Module 13

Module 13

 

This week, as America pauses to contemplate gratitude, we also pause in this class to provide an opportunity to catch up and to begin your Research Project. The specifics of that assignment are outlined below. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have questions about the assignment or would like my input while developing your ideas.

 

* Major Components: Written Paper & Recorded Presentation

* Length of Paper: 6-8 pages

 

* Paper Due: December 7, 11pm

* Presentation Due: December 9, 11pm

 

* Paper Format: email to pandrews@ndnu.edu

* Presentation Format: any recorded format that can be displayed in or linked to your blog

 

* Prompt: What are the crucial future challenges facing “parties,” “politics,” and “campaigns”? 

* Required Sections – Your paper must be divided into the 7 named sections outlined below – yes, you must literally include these sections by name in your paper: 

   -- Introduction

   -- Conversations. Have some conversations with people in their 30s or younger, and with people in their 60s or older, and ask them the question that forms the prompt for this paper. Collect and organize their responses. Summarize them in this first major section of your paper.

   -- Themes.  Note any themes or trends you detect in people’s responses. For example, do people in their 30s or younger have different concerns from those in their 60s or older? Discuss these themes and/or trends in this second major section of your paper.

   -- Futurology. Choose one thread from your conversations that you would like to explore in more thoughtful detail. Engage in some “futurology” – based on your observations, your conversations, and your own political / historical / futurological instincts, what might the future look like for parties, politics and campaigning in the US? This will form the third major section of your paper.

   -- Areas for Future Research and Study

   -- Conclusion

   -- References / Bibliography

Module 12

Module 12

 

We are nearing the end of the semester, but the 2020 election and its aftermath continue to dominate headlines as President Trump continues to challenge the results. Would you categorize what we are witnessing as arising out of “parties” or “politics” or “campaigning”… or is it personal? In reality, it is probably a little of each. In your view, and as you have observed the unprecedented events unfolding since election day, what parts of President Trump’s refusal to accept the results is related to parties, to politics, to campaigning, and to the personal element? Write a blog post in which you break this down.

 

Our film last week, Birth of a Nation,  was a tough one to watch. My apologies for asking you to watch it… on the other hand, it does perhaps, and unfortunately, provide some insight into the blind hysteria that sometimes seems to drive American politics when it comes to race, as well as the carefully calculated efforts to disenfranchise black voters, the willingness of so many people to accept this, and the apparent fears harbored by many white Americans. I don’t think one can really understand the politics of race in America without having watched this awful film. 

 

Research Project

 

Our parties, and our politics, have some big challenges coming up and it will be your generation that takes these challenges on and moves the country forward into the future… race and an evolving electorate will require parties to adapt themselves over time, hopefully for the better but maybe for the worse; politics will fill new spaces created by social media and other modes of communication; campaigns will shift their focus and tactics… these things have been happening and will continue to take on new directions. What are the most crucial future challenges facing “parties,” “politics,” and “campaigns” from the point of view of people in their 30s or younger today? Race? Climate change? The viability of democracy? Civic education? Social media? What about people in their 60s or older? Are their answers different? To begin your final Research Project for this course, please conduct some informal, exploratory conversations (in person, by phone, by email, text, zoom or facetime… your choice of format) with people from both age groups. Ask them this question and summarize their responses. See if you detect any trends in their answers based on their age group. When you are done, choose one thread from your conversations that you find particularly interesting and which you would like to explore more deeply. Summarize your conversations (use first names only) and identify your chosen thread in your blog post for this week.

Module 11

Module 11

 

This week, with both the election and Birth of a Nation fresh in your mind, please write your second short paper, just two pages, addressing the following question: In what ways has race been a key element of the 2020 presidential contest? In answering this question, you might explore various themes or sub-questions, such as: Did the campaigns attempt to reach out to black voters in particular? In what ways did the campaigns attempt to earn the trust of black voters? Were they successful? Is the legacy of racism as depicted in Birth of a Nation relevant to the politics of the 21^stcentury United States?

 

Your paper should be approximately 500 words in length (2 pages), and is due Sunday. Please send me your paper by email. You do not need to make a blog post this week. 

Module 10

 Module 10

 

It’s election week. It’s certainly been a tumultuous election season, often bringing out the worst undertones of American society rather than our highest aspirations. Racial justice, in particular, has been in the foreground of our national dialogue. In response to demands for justice, Black Americans in many communities have experienced intimidation, epithets, attempts at voter suppression. Shamefully, government and law enforcement sometimes seem to encourage, or at best turn a blind eye to, such forms of harassment. How is it possible that the United States, in 2020, could devolve into a place where some citizens don’t feel safe going to the voting booth, and where the perceived threat is so open and so extensive it extends all the way to the White House? Soon after the abolition of slavery, white supremacists began to organize into groups such as the KKK in an effort to protect their hold on power as well as their racial purity. DW Griffiths classic film,  Birth of a Nation,  depicts the motivations and actions of this era. It seems fitting to watch it this week as a reminder that white supremacy runs deep in the American past and is not easily eradicated. As you watch, please take notes… are there events or sentiments depicted in the film that seem connected to contemporary threads of racism in America? 

 

Post notes about the film to your blog, then connect with a classmate over Zoom or Facetime to discuss your thoughts on the film.

 

The NDNU library has arranged for streaming access of this film for students in this class. Please see the instructions below if you would like to get the film that way:

 

We have purchased "The Birth of a Nation" on Kanopy so that your students can stream it for free from their own devices.

 

If you or your students haven't used Kanopy before it's quite simple. Go to https://ndnu.kanopy.com and click "Log In to NDNU". On the next page click "Log In to NDNU" again and it will launch a popup window asking for your NDNU email credentials. Once the login is complete, you'll be redirected to the Kanopy home page.

 

"The Birth of a Nation" can be found easily by searching the title in the search box at the top of the screen, or via the direct link: https://ndnu.kanopy.com/video/birth-nation-0

 

You or your students can create an account on Kanopy to avoid going through the NDNU login process in future, but this is not required. As long as they are connected through NDNU they can watch the film.

 

If you have any questions or are having any difficulty accessing the film, please let us know.

 

Nora Mercer

Reference Librarian