Herter 116

Professor Laura Lovett

635 Herter Hall

545-6778

Lovett@history.umass.edu

Office Hours: Th 1-2, F 11-12

Course Description: This writing seminar on immigrant women’s experience in the United States has a dual focus – grappling with modes of historical understanding and fostering the growth of student research and writing skills. The seminar addresses women’s immigrant experience (including refugees and temporary workers) from the mid-nineteenth century to the late twentieth century. Readings will include oral history, autobiography, biography, and scholarly studies of specific groups of immigrant women. Course assignments will include two short papers based upon assigned readings, completed during the first half of the semester, and a substantial research paper or oral history project, with first draft circulated for class discussion and a second draft due at the end of the semester.

Texts: (available at Food For Thought Books, 106 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01002. Phone: 413-253-5432)

Richard Marius and Melvin Page, A Short Guide to Writing About History, 5^th Edition (Longman).

Kathy Peiss, Cheap Amusements (Temple University Press).

Course Website: http://webct.oit.umass.edu

See WebCT guidelines below.

Evaluation:

Paper 1 20%

Peer Response 1 5%

Paper 2 20%

Peer response 2 5%

Paper 3

First Draft 10%

Peer Critique 10%

Final Draft 20%

Participation 20%

Grade Scale

The University Grade Scale will be followed:

A = 93 and above; A- = 92-90; B+ = 89-88; B = 83-87; B- = 82-80; C+=79-78; C = 73-77; C- = 72-70; D+ = 69-69; D = 60-67; F = 59 and below.

Late Assignments

Papers handed in late will be graded down one letter grade per day late.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism is a serious violation of expected academic conduct. Your work must be your own. If you quote or paraphrase work from someone else, you must give credit and provide a reference for that source. Links to guidelines on plagiarism, including the official policy on academic honesty, can be found on the following webpage: http://www.umass.edu/history/links_writing.html. The penalty for plagiarism in this class will range from zero credit for the assignment in question (for mild cases) to failure in the class (for serious cases).

Disabilities

If you have a documented disability that may affect your performance in the class, please speak to the instructor as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Reading: You are expected to do the assigned reading in advance.

Organization

Part 1: Discovering Immigrant Women’s Experiences

Part 2: Immigrant women in Springfield, Massachusetts

Part 3: Research on Immigrant Groups

Please note that there will be no class on the following dates:

Th 10/12

Th 11/16

Th 11/23 Thanksgiving