have equal access to classrooms must register with the designated staff member in Student Affairs in order for us to better accommodate special needs. Students will be required to provide documentation of a disability when accommodations are requested.