Instructor Information
Name: Matthew Wappett, Ph.D.
Office Hours: TTh 11-12 am or by appointment
Office Location: Center on Disabilities and Human Development, 121 West Sweet Avenue, Room 116B
Telephone: (208) 885-6144
Email address: wappett@uidaho.edu
Web: www.idahocdhd.org or http://academiamiscellania.blogspot.com/
Course Meeting Information
Meeting Dates: August 23-December 17, 2010
Day and Time: MWF 12:30-1:20
Location: TLC 023
Course Description
This course is designed to give you a good basic understanding of how disability is experienced and perceived in the modern world and to give you an introduction the field of disability and cultural studies. We will be covering a wide range of issues including the history of oppression that individuals with disabilities have experienced; the pros and cons of policies designed to equalize opportunities for individuals with disabilities; cultural representations of disability in pop culture, movies, and literature, and how these pervasive media shape and perpetuate stereotypes. We will also look at current issues in bioethics including genetic testing, abortion, growth limitation, environmental contaminants and more…but most importantly you will come to an understanding of how our body-centric culture has created you.
Course Learning Objectives
On completion of this course you will be able to:
- Understand and discuss the multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary nature of disability studies;
- Demonstrate an understanding of the intersectionality of disability, race, class, gender, and sexuality;
- Identify and critically discuss the ways in which literature, art, advertising, movies, music, and other forms of popular culture create, perpetuate, and promote stereotypes about people with disabilities;
- Understand and provide concrete examples of how the social and built environment contribute to the phenomenon of “disablement”;
- Differentiate between moral, medical, rehabilitation, and social models of disability in a complex and historically aware fashion;
- Identify and critique the political, economic, and sociocultural forces that have shaped Western society's understanding of disability;
- Understand and describe how historical events have informed social and public policy related to the phenomena of disability and difference;
- Articulate a basic understanding of the rights of people with disabilities and their families;
- Describe the implications of various conceptualizations of disability and how they relate to cultural standards of normality/ability, eugenics, mental competence, citizenship, inclusion, beauty, and strength;
- Articulate key definitions, categories, critiques, and controversies that are driving current research and scholarship in disability studies;
- Discuss ways to resist or replace stereotypes about people with disabilities, and ways in which you can promote informed, accurate, and respectful ideas, attitudes, and actions.
- Explore new frontiers for your own possible engagement in disability related fields.&
University Learning Outcomes & This Class
- Learn and Integrate: Through independent learning and collaborative study students will attain, use, and develop knowledge of disability, difference, and society in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences, and demonstrate disciplinary specialization and the ability to integrate information across disciplines through written work, participation in class discussions, and a final project.
- Think and Create: Students will use multiple thinking strategies to examine, understand, and critique real-world issues related to disability and society. Students will also explore creative avenues of expression, solve problems, and make consequential decisions through their engagement with the course content, service learning, and written and/or
- Communicate: Students will acquire, articulate, create and convey intended meaning using verbal and non-verbal methods of communication that demonstrate respect and understanding in a complex society.
- Clarify Purpose and Perspective: Students will explore their life purpose and meaning through transformational experiences that foster an understanding of self, relationships, and diverse global perspectives. Students will achieve these goals through service learning, and critical discussion and writing activities within and without the classroom walls.
- Practice Citizenship: Students will apply principles of ethical leadership, collaborative engagement, socially responsible behavior, respect for diversity in an interdependent world, and a service oriented commitment to sustain local and global communities. Students will achieve this objective through service learning activities, and active community, state, national, or global engagement with issues related to disability, society, and self.
Common Core Discovery Course Objectives
- Develop academic skills necessary for success in this and other college courses.
- enhance note-taking abilities
- practice active reading
- develop a working knowledge of university library computer databases
- develop successful time management skills
- enhance computer skills
- Develop effective communication skills
- practice conveying your ideas in written and oral form
- develop interpersonal skills
- accomplish tasks through group work
- Develop the ability to think critically
- learn how to identify and evaluate arguments
- learn how to identify and question assumptions
- develop the ability to assess multiple perspectives on a single issue/topic
- Develop the ability to use effectively a variety of methods of inquiry
- develop an awareness of methods of inquiry used in a variety of academic disciplines
- Practice gathering data from a variety of sources.
- Be introduced to a number of academic disciplines and their interdependence
- Become aware of and sensitive to the diversity of humankind
- develop an understanding of diverse values, attitudes, and interpretations
- become aware of how values are shaped by culture
- critically examine personal values and attitudes
- Understand contemporary experience in light of past events that have shaped present circumstances
- Experience the diversity of campus culture by attending lectures, concerts, theater productions, gallery exhibits, etc.
Course Texts and Materials
You are responsible for obtaining your own copy of the required texts. Other readings for the course will be posted online for you to download. Readings will be posted at least one week before you are required to respond to them in class or in the online Discussion Forums.
First Semester
- The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal by Jonathan Mooney
- No Pity by Joseph Shapiro
- Privilege, Power, and Difference by A.G. Johnson
- Poster Child by Emily Rapp
- Other readings as assigned will be provided online by the instructor
Second Semester (these readings may change...so don't go buy them now!)
- Points of Contact: Disability, Art, and Culture edited by Susan Crutchfield and Marcy Epstein (2000). University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472067117
- Frankenstein (Norton Critical Editions) by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1995). W.W. Norton Publishers. ISBN-10: 0393964582
- Geek Love by Katherine Dunn (1993). Warner. ISBN-10: 0446391301
- Daredevil: The Man Without Fear by Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. (2010). MarvelComics.
- Astonishing X-Men Vol 1: Gifted by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (2004). Marvel Comics.
- Other readings as assigned will be provided online by the instructor
The Language of Disability Requirement
Currently, there are two main ways of referring to disability endorsed by different segments of the disability community: social model/civil rights language (‘disabled people’) and people first language (‘people with disabilities’). Both of these usages are widely acceptable to many disabled people/people with disabilities. If in doubt about what kind of language is appropriate, ask.
Finally, please read these guidelines regarding writing and speaking about people with disabilities at: http://www.apastyle.org/disabilities.html. I will be holding you to these guidelines throughout the course, so it’s in your best interest to read, be familiar with, and adhere to these requirements. I will explain why later...
Assignments
Attitude and Participation (200 points)
You are expected to attend class, participate, and to contribute to group discussions and projects. This does not mean piping up in class every day, but it does require attention and engagement. This is a graded element of the course. Half of this portion of the grade will be determined by the instructor and half by group members, who will describe and grade your group contributions throughout the semester. The number one element tied to a good grade in this class, and all university classes, is attendance and participation...this has been backed up by research time and time again. If you are here, prepared, and participate you will do great.
Short Writing Assignments (approximately 100 points)
I will be asking you to write something almost weekly. Some weeks this may be summaries of the readings, other weeks it may be short, in-class thought pieces, and other weeks it may be opinion pieces. These short assignments will be worth 5-10 points. You can expect approximately one per week.
What is Disability Group Project (100 points)
This will be your first real assignment this semester. During the first week I will divide you up into groups and ask you to work together to research a specific "disabling condition". Your group will then do a 10 minute Powerpoint presentation on the condition, causes, and myths about the condition. I will hand out more information about this assignment in class.
Service Learning Participation (100 points)
Throughout the semester you will have a chance to participate in several service projects for local service organizations. Our primary project will be to help the Latah County Historical Society with their Universal Accessibility Project. We will discuss this more in class.
Movie Responses (50 points x 5 responses = 250 points)
I will be showing 6 films this semester that deal with disability issues and you are required to attend each showing, but you will only be required to respond to five (5) of the films.
In the Fall these films will primarily be documentaries that cover disability culture and the lived experience of disability, and in the Spring they will be more popular Hollywood fictional fare that have specific relevance to the portrayal of disability in modern society.
I will hand out the structure of the response and questions I expect you to answer in your film response at each showing. Therefore, you need to make sure you show up and also get the assignment from me that night. If you cannot make it to my showing of the film it will be your responsibility to obtain the film and watch it on your own time. Some of these films can be found at the UI Library, some are from my personal collection, and some are from the video store. If you miss a film, your movie response will still be due on the date noted in the schedule.
I expect these responses to be approximately 500 words. Also, do not try to copy, paraphrase, or plagiarize movie reviews or criticism from online movie review sites or other copyrighted resources. Any plagiarism will result in a zero for this assignment.
Dates, times, and places for the movies can be found here: Evening Sessions
Final Body Autobiography Paper (200 points):
All people have unique identities that arise from individual characteristics, temperaments, families, and experiences. In addition, we all share certain characteristics based on our social group memberships. These memberships intersect with each other and together shape how we view the world. The effects of these memberships we may or may not be aware of. This assignment is designed to help you understand and recognize a key group membership: your ability status (your orientation to the world in relation to whether your body is considered “normal” or not, and in which ways), and the ways in which this status shapes your life.
In your paper, you will examine your socialization process regarding your body and connect it to the wider society (take the micro to the macro). Think about your socialization process – how you came to know what it means to have the body you have. If it is difficult for you to see your body, you are likely male, white, and considered “normal”, therefore it might help to start by reflecting on how you were taught to view people who are not considered to be normal. You might also address why it is so difficult to see your body– what is the ideology that obscures it ?
Describe how key influences -- family, friends, schools, communities, ideas, values, your culture(s), and the wider society -- have been formative in your identity. Use the following questions to guide your writing:
- What messages does society give about people with your “kind of body” i.e. “normal” or “not normal”?
- Think about specific events or critical incidents in your life that have contributed to your awareness of your body (individual level). Include at least one.
- What role did school play in your understanding of your ability-status?
- In what ways does your body being either “normal” or “not normal” affect your daily lifestyle? If this is a privileged body, what kinds of things can you take for granted as a member of this group (what privileges do you have)? If it is a marginalized body, in which ways does society limit you?
- Addresses the historical, institutional, and cultural dimensions of your group (able-bodied or disabled) in U.S. society that also influence your membership in and understanding of the group.
- What feelings do you experience as a member of your ability-status group? Do you notice a difference in your capability to identify feelings if this is a privileged position, vs. a marginalized position? Reflect on what a lack of attention, emotion, or insight might mean in terms of your identity. How does your group membership affect your sense of worth?
Note: You may find that you cannot address these questions without raising intersections such as gender and race. You don't need to limit yourself, but you will want to primarily focus on your status as able-bodied or disabled.
This paper should be 8-10 double-spaced pages in length, typed in Garamond or Times Roman 12 point font.
Due Dates:
o First Draft Due: Monday, December 6th...I will have feedback to you by Wednesday, December 8th
o Final Draft Due: Wednesday, December 15th
Late Assignment Policy
Normally, all late assignments are penalized 10% for each day late (20% for any paper due on a Friday and turned in on the following Monday). After three days late assignments will receive a grade of no higher than "C". Assignments will not be accepted more than one week late, and a grade of 0 will be recorded for that assignment.
If you absolutely cannot turn in an assignment, please talk to me as soon as possible so we can negotiate a reasonable arrangement. I want you to succeed...but not at the expense of the rest of the class.
Grading Scale and Grading Policies
Your final grade will be based upon the percentage of total points earned by you over the semester:
- A = 90% - 100%
- B = 80% - 89%
- C = 70% - 79%
- D = 60% - 69%
- F = Less than 60%
I do give A's, and I do give F's. Both require work and are earned; neither should be a surprise. If you're concerned about the quality of your work, or don’t understand a grade please come and talk to me. Here’s what grades in my class mean:
- A = Exceptional work that goes beyond the expectations of the assignment/course.
- B = Very good work that meets all expectations.
- C = Good work that just demonstrates a basic understanding of course material.
- D = Less than satisfactory work that demonstrates little understanding or effort. D’s are also earned by a failure to attend class regularly
- F = Failure. Students most regularly fail courses in three ways: failing to complete assignments, failing to complete assignments on time, and failing to attend class. Plagiarism is also a good way to earn an automatic F.
The final grade students receive is based entirely on points earned and lost through assignments, homework, attendance, and contribution to discussions. Unless I have made a mathematical error, final grades are non-negotiable. Also, I won’t grade you down because I don’t like you, and I won’t grade you up because I do like you.