ANTH 369 B: Special Problems in Anthropology

ANTH 369 B: African American Language and Culture (5) SSc

Professor Jamaal Muwwakkil (he/him)

Office hours: Tuesdays, 1:00-2:00 PM (By Appointment) 

Office: Denny M233

Email: jmuww@uw.edu

Classroom: SAV 131

"Now, if this passion, this skill, this (to quote Toni Morrison) "sheer intelligence," this incredible music, the mighty achievement of having brought a people utterly unknown to, or despised by "history"--to have brought this people to their present, troubled, troubling, and unassailable and unanswerable place--if this absolutely unprecedented journey does not indicate that black English is a language, I am curious to know what definition of language is to be trusted."

-Baldwin 1979

This course will examine the linguistic anthropological and sociolinguistic aspects of English as spoken by African-Americans in the United States. We will study the relationship of African-American English to linguistic theory, education policy, and U.S. culture. The course has an emphasis on research, mitigating discrimination, and improving the educational and social experiences of African-Americans in (higher) education and beyond.

 Learning outcomes include:

• Identifying units of and ideologies associated with linguistic variation
• Understanding the historical development of African American English
• Operationalizing scholarship in African American Language and Culture
• Developing and pursuing (undergraduate) research questions and presentation skills

Classes will be held in person, and in-class participation is expected. Active participation in each class session is a requirement of this course. The ability to participate in discussions is an important skill and vital to the creation of academic communities. Come prepared to engage with the content, your peers, and me. 

Course readings

Textbook:

Talking College: Making Space for Black Language Practices in Higher Education

by Anne H. Charity Hudley, Christine Mallinson, and Mary Bucholtz (Should be available in both the library and the bookstore)

In addition, I will provide readings from various researchers of African American Language and Culture, and the scans/PDFs will be uploaded to canvas.

Assignments are due on Canvas most Friday evenings by 11:59 PM. There will also be pop quizzes, a 4-5-page essay-based take-home midterm paper, and research presentation (based on your research question you will pursue throughout this course) that will serve as the final. If an assignment is unexcused and late, you will receive a zero for that assignment.

LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. However, deadline extensions can be offered at my discretion on a case by case basis. Please communicate if an emergency arises. 

I am confident that all students are capable of doing well, but I am also aware that students have varied levels of preparation for this course. I want every student to earn the grade they expect, and gain the skills they desire. Therefore, I recommend a few strategies and resources that can help facilitate those ends. 

Academic Success Coaching

https://academicsupport.uw.edu/academic-success-coach/

Tips for Success

https://academicsupport.uw.edu/study-skills/tips-for-success-at-the-university-of-washington/

Writing Resources

https://academicsupport.uw.edu/study-skills/writing-resources/

https://depts.washington.edu/owrcweb/wordpress/

Librarian and Library Resources

https://lib.uw.edu/ougl/

Undergraduate research

https://www.washington.edu/undergradresearch/

Office hours Tuesdays from 1:00-2:00pm at Denny Hall M233 (By appointment) 

*Note: 

The goal of office hours is to help you. Please do not hesitate to stop by during office hours to ask questions about course content, research, graduate school, or any other tangentially related content. Please email me that you are intending to do at least 24 hours prior. 

Schedule

Course policies

Academic misconduct

The university’s policy on plagiarism and academic misconduct is a part of the Student Conduct Code, which cites the definition of academic misconduct in the WAC 478-121. (WAC is an abbreviation for the Washington Administrative Code, the set of state regulations for the university. The entire chapter of the WAC on the student conduct code is here.) According to this section of the WAC, academic misconduct includes: 

“Cheating”—such as “unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes”, “Falsification” “which is the intentional use or submission of falsified data, records, or other information including, but not limited to, records of internship or practicum experiences or attendance at any required event(s), or scholarly research”; and “Plagiarism” which includes “[t]he use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment.” 

The UW Libraries have a useful guide for students at http://www.lib.washington.edu/teaching/plagiarism 

In this course, students are permitted to use AI-based tools (such as UW’s version of Copilot) on some assignments. The instructions for each assignment will include information about whether and how you may use AI-based tools to complete the assignment. All sources, including AI tools, must be properly cited. Use of AI in ways that are inconsistent with the parameters above will be considered academic misconduct and subject to investigation.

Please note that AI results can be biased and inaccurate. It is your responsibility to ensure that the information you use from AI is accurate. Additionally, pay attention to the privacy of your data. Many AI tools will incorporate and use any content you share, so be careful not to unintentionally share copyrighted materials, original work, or personal information.

Learning how to thoughtfully and strategically use AI-based tools may help you develop your skills, refine your work, and prepare you for your future career. If you have any questions about citation or about what constitutes academic integrity in this course or at the University of Washington, please feel free to contact me to discuss your concerns.

Accommodation

Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course. The website for the DRO provides other resources for students and faculty for making accommodations.

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/). 

Grading

Assignments will range in value of points per assignment that will be tallied up at the end to establish your grade. Assignments will include assigned writing, pop-quizzes, and presentations.. Refer to the Canvas modules and the schedule (above) for details.  

The following grading scale will be used:

Percent = Grade

95 = 4.0 88 = 3.3 81 = 2.6 74 = 1.9 67 = 1.2

94 = 3.9 87 = 3.2 80 = 2.5 73 = 1.8 66 = 1.1

93 = 3.8 86 = 3.1 79 = 2.4 72 = 1.7 65 = 1.0

92 = 3.7 85 = 3.0 78 = 2.3 71 = 1.6 64 = 0.9

91 = 3.6 84 = 2.9 77 = 2.2 70 = 1.5 63 = 0.8

90 = 3.5 83 = 2.8 76 = 2.1 69 = 1.4 60-62 = 0.7

89 = 3.4 82 = 2.7 75 = 2.0 68 = 1.3 <60 = 0.0

Inclusivity

Among the core values of the university are inclusivity and diversity, regardless of race,

gender, income, ability, beliefs, and other ways that people distinguish themselves and others. If any assignments and activities are not accessible to you, please contact me so we can make arrangements to include you by making an alternative assignment available. 

Learning often involves the exchange of ideas. To include everyone in the learning process, we expect you will demonstrate respect, politeness, reasonableness, and willingness to listen to others at all times – even when passions run high. Behaviors must support learning, understanding, and scholarship.

Preventing violence is a shared responsibility in which everyone at the UW plays a part. If you experience harassment during your studies, please report it to the SafeCampus website (anonymous reports are possible, washington.edu/safecampus/). SafeCampus provides information on counseling and safety resources, University policies, and violence reporting requirements help us maintain a safe personal, work and learning environment.

If you read, see or hear something in any class meeting or among any class materials that you find offensive or exclusionary, please make a confidential report here so I can immediately address it. You can also use that confidential feedback to ask questions or share observations about the class. Other options for reporting your concerns include the Chair of the Anthropology Department, the University of Washington ombud office, and the UW SafeCampus Office.

Counseling Center & Hall Health

Both continue to offer student mental health services during the COVID-19 outbreak. If you need support, Contact the Counseling Center (206-543-1240) or Hall Health Mental Health (206-543-5039) to get started. There is no wrong reason to reach out and the initial appointment is free. More information on their webpage.

Student Technology Loan Program

As a UW student you can borrow laptop and tablet computers for the duration of the academic quarter. The STLP offers no contact appointments as well as shipping. Email stlp@uw.edu or call 206-685-6090.

Housing & Food Insecurity

The Doorway Project offers resources specific to the U District, links to Emergency Food Resources Map and connections to Mutual Aid Solidarity Networks The ROOTS Young Adult Shelter provides overnight shelter to people age 18-25. Any Hungry Husky offers a UW food pantry. If you know other resources, please share them with me and I’ll post them for everyone.

Emergency Aid

Emergency Aid at UW-Seattle is also there to support students for emergency needs. In addition to connecting students to resources, they offer short term loan funds and counseling.