Canadian Studies (CNST) 353 - Lecture 60

Literature and Identity: Immigrant Experience in Canada Since World War II
Summer 2008

Tuesday and Thursday 2:00 - 4:45 p.m.

 

Instructor:	Dr. A. Mary Murphy
Office Location:	SS 209
Office Phone:	TBA
E-Mail:	ammurphy@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:	N/A
Office Hours:	by appointment

Course Description

Literature and Identity: Immigrant Experience in Canada Since World War II is an introduction to the cultural and social impact on Canada of Post World War II immigration through a variety of texts, including folklore, fiction and poetry. The course focuses on the experiences of peoples from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, Asia, South Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.

Objectives of the Course

Through a variety of readings and assignments, students will engage with the ways in which the immigrant experience since 1945 has affected and has been affected by Canadian cultural product.

 

Textbooks and Readings:

Poetry:

Allen, Lillian. Women Do This Every Day. Toronto: Canadian Scholar Press, 1993.

Carberry, Colin. The Green Table. Toronto: McArthur & Company, 2003.

Film:

Ararat. Dir. Atom Egoyan. Alliance, 2003.

Music:

K'Naan. The Dusty Foot Philosopher. Sony Music Canada, 2005.

Fiction:

Badami, Anita Rau. Tamarind Mem. Toronto: Vintage, 2004.

Goto, Hiromi. Chorus of Mushrooms. Edmonton AB: NeWest, 1994.

Ricci, Nino. Lives of the Saints. Toronto: Cormorant, 1990.

Assignments and Evaluation

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.
Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your tutor or instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

Do not slide any assignment under the instructor's office door; the assignment will be destroyed, ungraded.

In-Class Test (25%): The test will be based on course readings and completed in class 31 July.

Presentation (30%): Each student will make one presentation to the class. Presentations may be done in pairs, if registrations require it. The subject of the presentation will be a writer, musician, or filmmaker whose work engages with the "immigrant experience." Please see the university's ethics statement below. Students who plan to conduct research involving communication with the subject artist must first meet with the instructor, must have an approved consent form (prepared in consultation with the instructor), and must agree to comply with the university's consent and research processes. Presentations will take place August 5, 7, 12, and 14, and will be followed by a question and answer period.

Research Ethics: This assignment has obtained course-based ethics approval from the faculty research ethics committee. Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines. Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research. For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see the U of C Research Ethics "Information for Applicants," sections 3.0 to 9.0, inclusive:

http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/research/html/ethics/info_undergrad.html

Take-Home Essay (35%): Topics must be selected in consultation with the instructor. Essays are due 14 August. This deadline is firm. Essays will be 2000- to 2500-words long (6 to 8 pages). Submissions may be made in person to the instructor or via the drop box in SS110, but electronic submissions are not accepted.

Participation (10%): Students are expected to make regular and substantive contributions to discussions. An attendance sheet will be circulated each class day.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: NO

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

Assignments submitted after the deadline will be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late. Electronic submissions will not be accepted. Missed assignments will be accepted without penalty only where warranted by a doctor's or counsellor's note or funeral notice.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre. Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca.

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

A+ (96-100); A (92-95); A- (86-91); B+ (81-85); B (77-80); B- (71-76);
C+ (65-70); C (62-64); C- (59-61); D+ (55-58); D (50-54); F (0-49)

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, www.efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su.

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines.  Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research.  For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see

The Faculty of Communication and Culture Research Ethics site: http://www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/ethics

or the University of Calgary Research Ethics site: http://www.ucalgary.ca/research/compliance/ethics/info/undergrad/


Tentative Schedule of Lectures and Readings

R - July 3:            Introduction

T - July 8:            Goto: Chorus of Mushrooms

R - July 10:            Badami: Tamarind Mem

T - July 15:            K'Naan: The Dusty Foot Philosopher

R - July 17:            Carberry: The Green Table

T - July 22:            Allen: Women Do This Every Day

R - July 24:            Egoyan: Ararat (screen in advance)

T - July 29:            Ricci: Lives of the Saints

R - July 31:            In-Class Test

T - August 5:            Presentations: maximum of 5 @ 15 minutes, followed by Q&A

R - August 7:            Presentations: maximum of 5 @ 15 minutes, followed by Q&A

T - August 12: Presentations: maximum of 5 @ 15 minutes, followed by Q&A

R - August 14: Presentations: maximum of 5 @ 15 minutes, followed by Q&A Take-Home Essays due