by Jeremy Beer
I'll never forget the first time I was in Parlin Hall. It being the middle of the god-awful Texas summer, I had decided to use the building as part of a strategic air-conditioned pathway between my office and the nearest snack machine. On that first sojourn down the west hallway of Parlin's first floor, I discovered two things that are very important: (1) UT English professors post many things on and around their office doors, and (2) those items are more likely to include references to Mumia Abu-Jamal (evidently he's been unjustly imprisoned) or the upcoming "Conference on Lesbianism and (Fill-in-the-Blank)" than to Shakespeare.
It is simply taken for granted nowadays that English professors have thrust aside a narrow, parochial interest in, well, English. As the saying goes, university English departments are the only places in the world where Marxism and 60s counterculture still thrives. Philosophy departments may be a close second, though. A graduate student in philosophy who lives in my apartment complex refuses to say the word "no" to his dog because it thwarts natural canine freedom. Nor does he use a leash - too restricting.
Forgive me for being cynical about this stuff -- maybe it's because of the way I was raised. As a naive 18-year old farm-boy sophomore at little Indiana-Purdue University in Fort Wayne, I enrolled in Introduction to Philosophy. "While you are in this class," the professor announced to us on the first day, "you will be expected to be an agnostic or atheist. Anyone with sincere religious beliefs will be expected to take off his 'religious hat' when he enters this class and replace it with an agnostic one. That is the only way philosophy can proceed. Does anyone have a problem with that?" No one would admit to such a superstition. I dropped the course as soon as class was over.
There was a time when the professor of liberal arts thought of himself as the bearer of the "Word", guardian of tradition, defender of the culture. The professor of philosophy once thought of himself as bound to the search for Truth. In general, the professoriate was thought to be a noble calling to a reflective and contemplative life. Religion was thought to be rather important, and so was the notion of a core curriculum, that is, a set of general courses covering the basics which every educated person was expected to learn before graduating.
All this has changed. It's not uncommon today for two liberal arts grads to go through college without having any of the same courses. The extent of this change was something I wanted to examine. I offer herewith a list of ten courses representative of the cafeteria-style hodge-podge that passes today for the liberal arts curriculum. Many more could have been mentioned (e.g., "Hitchcock and Gender", "The Literature of Two Faces", "American Cultural History of Alcohol and Drugs", "Gender/Culture/Society in the Southwest", "Sociology of Gender", "Ethnicity/Gender:La Chicana", etc.) but space simply does not permit.
For the record, I have not taken any of these courses. My evaluations rest largely on inspection of their syllabi, course descriptions, and professors' home pages.
1. Let's start in the Department of Government, where Sarah Weddington is teaching a course entitled "Gender-Based Discrimination" (GOV 357M). Does the name sound familiar? Weddington is the Queen of the Progressives; she was Jane Roe's lawyer in Roe v. Wade, which set the standard for the cutting edge (no pun intended). Her stalwart and courageous defense of abortion rights has earned her many awards, including the "Woman Who Dares Award" from the National Council of Jewish Women, and selection by Time magazine as an "Outstanding Young American Leader."
The opportunity to study under Ms. Weddington is, I am sure, well worth the price of admission. One of the texts is her book on the abortion controversy, A Question of Choice (available, by the way, at finer used-bookstores everywhere). Perhaps the royalties go to Planned Parenthood or some other saintly organization. In any case, I'm sure that the text serves the praiseworthy purpose of scaring off ugly pro-lifers.
Many more could have been mentioned (e.g., "Hitchcock and Gender", "The Literature of Two Faces", "American Cultural History of Alcohol and Drugs", "Gender/Culture/Society in the Southwest", "Sociology of Gender", "Ethnicity/Gender:La Chicana", etc.) but space simply does not permit.
We all owe a debt to the woman who showed us that progressive politics aren't always glamorous. As progressive heroes like Robespierre, Lenin, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, and Castro have demonstrated, on the road to utopia the allegedly "innocent" must sometimes die. In her continuing defense of abortion rights, Ms. Weddington has shown us that we must not shrink from that proposition.
2. As the recent comeback of the Village People proves, sometimes to be progressive you have to be "retro." That, apparently, is the principle operating in the Economics Department, where Professor Harry M. Cleaver, Jr. is offering "Introduction to Marxian Economics" (ECO 357K). One might fear that a course on Marxist Economics would be taught as if Marxist economic theory was thoroughly disproved and thus only of historical interest, much like Newtonian physics, Ptolemian astronomy, or flat-earth geography. Not so.
The course syllabus indicates that Dr. Cleaver is committed to the application of Marxist theory to modern problems. He writes, "...this means extending the analysis to those periods of time which workers have successfully liberated from factory and office work, but which have been subsequently colonized by capitalist relations, e.g., the time of children, of housewives and of peasants, as well as the leisure time of workers in general." This sentence is music to my ears, except that Dr. Cleaver exhibits his own classism with the use of the word "housewives." Please, Dr. Cleaver, it's "domestic engineers."
And Dr. Cleaver's home page makes it clear that he not only teaches Marxism, he lives it. The first frame one encounters when accessing his page protests the "Internet Communications regulatory laws that were written to limit freedom of speech and expression" (I confess that this seems to me more consonant with libertarian than Marxist philosophy, but radicalism is radicalism). In subsequent frames, Dr. Cleaver gives a brief history of his activism, which has been stalwartly Leftist.
Dr. Cleaver clearly has impeccable Marxist credentials. One wonders, then, why he still uses the tools of oppression in his classroom. For instance, 357K has three tests, but haven't tests been used to structure class relations and preserve the power positions of the privileged for decades? In addition, Dr. Cleaver makes the class out to be relatively difficult. The tests, he writes, require "abilities to analyze, to synthesize, to critique and to offer alternative interpretations." Since these abilities are correlated with the quality of schooling one has enjoyed, and since only the rich and powerful can afford high-quality schooling, it looks like Dr. Cleaver might simply be part of the problem according to the Marxist perspective, but let's not nitpick.
3. The Plan II Honors program is, of course, clearly elitist. One wonders why the gatekeepers of the Left allow it to exist. It serves only to perpetuate the class divisions that exist in the larger society, as rich, white kids are able to self-segregate themselves from the rest of the university. Having said that, however, I suspect a ploy; it appears that campus progressives may be luring these elites into the Plan II program only as cover for furthering the agenda of social justice.
Take for instance, the course discussed here - TC 301: "The Rhetoric and Poetics of Rap" - and Numbers 4 and 5 below (TC 357: "Freedom of Expression" and TC 357: "Consequences of 1898: Culture and Politics in the Hispanic Caribbean after the Spanish American War", respectively).
As for TC 301, the idea is simple but compelling: to wit, how can the progressive university fail to offer a course on rap ("one of today's most compelling pop-cultural art forms," as the course description has it)? It obviously cannot. Taught by Professor Kermit Campbell of the Division of Rhetoric and Composition, TC 301 students will study "the poignant messages of a Public Enemy, Fugees, or Ice Cube and the intricate styles of a Snoop, Method Man, or Bahamadia." They will also "consider controversial issues like the alleged sexism and violence of 'gangsta' rap." Finally, students will "read and discuss texts on hip hop history, culture, politics, and general b-boy/b-girl attitude." You know, I'll just bet that there are people on this campus that don't even know what a b-boy or b-girl is!
4. TC 357: "Freedom of Expression", is one of those courses that is recommended here primarily because of the professor. Dr. Robert Jensen of the Department of Journalism teaches the course, and he seems to be a fine progressive. According to the bio, his "research on media law/ethics/politics draws on feminist theory, lesbian/gay studies, critical legal studies, and cultural studies." As for his personal life, the bio assures us that, "Jensen does not own a car, own a television, or eat meat. He does ride a bike, read a lot, and cook with tofu." Evidently, we have here a man with an advanced social conscience.
A careful reading of the course description seems to confirm this impression. Although the primary readings are libertarian classics (Milton's Aeropagitica and J. S. Mill's On Liberty), the course covers "the critical challenges that have emerged in the past two decades from feminist theory, critical race theory, and Critical Legal Studies."
5. Plan II also offers TC 357: "Consequences of 1898: Culture and Politics in the Hispanic Caribbean after the Spanish American War". This course delves into the history of U.S. involvement in the Caribbean from an anti-imperialist viewpoint. According to the course description, the course will specifically "concentrate on the cases of Cuba and Puerto Rico, countries that at the conclusion of the 19th century were involved in projects of nation-formation, either negotiating with or rebelling against Spain for more sovereignty or absolute independence. These projects were thwarted by the intervention of the United States and the ensuing incorporation of Cuba and Puerto Rico into a new, complex system of neocolonial domination and dependance [sic]."
The issues are investigated within the framework of the literature produced by the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. Special attention is given "the militarization of Cuba under the new U.S. hegemony" and "the issue of violence in neo-colonial confrontations." As an added bonus, the course is taught by Professor Cesar Augusto Salado, "an award winning poet of some recognition in his native country."
6. Sometimes a course comes along which seems to completely capture the cutting-edge spirit. One such course appears to be HIS 350L: "U.S.-Mexico Border: History, Culture, Identity." Given that the state of Texas really belongs to Mexico, this is clearly an important course which could contribute significantly to the wider social policy debate.
The course description is worth quoting at length: "The border - its origins, changing role, and cultural meanings - represents the(post)modern frontier of transnational migration and cultural hybridity in a region that is marked by dramatic difference as well as similarity. From the U.S. perspective, the border has come to represent the space where one encounters the cultural Other, a region variously described as a frontier, a wilderness, a virgin land, a colony, a plundered environment, and an empire built on the conquest of water. The border and the borderlands conjure images of cowboys and Indians, of vast desert expanses, of primal violence and profound solitude. We will evaluate the different representations of the border and the borderlands as region and metaphor and seek to understand the betwixt and between-ness of borderlands culture."
Clearly, Dr. Foley has liberated himself from the linear thinking that so often dominates disciplines like history. However, Dr. Foley may be the only person I know of who has developed a philosophy of geography. As he writes, "This course also combines the social and cultural history of the region with its representation in literature and film, where south of the border is symbolically located below America's belt." So that's why Mexico is to the south of America! (But what does this mean about Canada?)
7. We move on, then, to Women's Studies, which always provides a veritable cornucopia of highly relevant courses dealing with difficult contemporary issues. Both the course discussed here, WS 345: "The Politics of Sexuality and Lesbian Cultures", and the one discussed below are cross-listed with the English Department, and both courses are taught by the same professor, Dr. Anne Cvetkovich.
WS 345 confronts aspects of American culture from the perspective of feminist/lesbian theory, that is, "sexual politics." Writes Dr. Cvetkovich, "Through a focus on lesbian cultural production in particular, we will explore issues such as the relation between gender and sexuality, representations of women and female sexuality, the discourse of AIDS, gay and lesbian identity politics, and intersections of race, ethnicity, and sexuality."
Mind you, WS 345 is not for the neophyte. Dr. Cvetkovich warns the inquiring student that this course requires "some familiarity with feminist theory, which has focused considerable attention on sexuality. Thus it is recommended that students have taken at least one course in women's studies or have equivalent background in women's studies or gay and lesbian studies. If you're not sure about your preparation, please consult with me." I don't mean to blow Dr. Cvetkovich's cover here, but might this be a shrewd device to keep out moral undesirables? Hmmm....Bravo, Dr. Cvetkovich.
8. In offering WS 321: "Feminism and Cultural Politics", Dr. Cvetkovich shows that her commitment to the progressive cause is unflagging. Unlike WS 345, WS 321 is constructed for the newcomer to identity politics. The course description describes the purpose of the class well: "This course will provide an introduction to methods in women's studies and feminist theory in the humanities. Our central focus will be the role of culture - including literature, film, video, and visual representation - in creating social and political transformation. We will also explore the connections between feminist research and pedagogy in the university and feminism as a broad social movement in order to evaluate how our classroom experiences achieve feminist goals."
WS 321 covers four main topics: (1) "the woman artist," (2) "identity politics," (3) "the politics of sexuality," and (4) "mass culture and visual pleasure." Specific questions regarding the exclusion of women from history, postmodern capitalism, gay/lesbian studies, and pornography are included within each of these broad areas of inquiry. One question I find particular intriguing: "what is the relation between gender and categories such as race, sexuality, ethnicity, and nationalism?" Apparently, gender and race, say, are not independent categories, as one might think.
9. What can one say about E 344L (also MAS 374): "Barrio Poetics: Machismo: Facts and/or Fiction?" As Dr. Sanchez-Gonzalez notes, "Gendered cultural studies tend to focus on the representation of women's experience." Though they be members of the inferior sex, let us not forget minority males. "This course will stretch these limits to apply gendered critique to the social construction of Latin masculinity, analyzing sexual identities and identifications that inform contemporary discourses of lo latino" (italics in original).
Like Dr. Foley whom we mentioned above, it is obvious that Dr. Sanchez-Gonzalez has little use for typically Western, linear thought. The following sentences from the course description are proof enough: "By examining the configurations of 'machismo' in various texts, we will interrogate the representation of Latino subjectivity produced and maintained by both mainstream media and those who propose to counter the mainstream perspective. The course will attempt to identify the historical sexual/textual politics behind the myths in circulation of Latino malehood, and to prepare students to analyze the complexities involved in cinematic and literary historical discourses of the masculine 'Other.'"
No, no, my friend, not everyone can write, and think, in this way. Many hours of ethnic, race, and gender studies are needed to reach the level of expertise demonstrated in the quotation above. But take Dr. Sanchez-Gonzalez's course (and perhaps a course on Hegel) and you're well on your way to thinking like an advanced progressive professor.
10. Last year, progressive hero Angela Davis gave a lecture at UT, making a passionate argument for the abolition of prison. Although the course description is not absolutely clear on this point, I have no doubt that her perspective is given ample attention in E 379N: "America and Prison Writing", cross-listed with African American Studies and American Studies. E 379N is not some dry sociological or psychological examination of prison life, but rather focuses "on the prison and the prisoner as figures that are instrumental in constructing a vision of America" (italics in original). Really, is there a more apt metaphor for American society than jail?
Topics covered include the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the experiences of American Indians, and "African American identity issues through prison literature." The texts are varied and diverse but include The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Nathan McCall's Makes Me Wanna Holler.
Well, there you have it. Ten courses which more or less prove that when it comes to cutting-edge course offerings, UT can compete with the best of schools. And I haven't even mentioned the Humanities freshman seminar, which includes courses like Anti-Statistics, Land of Oz as Cultural Icon, Poverty and Politics, Science in the Interest of Society, and Wheels and Deals. The danger, of course, is that drawing attention to these courses will have a chilling effect on the progressive atmosphere at UT, or worse yet, encourage campus reactionaries to promote their dangerous agenda. You never know what those conservatives will do next.
Jeremy Beer is a doctoral student in psychology and a guy from Indiana.