UWP 102I

Writing in the Disciplines: Ethnic Studies

Catalog Description

UWP 102I. Writing in the Disciplines: Ethnic Studies (4)
Lecture/discussion—3 hours; extensive writing. Prerequisite: course 1 or English 3 or the equivalent and upper division standing. Open to majors and minors in ethnic studies, or students with upper division coursework focusing on race and ethnicity. Advanced instruction in cross-disciplinary writing about race and ethnicity and practice in effective styles of communication. GE credit: Wrt (cannot be used to satisfy a college or university composition requirement and GE writing experience simultaneously). Not open for credit to students who have completed UWP 102A in the same academic field.—I. (I.)

Topical Outline

Practicing writing in a variety of formats and genres, including the personal essay, reports, and academic research papers. Practicing conventions of style, discourse and documentation in the discipline(s) that study race and ethnicity and in the cross-disciplinary fields of ethnic studies, American Studies, Global and International Studies, and Women and Gender Studies. Understanding the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing for style, clarity, and correctness. Analyzing rhetorical situations, formats, genres in ethnic studies. Strengthening analytic reading skills. Differentiating among varied types of sources and learning how to use primary and secondary sources appropriately. Developing an effective style of oral and written communication in ethnic studies.

Reading

Gloria Anzaldua, "Tlilli, Tlapalli," James Baldwin, "If Black English Isn't a Language, Tell Me, What Is," Paula Gunn Allen, "Some Like Indians Endure," excerpts from David Holland, Postethnic America, Trinh T. Minh-ha, "Not You/Like You: Post-Colonial Women and the Interlocking Questions of Identity and Difference," Anne Deveare Smith, Twilight: Los Angeles, Amy Tan, "Mother Tongue," Gloria Yamato, "Something About the Subject Makes It Hard to Name." and Tey Diana Rebolledo, "The Politics of Poetics: Or, What Am I, A Critic, Doing in This Text Anyhow?"

Course Format and Requirements

UWP 102I is a four-unit course. Three hours per week is lecture/discussion. There is 6 hrs. of outside prep time that goes with the 3 hrs. of lecture/discussion. As with all upper division writing courses, an additional unit of credit is justified by the significant amount of work that students must do outside of class time to plan, draft, and revise that 6000 or more words of required writing (additional 3 hrs. outside of class). In addition to this substantial written requirement, students will meet individually with the instructor for discussion and evaluation of their work. The estimated time of preparation of the writing assignments (research, consultation, drafting, revision) is thirty hours, an amount consistent with Carnegie Rule guidelines.

Explanation of Potential Course Overlap

UWP 102I does not overlap with any other courses. UWP 102I is distinguished from other advanced writing courses by its focus on writing in ethnic studies; it is distinguished from the companion course by its emphasis on instruction in writing rather than on the subject matter of the companion course.

General Education Justification

Grades will be based on the students' performance on in- and out-of-class writing assignments and on a final exam. Students will write a minimum of 6000 words; the number of assignments and the weight of each assignment will vary according to the instructor. Instructors may choose assignments from among the following types of assignments: oral report, summary report, literature review, proposal, research report, lab report, abstract, an article on a scientific subject directed toward a lay audience, or similar project related to scientific research. All assignments will be graded on content and style. Each assignment will be thoroughly introduced by the instructor, using models of successful work as appropriate. Students will receive frequent feedback on drafts of assignments, through instructor commentary, conferences, and peer response. Students will have frequent opportunity to revise drafts.