AP/HUMA 1625 9.0 AFantasy & Topographies of Imagination

2016-2017

Course Director: Sherry Rowley 224 Founders College srowley@yorku.caNote: I may not be able to communicate by email on my teaching day at York (Tuesday). Please be advised that I do check and respond to my email on Mondays, and onWednesdays-Fridays between 8-9 a.m. Messages sent after these times will not be readuntil the next time I check email. Please be sure to put the course number in the subjectline to ensure that your email will not be automatically moved to my spam folder.

Office Hours: Tues. 2:45-4:00 * Or by appointment Tues. 10:30-11:15; 6:30-7:00.*Note: The nature of my schedule is such that I may not be in my office during either ofthese “appointment only” times so that we may have to schedule our meeting elsewhereon campus. Moreover, I may have several students already booked to see me during myregular office hours. Therefore, the best way to be sure that we maximize our meetingtimes together is to make an appointment for all meetings in person, or via email, inadvance of the time that fits your schedule. Please also be advised that I share the officewith other people and have access to 224 FC during my office times only. I will not getmessages left there until the next time I use the office.

Course Secretary: Divya Verma 260 Vanier College diverma@yorku.ca

Lecture: Tues. 8:30-10:30 a.m. ACW 006Tutorials: 1) Thurs. 4:30-6:30 ACW 106 Buchanan

2) Tues. 4:30-6:30 ACW 009 Rowley 3) Wed. 8:30-10:30 R S102 Thomas 4) Fri. 10:30-12:30 R N836 Peirce 5) Fri. 12:30-2:30 R N836 Tubrett

Please Note:

Breaches of Academic Integrity Will Not Be Tolerated in this Course

Students who have already taken the course, in whole or in part, may not submitany materials this year that they have submitted in a prior year.

“York University recognizes that many Indigenous nations have longstanding relationships withthe territories upon which our campuses are located that precede the establishment of YorkUniversity. We acknowledge our presence on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas ofNew Credit, the Huron-Wendat, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Métis Nation ofOntario.” http://campuslife.yorku.ca/ 2 Aug/ 2016.

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Teaching Team:Mark Buchanan mbuch@yorku.ca Office: SC 301A Thurs. 3:00-4:00Quintin Peirce qpeirce@yorku.ca Office: VC 109 Fri. 1:00-2:00Sherry Rowley: See CoverTracey Thomas traceyh@yorku.ca Office: FC 162 Wed. 10:30-11:30Dion Tubrett dtubrett@yorku.ca Office: MC 035 Tues. 10:30-11:30

Prerequisite / Co-requisite: None

Academic Advising for Students:

The Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studieshttp://www.yorku.ca/laps/students/current_student_advising.html- The Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies is located in 103 Central Square,

building number 27 on the Keele campus map:http://www.yorku.ca/yorkweb/maps/keele.htm

- To book an advising appointment, you can contact the Centre for Student SuccessAcademic Advising Office by phone: 416 736 5222, email: laps@yorku.ca.

- Walk In support is also available at 103 Central Square.

Coordinator - Humanities (Information for Humanities Majors/Minors)224 VC Professor Douglas Freake dfreake@yorku.ca

Expanded Course Description

This interdisciplinary course utilizes a variety of materials to explore fantasy in the West, not asthe opposite of reality, but as how people imagine and give meaning to their experiences, therebyboth shaping and resisting what are typically believed to be the "realities" of Western cultures.

This course examines some of the dominating fantasies in the West. It explores how individuals(as well as groups) are influenced by them not simply in how they make meaning of theirexperiences, but also in how the dominating fantasies come to influence even what individualsmight imagine. Throughout the course we will examine how individuals draw upon thedominating fantasies of the West to maintain and perpetuate cultural knowledges about thevalues of the culture, as well as definitions about what is human and what is "other", and whatare appropriate human and non-human behaviours/relationships. We will also ask how it ispossible for individuals to critique dominating fantasies by creating counter-fantasies thatsubvert and resist accepted knowledges and interpretations of experience and allow people toimagine things otherwise.

Some of the themes/ issues that we will study include the power of words and images (withparticular attention to propaganda and advertising and how we are sometimes trapped by

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language in the worlds that we have created); the role of fantasy in defining what is nature andnatural; what First Nations people understand about North American fantasies and how works offiction might be read as theory; the power of storytelling and learning to "read" primary andalternative worlds; the role of speculative/science fictions and utopias/dystopias in imagininghow dominating fantasies might be told otherwise; political, religious and romantic quests;fantastic forms and spaces in architecture (with an exploration of how fantasy can directlystructure our experience - often without our even being willing or conscious participants); therelationship of fantasy and body image/sexual identity; the "darkness of the mind" and the natureof monsters (with a focus on shifting our attention to a perspective which considers experiencesfrom the position of that which is defined as "other" and/or "monster," and (re)imagining theboundaries between the forbidden and the allowed, desire and convention); popular fantasies andsome failures of imagination; and the power of fantasy in imagining acts ofsubversion/resistance.

Course Learning Objectives and Purpose

Students will learn to "read" multiple levels of texts and to "see" multiple perspectives offered through visual imagery. Together, we will be developing a collection of critical skill maps thatwill provide students with directions when they wish to explore a given text; that will helpstudents to see the ways that some of the course materials relate to each other and totexts/experiences outside of the course; that will allow students to focus very narrowly onspecific details/issues; and that will enable students to reflect on the paths that they have takenwith respect to the course materials as well as on the paths that have yet to be taken. Theselection of course materials as well as the design of lectures and course assignments have beendone with special attention paid to a variety of learning preferences and styles so that studentscan hone the learning/critical strategies that already serve them well and be challenged toexplore and develop new skills. (See Setting Goals for the Course in the Syllabus for details.)

Course Structure and Requirements

Structure:

Course lectures are on Tuesdays, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at @10:20 a.m. (films maygo a bit longer so plan accordingly). Tutorials are two hours in duration (see cover fortimes/places). Students are expected to have completed the readings before the lecture, to arriveon time and stay until class ends for lectures as well as tutorials, and turn their cell phones andother communication devices/programs off during all meeting periods. Please note theassignment deadlines when planning vacations and trips. Students who will be absent on duedates are expected to submit the assignment before they leave or make arrangements to have theassignment delivered to the correct location on the date due. (See details below in Requirementsfor All Assignment Submissions.)

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There is no single text for the course: understanding of the course content and themes will besolely dependant on students’ comprehension of the assigned materials, their use of criticalthinking skills, and their meaningful participation in class discussions, based on lectures,assigned materials, course and tutorial discussions, guest speakers, and the viewing of / listeningto scheduled materials. This means that regular attendance to lectures and tutorials is crucial,and required.

Students should keep the rough notes and drafts of all assignments as well as a duplicatecopy of each assignment that they submit (including a copy of all elements of the CriticalPortfolio) until they receive their final grades. This is especially crucial of work done on acomputer: please be sure to regularly back up on some other format all assignments that you keepon a computer hard drive to ensure that you always have a copy of the assignment to submit intime to meet the due date in the event of a computer failure. If you are using the computers atYork, email your work to yourself to ensure that you always have a copy.

Students With Special Needs

All efforts are made to accommodate students with special needs. Please speak with the CourseDirector and with your tutorial instructor with all of your concerns. See “Important CourseInformation for Students” at the end of the syllabus.

Requirements for Participation

As there is no exam in this course it is essential that students cover the required materials eachweek before coming to class and be prepared to engage with them during class. Attendancealone will not ensure a passing participation grade. Successful class participation includesregular attendance, completion of course and tutorial materials as assigned, demonstrated criticalunderstanding of the course themes and materials, and consistent and meaningful involvement inclass discussions and activities. The participation grade also requires students to provide proofof achieving a score of 100% on York's Academic Integrity on-line tutorial (details below). Yourtutorial instructors will also have particular requirements for participation in their tutorials.

Assistance With Writing AssignmentsLAPS Writing Department: http://www.yorku.ca/laps/writ/

This course emphasizes critical reading, thinking and writing skills, and students will beevaluated accordingly. York has excellent resources for helping students with essay writing. TheLAPS Writing Department is situated in Ross S311: phone 736-5134 for information andappointments. Please note: appointments with the writing centre fill up very quickly so that theycannot accommodate last-minute requests for assistance. Be sure to book your appointment wellin advance of assignment deadlines.

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Academic Tools:

As a minimum, each student should have a good dictionary, thesaurus, and writing handbook.Humanities courses typically use the MLA system for documentation: assignments for thiscourse will require MLA documentation. In addition to the dictionary and thesaurus, studentsshould also have a stapler so that all assignments can be securely fastened prior to submission. The following texts are not required purchases for the course, but are suggestions of some textsthat students might find helpful in their academic careers.- Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: The

Modern Language Association of America, most recent edition.- Rehner, Jan. Practical Strategies for Critical Thinking. Toronto: Houghton Mifflin, most

recent edition.- Shea, Victor, and William Whitla. Foundations: Your One-stop Guide to Succeeding in

Post-Secondary Studies. Toronto: Pearson Education Canada Inc., most recent edition.

Grading, Assignment Submissions, Lateness Penalties and Missed Tests/Exams:

Assignment Submission: Proper academic performance depends on students doing their worknot only well, but on time. Accordingly, assignments for this course must be received at thebeginning of the class and on the due date specified for the assignment.

All formal writing assignments must have full and proper citations and a workscited/bibliography in MLA format; where applicable, URLs for web sites must be provided. Theymust be typed, double spaced, checked for spelling, punctuation, and grammar, and submitted inhard copy format on the due date and in the location designated, or earlier as per the instructionsof your tutorial leader. Email attachments will not be accepted for any assignments in thecourse. All informal assignments must also provide citations if work external to the course textsis used. Please be sure to staple the assignments before coming to class: pages may becomeseparated/lost from assignments that are not adequately secured. NOTE: Students shouldfamiliarize themselves with the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty (attached). Breaches of thispolicy will be treated very seriously.

Lateness Penalty & Exclusions: Assignments received later than the due date will be penalizedone-half letter grade per day (e.g., on papers that are one day late the penalty is as follows: an Abecomes B+, a C+ becomes C). Response Papers, pre-writing assignments for papers, theC.S,A. Paper, as well as the narratives and group presentations must be completed as assignedand will not be accepted after the due date. Please contact your instructor immediately viaemail if you are unable to submit any assignment on time so that they can give you instructionson how to get it to them in a timely fashion. Exceptions to the lateness penalty for valid reasonssuch as illness and compassionate grounds may be entertained by the Tutorial Instructor but willrequire supporting documentation (e.g., proper medical documentation). In case of severelyinclement weather and the cancellation of classes, please consult with your tutorial instructorimmediately about submitting work on the day following the storm.

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Submitting Assignments Outside Class Time: If the circumstances are such that you need tosubmit an assignment prior to the due date, you must first contact your instructor to determinethe place s/he requires it to be delivered. Note that Administrative Assistants in the Departmentof Humanities will not accept your assignments or date/time stamp them. DO NOT SLIPYOUR WORK UNDER/THROUGH OFFICE DOORS UNDER ANYCIRCUMSTANCES. Members of the teaching team typically share offices with numerousother instructors and have access to office space only once a week: materials left on the floorrisk being ruined by other people moving through the office and are frequently thrown in thetrash. Members of the teaching team have mailboxes in the Department of Humanities. If youmust submit work outside class time, and you have first cleared it with your instructor, please mark your name, the tutorial instructor’s name, and the course and tutorial numbers clearly on the front and deposit your work in the drop slot under the metal mailboxes acrossfrom 209 Vanier College. You should then confirm with your instructor via email that you haveleft an assignment in the mail at the Department. Please note: instructors who are notinformed via email that an assignment has been deposited in the drop-slot will take the datethat they retrieve the assignment from their mailbox to be the date that the assignment isreceived, and calculate late penalties accordingly.

Please also note that instructors may not be available to pick up late assignments after the lastlecture/tutorial of this course in the fall and winter terms. Do not put a late assignment in thedrop box until you have permission from your instructor. In some circumstances you mayhave to utilize Canada Post or another delivery service in order for you to submit a lateassignment to your instructor and limit the late penalty. If your general circumstances areexceptional (family, health), please consult with your tutorial instructor.

Please note that work submitted to your instructor is expected to meet all of the requirements ofthe assignment in order to achieve a passing grade: be sure that you have fulfilled all aspects ofthe assignment before handing in your work. Given time constraints, late papers may be returnedwith a grade only and without written comments.

Grading: The grading scheme for the course conforms to the 9-point grading system used inundergraduate programs at York (e.g., A+ = 9, A = 8, B+ - 7, C+ = 5, etc.). Assignments andtests will bear either a letter grade designation or a corresponding number grade (e.g. A+ = 90 to100, A = 80 to 90, B+ = 75 to 79, etc.) (For a full description of York grading system see theYork University Undergraduate Calendar - http://calendars.registrar.yorku.ca/pdfs/ug2004cal/calug04_5_acadinfo.pdf). Students may take alimited number of courses for degree credit on an ungraded (pass/fail) basis. For full informationon this option see Alternative Grading Option in the (LA&PS) section of the UndergraduateCalendar: (http://www.yorku.ca/laps/students/passfail.html)

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Appeals Procedures

If a student is dissatisfied with any aspect of the course, that student in the first instance shalldiscuss it with the tutorial instructor; then, if the student wishes to pursue the matter further, s/hemust meet with the course director in order to discuss the matter. If this fails to resolve theproblem, the student may then appeal to the Chair of the Department of Humanities: Professor A.Davis, Chair of the Department of Humanities, 206 Vanier College.

Requirements & Evaluation:

10 % Response Papers (5 each term.* See also “Best Of” Formal Response Paper, & CriticalThinking/Learning Portfolio, below)

10% “Best Of” Formal Response Paper 15% Formal Essay drawing on 2 course texts, written in stages 5% Fantasy Narrative/Dialogue (1 oral presentation, early 2nd term, in tutorial) 3% Critical Self Analysis Paper/Discussion, completed during tutorial25% Collaborative Research Project/Presentation, multiple stages and components20% Critical Thinking/Learning Portfolio (multiple stages: this is comprehensive, spanning the

full 7 months of the course)** Note: one component of the Critical Portfolio includes the10 original Response

Papers completed throughout the year as per RP assignment requirements. SeeRP Assignment for Details.

12% Participation (this is not an online or correspondence course - regular attendance for theentirety of each class is required. See Requirements for Participation above for details)A score of 100% on the Academic Integrity On-line Tutorial is also required as partof your participation grade. The tutorial is available athttp://www.yorku.ca/tutorial/academic_integrity/index.html and can be taken as manytimes as needed to obtain a score of 100%. Proof of your 100% score must be submittedto your tutorial instructor no later than Week 4. Assignment grades will not be releaseduntil the proof of this score has been submitted to the instructor.

*Note A RP that is in violation of Academic Integrity policies may not be redone or made-up,so that the student forfeits the grade for one of the RPs due that term in addition to thepenalties meted-out by the Department. This means that if a RP is found in violation thestudent may get credit for a maximum of only 4/5 RPs due that term. Moreover, inaddition to other sanctions, a penalty of AT LEAST one half-letter grade will bededucted from the grade earned on the Critical Thinking/Learning Portfolio.

Essay Award (in addition to those offered by York)

Dylan Zamara Fantasy Award - This is an in-course award created in the 2004-2005 academicyear in memory of a student enrolled in the course who died, tragically, in the fall term of thatyear. Tutorial instructors may bring to the teaching team one paper per tutorial from among theessays submitted by Fine Arts students for the second essay assignment and they will be

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considered for the Zamara award along with the pool of essays already eligible for the Faculty ofArts awards. A fifty dollar award goes to the student whose essay the teaching team choosesfrom these papers. Should there be no essays nominated for this prize, the distribution of theZamara award is up to the discretion of the course director.

Required Texts / Materials in Addition to Those Posted on Moodle (alphabetical order;please try to get the same edition)Additional materials may be assigned or recommended during the course. - Alexie, Sherman. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. New York: Harper

Collins, most recent edition. Print.- Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. New

York: Oxford UP, most recent edition. Print.- Gaiman, Neil. Sandman: Fables & Reflections v. 6. New York: D.C. Comics, Vertigo,

most recent edition. Print.- Ozeki, Ruth L. My Year of Meats. Toronto: Penguin, most recent edition. Print.- Rowley, Sherry, ed. Humanities 1625 Course Kit. Toronto: York University Bookstore,

most recent edition. Print. (Available only at Yorklanes Bookstore)- Sawyer, Robert J. Watch. Toronto: Penguin, most recent edition. Print.

Required Visual Materials (all will be shown during lecture period)Additional materials may be assigned or recommended during the course.

Films (in alphabetical order and may change without notice):Bowling for Columbine (119 min.) Streamed via SMILIntersexuality (24 min.) DVD 3926Pink Floyd The Wall (95 min.) Streamed via SMILPrincess Bride (98 min.)

Visuals (may change without notice):Sections marked as Visuals and Films on the syllabus will be shown in lecture. However, unlikethe films, Visuals may not be available for viewing outside of the lecture presentation.Tutorials may also include visual presentations at the discretion on the instructor. All areconsidered required viewing material for the course.

Course Outline

ESTABLISHING DOMINANT FANTASIES OF THE WEST

Myths and Metaphors

Week 1 No lecture - tutorials begin meeting Thurs. Sept. 8

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Week 2 IntroductionSept. 13 On Developing Lexicons, Survival Strategies, Mapping the Syllabus, and Setting

Goals

Week 3 Cartography of Fantasy: On Maps, Exploration, "Discoveries" and "the West"Sept. 20 Required Materials (@29 pp):

Kit - White, "Castor the Beaver" (bestiary entry)Kit - Ellison, "Incognita, Inc." (Short story)Kit - Borges, "Of Exactitude in Science." (Poem)Kit - Polo, excerpts from Chapters 61, 21, and "The Kingdom of Kerman."

(Travel Writing)Kit - Columbus, "The Breast of Paradise" and "New World Rhapsodies"

(Travel Journals)Moodle - Barry, on liking and not liking, excerpt from Syllabus: Notes From

An Accidental ProfessorMoodle - Barry, on practice & repetition, excerpt from Syllabus: Notes From

An Accidental ProfessorVisuals - Maps

Week 4 Cultivating Fantasy: The "Nature" of Gardens, Labyrinths and the “Local”Sept. 27 Required Materials (@ 24 pp):

Kit - Fisher and Gerster, excerpt from The Art of the Maze (Gardening)Kit - Wharton, “The Paper-Thin Garden” (Short story)Kit - Borges, "The Garden of Forking Paths." (Short story)Kit - Vega, excerpt from The Incas: The Royal Commentaries of the

Inca (History)Kit - Schultz, excerpts from A Man's Turf: The Perfect Lawn (Gardening)

*need only read top shaded sectionsKit - Lippard, excerpt from The Lure of the Local (Art)Kit - Calvino, “Cities & Memory 3"Kit - Calvino, “Cities & Desire 4"Visuals - "Nature" and Labyrinths

Assignment Due at the beginning of tutorial this week:- Last day to submit proof of 100% score on Academic Integrity On-line Tutorial.

PRIMARY AND ALTERNATIVE WORLDS

Week 5 Dodgson’s Creations & "Reading" Fantastic Frameworks Oct. 4 Required Materials (both books @245 pp):

Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass (both)ASSIGNMENT REMINDER: Last Day to Submit 1st Response Paper in Tutorial

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Oct. 10 Thanksgiving

Week 6 Living Myths: Ireland & The Realms of FaerieOct. 11 Required Materials (@21 pp. myth & articles):

Kit - Gregory, “The Coming of the Tuatha de Danaan: The Fight with the Firbolgs”

Kit - O’Grady, “from The Story of Eochaid’s Sons”Kit - Stokes, “Ard Macha,” Edinburgh Dinnshenchas Kit - Stokes, “Emain Macha,” Revue CeltiqueKit - Gregory, "His Call To Bran"Kit - Briggs, "Badb," "Banshee" and "Baobhan Sith"Kit - Wilde, "Fairy Rath" and various accounts of BansheesKit - MacManus, "Alterations in Paddy Baine's House" and Photo #6Visuals - Realms of the Sidhe

Week 7 The Power of Words and ImagesOct. 18 “Seeing” Visual Materials

Required Materials (@44 pp):Kit - Hitler, “Tactics and Techniques” Kit - Cohn, “Sex and Death...” (Science: Article)Kit - Doxtator, excerpts from Fluffs and Feathers (Museum exhibit guide)Kit - Poynor, "First Things First: A Brief History" (Article: advertising)Kit - "True-Cost Design." (Article: advertising)Kit - “Are You Losing the Battle of the Mind?” (Puzzle: advertising)

* please consult the colour version available on the course website Moodle - "Why the English Language Is Such a Joy to Learn" and “Design

Interventions”Visuals - Propaganda & Advertising

* Note: Wed. Oct. 19 is the last day to enroll in a course with the Course Director's permission.

Week 8 Storytelling and Tolkien's “Literary Belief”Oct. 25 Required Materials:

Film - The Princess Bride (& available SMIL streaming)Assignment Due at the beginning of LECTURE this week:- “Best Of” Formal Response Paper (10%) Note: Fall Reading Days: Oct. 27-Oct. 30 Thursday & Friday tutorials will not meet.NOTE Tuesday’s lecture/tutorial & Wednesday’s tutorial WILL be held

Week 9 Fantasies of Science: On Science, Speculative/Science Fictions andUtopias/Dystopias

Nov. 1 Required Materials (@30 pp. short stories):Kit - Millhauser, “The Disappearance of Elaine Coleman”

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Kit - LeGuin, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” Kit - LeGuin, “She Unnames Them” Kit - Gaiman, "Babycakes" (Short story)

Week 10 Fantastic Visions, Pathology, and Re-Membering Ourselves: Nov. 8 Required Materials (@28 pp):

Kit - Griffin, selections from Woman and Nature (Women's Studies: Prose History) * A Link to notes for Griffin’s p. 31 are on Moodle at Griffin notes p. 31.

Kit - Hughes, selections from Still Sane (Art guide) Kit - Blackbridge and Gilhooly, selections from Still Sane (Art guide)Kit - Borges, "Mirrors" (Poem)Kit - Borges, "Tale of the Two Dreamers" (Short story)Kit - Gaiman, "Sweeper of Dreams" (Short story)Kit - Joseph, “Warning” (Poem)Kit - Kipling, “If” (Poem)Moodle - Sousanis, excerpt from comic UnflatteningVisuals - Fantastic Visions, the Divine, and the Healing Power of Fantasy

Assignment Due at the beginning of tutorial this week:- Formal Essay Stage 1 (5%)

THE QUEST(S)

Week 11 Political and Religious Quests, and Thinking ContextuallyNov. 15 Required Materials (@27 pp):

Kit - White, selections from The Once and Future King (Fiction)Kit - Twain, “The War Prayer”Kit - LeGuin, "The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction" (Essay)Visuals - King Arthur

Week 12 Resisting North American Fantasies:Nov. 22 Analysing Fiction & Reading Fiction as Theory

Required Materials (@272 pp):Alexie, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven

Week 13 “Experiencing the World ‘Otherwise'”And The Quest for Fantastic Forms, Spaces & Images

Nov. 29 Required Materials (@ 41 pp.):Kit - Tammet, “Blue Nines and Red Words” (Autobiography)Kit - Lennon, “‘Be Were Wolf of Limitations,’ or ...’The Spirit of Boogie

Be Upon You’” (Poem)

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Visuals - Gargoyles and Grotesques, Frank Lloyd Wright, & Antoni GaudíAssignment Due at the beginning of tutorial this week: - Formal Essay (10%)Note: Assignment grades will not be released until the proof of 100% score on the AcademicIntegrity Tutorial (as per Requirements & Evaluation above) has been submitted to theinstructor.

Week 14 No lecture or tutorials (last class Fall Term is Monday)

Fall Exam Period & December Break There is no exam for this course

Week 15 No lecture - tutorials begin meeting Thurs. Jan. 5

Week 16 Being Human: Quests for Identity and ResistanceJan. 10 Required Materials (417 pp):

Sawyer, Watch

Week 17 Oh, Canada Jan. 17 Required Materials (@ 56 pp)

Kit - MacEwen, “Terror and Erebus” (Poem)Kit - Carr, Excerpt from Hundreds and Thousands (Journal)Kit - excerpts from Brown, ed. The Illustrated History of Canada.Kit - Connor, “A Strike on the Railroad” (Short Story)Kit - Godsell, “Tangled Trails” (Short Story)Kit - Steele, Chapter IV from Spirit-of-Iron (Manitou-pewabic): An

Authentic Novel of the North-West Mounted Police.Kit - Gzowski, Excerpt from “Hockey Was Us” (Article)

Assignment Due at the beginning of tutorial this week: - Fantasy Narrative/Dialogue (5%) Surnames A-* this week * to be determined by tutorial instructor.

Week 18 Cultural & Romantic QuestsJan. 24 More on Thinking Contextually

Required Materials (@50 pp. fairy tales):Kit - Grimm & Grimm, "Cinderella," and "Snow White"Kit - Jacobs, "Jack and the Beanstalk"Kit - Hopkinson, "Precious"Kit - Sherman, "Carabosse"Kit - Arnason, "The Grammarian's Five Daughters”Kit - Gould, “X: A Fabulous Child’s Story”Visuals - On the Faerie

Assignment Due at the beginning of tutorial this week:

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- Fantasy Narrative/Dialogue (5%) Surnames *-Z this week * to be determined by tutorial instructor

BOUNDARIES, MARGINS AND LIMINAL SPACES

Week 19 Who/Where are the Margins I?: Body Image and Sexual Identity/FulfilmentJan. 31 Required Materials (@40 pp)

**Please note: this week you are responsible to do the readings from the coursekit AS WELL AS to choose one more story from the 4 that are posted on Moodlethis week (see list below). Students who are uncomfortable with more explicitdepictions of sex should chose the Moore excerpt.Kit - Steward, “Coyote and Tehoma” (Poem)Kit - Lucretius, "The Proper Position for Women 60 B.C." (Treatise)Kit - Andrews, "Deaf Mute?" (Poem)Kit - Allende, selection from Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses (Prose:

cookbook)Kit - Omosupe, “In Magazines (I Found Specimens...)” (Poem)Kit - Pitts, excerpt on "Subversive Bodies" (Essay)ON MOODLE: choose one

- Moore, excerpt from A Warrior's Way (Romance)- Lee, "Wolfed" (Fantasy)- Masterton, "The Secret Shih Tan" (Fantasy)- Sherman, "The Faerie Cony-catcher" (Fantasy)

Visuals - Relation(s) of Bodies & IdentitiesFilm - Intersexuality DVD 3926 (not available streaming)

Assignment Due at the beginning of Tutorial of this week: - Collaborative Research Project/Presentation Group Topic Report

Week 20 Who/Where are the Margins II?: Outsiders, Outlaws & HeroesFeb. 7 Revisiting the “Who Benefits?” Questions

Required Materials (@ 19 pp):Kit - Truth, “I Suppose...” (Speech)Kit - Gage, “Reminiscences of Sojourner Truth” (Historic document)Kit - Stephens, Excerpts from Wild Women (Biography)Visuals - Heroes, Outsiders & Outlaws

*Note: Feb. 10 is the last day to drop a full year course without the grade appearing on yourtranscript.

HORROR

Week 21 Dominant Fantasies Across Cultures & Thinking About MonstersFeb. 14 Required Materials:

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Film - Bowling for Columbine Assignment Due at the beginning of tutorial this week: - Collaborative Research Project/ Presentation Individual Topic Report & Ann. Bib. (10%)

Reading Week

Week 22 The Personal Is Political:Feb. 28 On Power and Acts of Subversion/Resistance

Required Materials (@362 pp):Ozeki, My Year of Meats

Week 23 Revisiting The Faerie & Failures of ImaginationMarch 7 Required Materials (@ 8 pp):

Kit - Schanoes, “Rats” (interstitial tale)Assignment Due at the beginning of tutorial:- Critical Self Analysis Paper/Discussion, completed during tutorial (3%)

Week 24 On Pushing Beyond BoundariesMarch 14 Required Materials (@ 263 pp):

Gaiman, The Sandman: Fables & Reflections Vol. 6. (Graphic Novel)

Week 25 "Living" Dominant FantasiesMarch 21 Required Materials:

Film - Pink Floyd The Wall Assignment Due at the beginning of tutorial:- Collaborative Research Project Presentations (15%)

Week 26 The "Darkness" of the Mind: On Exploring Perspectives and Unveiling Our Monsters

March 28 Required Materials (@30 pp):Kit - Poe, “The House of Usher” (Short story)Kit - King, “Suffer the Little Children” (Short story)Kit - LeGuin, “The Wife’s Story” (Short story)

Assignments Due in tutorial this week: -- Collaborative Research Project/Presentation Evaluations Note for Assignments: - Students who wish to do a RP for the materials on Week 27 MUST submit it this week.

REVISITING SOME FANTASIES OF THE CONTEMPORARY WEST

Week 27 The “Nature” of Fantasy & More Failures Of ImaginationApril 4 Critical Theory and Praxis

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Required Materials (@17 pp):Kit - McKibben, excerpt from The End of Nature (Environmental)Kit - Haraway, excerpt from Primate Visions: Gender, Race and Nature in

the World of Modern Science (Anthropology)Kit - “A Summary of the World” (Population/Distribution Chart)

Assignment Due at the beginning of LECTURE this week: ** consult with your T.A. toconfirm - Critical Thinking/Learning Portfolio (20%)

Exam Period April 7-24 There is no final exam in this course.

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S. Rowley 2016

“Who Benefits?” Questions

Who defines what the culture understands to be “reality”?

Whose “reality” is being represented?

Who/what is absent/disappeared, marginalized or set in opposition?

To whom is this being told?

What are the core assumptions?

What is Nature and “natural”?

What is "human"?

What are the survival strategies?

Who benefits from this telling? What are the benefits?

At what/whose expense?

How/Could this story be told otherwise?

How do the absent/disappeared/marginalized define themselves?

What are the models/formulae for change? Who manifests it?

Who benefits from these changes?

How does this relate to my own experiences?

What powers do I have to effect change?

How/does this move me to change my thinking/acting/world?

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Sherry Rowley 2016

Setting Goals for the Course

1. For content goals of the course and theoretical issues/abstract concepts that are central to

the course, see course description.

2. Critical skills students will need in order to facilitate their learning of the course content:

- "reading" skills ("reading" applies to all media)

- comprehension

(a) ability to recognize the context in which author is located (including the

intended audience)

(b) ability to identify and appreciate the theory, perspective, or diversity of

perspectives in the materials(s), taking care to "listen" for issues of tone

and to suspend/reserve judgement where necessary

(c) ability to identify assumptions and value systems in the material(s) as well

as their implications (See the "Who Benefits?" Questions)

(d) ability to identify theory when it is present in fiction and other materials

that are not non-fiction texts

(e) ability to trace the development of the concept/theory/argument

(f) ability to paraphrase/summarize clearly the ideas in the material(s)

- analysis

(a) ability to appreciate interdisciplinary materials and to integrate an

interdisciplinary approach into your own methods of analyses

(b) ability to connect theoretical issues with required sources and concrete

situations from the world around you

(c) ability to develop questioning strategies and to generate ideas for

consideration/discussion

(d) ability to synthesize perspectives/theories and ideas that you have

developed about the materials into an intellectual position that you can

assert and support

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- appropriate use of the materials as evidence

(a) ability to assess the value of an idea, procedure, theory

(b) ability to recognize the contextual element of the evidence/idea being used

and to treat it appropriately

- writing skills

(a) ability to put above tools to work in own writing

(b) ability to master formal writing skills

- listening skills

(a) ability to adapt above critical skills (see also Developing Critical Discussion

Skills) and to “attend closely” with patience, respect, and an expectation to

receive knowledge. (Ricou 347-8)

- speaking skills

(a) ability to adapt above critical skills (see also Developing Critical Discussion

Skills) in articulating your perspective/story

- reflexive skills

(a) ability to develop an awareness of your own location(s)/perspective(s) with

respect to the materials/discussion (see also "Who Benefits?" Questions)

(b) ability to recognize issues of cognitive dissonance(s) and to consider potential

praxis(es)

3. Attitudes students are being encouraged to develop in the course:

- respect

- open-mindedness

- responsibility and accountability for your own beliefs and statements

- responsibility for your role in and activities in the collaborative project as well as in

all other work with students in the class

- awareness of class dynamics and of your role in them

- recognition of your own perspective and willingness to reframe a problem in the

context of a different perspective

- ability to delay judgement/reaction

- intellectual curiosity and appreciation of academic discourse

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- appreciation of the subject/discipline

- enthusiasm for the course & seminar sessions

4. Goals I have set myself for this course:

- make more efficient use of my time

- refine positive constructive feedback systems for students' work

- find new ways to challenge students to be more self-directed and to make the

classroom more student-directed

- continue in development of anti-discriminatory pedagogy

- continue to develop teaching strategies that cover the 4 learning styles

- to learn with/from the class

5. To be Completed by Students:

- what do you hope to learn in this course?

- what skills do you wish to develop?

- what do you perceive to be your role and responsibility in the classroom as a student?

- what do you expect from the seminar sessions? from other students?

- what are your fears about the course? the sessions? Me?

- are there any other issues/concerns you want addressed?

With thanks to Jan Rehner and John Spencer and their "Course Design" handout from theTwelfth Annual Conference on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Toronto: YorkUniversity, June 20-23, 1992. Print.

Ricou, Laurie. “Out of the Field Guide: Teaching Habitat Studies.” The BioregionalImagination: Literature, Ecology, and Place. Ed. Tom Lynch, Cheryll Glotfelty, and KarlaArmbruster. Athens: U Georgia, 2012. 347-364. Print.

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Developing Critical Discussion Skills

Some Diversities of Thinkers(based on Myers-Briggs as explored by John C. Bean Engaging Ideas (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1996), 161-163.

Extroverts: - think through ideas/issues by discussing it with others- typically vocal & may shift/redevelop perspectives/arguments throughout

discussion

Introverts: - think through ideas/issues privately- typically listen & are not comfortable with participating in group

discussion until own perspective developed- thought process valuable & they should be gently encouraged to discuss

ideas

Perceivers: - want to talk through all possible perspectives and resist early closure

Judgers: - reach decisions rapidly and can be impatient if feels that others are"talking an issue to death"- may interpret discussion as indecision rather than cautious reflection

Gender Socialization in the West

Men - generally socialized to making decisions based on abstract rigorousapplication of principles

- studies reveal they typically take more time/space in discussion thanwomen

Women - generally socialized to be more concerned with interpersonal dimensionsof decisions

Cultural Dimensions/Diversity

People educated primarily in Western cultures, particularly North American cultures, sometimesstate their points/ideas/desires in ways that are considered rude and/or problematic in othercultures (e.g., bluntness may be considered rude in some cultures, pointing may be consideredrude in some cultures). Microaggressions are sometimes also problematic, especially withrespect to race, gender, and sexuality.

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Some Problematic Responses To Consider

Egothink - when members of a class express their own opinions loudly and inflexiblywith no attempt to take the ideas to another point/level of understanding

Clonethink - when members of a class agree with the first view expressed with noattempt to discuss/explore it and see if it can be taken further

Some Helpful Points About Responses

Active Listening- listen – to hear – the complete issue/point before expressing support, elaboration or

disagreement- ask yourself

- can I accurately summarize the argument/point?- is there some aspect of this perspective that is outside of my experience and might

that be a crucial element in understanding the complexities of this position?- what do I need in order to clarify my understanding?

- don’t hesitate to raise questions to assist you in clarifying the issue/point before raisingpoints that elaborate it, shift it, or express disagreement with it

- once you understand the point, jump into the discussion and share your perspective!

Disagreement / Conflicting IdeasRemember, disagreement is positive and creative provided it does not include hurtful andoppressive dynamics/behaviours. The key, if possible, is to move to a synthesis of ideas thatboth address the conflicting positions and creates something deeper and more accountable to theoriginal task/question, not to compromise to some point that is ineffective and unaccountable toit.

Suspending Judgement, Locals, and Self-AwarenessConsider the ways in which the critical skills of the course might help us better understand eachother and our diversity of perspectives. Consider, especially, your own local(s) & context, howthese might inform the language and perspectives that you bring to a discussion. Be open tochange.

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Planning Your Essay S. Rowley

Overall Concerns

Be sure to follow all assignment instructions.

Be sure to ground your work in the themes and lexicon of the course so that you do not write anEnglish Essay, a Social Science Essay or an History Essay for this course.

Be sure to ground your work in the source texts. The texts must be used to support yourarguments. Do not, however, include lengthy plot summaries.

Creating the Outline

- Begin with creative play: create and record as many ideas as you can about potential thesesand arguments arising from the source materials, even those that may seem a bit outlandish.

- Sort those ideas into patterns

- Look for the most solid and promising ones

- Try to develop at least two working theses from these patterns to ensure the most flexibility.(Remember, the thesis is the main overarching point or position that you wish to establishwith your essay.)** BE SURE to ground the thesis in the themes/issues of the course- Ask the "So What? Questions": So what is significant about this thesis? So what does it

suggest about or add to the themes/issues of the course? So what might we be moved tothink/do in the face of this position, and is our response to this position to cheer or jeer?So what might the answer to this question do to help you to improve the thesis? So whathave you done to move your analysis beyond what has already been discussed in lecturesand tutorials?

- Organize the ideas according to those that will supply the strongest support for each thesis.As you make links to the source texts, be sure to note page numbers where there is supportingevidence for the ideas. Remember that direct quotations are not the only places where acitation should be included. Citations must also accompany all sections in which youparaphrase the ideas/words of another, as well as all references to specific incidents andevents in the texts.

- Choose and then revise the one working thesis that will provide the strongest mainoverarching point and that can be most successfully accommodated by your arguments

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** DON’T try to jam your thesis into one sentence. This is university, and you will behaving ideas that may be too complex to articulate clearly in one sentence. Complex positionsoften require several sentences to convey the point clearly and adequately**** DON’T bold, highlight, italicize, or underline your thesis, or set it apart in theintroduction and/or on the cover page, unless the assignment or your instructor requires it.This is not acceptable formal writing. Moreover, if you need to highlight the thesis to be surethat the reader finds it, it is a weak thesis and should be reworked.

- Revisit your notes for both theses, and make a final selection of those arguments that aremost suitable to support the final thesis and that can be supported by evidence from thesource materials.

- Include, in the thesis, a sentence or two that identifies the texts that you that you will use anda brief reference to the arguments that you will make in the paper.

- Reject those arguments that are not strong. Remember, you can put them in your portfolio if

rejecting them feels like you are "killing your children": think of it as simply moving yourgood ideas to another room in the house.

- Keep in mind the size requirements of the paper when making the final selection ofarguments (e.g., for a 5-6 page essay, 3 solid arguments are all that can probably be welldeveloped in the space allowed).

- Develop a working conclusion: it should bring you full circle to the thesis but not repeat itverbatim. Do not simply copy and paste the introduction into the conclusion - theintroduction does not do the work required of a conclusion. Moreover, copying and pastingwill also replicate any problems so that you have now doubled the errors.*** CAUTION - do not introduce a completely new point in the conclusion that has no priorexplicit discussion/support in the essay. That brilliant point that you have come to as you getto the end of your conclusion is probably your thesis. Go back and revise the thesis andarguments accordingly to include it

- Be prepared to revise your thesis several times throughout the entire process – even up to thevery end if need be.

Please Note: You are expected to make changes to your thesis to make it stronger and/or toaddress the comments made by your instructor on the Stage 1 assignment. However, if you wantto make any substantive changes AFTER Stage 1 has been returned you must have yourinstructor's permission, confirmed via email, no later than 1 week before the final essay is due.Essays with a completely different theme and/or different texts submitted without confirmationof obtaining permission for such changes will not be accepted and the grade for the essay will bean F.