IRISH CULTURE, HISTORY, AND LITERATURE: A TRAVELING EXPERIENCE. H425, L388 - Spring 2015

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1 IRISH CULTURE, HISTORY, AND LITERATURE: A TRAVELING EXPERIENCE H425, L388 - Spring 2015 Dr. Eva White Dr. Sarah Heath KO 225 KE 352 Virtual office hours: by appointment by appointment Office phone: (765) evawhite@iuk.edu saeheath@iuk.edu In urgent cases, and if you are unable to reach either of us, please contact one of the administrative assistants: Humanities secretary: Susan Wilson swilson@iuk.edu ( ) History/Political Science secretary: Diane Stout dstout@iuk.edu ( ) COURSE DESCRIPTION This team-taught, interdisciplinary course will offer an overview of Irish historical and literary themes, including Irish national, cultural, and political identity; the relations sustained by people of Irish heritage worldwide; and a sweeping survey of Irish literature and history. To foster an interdisciplinary experience, both faculty members will participate in all meetings of this course. This upper-division course requires a 9-day trip to Ireland (May 20-29, 2015). It will consider several important and interrelated questions, such as: in what ways did Irish history change over time? How does Irish literature reflect its national, political, and cultural identity? How does visiting the cultural, historic, and literary sites in Ireland enhance your understanding of the assigned materials in this course? COURSE GOALS Upon completion of this course, students will: 1. Experience international travel and its attendant cultural diversity; 2. Gain an understanding of the history and development of Ireland from its ancient past through the modern Irish republic. 3. Increase their familiarity with Irish culture and identity first-hand; 4. Be familiar with some of the critical and theoretical approaches that have been applied to a few of these texts in order to understand the influence of historical, economic and cultural processes on Irish identity; 1

2 5. Understand the relationship that literary texts and music have with their respective cultural and historical contexts and the way in which they inter-connect; 6. Use close reading, critical thinking, and writing skills appropriate for scholarly discourse; and 7. Be able to use citation skills appropriate to the discipline for which students enrolled (MLA format for Literature students, Turabian format for History students see writing resource on Oncourse for guidelines). 8. Conform to Indiana University expectations regarding travel etiquette and cultural sensitivity. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Analyze and discuss literary, historical, and other cultural sources relative to the history of Ireland or the United States and Irish identity in the early twentieth century. 2. Synthesize the contextual information, literary, cultural, and historical data provided for each set of assigned readings and use these in forum essay posts in the appropriate format (MLA citations for students enrolled in L388; Turabian citations for students enrolled in H425). 3. Make connections between the different cultures, classes, and national identities expressed in literary, cultural, and historical sources. 4. Connect the different novels and characters (both historical and fictional) to the culture and identity in Ireland. 5. Experience international travel to Ireland. 6. Write academic papers about the interrelated topics of history, literature, culture, and identity (using either Turabian or MLA citation format) as they relate to literary, cultural, and historical sources for the specified periods of time. TEXTBOOKS 1. Maureeen O Rourke Murphy and James MacKillop, An Irish Literature Reader: Poetry, Prose, Drama (2006) (ISBN ) also as e-book: e_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false 2. Thomas Bartlett, Ireland: A History (2011) (ISBN ) 3. Additional items assigned in Oncourse Resources. ASSESSMENT 2

3 You are being graded on several different objectives that need to be demonstrated in each of the written assignments for the class: mastery of facts concerning Irish historical, literary, and cultural sources; your ability to construct and present an insightful argument about those facts; your ability to document sources accurately using either the MLA citation method (L388) or the Chicago/Turabian citation method (H425); your ability to integrate both historical and literary sources in written assignments; clarity of written expression; and a demonstrated competence at evaluating and analyzing what historical, literary, journalistic, and other sources that help support your argument. Assignments Three short essays (3-5 pages each) in the form of a discussion that integrates literature and history with a clear thesis and thorough analysis of the topic with a minimum of 4 sources. Omagh in-class debate: The discussion will be graded based upon your ability to refer to specific assigned sources relating to the Omagh bombing and to your ability to contribute substantially to the discussion. Post-trip reflective project (5-8 pages): Active participation in all components of the trip is required. The grade for this assignment includes not only the written project, but the student s conduct and engagement during the trip. The essay will compare 5 sites that we visited during the trip to Ireland to the relevant assigned historical and literary course materials. Please answer the following questions: How did the physical visits to the sites reinforce what you learned in the course materials? What new insights, in terms of the connections between the history and literature of Ireland and the actual experience of the country, did you have as a result of the trip? Please dedicate about one page per site, ensuring that you refer both to literature and historical course materials for each site and that you use 10 sources. Participation/Attendance: You are expected to be prepared for all class meetings before and during the trip and to demonstrate a serious engagement with the course and the trip activities. Travel etiquette and expectations: During the trip to Ireland students will be representing not only themselves, but also the group and Indiana University. Each student s attitude and actions will reflect on all of us. Students will be required to follow the trip rules and comport themselves at all times in a mature, responsible and culturally sensitive manner. This does not mean that we can t have fun but it does mean that we will not be ugly Americans. In class we will discuss travel etiquette, professionalism and cultural sensitivity. In addition, participants will be expected to walk between three and five hours a day. They will be instructed to wear comfortable walking shoes and to dress appropriately for moderate but sustained physical activity as well as for Irish weather. Details about these factors will be provided during orientation. 3

4 Failure to follow the IUK Student Conduct Code and the statement of travel etiquette might result in the student s immediate repatriation (at the student s cost), and failure of the course. Course grades will be computed as follows*: Short essays (3 at 15% each) 45% Omagh in-class debate: 10% Post-trip reflective project 30% Participation/Travel Etiquette 15% * Please note that failure to participate in the travel component and its scheduled activities will result in an automatic deduction of 30% of the course s final grade. In addition, money for travel will not be reimbursed, except in case of documented extreme circumstances. Any assignment not completed will receive a grade of zero. Grades will be posted to the Oncourse Gradebook when they are available. All graded materials will follow this distribution: A B C D F A B C D A B C D F < 59 A B C D Day to day we will take turns lecturing. Come to class prepared to talk about both history and lit COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES *Students are expected to adhere to the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct at all times. Any inappropriate behavior, disruptive conduct (e.g., talking/laughing/joking; frequent or excessive interruption; using cell phone/text messaging; sleeping; playing on computers), or non-compliance with faculty directions can result in a charge of Academic and/or Personal Misconduct, the consequence of which could be a variety of sanctions either from the instructor or the Dean of Students. * We will give consideration of legitimate excuses for missing classes (including, but not isolated to medical emergencies, death in the family, military duty, or athletics), and students should always strive to keep instructors notified in the event of emergencies. However, failure to attend class consistently or to turn in required assignments can affect your course grade. 4

5 * No late or makeup work will be accepted or graded unless you provide documentation of an excuse and make arrangements for prompt completion of the work in question. You will have one week after your return to provide documentation and to schedule any make up assignments; if you don t, then a grade of zero will be assigned for that work. * There will be no extra credit offered in this class. * If you want any help in this class, we are best able to help you by communicating directly. In most cases, students enrolled for English (L388) should communicate with Dr. White and students enrolled for History (H425) should communicate with Dr. Heath about any challenges they are facing. Be proactive; tell the instructors if you are concerned about your grade so we can help you improve. * It is the responsibility of the student to raise questions about any material that is not clear to them. If you do not ask questions, it is assumed that you understand all of the material that is presented to you. Students with special needs or physical requirements (including physical challenges or learning disabilities) should meet with the instructor as soon as possible to make arrangements for their particular learning and testing needs. * INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL as noted, this is a travel course that includes a 9-day trip to Ireland. The course will take place after the end of the Spring semester. All students will earn a grade of incomplete, and their final course grade will be sent to the registrar after we return and final projects are submitted. In accordance with IU Kokomo s travel guidelines, to be eligible to join us on this trip, participants will need to sign a number of required forms; they will need to hold a valid passport; and they will also be required to attend a pre-trip meeting. During the trip, failure to comply with IU Kokomo policies and our institutional code of conduct could result in a participant being sent home at his/her expense. Most importantly, the advertised itinerary does not include a number of additional costs; be sure that you plan carefully for the additional financial burdens that this trip will impose. Participants who do not fulfill the required obligations may not be permitted to travel. Travel etiquette and expectations: During the trip to Ireland students will be representing not only themselves, but also the group and Indiana University. Each student s attitude and actions will reflect on all of us. Students will be required to follow the trip rules and comport themselves at all times in a mature, responsible and culturally sensitive manner. This does not mean that we can t have fun but it does mean that we will not be ugly Americans. In class we will discuss travel etiquette, professionalism and cultural sensitivity. In addition, participants will be expected to walk between three and five hours a day. They will be instructed to wear comfortable walking shoes and to dress appropriately for moderate but sustained physical activity as well as for Irish weather. Details about these factors will be provided during orientation. * ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Presenting words or ideas that are not your own without crediting the original author is a serious offense. If you write three or more words that are not your own, use quotation marks and tell where you got those words or ideas or you could be charged with plagiarism. Students enrolled in L388 are required to use MLA citation methods; students enrolled in H425 are required to use the Turabian/Chicago method of citation for all 5

6 papers. There are resources available on Oncourse to assist you in that enterprise. Any assignment that is determined not to be the work of the student will receive a grade of zero, and the student might be subject to further disciplinary or legal action depending on the circumstances of their offense. Refer to the university catalog and the student handbook for definitions of academic dishonesty and see me if you do not understand what those terms mean. Ignorance of how plagiarism and misconduct are defined is NOT a legitimate reason to excuse unethical behavior. Indiana University policies about cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of student misconduct may be found at (especially, but not solely, pp. 7-8). COURSE HANDOUTS All students may obtain course handouts by consulting Oncourse. If you have any problems obtaining those assignments, please tell us so that we can provide you with the materials you need. READING SCHEDULE: Please complete assignments before the class for which they are scheduled. If you have any questions about the readings, please let us know BEFORE class gets started so we can be sure you understood the assignment clearly. Ireland from the Celts to the 1700s WEEK 1 INTRODUCTION: HISTORICAL AND LITERARY STYLES; HISTORY OF ANCIENT IRELAND WEEK 2 THE CELTS Read Bartlett pp Celtic mythology Read Murphy and McKillup pp Week 3 NORMAN INVASIONS Read Bartlett pp ** map quiz today Read Murphy and McKillup pp

7 Week 4 ENGLISH CONQUEST, LAND CONFISCATION Read Bartlett pp Read Murphy and McKillup pp Week 5 PROTESTANT POWER AND THE PENAL LAWS Review the Penal Laws at and be prepared to describe the differences in treatment of Catholics and Protestants Read Murphy and McKillup pp ( The Lament for Art O Leary by Eileen O Connell) Famine and Migration WEEK 6 IRELAND AND LAND TENANCY IN THE 1700S AND 1800S Read Bartlett, pp ** short essay #1 due today at the beginning of class Read Murphy and McKillup pp WEEK 7 THE GREAT FAMINE AND EMIGRATION Read Bartlett pp Read The Black Prophet: A Tale of Irish Famine by William Carleton Pick Kindle format, or Read online (this also has an audio version). Independence and the formation of a Republic WEEK 8 POST- FAMINE IRELAND AND GAELIC REVIVAL Read Bartlett pp [online newspaper articles about tenancy?] 7

8 ** short paper #2 due at the beginning of class today Read Murphy and McKillup pp ( Going into Exile by Liam O Flaherty) WEEK 9 IRISH INDEPENDENCE Read Bartlett pp The Irish Declaration of Independence Proclamation of Irish Republic ation/ and materials on the Easter Rising "available in Oncourse Resources" Read Murphy and McKillup pp WEEK 10 WEEK 11 SPRING BREAK- NO CLASS THE IRISH CIVIL WAR Read Bartlett pp Watch film adaptation of Sean O Casey s play Shadow of a Gunman WEEK 12 FORMING A NEW REPUBLIC Read Bartlett pp , Read Murphy and McKillup pp WEEK 13 IRELAND IN THE INTERWAR PERIOD Read Bartlett pp ** short paper #3 due at the beginning of class today Read Murphy and McKillup pp

9 Modern Ireland WEEK 14 THE TROUBLES Read Bartlett pp ** Omagh Debate Read Murphy and McKillup pp & WEEK 15 THE GOOD FRIDAY ACCORDS Read Bartlett Read 57% Irish by Roddy Doyle (in Resources) Pre- trip meeting!! (TBA) May travel in Ireland June 5 final reflective projects due June 8 course grades will be submitted to the Registrar 9