Riverside City College

political science x
American Ideals & Institutions:
A Multicultural Approach

The image to the right is the backside of the statue of Martin Luther King in downtown Riverside, and it shows him learning the techniques of nonviolent protest from the Indian leader, Mohandas Gandhi. I suspect most of you will recognize the voice of Rodney King and his appeal for peace following the LA riots of 1992.
Dr. Richard Mahon	Quad 112C, 222-8862
email:	richard.mahon@rcc.edu
web support:	http://faculty.rcc.edu/mahon/
office hours:	M, 12-3; T & Th 3:30-5 & by appointment
texts:	Pat Andrews ed., Voices of Diversity Vine Deloria, Custer Died for Your Sins   Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, Farewell to Manzanar Patricia Ireland, What Women Want The Autobiography of Malcolm X Richard Rodriguez, Hunger of Memory

Course description & format:  This course examines American political ideals and institutions from the perspective of a number of groups whose inclusion within American culture has been sometimes in doubt: Indians, African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and women.  Course presentation will be a mixture of  lecture and discussion, with substantial emphasis on the latter.  It is crucial that you keep up with the reading so that you will be able to participate thoughtfully in discussion.

Quizzes:  We will begin each week with a quiz whose intent is to "encourage" you keep up with the reading, so it is also imperative that you come on time.  Each quiz will have two short answer questions, which will be graded 0, 1, or 2, with the total aver­aged.  You must aver­age one point per quiz to pass the class.  There will be no make-ups for quizzes; if you can't help missing a quiz and wish to make it up, I will have you write something in lieu of the quiz.

Essays:  Students will write four 5 page essays, due on Sept. 2, Oct. 7, Nov. 4, and December 9.  The first essay will count 20%; the 2nd & 3rd 25%, and the final essay 30%.  Essays should address the following questions: 

First essay:  which ideals articulated in either the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution has American society realized least and most successfully?  (You may choose to emphasize one or the other.)

Second essay:  are Indians Americans?  what American ideals do Indian peoples embrace?  should Indians be conceived of as "outside" of American life in any significant way?

Third essay:  use our readings to write either a defense or a critique of either bilingualism or affirmative action.

Final essay:  to what extent is the experience of women analogous to that of other American minority groups?  Is the similarity of race (for most women) a greater bond with the white male plurality or is the difference of gender comparable to differences of race and culture?

All essays should be typed/printed, double-spaced, and proofread; number the pages.  You may, if you choose, revise one essay during the quarter; the revision will be due within two weeks of your getting the original back; the new grade will replace the initial grade.  Your initial version must be submitted on time for you to have the opportunity to revise it.

political science 5 reading schedule: