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First-Year Writing Seminar (101-8-22)

Topic

American Borders: History, Politics, Religion

Instructors

Elizabeth S Hurd
Scott, #209

Meeting Info

Shepard Hall B08/B09: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

This course is a study of American borders, past and present. We read widely in politics, history, religious and cultural studies, anthropology, and border studies. We watch several documentary films, listen to music, and learn from engaging with guest speakers. Central themes include the history of US borders with Mexico, Indigenous communities, protest movements, law and the border, sanctuary and sovereignty, legal exceptionalism, the history of the passport, religious politics of borders, and environmental politics of the borderlands. Border issues are considered from multiple perspectives, including but also going well beyond issues of surveillance and enforcement. As a first-year seminar, this course also emphasizes critical research and writing skills to prepare students for college-level research and writing. We will discuss academic integrity and get tips from a librarian on how to make the most of the University Library's resources during your time at Northwestern.

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives: Through taking this course, students will:
• Summarize and evaluate arguments made by others;
• Formulate persuasive and creative arguments, orally and in writing, based on careful analysis of evidence; • Cite sources appropriately;
• Use Northwestern University Library resources to locate, identify, cross-check, and critique important sources, including scholarly articles.
• Write competently enough to satisfy the Weinberg College writing requirement.

Teaching Method

Class Materials (Required)

Valeria Luiselli, Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions (Minneapolis, MN: Coffee House Press, 2017). (used on Alibris from $1.99)

Todd Miller, Empire of Borders: The Expansion of the U.S. Border Around the World (New York: Verso, 2019). (used on Alibris from $5.66)

Rachel St. John, Line in the Sand: A History of the Western U.S.-Mexico Border (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2012). (used on Alibris for $19.95)

Class Attributes

WCAS Writing Seminar