HIST 7012: Directed Readings in African-American History (3) Credit Hours

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HIST 7012- Directed Readings in African American History (3) Credit Hours
This course is geared towards exploring themes in African-American, Native-American, Colonial American, Southern, North Carolina, Community History that may not be offered in regular course listing. Students interested in working with me in any of these areas, please contact me at asmallwd@memphis.edu.

Grading
 The grading scale basically follows the departmental standards for graduate students, with a focus upon those getting or considering getting their doctorate:
 
 A: Outstanding, excellent work: approaches the quality and demonstrates the potential for professional quality work.
 A-: Very good work. High quality performance, but falls short of excellence.
 B+: Good Work. Solid effort shows potential for higher achievement.
 B: Needs improvement: Reflects serious effort, but raises doubts about the potential for achieving professional quality, so students should consult with professors about how to improve their work, especially if they are in the Ph.D. program or would like to be.
 B-: Marginal. A few positive qualities, but plagued by serious problems that must be immediately addressed.
 C+ and below: unacceptable.
 
 I will not write grades on every review, but I will provide feedback and we will have individual discussions throughout the semester about your progress and performance. Grades are based upon the quality of your written work and your participation in class discussions.
 
 Writing Assignments
 
 Weekly Reviews
 You will write professional-quality reviews of the books. Reviews should answer the same three questions that we will address in class discussions. The reviews should not have a title page; only the bibliographic information should appear at the top of the page. Reviews of a single book should be 500-600 words. Reviews of two books should be 800-1000 words. The reviews are always due the week after we have discussed the book. I have provided a list of guidelines below, paraphrased from Richard Marius, A Short Guide to Writing About History that are helpful for producing quality reviews:
 
 1. Always give the author’s purpose in writing the book. This idea is often best addressed in the preface or introduction, which you should always read super-extra-carefully.
 2. Summarize the author’s evidence. Look through the notes section.
 3. Focus on the book, not its author. Avoid such clichés as deeming the author “well-qualified.”
 4. The review should not entirely focus on style issues. Avoid prolonged comments on the style of the book. However, one can note whether a book is well-written or incoherent, and one can even quote a sentence to illustrate an author’s style.
 5. Show, don’t tell. Avoid such generalizations as, “The book is very interesting,” or “The book is very boring.” A good review will illustrate your opinions without using such banalities.
 6. Be courteous. Passionate attacks reflect poorly upon the reviewer. Professional scholarship demands a level of detachment and comportment.
 7. Quote judiciously. The author’s prose may spice up your review, and it may deliver an idea more sharply than you can through paraphrasing. But it is your job to analyze the book, and you shirk that duty if you include too many long quotations.
 8. Do not feel compelled to say negative things about the book. One should note important inaccuracies, disagreements over interpretations, problems with the evidence, major stylistic issues, and so on. But avoid petty complaints about an insignificant detail or an isolated typographical error.
 9. Accept the book on its own terms. You may wish that the author wrote a different book, but you must review whether the author has succeeded in accomplishing his or her goal.
 10. Place the book in historical context. How does this book contribute to our understanding of African American history?
 
 Once during the semester, you will be asked to distribute copies of your review to the class, and you will read it out loud, so that the class can revisit the themes you highlight and assess your review. For examples of professional reviews, consult any major journal such as Journal of American History. Remember that one can competently review a book based upon a careful reading, a familiarity with the historical and historiographical issues, and a cogent presentation of ideas.
 
 Final Paper
 Also, at the end of the semester, you will be expected to write a thematic bibliographic essay (15-20 pages) on a particular theme covered by the core and supplemental readings on the weekly schedule. Along with the readings listed each student should conduct an OCLC search for all Books, articles, Theses, Dissertations, and primary materials related to their chosen topic, This bibliographic essay should have a unifying argument expressed through a thesis statement.