| SES # | TOPICS | KEY DUE DATES |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | ||
| 1 | Introduction – Exploring Storytelling and the American Dream: The Growing Inequalities of the 21st Century | |
| Storytelling, History and Ethnography | ||
| 2 |
On Doing Oral History I Guest Lecturer: Peter Alter, Director of Studs Terkel Center for Oral History, Chicago History Museum In-Class Activity: Listen to oral histories on the Studs Terkel Radio Archive | |
| 3 |
On Doing Oral History II In-Class Activity: Practice conducting interviews with classmates in small groups | Assignment 1 due |
| 4 |
On Ethnographic Methods In-Class Ethnographic Activity: Find a setting in the MIT's Infinite Corridor, Student Center, or a dormitory cafeteria in which there is a lot of student activity; quietly observe social patterns for 15–20 mins; come back and report to your classmates. What analysis might you offer to account for such patterns? How does one acknowledge social patterns without stereotyping? | |
| 5 | Storytelling and the Intersection of Identities | |
| 6 |
Telling Stories about Post-Industrialism, Working Across Media I Guest Lecturer: Chris Boebel, filmmaker Viewing: Exit Zero: An Industrial Family Story. Directed by Chris Boebel. Color, 92 min. 2016. Trailer: "Exit Zero Trailer." April 12, 2015. YouTube. | Oral history assignment due |
| 7 |
Telling Stories (and Offering Analysis) Across Media II In-Class Activity: Look through letters, scrapbooks, photos, home movies, and oral histories from the Southeast Chicago Historical Society archiving project focusing on different immigrant communities in this former steel mill town; choose particular items to analyze in depth and then report back to classmates. | |
| 8 |
Telling Stories Through and With Objects In-Class Activity: Break into small groups and continue exploring materials from the Southeast Chicago Historical Society; look at samples of online interactive documentary work. As a group, imagine you were to create a multimedia exhibit on a particular topic based on these materials. Draw up designs for an exhibit; what is most important for you to convey about a certain topic? How would you present it in a way that is compelling for a larger audience? | |
| 9 | Field Trip to MIT Museum | |
| 10 |
Museum Exhibit Presentations to Class
| Museum exhibit assignment due |
| Stories We Tell about Social Class | ||
| 11 |
Stories of the Wealthy Viewing: Born Rich. Directed by Jamie Johnson. Color, 75 min. 2003. | |
| 12 |
Stories of Class from Outside the U.S. I In-Class Activity: Explore oral history tapes and materials from Chole Island in Tanzania (East Africa); consider how oral narrative conventions differ across regions and languages; search oral history sites with materials from other parts of the world. | |
| 13 |
Stories of Class from Outside the U.S. II Viewing: Stories We Tell. Directed by Sarah Polley. Color, 108 min. 2012. | |
| 14 | Meal and Final Discussion | Final paper due |
For detailed information on the course assignments and the final paper, see the Assignments section.