This course is being offered by Mary Swenson of Madison West High School in Spring 2010.  In order to appeal to our socially and culturally diverse student population, we need to offer additional literature courses which directly address issues of class, gender, sexuality, misogyny, hegemony, and individualism.  Complimenting English 10, Contemporary Lit, CWW, and Trends, this course will explore the various social movements of the 20^th and 21^st Centuries reflective of common themes such as “rising up” from oppression, and the implications of the individual within and/or versus the larger society.  Through reading and studying relevant and diverse authors of interest to teens navigating their place within various groups, and reflecting on the longstanding tradition of social movements of resistance, students will explore the following:

• How has literature been used as a tool to bring about social awareness and subsequently, social change?
• What motivates social movement?
• What place or responsibility exists for the individual within the larger culture or society?
• What defines a subculture?
• What’s the difference between subculture and mainstream?