Rhetorical Theory & Criticism, Part 2

COMM 640, Spring 2016

Course 6082

We 7-9:45, Room: LA2 107

Rhetorical Theory & Criticism, Part 2

Instructor: Dr. Ragan Fox

Office: AS 364

Office Hours: MW 4:15-5:15

Email:

Course Description:

In the Greek tradition, rhetorical training aided members of the polis, or the constituents of a city-state, in their various democratic endeavors. Rhetoric continues to be an object of study (i.e., public speeches and films) and a provocative method of inquiry (i.e., rhetorical concepts influence the manner in which we “unpack” the significance of communicative phenomena). In this course, we examine some of the philosophies that inform common understandings of contemporary rhetorical thought.

Rhetorical methods help people understand and interpret the significance and implications of rhetorical situations. This course is designed to familiarize you with the content and application of these methods. By the end of the semester, you will be able to identify key rhetorical methods and apply them to a wide array of texts.

Course Objectives and Outcomes:

· To comprehend the epistemological assumptions that shape rhetorical theories and methods.

o Demonstrated by in-class dialogue, activities, final exam, and end-of-year paper presentation.

· To distinguish between and utilize various rhetorical methods, including metaphor analysis, narrative criticism, dramatism, ideographic critique, Foucaultian critique, queer criticism, feminist critique, and critical race theory.

o Measured by application of research methods in writing assignments and semester-long project.

· To produce a conference-ready piece of rhetorical criticism.

o Measured by the quality and coherence of the final paper and its presentation.

Required Reading:

· Venolia, Jan. Write Right!: A Desktop Digest of Punctuation, Grammar, and Style. New York: Ten Speed Press, 2001.

· Modern Language Association. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th Edition. New York: Modern Language Association, 2009.

· Course reader available at CopyPro: Atherton/Palo Verde

*MLA Handbook and Write Right! are NOT recommended texts; they are REQUIRED. From time to time, you will be asked to bring these books to class. You will be penalized if you do not have them with you on the required days.

COURSE POLICIES

University Withdrawal Policy:

It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from classes. Instructors have no obligation to withdraw students who do not attend courses, and may choose not to do so. Withdrawal from a course after the first two weeks of instruction requires the signature of the instructor and the department chair, and is permissible only for serious and compelling reasons. During the final three weeks of instruction, withdrawals are not permitted except in cases such as accident or serious illness where the circumstances causing the withdrawal are clearly beyond the student’s control and the assignment of an incomplete is not practical. Ordinarily, withdrawals in this category involve total withdrawal from the university. The deadline to withdraw from class for spring 2016 term is posted online. (However, drops at this time are not generally approved except in cases of accident or serious illness).

Academic Integrity:

Student work must be original as stipulated in University policies and publications. Plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, or other varieties of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to facilitating the dishonesty of others and using work from your other classes, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Academic dishonesty in any form will result in failure on the assignment and may result in failure for the course (the instructor reserves the right to make such determinations on a case-by-case basis). Additionally, the instructor will report each and every case to the Academic Integrity Committee. The Committee may, in turn, choose to enforce its own sanctions, such as expulsion from the University. Students uncertain about the parameters of academic dishonesty and its consequences should consult the University’s policy on “Cheating and Plagiarism, # 85-19.”

NOTE: I have a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism. Plagiarizing any portion of an assignment WILL result in failing the class. Any word-for-word use of somebody else’s work MUST be in quotation marks and properly cited. Paraphrasing somebody else’s work also requires parenthetical citation.

Late Work:

Because part of your commitment to the norms of the class is to do the best job you can in the time available, and because everyone in the class is operating under the same strictures, it would be unfair to excuse late work without penalty. Therefore, subtract 10% from the earned grade for EACH day (including weekends and holidays) that work is turned in after the class PERIOD on which an assignment is due. This rule applies even if your computer or printer fails to function. Start work far enough in advance to allow for possible glitches. A HARD copy of the assignment is due at the start of class time. I will not accept digital copies of an assignment.

Attendance Policy and Missed Assignments:

Attendance in this class is mandatory. Much of what we learn comes from our discussions and in-class activities. I will take attendance at the beginning of each class period. Being late three times counts as one absence. Any time beyond the class starting time will be considered late.

EXCUSED ABSENCES include:

1. Illness or injury to student.

2. Death, injury, or serious illness of an immediate family member or the like.

3. Religious reasons (California Education Code section 89320)

4. Jury duty or government obligation

5. University sanctioned or approved activities (examples include: artistic performances, forensics presentations, research conferences, intercollegiate athletic events, student government, required class field trips, etc.)

No Cell Phones or Text Messaging:

Turn off your cell phones before walking into class. “Off” does not mean “vibrate.”

Laptop Policy

While class is in session, students MAY NOT use laptops. I have instituted this policy for a number of reasons that are substantiated by instructional research. First, emailing, instant messaging, game playing, and web surfing frequently distract students who use laptops in the classroom. As a result, laptop users provide less eye contact and participate less in class discussion. Second, technology use distracts other students in the class. Communication and technology experts Kinzer and Lohnes find that students are distracted by the sound of typing and sight of screen glow. Finally, the use of laptops inhibits feelings of community in a classroom, because several in-class laptop users are dually and only partially committed to two simultaneous contexts: the world of the classroom and online space. Laptops may ONLY be used for individual or group presentations.

Writing Format:

Unless otherwise instructed, all written assignments should use 12-point Times New Roman font, be double-spaced, and have standard margins of 1” top and bottom, and 1.25” on the left and right sides. Do not insert additional spaces between paragraphs. Don’t alter font type and/or size or deviate from the margin requirements in an effort to “cheat” your way around the page minimum and maximum. Each “cheat” will result in a 5% automatic deduction from your paper grade. Note: The title page and bibliography do NOT count toward your page minimum or maximum.

ASSIGNMENTS

participation

Your contributions to course discussion will be evaluated in two ways, textually and orally. First, for each reading, submit a textual response, in which you identify and define at least two key concepts from the essay. Use 3-5 complete sentences and YOUR OWN WORDS to define the terms. Second, devise at least TWO discussion questions for each day of class. Have ONE discussion question for at LEAST two readings. Discussion questions should probe into the reading’s nuances. Don’t ask what a theorist means by a specific word if that concept is defined in the essay or a dictionary. Questions should aim to clarify the author’s philosophical assumptions, to highlight contradictions, to note points of convergence and divergence with other course readings, and to shed light on the scholar’s practice of criticism. Please make two copies of your reading responses for the day—one to keep and one to turn in.

Second, I will evaluate your oral contributions to course discussion. I am looking for you to 1) regularly volunteer your insights, and 2) stay on topic, or directly address ideas from the course reading. To receive maximum participation credit, you should contribute TWO times in the first half of class and TWO times in the second half of class. That said, be mindful that you don’t dominate course discussion. A good rule of thumb: Let AT LEAST 3 or 4 people speak after you before you volunteer to speak again. This recommendation isn’t intended to stifle discussion. There are times when you may want to clarify a point or have something pressing to say that can’t wait. If that’s the case, speak up! Just make sure those pressing moments don’t become regular moments. Having necessary materials on workshop days will also factor into your participation grade. 1 point for each reading response, 1 point for analysis outline (criticism court), 20 points total.

in-class criticism

Two times this semester, you’ll spend class time authoring a mini-criticism. At the start of class, I will assign an artifact to critique. Your mini-criticism should include 1) an explanation of your selected method and a justification for why you chose it, 2) a research question, and 2) two distinct rhetorical claims that answer the question you’ve posed. For each claim, 1) start with a multi-sentence argument, in which you feature key characteristic of your research method; 2) reference specific rhetorical aspects of your artifact that prove your argument; and 3) use the method to explain how the evidence you just presented proves your research claim. You MAY use a laptop, lecture notes, and the reading packet while writing in-class criticisms; but you only have an hour and fifteen minutes to complete the assignment, so use your time wisely. 15 points each, 30 points total.

proposal 1

On the day the assignment is due, craft a 5-7-minute oral pitch of your proposal, in which you provide an overview of your artifact, explain your choice of method and how you plan to use it in the final paper, and present a potential argument you might make in the analysis section of your paper. An argument should include a multi-sentence claim, evidence to support the argument, and a multi-sentence explanation of how the evidence substantiates the claim. Provide at least 70% eye contact and be conversational. Be prepared to answer questions about your artifact and choice of method. 50 points.

proposal 2

In roughly five pages, propose an artifact and method for your final paper. Spend roughly two pages describing your artifact and three pages 1) characterizing your selected research method and 2) explaining why the method is a good fit for the proposed study. Please select one of the following methods: Foucaultian criticism, feminist critique, performative criticism, queer criticism, or applications of CRT. Because this assignment is due weeks before we’ve covered some of the latter methods, you may need to read ahead. If, for instance, you’re interested in critiquing heteronormative aspects of a particular TV show, I will expect your proposal to reflect basics covered in the queer theory readings.

Letter to the editor

In one full, single-spaced page, write a cover letter to a journal editor. Select a journal that you think would be a good fit for your final paper. Typically, the journal you reference the most in your works cited is a good home for your essay. Visit the journal’s homepage and find out the name of the journal’s current editor. Address your letter to the editor. Your letter to the editor should contain 1) a paragraph where you describe the essay and note its primary contributions to the field, 2) a paragraph in which you explain why the piece complements others already featured in the journal, and 3) a brief paragraph where you thank the editor for his or her time. Sample letters to the editor can be found on BeachBoard. You are required to submit a COMPLETED draft of your final paper along with the letter to the editor. Failure to submit a COMPLETED draft will result in a failing grade for the assignment. 25 points.

Blind peer review

Peer review is a defining characteristic of academic publication. When you submit a paper to a conference or journal, leaders in the field will review your work and hopefully recommend the essay for presentation or publication. Peer review is also a key way academics provide service to their discipline. The more expertise you develop, the more program planners and journal editors will call upon you to review the work of your peers. Authoring constructive peer reviews is a craft. This assignment is designed to help you hone your peer-review skills. Your critique should fall between 3-4 double-spaced pages (no less than three FULL pages, no more than four), not including cover page and references. The peer review should include 1) one or two paragraphs in which you celebrate the paper’s strengths, 2) a critique of the author’s style, organization, and content, 3) an assessment of whether or not the essay makes a clear contribution to the author’s cited theories, and 4) a brief paragraph where you encourage continuation of the project. A sample peer review will be posted on BeachBoard. 50 points.

Final Paper

Submit a 20-25-page research paper. The paper should be no less than 20 FULL pages and no more than 25. Page minimum and maximum do not include cover page or works cited. Please include at LEAST 25 scholarly citations from peer-reviewed journals. The essays you cite should be consistent with the method you deploy. In other words, make sure you’re referencing peer-reviewed work in the areas of rhetoric theory and criticism. APA and MLA are the two primary style guides used by Communication scholars. APA reflects more social scientific standards, while MLA is more associated with the study of various rhetorical forms. To that end, please make sure your essay is consistent with guidelines stipulated in the most recent MLA handbook. 200 points.