J495 Global Cultures and Local Communities
Diana Lin/Spring 2017

Office: Hawthorn Hall 207
(O)219 980 6981
Web page: http://www.iun.edu/~hisdcl
Email: dchenlin@iun.edu
Office hours: MW 9:00-11:30 or by appointment

Objective:

This course examines the interactions of local cultures and identities in the context of a globalizing world community, from historical narraitves to music. The goal is to cultivate a critical perspective toward the interactions between local cultures in a globalizing world and apply it to a 15-20 page research paper over the semester on an area of globalization and cultural interactions.

Required Readings:

All required readings are available online from the Canvas syllabus.

Requirements:

  • Weekly homework assignments posted on Canvas Discussions: including comments on readings for each class session, and one posting per week on an article that complements class readings for the week.They are due at the time of class.
  • Homework on wikiedu.com. You will go through wikipedia tutorials and turn your annotated bibliography for your research paper into a wikipedia submission.
  • A 15 page research paper based on a topic of your choice and approved by your instructor.

    • Grade distribution:

  • Class attendance and particpation: 10 percent
  • Weekly homework assignments: 20 percent
  • Wikipedia tutorial and annotated essay: 10 percent
  • Research paper: 60 percent

    • Class Schedule:

    Week 1 (Jan.9-15)

    Jan. 9 Introduction.

    Jan. 11 Culture, religion, ideology, identity and stereotyping. Required readings: 1. Orientalism. Edward Said, Online reading: excerpt from "Orientalism, an Introduction." 2. Occidentalism. Online reading: Ian Buruma, "Occidentalism."

    Discussion question 1: Comment on one point each from two or all of the readings here, in terms of cultures, religions, ideologies and identities.

    Week 2 (Jan.16-22)

    Jan. 16 Martin Luther King's Day observed. No class.

    Jan. 18 Benjamin Barber, "Three Scenarios for the Future of Technology and Strong Democracy."

    Discussion question 2: Comment on Barber's views on views on technology, trade and social well-being.

    Week 3 (Jan.23-29)

    Jan.23 Cultural identities in the 1980s and beyond. “The Failure of Multi-culturalism.” Optional readings: “Assimilation’s Failure, Terrorism’s Rise.”"Europe's Response to Radical Islam."

    Discussion question 3: How do you approach Kenan Malik's criticism of multiculturalism as social policy?

    Jan. 25 From ideology to identity: "THE NEXUS OF ENMITY Ideology, Global Politics, and Identity in the Twenty-First Century."

    Discussion question 4: An argument goes that in the 21st century, ideology has all become identity politics. Drawing from the reading, how do you comment on that?

    Week 4(Jan.30-Feb.5)

    Jan.30 Globalization as a hegemonic force. "The Structural Violence of Globalization."

    Discussion question 5: Compare argument in article with prior arguments we have read.

    Feb.2 Globalization and discontent. "The Globalization of Rage: Why Today’s Extremism Looks Familiar."

    Discussion question 6: Do you agree with the author's argument?

    Week 5 (Feb.6-12)

    Feb.6 Local societies and globalization. " Global Economy, Local Politics: Indigenous Struggles, Civil Society and Democracy." Optional reading: Local Reaction to Global Integration—The Political Economy of Development in Indigenous Communities

    Discussion question 7: Comment on the impact of globalization on local communities.

    Feb.8 Christianity and globalization. " Christianity as a culture of mobility."

    Discussion question 8: Comment on the arguments in this article.

    Week 6 (Feb.13-19)

    Feb.13 Global affective communication. "Natural disaster news and communities of feeling: the affective interpellation of local and global publics."

    Discussion question 9: Is affective communication one of the conditions for real communication between communities globally?

    Feb.15 Music and the formation of global communities. "Translocal style communities: hip hop youth as cultural theorists of style, language, and globalization." Optional readings: Hip-Hopping Across China: Intercultural Formulations of Local Identities. Globalization, or the logic of cultural hybridization: the case of the Korean wave.

    Discussion question 10: How do we glean the flexibility of cultural adaptations through those in music?

    Week 7 (Feb.20-26)

    Feb.20 Sports and global cultures. "Is Baseball a Global Sport?"

    Discussion question 11:Can sports be truly global?

    Feb.22 The internet and East Asian nationalisms. "The True Origins of Pizza"

    Discussion question 12: Discuss the connection between the internet, commerce, pop culture, and national identity in the article.

    Week 8 (Feb.27-Mar.5)

    Feb.27 Cultural representation in museums. "Native Peoples at the Smithsonian."

    Discussion question 13: Discuss the issues pointed out in the essay about museum representation, and factors influencing cultural representation.

    Mar.1 Communication of memory across cultures. "Translatability of Memory in an age of globalization."

    Discussion question 14: Discuss the possibility of authentic memory communication.

    Week 9 (Mar.6-12)

    Mar.6 Globalization and pop culture. "Globalizing Manga."

    Discussion question 15: Based on this and prior readings, what elements enable a culture to proliferate and build up hegemonic status?

    Mar.8 Culture as statement. "Henna and Hip Hop."

    Discussion question 16: Discuss the symbolic use of culture discussed in this article, and give some other examples of manipulation of cultural symbols.

    Week 10 (Mar.13-19)

    Spring break. No class.

    Week 11 (Mar.20-26)

    Mar.20 Discussion of paper topics.

    Mar.22 Discussion of paper topics.

    Week 12 (Mar.27-Apr.2)

    One visit to my office on M or W during class hour.

    Week 13 (Apr.3-9)

    One visit to my office on M or W during class hour.

    Week 14 (Apr.10-16)

    One visit to my office on M or W during class hour.

    Week 15 (Apr.17-23)

    Apr.17 class: discussion of paper in progress.

    Apr.19class: discussion of paper in progress.

    Week 16 (Apr.24-30)

    Apr.24 Conclusion. Last day of class.

    Week 17 (May1-7)

    paper due on May 2 at 11:59pm. Wikipedia annotated essay posted on May 3 at 11:59 pm.