OPEN LEARNING: Special Topics in Women & Gender Studies Seminar: Latina Women's Voices

Special Topics in Women & Gender Studies Seminar: Latina Women's Voices

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/special-programs/sp-400-special-topics-in-women-gender-studies-seminar-latina-womens-voices-spring-2010/index.htm

Instructors:

Dr. Sarah E. King

MIT Course Number:

SP.400 / WGS.400

Level:

Undergraduate

 

ISABEL ALLENDE OFFICIAL WEBSITECourse Features

• Projects and Examples

Course Description

This course will explore the rich diversity of women's voices and experiences as reflected in writings and films by and about Latina writers, filmmakers, and artists. Through close readings, class discussions and independently researched student presentations related to each text, we will explore not only the unique, individual voice of the writer, but also the cultural, social and political contexts which inform their narratives. We will also examine the roles that gender, familial ties and social and political preoccupations play in shaping the values of the writers and the nature of the characters encountered in the texts and films.

Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Readings and Screenings

In addition to reading assignments, this course requires some viewing of assigned films. A close reading of assigned texts, as well as a fresh viewing of required films by the due date, is indispensable to class discussions and to successfully completing the course.

Class Participation and Presentations

Informed participation in class discussions is required of each student for successful completion of the course. Each student will be asked to select a topic of interest for ongoing individual research, which will form the basis of the final written project. In addition, students will engage in further research of a selected topic for their oral presentation.

Written Assignments

For each text, students will write three talking points (1 paragraph each) and/or a 2-page journal response. You should bring a hard copy of your writing to class, as it is the basis of in-class discussions. In addition, these responses should be collected by the student and handed in as a journal at the end of semester.

Grading

The major components of the course grade are:

• Readings/screenings
• Journal responses and/or talking points
• Midterm essay (4-6 pages)
• Final research paper (10 pages)
• Attendance and active participation
• Oral presentation

Calendar

Course calendar.

SES #	TOPICS/Readings/Films	KEY DATES
Introduction
1	First generation Latinas: Code-switching and storytelling
2	Mother-daughter and other kinship ties	Journal response to readings due
Coming-of-age narratives: Semi-autobiographical fiction
3	When I Was Puerto Rican	Talking points on When I Was Puerto Rican due
4	When I Was Puerto Rican, (cont.)	Journal entry on When I Was Puerto Rican due
First generation conflicts
5	Film: Real Women Have Curves	Talking points on Real Women Have Curves due
The abuela figure in Chicana experience
6	Caramelo	Talking points on Caramelo due
7	Caramelo, (cont.)	Research summary on women in the Mexican revolution due (1 page)
Border crossings
8	Caramelo, (cont.)	Journal on Caramelo due
9	Film: Quinceañera	Talking points on Quinceañera due
Roots and revolution
10	Dreaming in Cuban	Talking points on Dreaming in Cuban due
11	Dreaming in Cuban, (cont.)	Midterm essay due Juxtaposing texts (5-6 pages) due
Political voices
12	Women of Smoke: Latin American Women in Literature and Life. Film: Las Madres de La Plaza de Mayo/The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo	Research summary on Las Madres de La Plaza de Mayo due Student presentation contextualizing Las Madres de La Plaza de Mayo due
13	Film: The Official Story	Talking points on The Official Story due
Kinship and loss
14	Paula	Talking points on Paula due
15	Paula, (cont.)	Journal on Paula due
Childhood and up-rootedness
16	Paradise	Talking points on Paradise due
17	Paradise, (cont.)	Journal on Paradise due
Family sagas
18	Like Water for Chocolate	Journal on Like Water for Chocolate due
19	Individual screening: Like Water for Chocolate
Biography-writing Latina's lives
20	Individual screening: Frida	Talking points on Frida due
Contemporary Latina writers
21	Song of the Water Saints	Talking points on Song of the Water Saints due
22	Song of the Water Saints, (cont.)	Journal on Song of the Water Saints due
Other perspectives
23	Film: Sin Nombre
24	Film: Girlfight
The diverse Latina experience
25 and 26	Final project presentations

Readings

<><><> Muñoz, Susana and Lourdes Portillo. Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo/The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. Film. 1985.

Course readings.

SES #	READINGS/FILMS
Introduction
1	Moraga, Cherrie and Gloria Anzaldua. This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color. Berkeley, CA: Third Woman Press, 2002. ISBN: 9780943219226. Zamora, Daisy. Clean Slate: New & Selected Poems. Willmantic, CT: Curbstone Press, 1995. ISBN: 9781880684092
2	Cisneros, Sandra. My Wicked Wicked Ways. New York: Knopf, 1992. ISBN: 9780679418214.
Coming-of-age narratives: Semi-autobiographical fiction
3	Santiago, Esmerelda. When I Was Puerto Rican. New York, NY: Da Capo Books, 2006. ISBN: 9780306814525.
4	When I Was Puerto Rican, (cont.)
First generation conflicts
5	Cardoso, Patricia. Real Women Have Curves. DVD. HBO Home Video, 2002.
The abuela figure in Chicana experience
6	Cisneros, Sandra. Caramelo. New York, NY: Vintage Books, 2003, chapters 1-32 and chronology. ISBN: 9780679742586.
7	Caramelo, chapters 33-60
Border crossings
8	Caramelo, chapters 33-end.
9	Glatzer, Richard and Wash Westmoreland. Quinceañera. DVD. Sony Pictures Classic, 2006.
Roots and revolution
10	García, Cristina. Dreaming in Cuban. New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1993. ISBN: 9780345381439.
11	Dreaming in Cuban, (cont.)
Political voices
12	Agosin, Marjorie. Women of Smoke: Latin American Women in Literature and Life. Tucson, AZ: Imago Press, 1989. ISBN:9780887950742.
13	Puenzo, Luis. The Official Story. DVD. Historias Cinematograficas Cinemania, 1985.
Kinship and loss
14	Allende, Isabel. Paula. New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 2008. ISBN: 9780061564901.
15	Paula, (cont.)
Childhood and up-rootedness
16	Castedo, Elana. Paradise. New York, NY: Grove Press, 1995. ISBN: 9780802134271.
17	Paradise, (cont.)
Family sagas
18	Esqival, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. New York, NY: Anchor, 1005. ISBN: 9780385420174.
19	Arau, Alfonoso. Like Water for Chocolate. DVD. Arau Films International, 1993.
Biography-writing Latina's lives
20	Taymor, Julie. Frida. DVD. Miramax Films, 2002.
Contemporary Latina writers
21	Rosario, Nelly. Song of the Water Saints. Vintage Books, 2003. ISBN: 9780375725494.
22	Song of the Water Saints, (cont.)
Other perspectives
23	Fukunaga, Cary. Sin Nombre. DVD. Focus Features, 2009.
24	Kusama, Karyn. Girlfight. DVD. Independent Film Channel (IFC), 2000.
The diverse Latina experience
25 and 26	Final project presentations

Assignments

In this class, students were asked to complete talking points, journal entries, a midterm essay, and a final essay.

Talking Points

Students are expected to write one paragraph about each week's readings or films. These will be the basis of in-class discussion.

Journal Responses

The purpose of the journal is to keep a written record of your immediate reaction to the assigned readings, films, and discussions. By collecting your own thoughts about a topic or film before class discussions, the journal should help you to better formulate your ideas and articulate your opinions in class. The journal can also serve as material for writing and revising your paper later in the semester. Entries should combine both your emotional and intellectual responses to the texts or films, as well as providing the opportunity to experiment with different readings and literary methodologies. Journals are not the same as book reports, movie reviews or plot synopses.
Format:

1. Write in prose (essay) form, as opposed to note-taking, or listing.
2. Try to focus on one or two aspects of the readings that you found especially intriguing, and be specific in your discussion (signaling a key passage is preferable to summarizing or recounting the plot).
3. Experiment with asking and responding to a question that goes beyond plot and character.
4. Aim for two (three maximum) well-written, well thought-out pages (avoid lengthy citations that take up precious space).
5. Remember that journals are collected at the end of semester and that they form a substantial portion of your grade. Like all assignments, they should be your own work and rules and expectations regarding plagiarism are in full effect.

Midterm Essay-Juxtaposition of Texts

The purpose of a juxtaposition of texts is that it provides a context in which to further explore one written or visual work in relationship to another and draw some limited conclusions about each with respect to a specific issue found in both.
Using Sandra Cisneros' historical novel Caramelo, and any other assigned novel or film covered thus far in this class, explore one of the following topics:

1. The value and drawbacks of traditional Latina values versus individual goals and desires. You should look at how this conflict plays out with the main character, but also for at least one minor character.
2. The nature of any kinship tie that you see as central to both works (i.e., father-daughter, mother-daughter, grandmother-granddaughter, etc.). It might help to further juxtapose your examples with at least one counter-example in each instance—that is, if you are looking at the father-daughter kinship tie, you might contrast this with the character's mother-daughter relationship, or with the father-son relationships in the text).
3. The extent to which "biology is destiny" for characters in each text with respect to how great a role their gender (such as issues involving body/beauty/ sexuality) plays in their lives or in how they are socialized.

Your essay should be 4-5 pages, double-spaced, standard font, spell-checked and proofread. It should include a Works Consulted page (which should contain your two primary sources as well as any secondary—Internet—sources you may have used, even if you do not directly quote them).
You should avoid long plot summaries, instead referring to specific episodes or moments that best illustrate your point whenever possible, just as you should not include lengthy set-off quotes, but opt instead for "key phrases" judiciously employed, i.e., when you want to draw attention to the precise way something is said or to the writing itself.

Final Essay

The final paper provides the opportunity to further research, write about and give a presentation on a topic of your own choice related to any of the writers, texts, or films assigned throughout the semester. You may choose to look in greater depth at any of the topics we have examined or you may propose a topic that has interested you and that exists in several of the works in question. In general, you should include in your examination at least three primary sources (memoirs, novels, films—at least one of which must be a book-length written text from the second half of the semester). If you wish to include a text that we haven't read (such as one of Allende's fiction works, or the sequel to Santiago's memoir), you can write on fewer works (in consultation with me).
As a first step, write a paragraph outlining concisely what your proposed topic is, what primary sources you will use and the title and author of at least one secondary source you have found (or the topic you will be seeking further information on). Acceptable secondary sources are articles, analyses or essays (and in some cases documentary film) that provide commentary on either specific texts, writers or Latina literature broadly defined (not internet text summaries or book reviews). It also helps to give your project a working title (which may or may not change for the final version) that points clearly to what you will be discussing.
Some types of issues that you might develop a topic around are:

• Attitudes toward religion and spirituality in Allende, Santiago, and Rosario
• How class (and/or nationality) influence the voice of Castedo, Allende and Rosario
• The presence (or absence) of feminist ideology in the writing of Allende, Castedo and Garcia

Projects

The following are examples of work done by several MIT students. (Courtesy of MIT students. Used with permission.)

Talking Points

Like Water for Chocolate 1 (PDF)
Like Water for Chocolate 2 (PDF)
Caramelo 1 (PDF)
Caramelo 2 (PDF)
Frida (PDF)
Paradise 1 (PDF)
Paradise 2 (PDF)
Paradise 3 (PDF)
Paula (PDF)
Sin Nombre (PDF)
Song of the Water Saints (PDF)
When I Was Puerto Rican (PDF)

Journal Entries

Journal 1: (PDF)
Journal 2: When I Was Puerto Rican (PDF)
Journal 3: Real Women Have Curves (PDF)
Journal 4: Caramelo (PDF)
Journal 5: Dreaming in Cuban (PDF)
Journal 6: Paula (PDF)
Journal 7: Song of the Water Saints (PDF)

Midterm Essays

"Socialization of Sex in Latina Culture" (PDF)
"Balance of Values and Independence" (PDF)
"Intra-familial Relationships in Latin American Culture as represented in Caramelo and When I Was Puerto Rican." (PDF)

Final Essays

"Predetermined Social Roles and Their Effect on the Individual" (PDF)
"Portrayal of History: Looking at Political Influences in Dreaming with Cuba, Paula, and La Historia Oficial (PDF)
"Feminist Ideology Expressed in Latina Works" (PDF)

Final Presentation

"Feminist Ideology in Selected Works of Fiction" (PDF)