Spring 2008 Southern Studies Courses

SOST 305 The Contemporary South
Instructor: Robert Ellis

This course will examine the contemporary South in relationship to the
economies of culture, place and business in this age of globalization.
We will discuss disparate elements of popular culture (film, television,
advertising, music and others) to illustrate whether the constructed
South exists in the contemporary world and, if so, how the South relates
to the rest of that world.

SOST 302J Research in Southern Studies: Wetlands in Imagination, Fact, and Policy
Instructor: Bryan Giemza, Ph.D., ISS Post-Doctoral Fellow

Students in this section will complete collaborative and independent research projects related to the cultural history of wetlands in South Carolina and, ultimately, public policy regarding water and wetlands. Students will practice a variety of research skills, including some of the specialized techniques that apply to legal research. It is intended that the capstone project for the semester will contribute to the Congaree Water Initiative. Expect several short essays and bibliographies, a substantial research presentation, class discussion and collaborative projects, and the opportunity for self-directed research.

SOST 405K Topics in Southern Studies: Discovering William Faulkner
Instructors: Robert Brinkmeyer, Thorne Compton, and Don Doyle

Students will read and discuss Faulkner's fiction (several novels and a number of short stories) and watch films that have been made from his work. The course format will be primarily lecture, with some
discussion, and is open not only to undergraduates as a 3-credit-hour course but also to the general public for non-credit. The course will be team-taught by Robert Brinkmeyer, Professor of English and Southern Studies; Thorne Compton, Professor of English and Southern Studies; and Don Doyle, Professor of History.

SOST 405L Topics in Southern Studies: Contemporary Southern Novelists
Instructor: Tara Powell

Regional fiction contributes in interesting ways to local and national dialogue, and studying it is useful to readers from different backgrounds who are interested in how literature is created and its
relationship to the society in which it is written, published, and read. This course features visiting lectures by half a dozen contemporary novelists from the South. A variety of topics are explored, including the relationship between literature and regional identity, the intersection of biography and creative product, and the writing process. Students will write one essay, participate in class discussion, and demonstrate mastery through quizzes, a midterm, and a cumulative final exam. Students also review at least two readings, plays, or films by southern writers attended during the term.