BRS 100: Explorations in Border Studies (Professor Ardon) [Spring 2022]

Overview

This course explores the concept of borders (symbolic, geographical, social, transnational, etc.) within the context of the borderlands, the distinctive region along the U.S.-Mexico border characterized for its rich history and vibrant multicultural spaces. As people who live, work, and study in the border region of San Diego County, our lived experiences contribute to this cultural tapestry that gives the border region its unique identity. Using the Community Cultural Wealth framework (Yosso 2005), we explore the borderlands through first-person narratives to better understand the complex historical and sociocultural conditions that shape the doing and undoing of physical and symbolic borders and border identities in the region.

Directions

• Write a research essay in which you apply the knowledge gained from this course to critically explore social inequalities in the borderlands.
• You will present an oral version of your research paper in a 5-minute presentation to the class.
• Focus your investigation on a particular social inequality that is unique to the borderlands. You are free to choose the topic of your research, but it should be relevant to the general course theme.
• Find, evaluate, and use 4-6 relevant scholarly sources. These may be peer-reviewed articles from academic journals or chapters from academic books. You may use other sources in addition to the required scholarly sources.
• Use the Essay Grading Rubric to evaluate your essay’s writing, analysis, and formatting.