CHID 260A: Fall 2023: Rethinking Diversity
Instructor: Dr. Anu Taranath. Please call me Dr. Anu. You can find out more about me and
my work at my personal website or my English department profile.
Class Time: Mondays and Wednesdays, 12:30-2:20pm
Office Hours: Wednesdays 2:30-3:30pm. My office hours will be virtual, so please send me an email at anu@uw.edu to let me know you're coming to office hours. Use this zoom link for office hours: https://washington.zoom.us/j/8261550894
Email: anu@uw.edu Please note: I'm pretty old school. I don’t check email on my phone and need to be in front of my laptop to access email. I have a lot going on outside of this class, and sometimes take a day or so to respond to non-urgent messages. Rest assured though, I do respond to all student notes, and I’ll definitely write you back. :)
Course Description: There’s quite a lot of talk around equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice, but do you sometimes wonder what these terms actually mean? This class focuses on identity and social differences in a friendly and generous atmosphere that will not shame you for not knowing. We will investigate the meanings and implications of race, gender, class, sexuality and other social differences, and discuss how ideas about “difference” and “diversity” play out in society, our campus, and our own lives. Our course texts will be a combination of scholarly essays, films, creative non-fiction, short stories and novels. This is an introductory course, designed to welcome students of all majors and intellectual interests. Our one requirement: a willingness to engage in productive, generative and collegial conversations. CHID 260A counts for the UW’s Diversity Credit.
Required Texts:
Anna In Between—Elizabeth Nunez
Pet—Akwaeke Emezi
Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World—Anu Taranath
assorted readings on Canvas
Course expectations:
- All readings & assignments completed on assigned days; attendance and participation in classes, good faith effort with assignments, course work to be turned in on time; engagement and respectfulness toward classmates, colleagues and course ideas. Late papers not accepted unless you've communicated with me or something dramatic is happening in your life. In that case, please do reach out!
- If you are absent from class, check with a classmate to find out what you have missed. Once you do this you can then contact me for additional information.
- I will be posting reading prompts, short questions, and other course information via Canvas announcements, so configure your email and notifications appropriately.
Assignments and Grade Distribution:
- Assignment One: Your Diversity Epistemology—10%
- Assignment Two: Midterm—20%
- Assignment Three: Connected to Class—5%
- Assignment Four: The Final Portfolio—30%
- Podwork—10%
- Class Engagement, Short Writings, and Participation—25%
I use the following grading system and scale:
https://www.washington.edu/students/gencat/front/Grading_Sys.html
https://www.uwb.edu/nhs/student-resources/grading-scale
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Schedule of Readings & Assignments, subject to revision
week 1—
Mon Oct 2:
Read for class:
-
- Anna In-Between (Chapters 1-4),
Wed Oct 4:
Read for class:
-
- Anna In-Between (Chapters 5-8)
Sunday Oct 8: Assignment One due by noon.
Assignment One: Your Diversity Epistemology
How is it you have come to know what you know about diversity, race, equity, gender, hierarchy, belonging and/or inclusion? How does who you are—your identities, experiences, coming-up years, etc.—affect what you know about these themes? Feel free to pick a few themes to explore; you don’t have to discuss all of them. This paper will be evaluated on its thoughtfulness, curiosity, and self-investigation. Suggested length 700-750 words, double spaced, due Sunday Oct 8th by noon, uploaded to Canvas. This assignment is worth 10% of your class grade.
week 2—
Monday Oct 9:
Read for class:
-
- Anna In-Between (Chapters 9-13)
Wed Oct 11:
Read for class 4 short articles:
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/13/opinion/sunday/are-college-lectures-unfair.html
https://medium.com/the-establishment/white-people-i-dont-want-you-to-understand-me-better-i-want-you-to-understand-yourselves-a6fbedd42ddf
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/opinion/sunday/what-the-rich-wont-tell-you.html?mcubz=1
week 3—
Monday Oct 16:
Read for class:
- Anna In-Between (Chapters 14-end of book);
Wed Oct 18:
Read for class:
-
- Beyond Guilt Trips (Prologue, Chapters 1-2, through page 58)
week 4—
Mon Oct 23:
Read for class:
-
- Beyond Guilt Trips (Chapter 3-5)
Wed Oct 15:
Read for class:
- Beyond Guilt Trips (Chapter 6-7)
week 5—
Mon Oct 30:
Read for class:
- Beyond Guilt Trips (Chapters 8, 9 and Epilogue)
Wed Nov 1:
film screening
week 6—
Mon Nov 6: Work in Pods on Midterm
Wed Nov 8: Work in Pods on Midterm
MIDTERM PAPER
Toward the middle of the quarter, Dr. Anu will share a list of prompts and themes that have threaded our class work and readings. From this list we will select 4 prompts. Each Pod will answer each of the 4 prompts with one single-spaced page of analysis, exposition, and engagement. Pod members will decide for themselves how to configure the work equitably amongst group members. Each and every member of the Pod will receive the same Midterm Paper grade based on their collective submission (except in unusual cases). Midterms will include a Pod Assessment where every student will be evaluating the contributions, collegiality and follow-through of everyone in their group. Midterms due Thursday Nov 9th, midnight.
week 7—
Mon Nov 13:
Read Frances Lee's work,
- "Why I've Started to Fear My Fellow Social Justice Advocates" and
- "Excommunicate Me from the Church of Social Justice"
- Watch this TED talk: "Don't Call People Out, Call Them In"
Wed Nov 15:
Read for class: Pet through page 70
week 8—
Mon Nov 20:
- watch this video
- read for class: the rest of Pet pages 71-onward
Wed Nov 22:
No in-person class. Instead:
- watch "What's Race Got to do With It" directed and produced by Jean Cheng. The UW Library provides online access to the film.
- submit a 300-350 word written response: What issues does the film raise for you? This film was released in 2006. From your vantage point, what has changed since then and what remains the same?
week 9—
Mon Nov 27:
Read for class:
Wed Nov 29:
Read for class: The Vulnerable Observer.pdf
week 10—
Mon Dec 4:
Assignment Three: Connected to Class, due. Attend a free lecture, poetry reading, book talk, presentation or other virtual or in-person event that focuses on the broad issues we are discussing this term. Events may be held either on or off campus. To make sure the event you plan to attend will count for this assignment, run your idea by a classmate first. Write a report that briefly describes the event and explores the connections to our class readings and discussions. Suggested length 600-700 words. Submit on Canvas, AND bring a print copy of your assignment to class today.
Read for class: Akhtar_Disgraced.pdf
Wed Dec 6: Work in Pods on Final
Finals Week: Tuesday Dec 12th midnight Final Portfolio due
The FINAL PORTFOLIO will consist of 8 individual components:
- The Art of the Review--3 reviews & 1 reflection
Write a review of each book you have read this quarter (Anna In Between, Pet, and Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World) and post them to Goodreads. If you don't have a Goodreads account make one. Each of your three reviews should be approximately 400-500 words.
Review Reflection: Write a brief reflection on the process of writing reviews. Some prompts to consider:
What's Goodreads like? What's interesting about it to you, what's not?
How might your identity, experience, context and interests influence your reviews?
Suggested length of the review reflection: 600-700 words.
- "Rethinking Diversity: A Retrospective"- 1 reflection
Assemble all your formal submitted assignments, the in-class brainstorms and free-writes that you've worked on this term. Read through everything slowly. Write an "Artists Statement" in which you offer insight and reflection on the full body of work you've produced this term. Suggested length 1000 words. Engage with these prompts:
What do you notice in your thinking, reading, writing and curiosity journey this quarter?
How has your thinking about diversity shifted, expanded, changed, deepened, or something else this term?
Why might this class be exactly what you needed at this stage in your intellectual and/or emotional journey?
- "Looking Ahead"- 1 future plan
What are 2-3 of your diversity/anti-racism/cultural expansion goals for the future? How will you fulfill them? Make an intentional plan for yourself. Describe your plan and commitments. Suggested length 300-350 words.
- Assessments -2 forms
Fill out this assessment if you were not in class the last day.
Answer in Canvas the assessment about your Final Portfolio. And now you're DONE!
In-class Participation and Writing Engagement:
- The format of the class consists of discussions and in-class writings. Therefore, a significant portion of your final grade depends on your consistent and collaborative contributions to the course. On the most basic level, you should come to class on time and stay for the duration, completed the readings, think about the readings in preparation for participating in class discussion, and engage in our in-class writing activities. For a full participation grade, you will contribute thoughtfully and consistently to in-class discussions. Grades will be based on the consistency, frequency, content, and relevance of spoken and written participation.
There are multiple opportunities to participate and engage with one another including:
- attending virtual office hours
- engaging with peers through any or all forms of class discussion
- maintaining a participation journal;
- posing and/or responding to questions on the canvas discussion board;
- demonstrating effort toward creating a presence in our classroom community
- offering support to other students;
- arriving in class on time and prepared, etc.
- collaborative engagement with class colleagues;
- overall good faith effort to contribute to a positive and engaging classroom space.
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