Where do we look for evidence of borders? How do borders operate as landscapes of social power? How do they operate as landscapes of control and surveillance? How can tools such as literature, film, and visual art assist us in conceptualizing borders? How can attentiveness to positionality inform our understanding of bordering practices?

This course explores borders through the interconnected themes of place, performance, perspective, and politics. We will consider how national and imperial borders operated historically. And we will examine the legal and cultural dimensions of contemporary bordering practices, both inside and outside of North America. Assigned materials will include scholarly analyses as well as testimonials and other first-hand accounts. Students should expect to come away from this course with an improved understanding of critical border studies, including reading scholarly works in this field and interpreting visual and literary representations of borders.

Course Requirements:

Grading will be based on weekly reading responses, two short-answer quizzes, two 7-9-page papers, and active participation in small groups and in class discussion.