Diasporas in America

Year
0
Academic year
2022-2023
Code
01011398
Subject Area
Área Científica do Menor
Language of Instruction
Portuguese
Other Languages of Instruction
English
Mode of Delivery
Face-to-face
Duration
SEMESTRIAL
ECTS Credits
6.0
Type
Elective
Level
1st Cycle Studies

Recommended Prerequisites

Not apllicable.

Teaching Methods

Lectures; textual analysis; reading and written assignments; analysis of films and other visual materials; group discussion, oral presentations, tests.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the semester students are expected to have

– deepened their awareness of the diverse and plural cultures that compose American society, and their connection to the social and historical context;

– acquired more detailed knowledge of the processes of Native American removal, slavery and immigration;

– become aware of the social and economic inequalities as well as of the racial and ethnic conflicts that pervade US society.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

The syllabus will either provide a general overview of the diversity of ethnic minorities in the US, or address a particular historical period, focusing on their origins and development within American society, as well as their strategies of assimilation or resistance. The syllabus is designed to deepen students’ knowledge of and critical perspective on the multicultural and deeply unequal aspects of American society, and to promote the discussion of concepts such as minority, stereotype, discrimination, integration, diaspora, assimilation, acculturation, etc. The concept and the politics of multiculturalism will also be critiqued.

Different kinds of materials may be used (essays, literary texts, films, photos, art, etc.).

N.B. The syllabus may change from edition to edition.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Synthesis work: 10.0%
In-class participation and oral presentation: 30.0%
Mini Tests: 60.0%

Bibliography

Franklin, J. H. (2010). From Slavery to Freedom. 9th ed. New YorK: A. Knopf.

Kammen, M. (1995). Contested Values: Democracy and Diversity in American Culture. New York: St. Martin’s P.

Fredrickson, G. M. (1988). The Arrogance of Race: Historical Perspectives on Slavery, Racism, and Social Inequality. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan UP.

Glazer, N. (1997). We Are All Multiculturalists Now. Cambridge: Harvard UP.

Goldberg, D. T. (1995). Multiculturalism: A Critical Reader. Malden: Blackwell.

Singh-Amritjit et al (Eds). (1994). Memory, Narrative, and Identity: New Essays in Ethnic American Literature. Boston: Northeastern.

Schuman, H.et al. (1997). Racial Attitudes in America. Cambridge: Harvard UP.

Sollors, W. (1986). Beyond Ethnicity: Consent and Descent in American Culture. OUP.

Takaki, R. (Ed.). (2002). Debating Diversity: Clashing Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in America. OUP.

Yetman, N. R. (Ed.). (1998). Majority and Minority. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. .