|
| Tuesday February 2nd, 2010 |
| | Whether it's the rise of religiously inspired terrorism, the importance of faith-based NGOs in global relief efforts or the campaign to woo evangelical voters in the U.S., developments worldwide underscore religion's role in public life. Americans who assumed society was becoming more and more secular have been surprised by religions' rising visibility. Our mainstream media, unprepared for this resurgence, tends to ignore, underplay or trivialize religion's importance in social, cultural and political news. This course is a corrective to that trend. Its objective is to ensure that reporters specializing in politics or any other beat are intellectually grounded in religious beliefs and behaviors, faith-based institutions and the legal and political debates surrounding them, as well as current discussions on the intersection of values and ethics in science, medicine, gender and sexuality. Equally important, it seeks to prepare reporters who will not be specialists to feel comfortable covering religion when it intersects with politics, science, welfare and housing, education and entertainment.
The course's focus in 2011 is on the confluence of religion, ethnicity and coexistence among Jews, Muslims and Christians in Los Angeles and Israel. We will probe these fault-lines through class readings, lectures, screenings and discussions as well as outside reporting and writing. The syllabus is available here. Check out class blogs on Tumblr and at Krista Tippett's "On Being."
Articles published over the course of the semester:
"Coexistence in Israel: A Tale of Two Communities" by Robyn Carolyn Price
"Debate Over Religious Freedom in Syria Causes Anger in L.A. Diaspora" by Mary Slosson
"Hebrew Lit Club Agrees to Disagree" by Christin Davis
"Arab-Israeli Professor in Galilee Partners with Jewish University in Jerusalem" by Christin Davis
"Reporting from the Perspective of 1948: A Profile of Jonathan Cook" by Jon Dillingham
"Bereaved Families Create Social Media Space Aiming at Reconciliation, Not Protest" by Christin Davis
"Haifa Cultural Center Builds Community Among Arabs and Jews" by Christin Davis
"Israel: The Oil of Zion" by Andrew Khouri
"Feminist Pioneer Challenges Orthodox Patriarchy" by Kevin Douglas Grant
"A Home for Middle Eastern Gay Men to Celebrate Both Identities" by Andrew Khouri
"A New Battle Over Resources in Israel" by Jon Dillingham
"Repairing the World One Garden at a Time" by Robyn Carolyn Price
"Tattoos and Torah: One Woman's Journey to the Rabbinate" by Robyn Carolyn Price
"Arab in Israel: Two Stories from Lod" by Mary Slosson
"Love Lost and Found on Opposite Sides of Border" by Bethany Firnhaber
"Banning the Burqa: Behind the Veil of France's New Law" by Robyn Carolyn Price
"Coexistence is in the Eye of the Beholder" by Jessica Donath
"Jerusalem Time-lapse of Iconic Landmarks" by Albert Sabate
"Palestinians in Israel Rally for Hamas-Fatah Cooperation" by Mary Slosson
"March 15 in Nazareth" by Jon Dillingham
"Israeli Ambassador Prompts Debate Over Campus Free Speech" by Jon Dillingham
"Palestinian-American Supports His Hometown and More Through Religion" by Andrew Khouri
"Some Afraid to Speak Up at UC Irvine" by Jon Dillingham
"Law Enforcement and Muslim Communities in LA: A Lesson for Rep. King?" by Mary Slosson
"Demonstrators Urge Boycott of Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra" by Albert Sabate
"Palestinian-Lebanese Daughter Sings Despite Father's Wishes" by Jon Dillingham
"JDub Records Artist Clare Burson Takes Inspiration From a Relic" by Christin Davis
"Freedom Within Bounds: Inside L.A.'s Eruv Communities" by Janine Rayford
"Valentine's Day: A Day for Marriage Equality?" by Jessica Donath
"Mosque Approval in Southern California: Bellwether for the Rest of the Country?" by Mary Slosson
The course's focus during the spring semester of 2010 was on the confluence of religion, politics and gender. Our exploration interwove the three through readings and lectures, reporting and writing both in Los Angeles and in Israel.
Blogs from J585 students posting from Israel in March, 2010 can be found in the "Higher Ground" forum at Neon Tommy, an online publication of the School of Journalism at USC Annenberg:
Additional articles published over the course of the Spring 2010 semester:
"Paging Noah: Zookeepers Try to Repopulate Israel with Biblical Animals" by Sarah Grooters
"A War Over Water Dries Up Good Will Between Jews, Arabs" by Sarah Grooters
"Wildlife Preservationists Fight Expansion, Seek to Bring Back Animals of the Bible" by Kevin Patra
"A Tenuous Coexistence in Jaffa" by Meghan McCarty
"Israel's First Woman Rabbi Reflects on Progress" by Len Ly
"Entitlement Runs Deep in East Jerusalem" by Evan Pondel
"Why Israeli Gays Opt for U.S. Surrogate Births" by Evan Pondel
"Women of the Wall Challenge Israeli Laws" by Meghan McCarty
"Biden Was Here. Now What?" by Tom Pfingsten
"Religious Leaders Seek Interfaith Dialogue On Gay Rights," by Jason Ma
"Christian Right Concedes Homosexuals Will 'End Up Getting What They Want'," by Kevin Patra
"Prop 8 Trial Finds Its Way to YouTube," by John Adams
"Anti-Gay Marriage Legal 'Ministry' Wants to Represent CA County in Prop 8 Trial," Tom Pfingsten
"Oscar-Nominated Ajami Depicts Reality of Second-Class Citizenship for Arab Israelis," Meghan McCarty
"Chef's Fusion Cuisine Stirs Confusion among Jews," Evan Pondel
"Self-Defense or Just Another Exercise Fad?" by Evan Pondel | | |
|
