Pacific Studies 108WI

Pacific Island Worlds: Today and Tomorrow (Writing Intensive)

Spring 2004, Section 33339

 

Kumu: Kealalökahi Losch		Class meets:
Office: `Ölapa 226		TR 9:15-10:30pm
Email: losch@hawaii.edu		Mänele 104
Phone: 734-9246 (office)		Ofc. Hrs: M,T 11:00am-12:00pm or by appt.

 

Description:   

An introduction to the contemporary Pacific islands region and cultures through a survey of the major dilemmas facing its inhabitants now and in the near future.

 

Prerequisite: Qualification for English 100

Recommended Preparation: Hawst 107 & Eng 100

 

This class fulfills a Social Science group requirement in degree programs at KCC and it also fulfills a Social Science General Education Core Requirement at the University of Hawai`i at Mänoa.

 

Goals: By the end of the course students will be expected to:

¨      Discuss the historical origins of current issues and trends.

¨      Discuss cultural persistence and change and the influence of tradition in contemporary life.

¨      Discuss and demonstrate an understanding of contemporary cultural, social, political and economic issues in their local, regional, pan-Pacific, and global contexts through informed analysis and debate.

¨      Discuss issues in Pacific Islander communities in urban centers within the region and on the Pacific Rim.

¨      Identify potential issues and resolutions that the region will face in the near future based on current issues and trends.

 

Grading: Your semester grade is based on the total number of points you earn from the following totals:

Citation exercise	20 points	20 points
Map test	50 points	50 points
Traditional creation story	25 points	25 points
Pacific foods project	50 points	50 points
Unit summaries	10, 15, 20, 25, 35 points	105 points
Identity essay	25 points	25 points
Total Possible Points		275 points

 

Your grade will be based on the total number of points you earn in the various activities described above. The final grade-to-points correspondence will be based on the distribution of final scores. You can keep track of your progress by keeping a tally of the points you earn on each assignment.

 

Readings:

·        Douglas Oliver, The Pacific Islands.

 

·        Reilly Ridgell, Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.

 

·        Max Quanchi and Ron Adams, Culture Contact in the Pacific.

 

·        Additional readings are either on the web or will be handed out in class.

 Written Assignments: All out-of-class assignments will be typewritten, double-spaced with reasonable margins (approx. 1”) in a standard font (Times, Palatino, Courier, etc.) of a normal size (12). Due to the wonders of modern word processing, I expect spelling and grammar to be correct. I will be a bit more lenient on terms from other Oceanic languages. Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Late papers will not be accepted unless excused by a doctor’s notice or by arrangement with me made prior to the due date. As with any course at the university level, plagiarism will not be tolerated and any incidences may be reported to the Dean. I want to hear your thoughts and perspectives, not someone else’s.

 

Map Test:   In order to gain a better understanding of the places we will be discussing, there will be a map test on all of Oceania, including islands, countries and capitals. We will be doing some exercises in class to help you learn more about where you are and where we will be talking about.

 

Creation Story:  In addition to the map quizzes, you will also be doing reports on a creation story one of the islands (of your choice) as a way for you to gain familiarity with the cultures of the region. This is also an opportunity for you to practice firsthand the oral tradition that is at the core of Oceanic societies. Your story should be 600-900 words in length and your oral presentation should be 3-5 minutes.

 

Pacific Foods Project: Food is an integral part of Pacific societies. In recognition of this fact, your research assignment is also food-based. In class, we will have a potluck. Your assignment is to research, prepare, and bring to class an “authentic” food dish for the class. Your food may be traditional or contemporary, however, you may not prepare any foods in a way that is unique to Hawaiÿi. Along with your food, you will turn in a detailed report on the dish, e.g. its origins, ingredients, variations, mythic or legendary significance, social impacts, etc. You will be graded on the thoroughness of your research, not on how well you cook, so don’t worry. You must get your food item approved in advance, so plan ahead. You will be required to present your food and report on its preparation to the class. Be creative. Your report should be 1000-1500 words.

 

Unit Summary:  Because we cover so much material, it is easy to lose focus on the major issues or points of a unit. The unit summary allows me to see that you “get it.” You will do a cumulative summary for each of the units, one through five. In each successive summary, you need to discuss the relationships between the units covered. Your summary should be about 300-600 words for every 10 points.

 

Participation:    This class is intended to give you not just knowledge of Oceania, but also experience with its cultures and peoples. To fully appreciate these lessons, you must participate. As an active learner, you will find that you get much more out of this course and you will also find it easier to remember what you have learned.

 

Attendance:  Attendance in class is mandatory. You cannot learn if you are not in class. If you are going to be absent from class, then please notify me in advance. According to KCC policy, you must wait 15 minutes for your instructor before the class is considered cancelled. Whenever possible, I will try to let you know in advance if class will be cancelled.

 

Extra Credit:   I do not give extra credit to make up for missed assignments. I also do not give that many opportunities for extra credit. Bear in mind that you can only increase your grade by one letter with extra credit. I have two major requirements for you to be able to do extra credit work:

1.      You must be passing with a 70% or better for extra credit to count.

2.      You must have completed all of your regular assignments for your extra credit to count.

 

Miscellaneous Items:  If at any time you have questions about the assignments, this syllabus, or any material covered in the course, please ask. If you need additional help, tutoring, or just a bit of encouragement or moral support, please contact me. If you email me, please put "PACS 108" in the subject heading. The ultimate goal of this course is learning, so I want you to be able to get all the help you need. Please turn off all pagers and cellular phones. You need to focus on what is being presented in class. If you would like to get your final grade prior to the report card, you must give me a self-addressed, stamped envelope. I am not allowed to give grades over the phone.

 

 

Lecture and Assignment Schedule:

Date	Lecture	Assignment †
T Jan 13	Course Standards; Citation Exercise; Analysis Exercise	Syllabus, Maps
Unit I. Oceanic Worlds, A “Sea of Islands”
R Jan 15	Citation Homework due Geography of the Pacific; Map Activity	Citation Homework Map locations R 1-21
T Jan 20	Physical Setting & Biodiversity	O 3-12
R Jan 22	Science & Migrations Map Test	QA 1-13 R 22-29
Unit II. Cultural Worlds, Ta Pasifik Wei
T Jan 27	Pacific Cosmogonies Unit I summary due	Foley Summary 1
R Jan 29	Creation Story due Creation in the Pacific	Creation Story
T Feb 3	Foundations of Pacific Cultures	Lal & Fortune 483-486 QA 15-29
R Feb 5	Pacific Cultures continued	O 17-30 Lal & Fortune 132-147
T Feb 10	Pacific Cultural Adaptations Today	http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2001/06/shell-p1.htm
R Feb 12	Food Project due	Food Project
Unit III. Colonized Worlds, Taim blong masta in Pasifik
T Feb 17	Unit II summary due Video: First Contact	Summary 2 O 35-45 QA 45-51
R Feb 19	Constructing history; "Discovering the Pacific"	QA 32-43
T Feb 24	Oceania in the 18th and 19th Centuries	O 46-75 R 48-49
R Feb 26	Oceania in the early 20th Century	QA 114-123
Unit IV. Sovereign Worlds, Decolonizing Oceania
T Mar 2	Unit III summary due Post-WWII impacts	Summary 3 O 255-267
R Mar 4	Video: Half-Life, A Parable for the Nuclear Age
T Mar 9	Post-WWII Oceania	O 268-278
R Mar 11	Decolonization and  self-determination Video: TBA	QA 126-143 Thompson 153-195
T Mar 16	Neo-colonialism in Oceania	QA 145-158
Unit V. Changing Worlds, Contemporary Issues in Oceania
R Mar 18	Unit IV summary due Urbanization and Globalization of Oceania	Summary 4 Kiste 1-13 Firth 178-192
Mar 22-26	Spring Break – No School
T Mar 30	Global Warming Video: Rising Waters: Global Warming & the Fate of the Pacific Islands	Video Study Guide
R Apr 1	Mining, Logging, and Fisheries	Pogo 19-20t
T Apr 6	Coups & Conflicts: Fiji and the Solomon Islands	Losch 1-10 http://166.122.164.43/archive/special/Coups2000.pdf
R Apr 8	Gangs, Violence and Substance abuse	Vulum 6-9 Marshall 260-272
T Apr 13	Overpopulation and Tourism Video: TBA	Helu-Thaman 104-111; Pirie 1-8
VI. Expanding Worlds, The Future of Oceania
R Apr 15	Unit V summary due Oceanic Diaspora & islander communities overseas	Summary 5 Morton 1-30
T Apr 20	Film: Whale Rider	Mahuika 42-63 Walker 63-77
R Apr 22	Film continued
T Apr 27	Globalization, culture and identity	Gegeo 491-507
R Apr 29	Future Worlds	Hau`ofa 1993: 2-16 Hau`ofa 1998: 392-410
T May 4	Wrap-up discussion
	Final Essay due by Noon, Thurs. May 6, 2004	Final Essay

 

THIS SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT MY DISCRETION