Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2022 - WL 304 D100

Exile and Migration (4)

Class Number: 7893

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 10 – Apr 11, 2022: Mon, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Explores the culture of peoples and individuals displaced by force or migrating by choice. May focus on the literary cultures of exiles and emigres or on the depiction of refugees, immigrants or exiles. Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

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Crossing Borders in the 21st Century

Through contemporary novels and films, we explore the multifaceted representations of the immigrant experience, and, in particular, the act of crossing borders. Borders are often arbitrarily drawn and redrawn throughout history; sometimes, they are clearly marked and militarized, while other times, they are invisible.

We will question this arbitrariness of borders and the devastation it causes for those living on the wrong side of the border. What happens when people inhabit borderlands, such as asylum centres, or areas where a shared culture straddles an official border and people on either side of the border have more in common with each other than with their respective country’s capital city? Sometimes, even after having crossed a border years earlier, people continue to live with a sense of the border inside—a feeling of not having fully crossed yet, of remaining on the cultural, linguistic, and economic margins of the country in which they made a home. 

In this course on borders and the people who cross them, we will explore a novel on the Spanish-Moroccan border, a non-fiction account of the US-Mexican border, an autobiographical novel on a Dutch asylum center, and a novel on the immigration journey from Vietnam to Canada. We will also view two films, read selected poetry and excerpts from theoretical and philosophical works to further contextualize the fiction. In our engagement with these materials, we pay attention to the question of genre to represent border issues and the people entangled in them: how do poetry, film, fiction, documentary, music, and non-fiction represent these issues?

Grading

  • In-class participation 10%
  • Online discussion board contributions 15%
  • Film response paper 15%
  • Midterm exam 20%
  • Group presentation (immigration story and immigration organization) 10%
  • Final paper proposal 5%
  • Final paper 25%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Al Galidi, Rodaan. Two Blankets, Three Sheets, a Towel, a Pillow, and a Pillowcase. New York: World Editions, 2020. (164286045X) (‎ 978-1642860450) 

Lalami, Laila. Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin, 2005. (1616207507) (978-1616207502) 

Thúy, Kim. Ru. Toronto: Vintage, 2015. (0345816145) (978-0345816146)

Urrea, Luis Alberto. The Devil’s Highway: A True Story. New York: Back Bay, 2005. (0316010804) (978-0316010801)

 


Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN SPRING 2022

Teaching at SFU in spring 2022 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with safety plans in place.  Some courses will still be offered through remote methods, and if so, this will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes.  You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).

Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required.  You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the spring 2022 term.