Chapman University
Spring 2015
honors 377: critical animal studies
Instructor Contact Information:
- Ian Barnard, Ph.D.
- Office: 428 N. Glassell #104
- In-Person Office Hours: MW 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and by appointment
- Email Office Hours: [email protected]
"Now I ask: if we are capable of thinking our own death, why on earth should we not be capable of thinking our way into the life of a bat?" (Elizabeth Costello in J. M. Coetzee's The Lives of Animals)
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"However intelligent chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans are, there is no evidence that they possess the ability to commit crimes, and in this sense they are to be treated as children or mental incompetents." (Gary Francione, qtd. in J. M. Coetzee, The Lives of Animals)
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Catalog Course Description:
Student Learning Outcomes for This Course:
you will
Honors Program Learning Outcomes:
Upon completing a course in the University Honors Program students will have
GE Learning Outcomes:
Required Texts:
* = on reserve in the Leatherby Libraries
@ = available as an eBook in the Leatherby Libraries
# = available on Blackboard
& = available at the University Bookstore
Grade Distribution:
Graded Assignments:
-
Prerequisite: acceptance to the
University Honors Program, or consent of instructor. How
and when did animals come to be distinguished from humans? What other kinds of relationship to/with
animals might we develop? What does the
representation of animals in cultural productions suggest about the world views
of the producers and consumers of those productions? This course engages with these and other related
questions through in-depth study of the interdisciplinary field of Critical
Animal Studies. Students engage with key
articles, films, and books in Critical Animal Studies, and produce their own
creative and critical projects in response. Discussion-based seminar. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.
Student Learning Outcomes for This Course:
you will
- understand what the most significant issues, texts, and authors are in the interdisciplinary field of Critical Animal Studies, in keeping with Honors Program Learning Outcome 1’s call for developing a starting point for intellectual exploration (see below)
- learn to engage with scholarly work in Critical Animal Studies orally, in writing, and using New Media, in keeping with Honors Program Learning Outcome 4’s emphasis on the development of effective communication skills (see below)
- develop nuanced critical and creative interdisciplinary analyses of a variety of cultural artifacts through the application of terminology, perspectives, and texts from the field of Critical Animal Studies, in keeping with Honors Program Learning Outcome 2’s on focus on analysis and synthesis and Honors Program Learning Outcome 3’s attention to the application of interdisciplinary understandings (see below)
Honors Program Learning Outcomes:
Upon completing a course in the University Honors Program students will have
- 1) Obtained a starting point for integrative exploration of the development of cultures and intellectual achievements through a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives;
- 2) Sharpened their ability to critically analyze and synthesize a broad range of knowledge through the study of primary texts and through engagement in active learning with fellow students, faculty, and texts (broadly understood);
- 3) Understood how to apply more integrative and interdisciplinary forms of understanding in the advancement of knowledge and in addressing complex challenges shaping the world;
- 4) Developed effective communication skills, specifically in the areas of written and oral exposition and analysis.
GE Learning Outcomes:
- Ethical/Values Inquiry: Articulates how values and ethics inform human understanding, structures, and behavior
- Written Inquiry: Provides students an intensive course in academic writing at the first-year or intermediate level according to demonstrated competence, with attention to media-based composing and delivery. All GE WI courses are rhetorically based, focusing on the ways language is used to negotiate social, educational and intellectual relationships in various contexts, to a range of audiences.
Required Texts:
* = on reserve in the Leatherby Libraries
@ = available as an eBook in the Leatherby Libraries
# = available on Blackboard
& = available at the University Bookstore
- Albee, Edward. The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? #
- Berger, John. Why Look at Animals
- Coetzee, J. M. The Lives of Animals &
- DeMello, Margo. Animals and Society: An Introduction to Human-Animal Studies & @
- Haraway, Donna. The Companion Species Manifesto & *
- You will also need to purchase one graphic novel from a list I provide for your Collaborative Oral Presentation.
- I will post additional articles on Blackboard for you to read. You will also be reading drafts of your colleagues' final projects in order to give them feedback on their work, and you should expect to conduct outside research for your collaborative oral presentation and final project.
Grade Distribution:
- Collaborative Oral Presentation..............................20%
- Blog..........................................................................25%
- Final Project.............................................................35%
- Other Assignments....................................................20%
- Due to the highly interactive nature of this course and the emphasis on seminar-style discussions, I expect you to attend all class meetings and to be on time. You may miss four class meetings without penalty. If you miss more than four class meetings, I will lower your final course grade by 1/3 grade for each additional absence. Two tardies (arriving late or leaving early) count as one absence. I will also mark you tardy if you are unprepared for class.
Graded Assignments:
- Collaborative Oral Presentation: You and one or two colleagues will give an oral presentation on one of the animal-centered graphic novels from a list I provide. Remember that the other class members will not have read your text, so you will need to provide some context/summary. However, keep summary to a minimum, and focus on discussing aspects of your text that you find particularly interesting/problematic/revealing/perplexing in terms of the text's animal representation. You might want to consider some of these questions: what roles do non-human animals play in your text? how are these animals constructed in the text? how are they represented visually? how do the roles of the animal characters impact the way readers engage the issues presented in the text? how might you connect your graphic novel with the other issues and readings we have discussed so far in the course? Your presentation should include projection and detailed discussion of at least one frame from your graphic novel and reference to at least one scholarly source that treats your graphic novel. All presentations will be followed by questions from the class. The presentation should last no longer than 15 minutes (excluding questions). My evaluation of your presentation will be based on the quality of your research and analysis, how well you present your ideas, your ability to answer questions, how well your group members work together, and your adherence to the time limit. If you use PowerPoint or Prezi, do not read your slides! All group members will earn the same grade unless a group member fails to make a substantial contribution to the presentation. Your group is welcome to meet with me before the date of your presentation to discuss your presentation plans.
- Blog: You will keep a scholarly WordPress blog that charts your ongoing engagement with the course over the semester (you may author the blog under your own name or you may use a pseudonym, though class members will know who you are). Some blog entries will be fairly open-ended, while for others I will solicit your response to specific questions. I will post prompts for five blog entries on Blackboard. You must disable comment moderating for your blog, so that class members' responses to your blog can be displayed promptly. Keep track of whose blogs you respond to. You should not respond to the same class members each time. Since the blog is a digital medium, I expect you to include links, images, and other digital materials to illustrate and complement your points. Be sure to cite your sources and to acknowledge sources of images if you use images that aren't your own. Remember that anyone in the world can read your blog; you will need to frame your blog entries so that they make sense to readers outside our class. Post blog entries and responses by the deadlines listed in the schedule below in order to receive full credit for each blog assignment. The blog is designed to help you prepare for class discussions, develop your independent thinking, creativity, and research on the course topics, get feedback on your ideas, and engage in dialogue on course topics. See the blog rubric for information on grading criteria for the blog.
- Final Project: You will have the option of developing a collaborative or individual critical or creative final project. I will give you specific guidelines and suggested topics for the final project in class. You'll have the opportunity to get feedback from your colleagues on a draft of your project during a whole-class workshop before you post the final version (or a link to it) on your blog.
- Other Assignments: These include a draft of your Final Project, responses to colleagues' drafts and blog posts, your whole-class workshop, facilitation of a colleague's whole-class workshop, and other in-class activities. I grade these assignments on a credit/no credit basis. Be sure to log in to WordPress or sign your name when you respond to colleagues' blog posts, so that you can earn credit for your responses. In class we will discuss the criteria for earning credit on these assignments. You cannot make up a missed in-class assignment.
- Citation of Sources: Plagiarism is a contested and context-specific topic. We will discuss effective ways of using sources and issues around plagiarism in class.
- Email Protocol: I acknowledge all email messages within 48 hours. If you email me but don’t get a response, I haven’t received your email. Feel free to email me concerning any questions you have about the course or about your work. Do not email your work to me for feedback; I’d be happy to discuss your work with you in person. It’s important to practice composing professional emails: be sure that your emails to me include appropriate subject lines, salutations, and closes.
- Classroom Dynamics: Honors seminar are discussion-oriented. I do not spend much time lecturing and expect you to participate vigorously in the many discussions around which the course is organized. We all teach and learn in this course--I do not believe in a one-way transmission of “knowledge” from instructor to students. I don’t have all the answers, and I look forward to learning as much as teaching in this course. You should direct your questions and comments in class to your colleagues as much as to me. I encourage you to talk in class and to encourage your colleagues to do the same.
- Diversity: Chapman University is committed to ensuring equality and valuing diversity. Students and professors are reminded to show respect at all times as outlined in Chapman's Harassment and Discrimination Policy. Any violations of this policy should be discussed with the professor, the Dean of Students, and/or otherwise reported in accordance with this policy. Click here to read Chapman University's Statement on Diversity.
- Students With Disabilities: Please see me early in the semester if you have a documented disability, so that we can discuss what accommodations, if any, I might make to help you to succeed in this class. Click here to read Chapman University's Policy Statement for Assisting Students with Disabilities.
tentative schedule
Readings marked * are on Blackboard
2/2/2015
2/4/2015
2/9/2015
2/11/2015
2/16/2015
2/18/2015
2/23/2015
2/25/2015
3/2/2015
3/4/2015
3/9/2015
3/11/2015
3/16/2015
3/18/2015
SPRING BREAK
3/30/2015
4/1/2015
4/6/2015
4/8/2015
4/13/2015
4/15/2015
4/20/2015
4/22/2015
4/27/2015
4/29/2015
5/4/2015
5/6/2015
5/11/2015
5/13/2015
2/2/2015
- In-Class Activities: introduction to the course; read and discuss "The Argument for Eating Dog" * and other articles; introduction to Berger; technology survey
- Homework Assignments for 2/4: read Berger, Why Look at Animals?, Chapters 1-3; bring your laptop to class
2/4/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; class member introductions; set up blogs; discuss blog rubric; introduction to Haraway
- Homework Assignments: read Haraway, The Companion Species Manifesto; blog post #1 due by noon on 2/9
2/9/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and blog posts; overview of presentations; sign up for presentation texts
- Homework Assignments: respond to at least two colleagues' blog posts by noon on 2/11
2/11/2015
- In-Class Activities: continue discussion of The Companion Species Manifesto; meet with your presentation partner(s); discuss narrative assignments
- Homework Assignments: blog post #2 due by noon on 2/14; respond to at least two colleagues' blogs by noon on 2/16
2/16/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss blog posts; introduction to Bestiaire; watch Bestiaire
- Homework Assignments: read Berger, Why Look at Animals?, Chapters 4-8
2/18/2015
- In-Class Activities: conclusion to Bestiaire; discuss Bestiaire; discuss reading and ethnography
- Homework Assignments: blog post #3 due by noon on 2/23; read Armbruster, "Into the Wild" *; bring your laptop to class
2/23/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and blog post; in-class responses to blog posts
- Homework Assignments: read DeMello, Animals and Society, Chapter 1
2/25/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading
- Homework Assignments: read DeMello, Animals and Society, Chapters 2-3 and 14-16
3/2/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading
- Homework Assignments: read DeMello, Animals and Society, Chapters 17-20
3/4/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading
- Homework Assignments: choose three chapters to read from chapters 4-13 of DeMello, Animals and Society; blog post #4 due by noon on 3/7; respond to at least two colleagues' blog posts by noon on 3/9
3/9/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and blog posts
- Homework Assignments: read Dekoven, "Why Animals Now?" *; Ahuja, "Postcolonial Critique" *; Shannon, "The Eight Animals in Shakespeare" *; Rothvels, "Zoos, The Academy, and Captivity" *
3/11/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; draw presentation dates
- Homework Assignments: read your selected graphic novel
3/16/2015
- In-Class Activities: review presentations; discuss graphic novels; meet with your presentation partner(s)
- Homework Assignments: work on you presentation
3/18/2015
- No Class--work on your presentation
SPRING BREAK
3/30/2015
- In-Class Activities: assign presentation respondents; collaborative oral presentations; mid-semester course evaluations; introduction to Albee
- Homework Assignments: begin reading Albee, The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? *
4/1/2015
- In-Class Activities: assign presentation respondents; collaborative oral presentations; discuss mid-semester evaluations
- Homework Assignments: read Albee, The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? *; blog post #5 due by noon on 4/6
4/6/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and blog posts
- Homework Assignments: respond to at least two colleagues’ blog posts by noon on 4/8
4/8/2015
- In-Class Activities: continue discussion of Albee; in-class performances of excerpts from the play; assign Final Project
- Homework Assignments: read Collins, "Attenborough Documentaries 'Ignore Gay Animals'" *; McHugh, "Queer (and) Animal Theories" *
4/13/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss readings; discuss workshop responses
- Homework Assignments: read Wolfe, "Human, All Too Human" *
4/15/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; discuss workshop protocol; introduction to Coetzee; draw workshop dates; sign up for conferences
- Homework Assignments: bring two copies of a one page typed proposal for your Final Project to your conference
4/20/2015
- In-Class Activities: no class--individual conferences with me in my office to discuss your Final Project
- Homework Assignments: read Coetzee, The Lives of Animals, 1-69
4/22/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading
- Homework Assignments: read Coetzee, The Lives of Animals, 70-120; if you have your workshop on 4/29, post a draft of your Final Project (or a link to it) on Blackboard by noon on 4/27
4/27/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; special guest: Holly Batty
- Homework Assignments: if you have your workshop on 5/4, post a draft of your Final Project (or a link to it) on Blackboard by noon on 4/29; read workshop drafts *; post responses to workshop drafts on Blackboard by noon on 4/29 (follow guidelines for workshop responses); bring your laptop to class
4/29/2015
- In-Class Activities: whole-class workshops
- Homework Assignments: if you have your workshop on 5/6, post a draft of your Final Project (or a link to it) on Blackboard by noon on 5/4; read workshop drafts *; post responses to workshop drafts on Blackboard by noon on 5/4 (follow guidelines for workshop responses); bring your laptop to class
5/4/2015
- In-Class Activities: whole-class workshops
- Homework Assignments: if you have your workshop on 5/11, post a draft of your Final Project (or a link to it) on Blackboard by noon on 5/6; read workshop drafts *; post responses to workshop drafts on Blackboard by noon on 5/6 (follow guidelines for workshop responses); bring your laptop to class
5/6/2015
- In-Class Activities: whole-class workshops; course debrief
- Homework Assignments: if you have your workshop on 5/13, post a draft of your Final Project (or a link to it) on Blackboard by noon on 5/11; read workshop drafts *; post responses to workshop drafts on Blackboard by noon on 5/11 (follow guidelines for workshop responses); bring your laptop to class
5/11/2015
- In-Class Activities: whole-class workshops; course evaluations
- Homework Assignments: read workshop drafts *; post responses to workshop drafts on Blackboard by noon on 5/13 (follow guidelines for workshop responses); bring your laptop to class
5/13/2015
- In-Class Activities: whole-class workshops
- Homework Assignments: post your Final Project or a link to it on your blog by noon on 5/20