HETEROTOPIAS

Pratt Institute, Spring 2016

Writing 111-04: Intro to Lit/Crit Studies II

3 Credits, Required

M W 2-3:50pm, North Hall 302

Prof. Amanda Davidson
adavid19@pratt.edu
Mailbox: DeKalb Copy Room, 2nd Floor
Office hours: Wednesdays 4:30-5:30, DeKalb 306

COURSE DESCRIPTION
There are also, probably in every culture, in every civilization, real placesplaces that do exist
and that are formed in the very founding of societywhich are something like counter-sites, a
kind of effectively enacted utopia in which the real sites, all the other real sites that can be found
within the culture, are simultaneously represented, contested, and inverted. Michele Foucault,
Of Other Spaces
This course takes up Foucaults notion of heterotopias: real social spaces that reflect upon,
challenge, and subvert the spaces of everyday life, allowing individuals and communities to shift
(even if temporarily) balances of social power. Our starting point, and central focus, is literature.
We will read plays, fiction, and poetry centering around sites that fulfill Foucaults heterotopic
criteria. We will also visit a few real-world heterotopias in order to deepen our experience of
these ideas, and to expand your thinking around possible research subjects.
The first six weeks of the semester will be reading-intensive, culminating in a preliminary essay
that requires you to engage designated sources, both literary and academic.
The latter part of the course is driven largely by your own research on a subject of your
choosing. We will move step by step through the process of finding a research subject, locating
sources, writing annotated bibliographies, and presenting your work-in-progress to the class. By
the end of the semester, you will produce a substantial critical paper as well as a creative project
informed by your research. This presents you with an opportunity to focus on an aspect of
cultural history that feels relevant, urgent, exciting, or important to youas a writer and artist
at this very moment.
COURSE CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION/OVERVIEW
In the second semester of this course, we will examine two topics: the Ethics of Writing, and
Writing and Difference. The Ethics of Writing will explore the formation of modern subjectivity by
considering the self's relation to itself. Knowledge of self - know thyself - has been one of the
oldest human preoccupations from Ancient China and Greece. Writing and Difference will
explore how writing and representation organize our understanding of race, class, ethnicity, and

gender.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
In lieu of a printed course packet, I will post all assignments, PDFs of reading materials, links to
multimedia course content, and assignment due dates on our course website. You can find the
link on our LMS course page. It is your responsibility to stay up to date with all assignments and
to check the course site on a regular basis.
A note: you must print out all readings and bring them to class.
REQUIREMENTS
Class participation and attendance.
Check course website and email regularly.
Upload all homework assignments, essay drafts, and final essays to course site by the
specified due date. Bring in printed drafts when specified.
Use of cell phones and electronics only when permitted.*
Completion of all reading and writing assignments on time. I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE
PAPERS
Completion of both major essays and REVISIONS.
One-on-one meeting with instructor when designated.
Your essays should be free of grammatical, spelling, and formatting errors. I will not
serve as your editor, correcting errors on your papers for you, though I may ask you to
resubmit any piece that seems rushed or carelessly constructed.
ATTENDANCE
ABSENCES You may accrue up to two absences with no consequence. At your third absence
and beyond, you must provide a note from a parent, guardian, or health provider. According to
Pratts policy, if you miss more than three classes, you will fail the course.
TARDIES A tardy of greater than 10 minutes counts as half an absence, i.e., greater than six
tardies equals a failing grade in the course.
EMERGENCIES Life happens. If an emergency should arise, its your responsibility to email me
to arrange revised due dates, and to provide notes, as stated above.
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
The goal of the course is to engage literary and theoretical texts, to learn research strategies,
and to write a research paper. Concentrated, original thought and well-rounded exploration,
participation in workshops and readings discussions, completed and on-time assignments this
describes the work that would merit an A. Grades will be based on the portfolio of your writing

assignments and class participation. A= 90-100%; B=80-89%; C=70-79%; D=60-69%; F=59%

or under.
OBJECTIVES
To broaden your formal and intellectual approaches as an artist and writer
To practice deep, significant revision of your critical writing.
To demonstrate close readings of texts, performances, exhibitions, etc.
To write clear, passionate, coherent, argument-driven essays.
To create a group project.
To master mechanics and usage with regards to punctuation, parallelism, verb
tenses, etc.
OUTCOMES
To allow reading and research to inform your creative work.
To navigate online and material resources at the Pratt library.
To master in-text citations following MLA guidelines.
To create a Works Cited page following MLA guidelines.
To practice assessing and choosing good sources from the internet.
To master the differences between quoting, summarizing, and generating original writing.
To always write original material, cite sources with integrity, and never plagiarize
PRATT POLICY ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Pratt Institute considers Academic Integrity to be highly important. Instances of cheating,
plagiarism, and wrongful use of intellectual property will not be tolerated. Faculty members will
report each incident to the registrar for inclusion in student files. For more details about these
procedures, please see the Pratt Student Handbook, the Pratt Bulletins, and the pamphlet
entitled Judicial Procedures at Pratt.
More than one report to the registrar during a students program of study at Pratt will result in a
hearing before the Academic Integrity Board, at which time appropriate sanctions will be
decided. These may include dismissal from the Institute.
The nature and severity of the infraction will be determined by faculty members who can: ask
students to repeat an assignment, fail students on the assignment, fail students in the course
and/or refer the incident to the Academic Integrity Board.
PLAGIARISM

In this course, we cite sources according to MLA guidelines. Plagiarism includes the following
moves:
1. Including any material from a source other than yourself in a paper or project without proper
attribution. This includes material from the internet, books, papers or projects by other students,
and from any other source.
2. Using your own work to fulfill requirements for more than one course.
3. The extensive use of ideas of others in your work, without proper attribution.
4. Turning in work done by another person or a fellow student as ones own.