The Critical Personal Narrative
Instructor Information
Rex Rose
Introduction
Language structures how we approach, see, and act in the world. One way that societies have constantly used language to discuss their lives and experiences is through the use of stories. As anyone can tell you though, there are always multiple sides to every story, and in fact any story is just a specific interpretation of events, not fact. Thus, in this course we will tell our own stories, but with critical attention to issues of race, class, gender, and intersectionality.
Course Objectives & Goals
- Understand the power that language and stories have to construct meaning in our world
- Use critical narrative to reflect on, explore, and analyze issues of race, class, and gender
- Develop critical reflection skills through multiple modes of composing
- Learn how identities, and the language used to describe them, interact to tell particular stories about people
Textbooks
King, T. (2003). The truth about stories: A native narrative. House of Anansi.
Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (2000). Narrative inquiry: Experience and story in qualitative research. Wiley.
Projects and Grading Scale
Throughout the course of the semester, you will compose four different narratives, one of which must be in a modality other than writing, such as video, pictures, spoken, etc. The first three essays will deal with (1) gender, (2) race, (3) and class. The fourth essay will explore how these identity categories are all intertwined and intersectional. Each essay will be worth 20% of your final grade. Each written narrative should be between 5-7 pages. The remaining 20% of your grade will be made up of weekly daybook entries (10%) and attendance/participation (10%).
Daybooks
While we will do 4 larger compositions in this course, we will also do a lot of informal writing to build up to these compositions. Throughout this class, every student will keep a daybook, which is a sort of writing journal or thought catalogue that will allow you take notes while in-class and while reading outside of class. This is your space to actively and critically engage with the course material. While I will not look at most of your daybook writing, 4 times throughout the semester I will collect your daybooks for a participation grade. This participation grade will only take into account your required weekly 2-3 page reflective entry. In these entries, I want you to reflect on your thoughts about the readings and class discussions, and also discuss how they do or do not connect with your life.
Attendance/Participation
During the course of the semester, you will be allowed 3 unexcused absences. For every absence after this one, you will use lose 5 points off your final grade. Not only do I expect you to be present, but I also expect you to actively participate, answer questions, and engage in class discussions.
Schedule
Week 1: Reading–Chapter 1 (King) & Chapter 1 (C & C)
Week 2: Reading–Chapter 2 (King) & Chapter 2 (C &C)
Week 3: Reading–Chapter 3 (C&C) & Gender article 1 [TBD]
Week 4: Reading–Chapter 4 (C&C) & Gender article 2 [TBD]
Week 5: Reading–Chapter 5 (C&C) & Gender article 3 [TBD]
Week 6: Reading–Chapter 6 (C&C) & Race article 1 [TBD]
Due: Gender narrative
Week 7: Reading–Chapter 7 (C&C) & Race article 2 [TBD]
Week 8: Reading–Chapter 8 (C&C) & Race article 3 [TBD]
Week 9: Reading–Chapter 9 (C&C) & Class article 1 [TBD]
Due: Race narrative
Week 10: Reading–Chapter 10 (C&C) & Class article 2 [TBD]
Week 11: Reading–Chapter 3 (King) & Intersectional article 1 [TBD]
Due: Class narrative
Week 12: Reading–Chapter 4 (King) & Intersectional article 2 [TBD]
Week 13: Reading–Chapter 5 (King) & Intersectional article 3 [TBD]
Week 14: Reading— other identity categories articles
Due: Intersectional narrative
Week 15: No reading, class round-up/reflection discussion
