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NOTE: This course is obligatory for first-semester students in the BA Amerikanistik.
It is organized as a "Blockseminar", i.e. it takes place on two full days. There are two dates you can choose from: either October 27 and 28 (Friday and Saturday), OR November 17 and November 24 (two Fridays). We will meet in room 1085 in the main building from 10:15 to 17:45 on each of the days. You do not have to register for the course. Diversity is a central feature of US American literature and culture – but how can we engage with this in an appropriate way, given that such diversity is organized through social hierarchies such as racism, sexism, classism, ableism, cis- and heterosexism, and that we are ourselves part of such hierarchies as well? And what does all of this have to do with the manner in which knowledge is produced in the university, in American Studies in particular? Which role does language play in reproducing and contesting social hierarchies? How do our diverse experiences shape the way we approach and understand the material we engage with? How can we contribute to making this a learning environment that is productive for people of different genders, sexual orientation, abilities, class, ethnic and racial positions? These are some of the questions we will discuss in this course.
To prepare for the course, please read either the excerpt from Julian Carter's The Heart of Whiteness or the one from Robin DiAngelo's What Does It Mean to Be White? Please highlight one sentence that you think is particularly important and be prepared to read it aloud in class. The texts are available on the electronic platform Moodle (password: "start") or in the office of Sigrid Venuß, room 3011a, main building.
Room 1085 is located on the ground floor in the west wing of the main building. When you enter from the courtyard (through the same entrance that leads to Café Wilhelmine), it's the first door to the right.
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