LET151: Francophone Hip-Hop Culture (Taught in English)
M 7-9:45pm, Spring 2009, CCE Providence.
Dr. Alain-Philippe Durand
US &
FRANCOPHONE HIP-HOP CULTURE
This course counts toward
the Letters gen. ed. Requirement and counts as a [D] diversity course.
REQUIRED
TEXTS*
*ANY
STUDENT WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE TWO REQUIRED BOOKS BY FEBRUARY 23
WILL BE ASSIGNED A MAXIMUM GRADE OF 60% (D) ON CLASS PARTICIPATION (=
20% OF
THE COURSE GRADE).
Hip-hop
is understood in this course as a culture that includes three main
forms of
expression: hip-hop dance, rap music, and graffiti/tagging. Using a mix
of printed
texts (some in English translation) and audio-visual materials (songs
and
films), the course concentrates on exploring the main themes
represented in
hip-hop culture: appropriation and defense of spaces, mixing of
different
cultures and, most importantly, the search for identity.
Class
sessions will be devoted to discussing the texts and the films. All
films are
watched in class. The emphasis in this class will be on exchanging
interpretations of films/texts with each other. The forum for
exchanging ideas
will consist both of full class discussion and small group work and
discussions.
PLEASE
READ CAREFULLY
SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE SEMESTER:
Please let me
know in advance when you have to
miss class.
Any
student who shows up
late to class (after roll call at 7pm) will be allowed in class but
will be
counted absent. The same rule applies to
students who leave the class before the end of a session. Finally, the
following is not acceptable in this class: coming to class without the
assigned
readings (make copies of the assigned pages of the day if needed)
and/or
without a pen/pencil and paper; using a cell phone (making or receiving
calls);
reading newspapers or brochures; leaving
the classroom at any time during a session (we will take a 15 minute break
for each session); chat with classmates during class (if you have a
question
during class, ask the instructor, not a classmate); use working full or
part-time as an excuse for not completing an assignment or for not
preparing
for class; scheduling interviews and appointments with advisors,
doctors, etc.
at class time (if an advisor or administrator on campus tries to force
you in
meeting at the time of this class, please report to me so that I can
call that
person immediately). The
participation
grade will be significantly lowered for any of the above. This is a
demanding course. You should plan to study a minimum of two hours at
home for
each hour spent in class.
Film and Articles
Critiques
(15%)
Participants
will write four critiques from the following films: And
You Don’t Stop: 30 Years of Hip Hop (or Wild Style),
The Freshest
Kids (or 8 Mile or Boyz N the Hood),
La Haine, and Comme un aimant:
1-2 pages of text, double-spaced, size of letter 12, Times New Roman or
similar. Critiques are due on March 2, April 6, and April
27. Absolutely no outside help (including
tutors/friends, etc.) is allowed. Topic for all critiques: a personal
critique
(not a summary) of the films. Critiques will receive a grade based both
on
content and grammar/style, although the content (how well the films are
analyzed) will be considered more important. Participants will also
write one
summary and critique on the required National
Geographic’s article: 2-3 pages of text, double-spaced, size of
letter 12,
Times New Roman or similar. This report
is due on February 9. There are no
rewrites of critiques. TWO copies of
each report are turned in as follows: one printed copy at 7pm in class
and one
copy by email before 7pm at apdemarseille@gmail.com.
Late
work policy:
The instructor will not accept any work after the day it is due. Mark
your
calendars NOW with the reports due dates.
The
take-home midterm exam will take place on Monday March 23. No later
than March 9, students will receive by email a list of identifications
and essay questions to prepare based on all materials covered between
January 26 and March 2. At no later than 12pm on March 23, students
will receive by email a selection of identifications and essay
questions from the list previously distributed. They will have until
11:59pm on March 23 to send their responses to apdemarseille@gmail.com
both in a Microsoft Word attachment and pasted in the body of email
message. While students will have more time, the take-home midterm exam
should not take more than 2 hours. Grade will be based
on
quality of content, understanding, and style (including grammar and
spelling).
The
final exam will take place on Monday April 27 at 7-9pm.
No
later than April 20, students will receive by email a list of
identifications and essay questions to prepare based on all materials
covered between March 9 and April 20. On April 27, the final exam will
be composed of a selection of identifications and
essay questions from the list previously distributed. Grade
will be based on quality of content,
understanding, and style (including grammar and spelling).
The Academic
Enhancement
Center houses the University's existing writing center and learning
assistance
program, as well as many other academic support service areas such as
tutoring,
study groups and multiple forms of academic assistance workshops. The
Center
serves students who are seeking academic support as well as those with
more
advanced academic ability who are interested in helping others. In this
interactive learning environment, students can enjoy a cup of coffee,
get help
or help others with schoolwork, and find individual or group assistance
as
needed. The Center is located on the 4th floor of Roosevelt
Hall in
University College (Kingston).
Exchange Programs in France,
Quebec and the rest of the Francophone World
URI French and Francophone
Studies
PLAGIARISM
Basically,
plagiarism is using other’s work as if it was yours. You may not
realize it,
but certain practices lead others to conclude that other's works are
your own.
Here are some of these practices:
1.Using
someone’s exact words and not putting quotation marks around them,
which means
the reader has no way of understanding this is not the work of the
author.
2.Using
someone’s work and not attributing the source.
3.Paraphrasing
so closely (same order of sentences, same order of paragraphs, same
order of
sections ), with merely a word substituted here and there. This
indicates that
the work is really still someone else’s. The intellectual work of
re-thinking
the meaning wasn’t done. This is true even if the source is given.
4.Cut
‘N Paste: Using parts of several people’s work, which some think is
original -
Not! The sum of sentences from other authors doesn’t make the
combination
original. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course. According to section 8.27.17 of the
Faculty Senate regulations, the
instructor will forward any case of plagiarism to the Dean’s Office. If you
have any doubt, please check with the instructor.
PROGRAM
JANUARY
26
Presentations and introduction to the
course
Screening of And You Don’t Stop: 30 Years of Hip Hop
FEBRUARY
2 The
Origins of Hip-Hop Culture and Its Technical Aspects (part
1)
Readings: Nelson George’s Hip-Hop America
(chapters 1-8)
Read, print, and bring to class the
lyrics of Sugar
Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” and Grandmaster
Flash’s “The Message”
9
Readings: James McBride “Hip-Hop Planet"
(copy sent by email)
Report on James
McBride’s “Hip-Hop Planet” due today
23
The
Origins of Hip-Hop Culture and Its Technical Aspects (part
2)
Readings: Nelson George’s Hip-Hop America
(chapters 9-17)
MARCH
2
Discussion of Wild Style and The
Freshest
Kids
Screening of 8
Mile
Film
Critique 1 due today
9
Nation,
Race, Ideology, and Etnicity in Contemporary France
Readings: Alec Hargreaves and Mark McKinney’s Post-Colonial Cultures in France (pages
4-55) (copy sent by email)
Screening of Boyz N the Hood
16 Spring Break (March 16-20)
23
TAKE-HOME MIDTERM EXAM // March 24th is the last day to drop a course
30
History
of Rap Music in France (part 1)
Readings: Alain-Philippe
Durand’s Black, Blanc, Beur (pages
vii-67)
APRIL
6
History
of Rap Music in France (part 2)
Screening of La Haine [Hate]
Film Critique
2 due today
Readings: Alain-Philippe
Durand’s Black,
Blanc, Beur (pages
87-105)
Screening of Comme un aimant [Like a Magnet]
20
Rap Music
in the Francophone World: Western Africa & Quebec
Readings: Alain-Philippe
Durand’s Black, Blanc, Beur (pages
106-137)
27
Final
Exam
Film
Critiques 3 and 4 due today
