UW-Milwaukee: L&S Freshman Scholars Seminars

Fall 2008 Seminars

Ethnic Studies

Identity and Transformation

Oody Petty, Lecturer

Whether you come from a small town, a big city, the farmlands, from outside the USA, or someplace in between-place often becomes one of the things we use to identify our self and others. Yet, places of origin, like other "identifying" codes can give others a false sense of knowing who you are. Notions of identity are complex. Identification with gender, family, race, custom, and nationhood add to it. Forming and sustaining a sense of identity is problematic for most everyone.

This Freshman Seminar investigates notions of social and cultural identity. What do we mean by identity? How are ideas of identity both meaningful and limiting? How does globalization affect our sense of identity? Do we need to be alike to get along?

Our thoughtful attempts to work through these difficult questions will help bring a new and more profound understanding of who we are-individually and culturally-in 21st century America. We'll examine literature that addresses the concerns and challenges of "fitting in" and mine our personal experience, background, ethnicity and beliefs to share with our classmates a notion of "who we are." Our final project will consist of a creative exploration of identity through various lenses: visual, dramatic, written or spoken word. Ongoing small and large group discussions will engage students to become active learners in their own course experience.

Oody Petty is a lecturer at UWM where she received her doctorate in English. Oody teaches courses in literature, creative writing, and composition, and has served as Creative Non-Fiction and Poetry Editor for The Cream City Review, UWM's literary magazine. Her academic interests include women's literature, Romanticism, and the influence of culture on knowledge, particularly in its effect on race and gender. Oody is a poet and enjoys mentoring her writing students, many of whom continue to send her poems and stories years after they're done with classes.

Number: ETHNIC 192, SEM 001
Credits: 3HU
Time: MW 12:30pm-1:45pm
Place: EMS E230
Class Number: 60397

© College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Freshman Scholars Program, PO Box 413, Holton Hall G18, Milwaukee, WI 53201
Send your questions and comments to L&S Web Team
Last Updated: May 8, 2008


Humanities Africology Celtic Studies Communication Comparative Literature English Ethnic Studies German History Italian Philosophy Women's Studies Natural Science Atmospheric Sciences Biological Sciences Geociences Physics Social Science Africology Anthropology Economics Political Science Psychology Sociology Cultural Diversity English		Fall 2008 Seminars Ethnic Studies Identity and Transformation Oody Petty, Lecturer Whether you come from a small town, a big city, the farmlands, from outside the USA, or someplace in between-place often becomes one of the things we use to identify our self and others. Yet, places of origin, like other "identifying" codes can give others a false sense of knowing who you are. Notions of identity are complex. Identification with gender, family, race, custom, and nationhood add to it. Forming and sustaining a sense of identity is problematic for most everyone. This Freshman Seminar investigates notions of social and cultural identity. What do we mean by identity? How are ideas of identity both meaningful and limiting? How does globalization affect our sense of identity? Do we need to be alike to get along? Our thoughtful attempts to work through these difficult questions will help bring a new and more profound understanding of who we are-individually and culturally-in 21st century America. We'll examine literature that addresses the concerns and challenges of "fitting in" and mine our personal experience, background, ethnicity and beliefs to share with our classmates a notion of "who we are." Our final project will consist of a creative exploration of identity through various lenses: visual, dramatic, written or spoken word. Ongoing small and large group discussions will engage students to become active learners in their own course experience. Oody Petty is a lecturer at UWM where she received her doctorate in English. Oody teaches courses in literature, creative writing, and composition, and has served as Creative Non-Fiction and Poetry Editor for The Cream City Review, UWM's literary magazine. Her academic interests include women's literature, Romanticism, and the influence of culture on knowledge, particularly in its effect on race and gender. Oody is a poet and enjoys mentoring her writing students, many of whom continue to send her poems and stories years after they're done with classes. Number: ETHNIC 192, SEM 001 Credits: 3HU Time: MW 12:30pm-1:45pm Place: EMS E230 Class Number: 60397 Check current enrollment information.
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© College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Freshman Scholars Program, PO Box 413, Holton Hall G18, Milwaukee, WI 53201 Send your questions and comments to L&S Web Team Last Updated: May 8, 2008