INSTRUCTOR: Ted Swedenburg tsweden@comp.uark.edu
Class meetings: MWF 10:30-11:20, Old Main 420
Office: Old Main 338; hours MWF 9:00-10:30
Telephone 575-6624

REQUIRED TEXTS:
Barbara Browning, Infectious Rhythm: Metaphors of Contagion and the Spread of African Culture.
Dick Hebdige. Subculture: The Meaning of Style.
Erica Rand. Barbie's Queer Accessories
Simon Reynolds and Joy Press. The Sex Revolts: Gender, Rebellion, and Rock 'n' Roll.
Trish Rose. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America.

Plus selected articles, on reserve in the Library and the Anthro Department reading room (Main 332).

Course Requirements:

Critical Essays (5) ---------------------- 120 points (24 points each)
Final Project ----------------------------- 140 points
Final Presentation ----------------------- 20 points
Quizzes ------------------------------------- 80 points
Participation ----------------------------- 40 points
                              Total           400

2. FINAL PROJECT: 12-15 page paper (or some other comparable project?a journal, a video, etc.) on a popular culture topic of your choosing. (35%)

3. FINAL PRESENTATION: Brief oral presentation of final project. (5%)

4. QUIZZES: Two, essay format. (20%)

5. PARTICIPATION: Participation in class discussion is expected and will be considered in assignment of final grades. Class lectures and discussions will cover material that supplements the readings, so please come to class?even if you are unprepared. KEEP UP WITH READINGS! (10%)

ALL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE TYPED AND DOUBLE SPACED.

Writing Guidelines: All work written for this course should be of a level appropriate to college students. Mechanics and grammar DO count. Please type and proofread carefully. Everyone can improve his/her writing skills--even great writers.

SHORT GUIDE TO WRITING A STRONG ESSAY:

Re-read frequently!

• Try for a strong opening, the better to lure the reader.

• Situate particular statements or points from the book within the author's overall argument. This serves to contextualize your focus (i.e., to avoid taking the arguments out of context).

• Support your argument with some examples from the text (and other relevant materials) to illustrate what you mean to say.

• Briefly identify the work(s) and author(s) under discussion within your text, so we'll know what you're addressing (underline or italicize Book Titles, put quotations around "Article Titles").

• Locate quotations (give page number; if unclear from context, give author and title).

• As a rule, put punctuation inside quotations: "xxxxx." "xxxx," "xxxx?" "xxxxx" (p. x).

• Do you make a point? Avoid leaving your readers in confusion, or in "so-what?" land.

• Push your analysis and explore the implications of your argument (for anthropology, for everyday life, themes in the course, etc.).

• Wrap up the end of your paper by tying it back to your starting point. This will confirm your thesis point, remind the reader of what you aimed to address, and show how far your argument has taken you.

• Proofread your essay. Try having someone else read it aloud to you and listen for clarity, persuasiveness, awkward sentence structure or poor grammar, etc.

Grading, attendance, etc. Final grades will be determined on the basis of total points earned on short papers, exams, book report and active participation in class (see above). There will be no makeup exams. If a student needs to take a makeup, this will consist of a 15-page library research paper on a subject assigned by the instructor. Regular attendance is expected, and excessive absences may result in the student being dropped from class. I will make every effort to hold class in inclement weather.

Academic honesty: Provisions of the Code of Conduct of the University (see pp. pp. 320-28 of the 1999-2000 University Catalog) will be followed in this course.
 

SCHEDULE OF TOPICS, READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS

WEEK 1 January January 18-20 Subcultures

D. Hebdige, Subculture, 1-70

D. Hebdige, Subculture, 73-140

A. McRobbie, "Settling Accounts with Subcultures" (xerox)
T. Frank, The Conquest of Cool, chapts. 1, 8, 11 (xerox)

February 4: Last day to drop without a mark of "W" or change from credit to audit

Reaction paper 1 due, Monday Jan. 31

S. Reynolds & J. Press, The Sex Revolts, xiii-153
C. Aaron, "Trend of the Year: Rap-Rock Mooks" (xerox)

S. Reynolds & J. Press, The Sex Revolts, 156-227
S. Shaviro, "Bilinda Butcher" (http://www.dhalgren.com/Doom/ch03.html)
C. Fuchs, "If I Had a Dick: Queers, Punks, and Alternative Acts" (xerox)

Reaction paper 2 due, Friday Feb. 18

S. Reynolds & J. Press, The Sex Revolts, 230-388
N. Coates, "Can't We Just Talk About Music? Rock and Gender on the Internet" (xerox)
Film: Dreamworlds

QUIZ Monday,February 28

T. Rose, Black Noise, xi-96
A. Ards, "Organizing the Hip-Hop Generation" (xerox)

T. Rose, Black Noise, 99-185
T. Swedenburg, "Islam in the Mix: Rap Lessons of the Five Percent" (http://comp.uark.edu/~tsweden/5per.html)

Reaction paper 3 due, Friday March 10

T. Swedenburg, "Islamic Hip-Hop vs. Islamophobia" (online)
J. Gross, "Rai, Rap and Ramadan Nights" (xerox)
D. McMurray, "La France Arabe" (xerox)
_______, "Sports as an Integrative Force?" (xerox)

March 24: LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW FROM A COURSE WITH A W

E. Rand, Barbie's Queer Accessories, 1-92
Film: Barbie Nation

E. Rand, Barbie's Queer Accessories, 93-195

Reaction paper 4 due, Monday, March 29

B. Browning, Infectious Rhythm, xi-85

B. Browning, Infectious Rhythm, 87-192

Reaction paper 5 due, Monday, April 16
QUIZ, Friday, April 21

WEEK 15 May 1-3 Presentations of Final Projects

May 4: LAST DAY TO OFFICIALLY WITHDRAW FROM SPRING COURSES

Final Project Due, Monday May 8
Turn in to Dr. S's office Main 338 by 5 p.m.
NO LATE PAPERS ACCEPTED!