english 6370‐001: animal studies · linda kalof and amy fitzgerald, the animals reader: the...

English6370‐001:Animal Studies

Dr.StacyAlaimo ProfessorofEnglishhttp://www.uta.edu/english/alaimo/ DistinguishedTeachingProfessorOfficeNumber:Carlisle411OfficeTelephoneNumber:None.TheEnglishDepartment:8172722692.EmailAddress:alaimo@uta.eduEmailisbest.OfficeHours:Tuesdays:12:30‐2:30andThursdays12:30‐1:00and5:00‐6:00.(Note:althoughIwillusuallybeinmyofficeduringthosetimes,Imayhavetoattendmeetings,dissertationdefenses,etc.PleaseemailmetoconfirmthatIwillbeinmyofficeortoarrangeanappointment.)Thursdays:6­8:50.OfficialLocation:PrestonHall304

CourseDescription:ThiscoursewillintroducethemostsignificantandcompellingquestionsintheemerginginterdisciplinaryfieldofAnimalStudiesbywayoftheory,literature,film,andart.Wewillreadessentialworksofphilosophy,theoryandculturalstudiesalongwithawiderangeofliterature,including"youngadult"novels,sciencefiction,poetry,andnovelsthattakeanimalperspectivesseriously.Readingswillinclude:LindaKalofandAmyFitzgerald,TheAnimalsReader:TheEssentialClassicandContemporaryWritings;DonnaHaraway,PrimateVisions:Gender,RaceandNatureintheWorldofModernScience;JacquesDerrida,TheAnimalthatThereforeIam;CaryWolfe,WhatisPosthumanism?;NicoleShukin,AnimalCapital:RenderingLifeinBiopoliticalTimes;AnnaSewell,BlackBeauty;JackLondon,CalloftheWild;HermanMelville,MobyDick;BarbaraGowdy,TheWhiteBone;EvaHornung,DogBoy;PhilipK.Dick,DoAndroidsDreamofElectricSheep?MargaretAtwood,OryxandCrake;BecomingAnimal,ContemporaryArtin

theAnimalKingdom,ed.NatoThompson.StudentswillhavetheopportunitytoattendtheHermannslecturesandhearGregGarrard,PeggyMcCracken,CaryWolfe,andNeillMathesonspeakonanimalstudies!(WewillcanceloneclassperiodtocompensateforattendanceattheHermannslectures.)

RequiredTexts:LindaKalofandAmyFitzgerald,TheAnimalsReader:TheEssentialClassicandContemporaryWritingsDonnaHaraway,PrimateVisions:Gender,RaceandNatureintheWorldofModernScienceJacquesDerrida,TheAnimalthatThereforeIamCaryWolfe,WhatisPosthumanism?NicoleShukin,AnimalCapital:RenderingLifeinBiopoliticalTimesAnnaSewell,BlackBeauty(Puffinclassics)JackLondon,CalloftheWild(Puffinclassics)HermanMelville,MobyDick(hardcover,ModernLibrary1992)BarbaraGowdy,TheWhiteBoneEvaHornung,DogBoy[BuyusedonAmazon,etc.ordownloadonKindle]PhilipK.Dick,DoAndroidsDreamofElectricSheep?MargaretAtwood,OryxandCrakeBecomingAnimal,ContemporaryArtintheAnimalKingdom,NatoThompsonRequiredFilms:YouneedtorentorpurchaseSharkwater(RobStewart2006).ThefilmBeingCaribouisavailablefreehere:http://www.beingcaribou.com/necessaryjourneys/film.html#BC.NOTE:PDFsofmanyofthereadingswillbeavailableatMavSpace:https://mavspace.uta.edu/xythoswfs/webview/_xy‐2624181_1OratBlackboard:https://elearn.uta.edu/webapps/login/Youmayprintoutthereadingsyourselforyoumaybringelectronicversionstoclass.Youmusthavesomeannotatedversionofthereadingstoworkwithinclass,however.SinceIdonotusuallyallowcomputersinclass,pleasedonotopenupanyotherfiles,email,orinternetaccessduringclasstime—justtheelectronicversionsofthearticles.CourseObjectives&LearningOutcomes1.Studentsshoulddevelopasolidunderstandingofarangeoftheories,concepts,andquestionspertainingtocross‐disciplinaryanimalstudiesTheyshouldcomprehendthehistory,meaning,andsignificanceofthetopicscoveredintheclass.2.Studentsshouldwriteandspeak,inaninformedmanner,aboutthereadingsand/orfilmsforeachweek,demonstratingtheirabilitytocompareandcontrast,evaluate,andapplythetheories,arguments,concepts,andframeworks.Studentsshouldbeabletoanalyzeandinterpretthetextsandfilmsinawaythatisilluminatingforthecentralquestionsoftheclass.3.Studentsshouldwriteanoriginalseminarpaper,modeledafterascholarlyarticle,whichputsforthanoriginalthesisaboutatopicorquestionpertainingtotheanimalstudies.Thispaperwillbebasedonindependentresearcheventhoughitwillbepertinenttotheclass.Theyshouldpresentashortversionofthispaperatthefinalclass.

CourseRequirementsParticipation,twopresentations:15%Weeklypapers:25%Seminarpaper(includingpresentationofseminarpaper):60%AttendanceattwoHermannstalks,FridayMarch30thandaweeklypaperaboutthetalkswillberequired.Youmustcompletealltherequiredworkinordertoobtaincreditforthecourse.Eightshortresponsepapers(3double‐spacedtyped,stapledpages)willberequired.ThepaperontheHermannstalksmaycountasoneofthese8papers.Thesewillbedueatthebeginningofclasseachweek(startingwithweektwo)andwillbehandedinagain,gatheredtogetherinafolder,atthefinalclassperiod.Thesepapersarenotmeanttobefullyfleshedoutargumentsoranalyses.Instead,thesepapersshouldcompareandcontrastthereadingsfortheweek,remarkuponthemostsignificantideas,evaluatethemeritsandlimitationsofparticularargumentsandtheoreticalframeworks,andraisesignificantandprovocativequestions.Theresponsepaperswillreceiveimmediatecommentsbutnotgrades;thesepaperswillbegradedinaportfoliomanner,alongwithyourpresentationandparticipation,attheendofthecourse.(IfthepapersareC,D,orFpapers,theywillreceivethosegrades,however.)Two15‐minutepresentations,whichyouwillsignupfor,willalsoberequired.(Awrittenversionofyourpresentationcanbehandedinasthatweek’srequiredpaper.)OneofthesepresentationswillbeanAnalysis/InterpretationoftheassignedreadingandonewillbeaSummary/Analysisofanothertextrelevanttothatweek’sdiscussion.One25‐pageseminarpaperandanoralpresentationofanabstractofthatpaperwillbeduethefinalclassperiod.Thesepapersshoulddemonstrateanunderstandingandengagementwiththeoreticalissueswehavediscussedinthecourse.Thepapermustincludeaone‐pageabstract.Ph.D.studentswillalsoberequiredtoattachafinalpageexplaininghowtheywouldrevisethepaperforpublicationandlistingfivejournalstowhichtheywouldsubmitthepaper.Theyshouldalsolistconferencesandpaneltopicsthatwouldbeagoodfitforthispaper.(Ideally,thepaperwillbepresentedataconferenceandthenberevisedforpublication.)Mechanics:Allpapersmustbe“typed,”stapled,andhaveasignificanttitle.PleasedoNOTuseplasticfoldersorpaperclipsforyourpaper—astapleissufficient.Allpapersaredueattheverybeginningoftheclass.Ineveracceptfaxedpapersoremailedpapers.Besuretokeepanextracopyofyourpaper.PleaseNote:plagiarismisaseriousoffenseandwillbepunishedtothefullextent.Participation/AttendanceYouractive,informedparticipationiscrucialtothesuccessofthecourse.Carefullyprepareforeachclassperiodbydoingthereadinginarigorousandinquisitivemanner.Everydaythatyoucometoclassyoushouldhavesomethingvaluabletosay.Iwillgradeonactual

participation,ratherthanonmereattendance.However,ifyoumissclasstwoormoretimes,Iwillloweryourcoursegradeandifyoumissmorethanthatyouwillfailthecourse.Recommended:Spendsometimebrowsingthroughsomeofthejournalsandwebsiteslistedbelow.Findscholars,essays,texts,andtopicsthatwillbeparticularlypertinentforyourinterestsandprojects.JOURNALS,PROFESSIONALASSOCIATIONS

• InstituteforCriticalAnimalStudies:http://www.criticalanimalstudies.org/• Humanimalia:http://www.depauw.edu/humanimalia/• JournalforCriticalAnimalStudies:http://www.criticalanimalstudies.org/journal‐

for‐critical‐animal‐studies/• SocietyandAnimals:http://www.brill.nl/society‐animals• JournalofAnimalEthics:http://www.press.uillinois.edu/journals/jane.html• ASLE(AssociationfortheStudyofLiteratureandEnvironment),

http://www.asle.org/ASLE’sjournalisISLE:InterdisciplinaryStudyofLiteratureandEnvironment.ASLEDiscussionlists:http://www.asle.org/site/resources/discussion­lists/;

• JournalofEcocriticism:http://ojs.unbc.ca/index.php/joe;• EnvironmentalEthics• EthicsandEnvironment• Postmedieval:AjournalofMedievalCulturalStudies:SpecialIssueonTheAnimal

Turn:http://www.palgrave‐journals.com/pmed/journal/v2/n1/index.html• AssociationforEnvironmentalStudiesandSciences:http://aess.info/;• SLSA:SocietyforLiterature,Science,andtheArts;journalConfigurations• FBOpenGroups:InstituteforCriticalAnimalStudiesandAnimalStudiesat

MichiganStateUniversity

BIBLIOGRAPHIES,DEFINITIONS,RESOURCES• BBCEthicsGuide:AnimalEthics:http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/animals/• AnimalsandEthics:InternetEncyclopediaofPhilosophy:• http://www.iep.utm.edu/anim‐eth/• “TheMoralStatusofAnimals”http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral‐animal/• EthicsandEnvironment:http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics‐environmental/• Human‐AnimalStudies:APreliminaryBibliography:UofCanterbury,NZ

http://www.nzchas.canterbury.ac.nz/bibliography.shtml• Antennae:TheJournalofNatureinVisualCulture:http://www.antennae.org.uk/• AnimalArt:TheGreenMuseum:http://greenmuseum.org/• AnimalStudiesBibliography:http://animalstudies.msu.edu/bibliography.php• DavidAnderson’sLiteratureofHuman‐AnimalStudies

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CCAB/haibooks.htm• Resources:AnimalityStudiesatCSU:

http://animalitystudies.colostate.edu/resources.htm• CaryWolfe,on“Posthumanities”http://www.carywolfe.com/post_about.html

IwouldstronglyrecommendthatallgraduatestudentsreadCalvinThomas’“Momentsof

ProductiveBafflement,orDefamiliarizingGraduateStudiesinEnglish”inPedagogy,5.1(2005):19‐35.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

OfficialUTAPolicies:AmericansWithDisabilitiesAct:TheUniversityofTexasatArlingtonisonrecordasbeingcommittedtoboththespiritandletteroffederalequalopportunitylegislation;referencePublicLaw92‐112‐TheRehabilitationActof1973asamended.WiththepassageoffederallegislationentitledAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct(ADA),pursuanttosection504oftheRehabilitationAct,thereisrenewedfocusonprovidingthispopulationwiththesameopportunitiesenjoyedbyallcitizens.Asafacultymember,Iamrequiredbylawtoprovide"reasonableaccommodations"tostudentswithdisabilities,soasnottodiscriminateonthebasisofthatdisability.Studentresponsibilityprimarilyrestswithinformingfacultyoftheirneedforaccommodationandinprovidingauthorizeddocumentationthroughdesignatedadministrativechannels.Informationregardingspecificdiagnosticcriteriaandpoliciesforobtainingacademicaccommodationscanbefoundatwww.uta.edu/disability.Also,youmayvisittheOfficeforStudentswithDisabilitiesinroom102ofUniversityHallorcallthemat(817)272‐3364.AcademicIntegrity:ItisthephilosophyofTheUniversityofTexasatArlingtonthatacademicdishonestyisacompletelyunacceptablemodeofconductandwillnotbetoleratedinanyform.AllpersonsinvolvedinacademicdishonestywillbedisciplinedinaccordancewithUniversityregulationsandprocedures.DisciplinemayincludesuspensionorexpulsionfromtheUniversity."Scholasticdishonestyincludesbutisnotlimitedtocheating,plagiarism,collusion,thesubmissionforcreditofanyworkormaterialsthatareattributableinwholeorinparttoanotherperson,takinganexaminationforanotherperson,anyactdesignedtogiveunfairadvantagetoastudentortheattempttocommitsuchacts."(Regents’RulesandRegulations,Series50101,Section2.2)[NOTEFROMDR.ALAIMO:PLAGIARISMISINEXCUSABLEATTHEGRADUATELEVEL;IWILLCERTAINLYPUNISHPLAGIARISMTOTHEFULLESTEXTENTPOSSIBLE.]SupportServicesAvailable:TheUniversityofTexasatArlingtonsupportsavarietyofstudentsuccessprogramstohelpyouconnectwiththeUniversityandachieveacademicsuccess.Theseprogramsincludelearningassistance,developmentaleducation,advisingandmentoring,admissionandtransition,andfederallyfundedprograms.Studentsrequiringassistanceacademically,personally,orsociallyshouldcontacttheOfficeofStudentSuccessProgramsat817‐272‐6107formoreinformationandappropriatereferrals.

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Minimalstandardsforclassroometiquette:1.TURNOFFallpagers,beepers,cellphonesandotherelectronicdevices!Youmaynothavethesedevicesturnedonwhileinclass.Youmaynottextmessageorreademailorengageinanyotherelectronicactivitiesduringclass.Theonlyexceptionisifyouchoosetoaccessthecoursereadingselectronically.2.ArrivetoclassONTIME.Itisdistractingtoboththeprofessorandthestudentstohavesomeonecomeinlate.Ifyoucomeinlate,youwillbemarkedabsent.3.ArrivetoclassPREPAREDtodiscussthetextsandmaterialsinaninformedmanner.Youareexpectedtomakeasubstantialcontributiontoeveryclass..4.TreatyourclassmateswithRESPECT.Learntodisagreewithoutbeingdisagreeable.Wewilloftendiscusscontroversial,volatiletopics,soeveryoneneedstolearnhowtodisagreewithsomeone’sviews,beliefs,orperspectiveswhilemaintainingasenseofcivility.

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SYLLABUSUnlessotherwisenoted,thereadingsareeitherintheassignedbooksoravailableasPDFsinour“GradAnimals”MavSpacefolderortheBlackboardshellforourcourse.AR=TheAnimalsReader

Introductions:AnimalStudiesandAnimalEthicsWeekOne.January19th.Pleasereadtheseessaysbeforecomingtoclass:AnimalStudiesinthenews:“AnimalStudiesBeyondBiology”http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/07/08/animals“CreatureConsciousness”http://chronicle.com/article/Creature‐Consciousness/48804/“AnimalStudiesandHumanitiesMerge”http://www.globalanimal.org/2012/01/05/animal‐studies‐is‐it‐time‐to‐move‐on‐to‐the‐post‐humanities/62311/“AnimalStudiesCrossCampustoLectureHall”http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/03/science/animal‐studies‐move‐from‐the‐lab‐to‐the‐lecture‐hall.html?_r=3&hpwPleasereadthefollowingshortpiecesbyMichelledeMontaigne,RenéDescartes,JeremyBenthem,andMarjorieSpeigel,inTheAnimalsReader[AR]beforecomingtoclass,andthesetwolongeressays,aswell:TomRegan,“TheRightsofHumansandOtherAnimals”AR;MarthaNussbaum,“TheMoralStatusofAnimals”AR.

AnimalSentiment,AnimalAdvocacy,AnimalEthicsWeekTwo.January26.AnnaSewell,BlackBeautyCoralLansbury,“TheBrownDogRiotsof1907,”inAR.JackLondon,TheCalloftheWildYi‐Fu‐Tuan,“AnimalPets:CrueltyandAffection”inAR.

MobyDick

WeekThree.February2.HermanMelville,MobyDickLawrenceBuell,“GlobalCommonsasResourceandasIcon:ImaginingOceansandWhales”[PDF];PhillipArmstrong,“”LeviathanasaSkeinofNetworks:TranslationsofNatureanCultureinMoby‐Dick,”[PDF].

Biopolitics,PosthumanEthics

WeekFourFebruary9.NicoleShukin,AnimalCapital:RenderingLifeinBiopoliticalTimesWeekFive.February16.JacquesDerrida,“TheAnimalthatThereforeIam,”and“AndSaytheAnimalResponded;”CaryWolfe,WhatisPosthumanism?(Introduction,andchapters2,3,4,5&6).WeekSix.February23.SpecialGuestInstructor:MatthewLerberg.Watchthesetwofilmsbeforeclass:SharkwaterandBeingCaribou.ReadCaryWolfe,“BeforetheLaw”[PDF].

AnimalMinds,AnimalCultures,AnimalWorldsWeekSeven.March1.BarbaraSmuts,“EncounterswithAnimalMinds”[PDF];SyMontgomery,“DeepIntellect:InsidetheMindofanOctopus”[PDF];BruceBagemihl,“ANewParadigm:BiologicalExuberance”[PDF];SelectedPoems,includingWallaceStevens,“ThirteenWaysofLookingataBlackbird,”afewfromLesMurray,TranslationsfromtheNaturalWorld;”afewfromJeffrreyYang,Aquarium;StanleyKunitz,“TheWellfleetWhale,”LindaHogan,“MountainLion”[PDF].JeanPainlevéfilmsinclass.WeekEight.March8.CarolP.VanSchaik,et.,al,“OrangutanCulturesandtheEvolutionofMaterialCultures”[AR];JeffreyMoussaieffMassonandSusanMcCarthy,“Greif,Sadness,andtheBonesofElephants”[AR];BarbaraGowdy,TheWhiteBone.March12­16:SPRINGBREAKWeekNine.March22.PhilipK.Dick,DoAndroidsDreamofElectricSheep?UrsulaHeise,“FromExtinctiontoElectronics:DeadFrogs,LiveDinosaurs,andElectricSheep”[PDF].Merwin,“ForaComingExtinction.”IUCNRedLitofThreatenedSpecies:http://www.iucnredlist.org/;EncyclopediaofLife:http://eol.org/.PoetryScores:Theextinctionofspecies:http://poetryscores.blogspot.com/2008/12/extinction‐of‐species‐project‐page.html“Art

vs.Extinction,GhostsofGoneBirds”:http://www.birdlife.org/community/2011/05/art‐v‐extinction‐ghosts‐of‐gone‐birds/WeekTen.March29.ReadthefollowingessaysbyscholarspresentingattheHermanns:PeggyMcCracken,“TranslationandAnimals,”“TheAnimalTurn;”CaryWolfe,“BeforetheLaw;”NeillMatheson,"Thoreau'sGramaticaParda:ConjugatingRaceandNature;“OutsiderAnimals”fromAdrianFranklin’sAnimalNationforGregGarrard.(SeealsoGarrard’snewessayonAnimalsforEcocriticism.)FridayMarch30th:HermannsLectureSeriesfrom11­4.Allgraduatestudentsinthiscoursewillberequiredtoattendatleasttwotalks.GraduatestudentswhoarepursuingorintendtopursueaPhDshouldattendallHermannstalks.Weareluckytohavethesesuperbscholarscontributetothisgraduateseminar!

Human/AnimalBoundaries,Crossings,andKinships

WeekEleven.April5thNoclass.Workonseminarpapers.WeekTwelve.April12.DonnaHaraway,PrimateVisions:Gender,RaceandNatureintheWorldofModernScience[Chapterstobeannounced.]WeekThirteen.April19.MargaretAtwood,OryxandCrakeMasonandFinelli,“BraveNewFarm”inARFranklin,“Dolly’sBody:Gender,GeneticsandtheNewGeneticCapital,”inAR;Haraway,“CyborgstoCompanionSpecies:ReconfiguringKinshipinTechnoscience”inARWeekFourteen.April26.BecomingAnimal,ContemporaryArtintheAnimalKingdom,NatoThompson.EvaHornung,DogBoy.

SeminarPapersandPresentationsWeekFifteen.May3rdPresentationsofSeminarPapers.CourseEvaluationswillbedoneelectronically.SeminarPapersdueinmyEnglishDepartmentmailbox(2ndfloorCarlisle)MondayMay7thby4:30pm.[Remembertoincludeallcommented‐uponweeklypapersaswell,inafolder.]