Northern Ireland Fall 2005
 

ENGL790 (Studies in...) / POLS 669 (Topics in Comparative Politics) /
HWC 760 (Investigation and Conference in Peace & Conflict Studies) / EURS 511 (Study of a Culture):
NORTHERN IRELAND

Kathryn Conrad, Associate Professor, English
http://people.ku.edu/~kconrad
kconrad [at] ku.edu
Course website at Blackboard: http://courseware.ku.edu/?bbatt=Y

DESCRIPTION:
This interdisciplinary course will provide an in-depth look into Northern Irish culture and politics, focusing in particular on contemporary Northern Ireland.  We will study both the issues associated with the "Troubles" as well as the larger political, social, and cultural picture of Northern Ireland left out by a conflict-driven analysis. In order to broaden our understanding of Northern Irish culture, we will study not only historiography and political analysis, but also art, literature, film, anthropology, and cultural criticism. Our goal is not only to gain a general understanding of Northern Ireland, but also to think critically about how knowledge of Northern Ireland is represented, reproduced, and circulated through different media and, in academia, different disciplines.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
Students will be expected to write a substantial interpretive research paper, a brief (10 minute) preview of which will be presented to the class during the final two weeks of the semester. Also required: considerable online and classroom participation, attendance, some short writing assignments.  This course will require internet access for a large portion of the readings and for participation on Blackboard.  You must ensure that Blackboard has accurate contact information listed for you. Some films will be screened outside of class time; students who cannot make the film screening must make arrangements to view films privately.  More specific requirements are outlined on the Blackboard website.
 
TEXTS:
A large number of the texts and materials for the class will be available through the Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN) and other online sources.  Students are expected to have a command of the texts and other materials assigned for the class; where printouts are not reasonable, students should take notes on the materials.
Other texts TBA.
 
OTHER RESOURCES:
• Students with Disabilities: The staff of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), 135 Strong (Lawrence), 785-864-2620 (v/tty), coordinates accommodations and services for KU courses. If you have a disability for which you may request accommodation in KU classes and have not contacted them, please do as soon as possible. Please also see me privately in regard to this course (Adopted from SSD statement).
• Writing Center:  Most colleges and universities have a writing center, a place for students to talk about their writing with trained peer consultants. At KU, we call our writing centers Writer's Roosts.  When you visit, bring your work in progress and an idea of what you would like to work on-organization, support, documentation, editing, etc.  The Roosts are open in several different locations across campus; please check the website at http://www.writing.ku.edu/ for current locations and hours. The Roosts welcome both drop-ins and appointments, and there is no charge for their services. For more information, please call 864-2399 or send an e-mail to writing [at] ku.edu (Adopted from Writing Center Statement).
• External links:  The Blackboard website contains a list of relevant external links.
• Weather cancellations:  Call 864-SNOW to discover whether classes have been cancelled by the University due to inclement weather. Cancelled classes will be held online; see website for details.
 
PLAGIARISM:
Plagiarism is stealing and passing off someone else's ideas or words as one's own or using information from another's work without crediting the source. Any detected cheating offense--including but not limited to plagiarism; the unauthorized use of crib sheets, texts, or other materials during an examination or quiz; the copying of another student's work (even with the permission or aid of that student, who is thereby culpable); the use of prewritten essays (the student's own or someone else's); the uncredited adoption of another writer's interpretation of a work; or the unauthorized use of work written for another assignment or class--will be reported to the University. A record of each verified offense will be kept throughout the student's association with the University (Adopted from FSE statement).
 
Plagiarism is not a game, nor is it simply a "shortcut" when time presses.  It is a very serious form of academic misconduct and will be treated as such in this class. If you consult outside sources for ideas, you must cite those sources in your work. If after reading the statement above, you are still unclear about what constitutes plagiarism, please ask me before turning in an assignment; I am happy to work with you on your writing and on how to construct an essay and use sources.  A plagiarized assignment will result in failure of the assignment (no credit given) and will probably result in failure of the course.  Formal records are currently kept by the department, the College, and the University.
 
READING AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE:
On Blackboard site.  Syllabus open to guests; readings and assignments copyrighted and only open to KU students enrolled in the course.