Department Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence

California State University, Bakersfield has historically provided vital access to higher education for students from minority communities and enrolls remarkably diverse student populations. In addition to accessing higher education, CSUB students must be prepared to live thoughtful and productive lives to build a just society that is rich in cultural and ethnic diversity and respectful of both the individual and society's values. To realize the promise of diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual/affectional orientation, class, and disability, the Department of English commits to the pursuit and practice of social justice. We strive to have a curriculum and pedagogy that honors and incorporates the diversity of cultures, languages, and traditions to enhance students' critical, analytic, and creative skills and to improve the quality of the educational experience.

The Department of English is committed to creating an inclusive environment in our classes where a diversity of ideas and values is welcomed and considered necessary for nuanced critical thinking and discourse. Our classrooms are spaces for everyone to be heard, validated, and supported—and in which we listen, validate, and support. These are spaces where we agree and disagree with respect and civility. 

The Department of English also produces a non-fiction journal, Calliope, and a creative fiction journal, Orpheus, which foreground diversity and inclusion and welcome submissions from CSUB students of all backgrounds. 

The Department of English is here for you and we want to hear from you. Please do not hesitate to share any concerns about DEI with your instructors, the Department of English Chair, or the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities.

CSUB has a vibrant office of Equity, Inclusion, and Compliance which can be reached via this link:
 
https://www.csub.edu/equity-inclusion-compliance/

English Courses with Particular DEI Emphasis Include:

ENGL 2220  Ethnic-Minority American Literature Introduction to fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama by African-American, Asian-American, Native-American, and Latino/a writers in the social contexts out of which their literature emerges. 

ENGL 2408  Introduction to World Literature An introduction to the study of world literature in English translation. Texts represent a variety of authors and eras, cultural contexts, and the major genres (poetry, fiction, and drama.) Emphasis will be placed on the techniques of comparative analysis and interpretation. This class highlights the theme of Fate, Freedom, and Social Responsibility.  

ENGL 3220 Studies Fiction: African-American Experience Intensive examination of African-American experience as portrayed in slave and contemporary African-American Literature, fiction and critical essays using various critical approaches (e.g., multicultural, postcolonial, mythological, historical, and formalist). Such themes as slavery, alienation, religion, and triumph of the spirit will be explored. As we discuss African-American experience in the selected fiction, we will also be engaged in comparative analysis of the images of Blacks presented in selected major non-Western literatures.

ENGL 3230  Studies in Chicano Literature Examination of the experiences of Chicana and Chicano writers as portrayed in their fiction, drama, poetry, and film and as interpreted by current ethnic literary theory. Course also includes study of the socio-cultural milieu from which the literature emerged. 

ENGL 3248  Ethnic Literatures This course focuses on the experiences of writers who are concerned with the issues of race, ethnicity, and gender in their non-fiction, short fiction, poetry, novels, autobiographical essays, aesthetic and political manifestos, and the hybrid genres produced by their creative energy. Course content--which varies from semester to semester--centers on two fundamental questions: first, how an author's race/ethnicity/ gender influence what he/she writes. Second, how literature exposes the social construction of race and its impact on quality of life.

ENGL 3250  Literature by Women of Color An extensive examination of the experiences of women of color both in the U.S. and abroad as portrayed in their fiction, nonfiction, and poetry and as interpreted in feminist and ethnic literary theory and criticism. 

ENGL 3400 Contemporary World Literature Major later-twentieth-century/contemporary literary works from around the world, written in English and also in translation. Emphasis on works written outside of the United States and Britain. 

ENGL 3410  Gender in Literature and Film A criticism and theory-based exploration of literature and film from the standpoint of gender in relation to class, race, ethnicity, and sexuality. 

ENGL 3430  Selected Readings in Western and Non-Western Literature Study of representative works of world literature from the earliest literature to the present. The course focuses on the literary and cultural significance of selected great works in Western and non-Western literary traditions. The broad aim of the course is to highlight universal themes and to identify the historical and cultural contexts that give specificity to each work.

ENGL 3440  International Folk Narrative Survey of the various genres of oral narratives and an examination of their historical and social significance as well as their influence on literature. Emphasis on studying the universal motifs of folk narratives and contrasting the folk narratives of different cultures. 

ENGL 4648  Sociolinguistics Examination of the relationship between language and such social variables as sex, economic class, race, and ethnicity. Topics include social dialects, linguistic stereotypes, code- switching, and the educational challenges of language minorities. A thorough linguistic comparison between one non- standard dialect and Standard American English will be included. 

ENGL 5360  Postcolonial Literature Literature in English produced in colonial and post-colonial contexts. Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.