Chapman University
Fall 2015
English 270: Foundations of rhetorical studies
Instructor Contact Information:
- Ian Barnard, Ph.D.
- Office: 428 N. Glassell #104
- In-Person Office Hours: T, Th 1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m. and by appointment
- Email Office Hours: [email protected]
Student Learning Outcomes for This Course:
This is a core course in the English major and the minor in Rhetoric and Writing Studies, and an elective course in the Creative Writing major. It also fulfills the Social Inquiry GE, requirements and electives in other majors, and is of use and interest to students in a wide variety of disciplines. In this course you will
This Course Fulfills the Following Social Inquiry Learning Outcome:
This Course Fulfills the Following English Program Learning Outcomes:
Required and Recommended Texts (available at the University Bookstore):
* = Also on reserve in the Leatherby Libraries
Grade Distribution:
Graded Assignments:
This is a core course in the English major and the minor in Rhetoric and Writing Studies, and an elective course in the Creative Writing major. It also fulfills the Social Inquiry GE, requirements and electives in other majors, and is of use and interest to students in a wide variety of disciplines. In this course you will
- understand the contested histories and theories of rhetoric
- demonstrate your understanding of the role rhetoric plays in contemporary political and social life
This Course Fulfills the Following Social Inquiry Learning Outcome:
- Employs theories of how people frame and analyze social and/or historical phenomena
This Course Fulfills the Following English Program Learning Outcomes:
- ability to explain and apply significant theoretical and critical approaches in the field of English studies
- skill in critical reading, or the practice of identifying and interpreting the formal, rhetorical, and stylistic features of a text
- skill in writing grammatically, coherently, and persuasively
Required and Recommended Texts (available at the University Bookstore):
* = Also on reserve in the Leatherby Libraries
- Borchers, Timothy. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction (required) *
- Kennedy, George A. Comparative Rhetoric: An Historical and Cross-Cultural Introduction (recommended)
- Warnick, Barbara, and David S. Heineman. Rhetoric Online: The Politics of New Media. 2nd ed. (required) *
Grade Distribution:
- Collaborative Oral Presentation on Non-Western Rhetoric..................................25%
- Website Tracking a Term........................................................................................20%
- Final Project..........................................................................................................30%
- Other Assignments.................................................................................................25%
- Due to the highly interactive nature of this course and the emphasis on group work and class discussions, I expect you to attend all class meetings and to be on time. You may miss four class meetings without penalty. If you miss more than four class meetings, I will lower your final course grade by 1/3 grade for each additional absence. Two tardies (arriving late or leaving early) count as one absence. I will also mark you tardy if you are unprepared for class.
Graded Assignments:
- Collaborative Oral Presentation on Non-Western Rhetoric: You and one or two colleagues will give an oral presentation on one non-Western rhetor, text, or rhetorical tradition discussed in Chapters 3, 5, 6, 7, or 8 in Kennedy's book. You and your partner(s) will select a short primary text or excerpt from a primary text (up to 10 pages of alphanumeric text or up to 30 minutes of video) by your rhetor or demonstrating your rhetorical tradition/text, and you will locate, scan if applicable, and post this text (or a link to it) on Blackboard for class members to read in preparation for your presentation (your text must come from a source other than Kennedy's book). You will also need to do research beyond Kennedy and Borchers on the historical and cultural contexts of your topic and to see what other scholars have said about your rhetor/tradition/text. Make sure to reference your sources during your presentation. Your presentation should include discussion of the most pertinent contexts for an appreciation of your text/rhetor/tradition and discussion of your chosen text--focus on what you think is interesting or significant about this text, rather than on summarizing your text. All presentations will be followed by questions from the class. The presentation should last no longer than 15 minutes (excluding questions). My evaluation of your presentation will be based on the thoughtfulness of your choice of text/excerpt, the quality of your research and material/analysis, how well you present your material, your ability to answer questions, how well your group members work together, and your adherence to the time limit. If you use PowerPoint or Prezi, do not read your slides! All group members will earn the same grade unless a group member fails to make a substantial contribution to the project. Your group is welcome to meet with me before the date of your presentation to discuss your presentation plans.
- Website Tracking a Term: Following our class discussion of the ways in which the word “terrorist” (and related terms like “terrorism”) are deployed, choose a term or a concept (excluding “terror,” “terrorist,” “terrorism,” “freedom fighter”) that you’d like to track (we’ll brainstorm possible words/terms/concepts in class). In the spirit of Sirc’s idea of “box-logic,” create a website where you gather artifacts (e.g., websites, links, sounds, newspaper articles, videos, images, memes, tweets, excerpts from speeches, snippets of your own prose) that show the different ways in which your term or concept has been used over time and/or across cultures and/or in different contexts and/or for different political ends and/or in the service of different ideologies and/or against other terms. You may also reference or quote from or provide links to sources that comment on the term/concept you are tracking and the ways it’s used (cf. Butler’s discussion of “terrorism”). Be sure to cite all your sources appropriately. When I evaluate your website, I will be considering its visual appeal and organization (i.e., your effective use of visual rhetoric) as well as the depth, variety, and quality of the sources you have assembled. You may work individually or collaborate with one or more class members on your website. Remember that anyone in the world can see your website, so you need to frame it in a way that makes sense to this general audience.
- Final Project on Activist Rhetoric: Choose a contemporary or historical activist movement or action (the more specific the better) from any part of the world whose rhetoric (visual, verbal, and other) you’d like to analyze on your own or collaboratively with one or more colleagues in the class, following the models of the activist rhetorical analysis we do in class. You may present your analysis in any form or medium (e.g., video, website, essay, screenplay, short story)—choose the form/medium that you feel best exemplifies your topic and what you want to say about it and that you feel allows you to showcase your own talents. Your goal isn’t so much to say if you agree or disagree with the activism you are analyzing (though your opinion of the activism will no doubt be evident in your project) or think its rhetoric is effective or not (though your opinion of this, too, will probably emerge in your project), but to make an argument for what you think the rhetoric is doing, what rhetorical moves and strategies it seems to be drawing on (whether intentionally or not), what values and assumptions is seems to be invoking, etc. Don’t just summarize the movement/action you are attending to, but emphasize your analysis (in class, we’ll discuss effective analytic tools in different media and genres). Draw on all the work we have done this semester on rhetorical history and theory as you develop your analysis. You should also do outside research so that you can engage with sources that specifically address your chosen topic. For tips on effective ways of engaging with secondary sources, consult They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing (available in the Leatherby Libraries reference section). If available, you may also interview participants in the action/group you are analyzing and use these interviews as sources/documentation. Be sure to cite all your sources in a manner appropriate to your chosen form/medium (we’ll discuss examples in class). Since you will be posting your project (or a link to it) on Blackboard, feel free to include images, links, video clips, and other digital material that you deem appropriate (be sure to acknowledge your sources where appropriate). You will post a draft (or a link to your draft) of your final project on Blackboard, and get feedback from colleagues before posting the final version. Whatever medium you choose to work in, think of your project as being equivalent in time commitment and substance to a carefully thought-out, well-written, and revised 8-10 page paper. When I evaluate your project, I will be considering how well you use your chosen medium, the quality and originality of your ideas and research, and how well you express these ideas.
- Other Assignments: These include Blackboard posts, a draft of your Final Project, responses to colleagues' work, and in-class activities. I grade these assignments on a credit/no credit basis. In class we will discuss the criteria for earning credit for these assignments. Since we will be working on Blackboard in class, you need to bring your laptop or tablet with you to class. Do not use electronic devices for non course-related work during class time. You cannot earn credit for late Blackboard posts or responses, or make up a missed in-class assignment.
- Citation of Sources: Plagiarism is a contested and context-specific topic. We will discuss effective ways of using sources and issues around plagiarism in class.
- Email Protocol: I acknowledge all email messages within 48 hours. If you email me but don’t get a response, I haven’t received your email. Feel free to email me concerning any questions you have about the course or about your work. Do not email your work to me for feedback; I’d be happy to discuss your work with you in person. It’s important to practice composing professional emails: be sure that your emails to me include appropriate subject lines, salutations, and closes.
- Classroom Dynamics: I do not spend much time lecturing and expect you to participate vigorously in the many discussions around which the course is organized. We all teach and learn in this course--I do not believe in a one-way transmission of “knowledge” from instructor to students. I don’t have all the answers, and I look forward to learning as much as teaching in this course. You should direct your questions and comments in class to your colleagues as much as to me. I encourage you to talk in class and to encourage your colleagues to do the same.
- Diversity: Chapman University is committed to ensuring equality and valuing diversity. Students and professors are reminded to show respect at all times as outlined in Chapman's Harassment and Discrimination Policy. Any violations of this policy should be discussed with the professor, the Dean of Students, and/or otherwise reported in accordance with this policy. Click here to read Chapman University's Statement on Diversity.
- Students With Disabilities: Please see me early in the semester if you have a documented disability, so that we can discuss what accommodations, if any, I might make to help you to succeed in this class. Click here to read Chapman University's Policy Statement for Assisting Students with Disabilities.
tentative schedule
Readings marked * are on Blackboard
Unit One: What is Rhetoric?
9/1/2015
9/3/2015
9/8/2015
9/10/2015
Unit Two: The "Rhetorical Tradition" and Beyond
9/15/2015
9/17/2015
9/22/2015
9/24/2015
9/29/2015
10/1/2015
10/6/2015
Unit Three: Non-Western Rhetorics
10/8/15
10/13/2015
10/15/2015
10/20/2015
10/22/2015
10/27/2015
10/29/2015
Unit Four: Visual and Digital Rhetorics
11/3/2015
11/5/2015
11/10/2015
11/12/2015
Unit Five: Activist Rhetorics
11/17/2015
11/19/2015
THANKSGIVING BREAK
12/1/2015
12/3/2015
12/8/2015
12/10/2015
Unit One: What is Rhetoric?
9/1/2015
- In-Class Activities: introduction to the course; watch and discuss In Defense of Rhetoric
- Homework Assignments for 9/3: read Covino and Jolliffe, "What is Rhetoric?" *
9/3/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss definitions of rhetoric; class member introductions; discuss criteria for Blackboard posts
- Homework Assignments: read definitions of rhetoric *; Blackboard post #1 due by 11 a.m. on 9/8
9/8/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and Blackboard posts; assign website project; discuss criteria for Blackboard responses
- Homework Assignments: read Judith Butler, "Explanation and Exoneration, or What We Can Hear" *; respond to at least two colleagues' Blackboard posts by 11 a.m on 9/10
9/10/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss "terrorism" and reading; discuss Blackboard responses; set up websites
- Homework Assignments: work on your website
Unit Two: The "Rhetorical Tradition" and Beyond
9/15/2015
- In-Class Activities: work on websites; watch and discuss excerpts from The King's Speech
- Homework Assignments: read Borchers, Chapters 1-2; post a link to your website on Blackboard by 11 a.m. on 9/17
9/17/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss websites; discuss reading; the "rhetorical tradition": humans vs. animals, literate vs. non-literate, West vs. non-West, North vs. South, male vs. female; words vs. images; introduction to Aristotle's On Rhetoric
- Homework Assignments: read excerpt from Aristotle's On Rhetoric *; Blackboard post #2 due by 11 a.m. on 9/22
9/22/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss readings and Blackboard posts
- Homework Assignments: read Borchers, Chapters 3 and 8; respond to at least two colleagues' Blackboard posts by 11 a.m. on 9/24
9/24/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and Blackboard responses; introduction to French feminism
- Homework Assignments: read Cixous, "The Laugh of the Medusa" *; read Gearhart, "The Womanization of Rhetoric" *; read Schell, "Introduction: Researching Feminist Rhetorical Methods and Methodologies" *; Blackboard post #3 due by 11 a.m. on 9/29; browse Kennedy
9/29/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and Blackboard posts; sign up for presentation topics
- Homework Assignments: read assigned chapter in Kennedy *; respond to at least two colleagues' Blackboard posts by 11 a.m. on 10/1
10/1/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and Blackboard responses; assign presentations; introduction to queer theory
- Homework Assignments: read Sedgwick, Axiomatic" *; work on your presentation
10/6/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; meet with presentation partners; draw presentation dates
- Homework Assignments: read Stryker, "My Words to Victor Frankenstein Above the Village of Chamounix: Performing Transgender Rage" *; work on your presentation
Unit Three: Non-Western Rhetorics
10/8/15
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; meet with presentation partners
- Homework Assignments: read Borchers, Chapters 9 and 11; work on your presentation
10/13/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; meet with presentation partners
- Homework Assignments: work on your presentation; read Richardson, "Hip Hop Literacies" *; read Anzaldúa,, "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" *
10/15/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; meet with presentation partners; mid-semester evaluations of the course
- Homework Assignments: work on your presentation; if your presentation is on 10/20, post your presentation text (or a link to it) on Blackboard by 11:59 p.m. on 10/16; read presentation texts *
10/20/2015
- In-Class Activities: assign presentation respondents; presentations; discuss mid-semester evaluations
- Homework Assignments: if your presentation is on 10/22, post your presentation text (or a link to it) on Blackboard by 11:59 p.m. on 10/20;read presentation texts *
10/22/2015
- In-Class Activities: assign presentation respondents; presentations
- Homework Assignments: if your presentation is on 10/27, post your presentation text (or a link to it) on Blackboard by 11:59 p.m. on 10/22; read presentation texts *
10/27/2015
- In-Class Activities: assign presentation respondents; presentations
- Homework Assignments: read Borchers, Chapter 10; read Warnick and Heineman, Chapters 1-3; Blackboard post #4 due by 11 a.m. on 11/3
10/29/2015
- No class--work on homework assignments
- Homework Assignments: read Borchers, Chapter 10; read Warnick and Heineman, Chapters 1-3; Blackboard post #4 due by 11 a.m. on 11/3
Unit Four: Visual and Digital Rhetorics
11/3/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss readings and Blackboard posts; watch and discuss The Machine is Us/ing Us; advertising analysis
- Homework Assignments: read Warnick and Heineman, Chapter 4; respond to at least two colleagues' Blackboard posts by 11 a.m. on 11/5
11/5/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and Blackboard responses; work with memes
- Homework Assignments: read Warnick and Heineman, Chapters 5-6; Blackboard post #5 due by 11 a.m. on 11/10
11/10/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and Blackboard posts
- Homework Assignments: read Warnick and Heineman, Chapters 7-8; respond to at least two colleagues' Blackboard posts by 11 a.m. on 11/12
11/12/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and Blackboard responses
- Homework Assignments: watch Selma; Blackboard post #6 due by 11 a.m. on 11/17
Unit Five: Activist Rhetorics
11/17/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss Selma and Blackboard posts; assign final project
- Homework Assignments: reading Borchers, Chapter 7; respond to at least two colleagues' Blackboard posts by 11 a.m. on 11/19
11/19/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; analyze sample activist rhetorics; create political posters
- Homework Assignments: read sample manifestos *
THANKSGIVING BREAK
12/1/2015
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; in-class manifestos; work on final project
- Homework Assignments: work on your final project
12/3/2015
- In-Class Activities: watch and discuss video about "Yellow Umbrella Revolution"; course debrief
- Homework Assignments: work on your final project
12/8/2015
- In-Class Activities: watch and discuss Stop the Church; course evaluations
- Homework Assignments: post a draft of your final project or a link to it on Blackboard by 11:59 p.m. on 12/8; read your group members' drafts before Thursday's class
12/10/2015
- In-Class Activities: peer workshops on final projects
- Homework Assignments: post your final project or a link to it on Blackboard by 11.a.m. on 12/17 (for collaborative projects, only one group member needs to post the link or group project on Blackboard, but be sure that all group members' names are listed on the project)
Thanks to Jeanne Gunner, Jan Osborn, Aneil Rallin, and Doug Sweet for assistance with, ideas for, and resources for this syllabus/course.