| Topics in Language and Rhetorical Studies: U.S. Marriage Debates |
English 403 |
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Welcome! |
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Welcome to English 403. This course has as its focus a phenomenon that is at once very basic and also incredibly complex: the use of language to affect the worlds in which we live. And right now, what people are saying about marriage in the United States affects many, many people in many, many ways. Some people say that the current U.S. marriage debate is one of the most important civil rights issues of our day. Other people say gay marriage is a sin. Some people define marriage as a union between a man and a woman; some define it as an archaic institution unfairly linked to economic and other benefits; some define it as a harbinger of monogamy. In these debates, what gets said, how it gets said, by whom it gets said, when and where and why it gets said, has very real, very important, very material as well as symbolic consequences. In this class, we will engage the contemporary U.S. marriage debates as rhetorical critics, using rhetorical theory as we seek to understand the ways language and power intersect to change -- and to sustain -- the worlds in which we live. More broadly, this line of inquiry will provide us opportunities to talk, write, and think critically about the ways people use language to define, maintain, reform, and even revolutionize politics and society. This class focuses on rhetorical theory and criticism, rather than a history of the rhetorical tradition. As rhetorical critics, we will apply theoretical topoi, or topics, to specific texts, and we will develop an understanding of and a facility with rhetorical issues such as the functions and scope of rhetoric, rhetorical personae and situations, methods of appeal, exigence, kairos, identification, concepts of audience and publics, patterns of arrangement, figures of speech and other elements of style. We also will imagine language as a means by which power dynamics are created, deployed, sustained, altered, and redeployed. As we apply rhetorical theory -- in other words, when we act as rhetorical critics -- we'll concern ourselves with the analysis, comparison, and evaluation of texts. These activities parallel higher-order thinking skills (rather than basic skills such as recall), so many people see rhetorical theory and criticism as a way to facilitate, enhance, or even produce critical thinking. Therefore, another objective of this class is that you will learn, practice, and strengthen critical thinking skills central to your life within and beyond the classroom. Simultaneously, I predict that your appreciation for the power of language will increase dramatically, and that you will begin to see rhetoric and as an exciting and indispensable component of civic life. You may even leave this class asking yourself, "How can I use language to change the world?". |
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| Primary Course Activities and Requirements | |||||||||
The Schedule of Assignments includes readings, homework, exercises, and papers. Participation also factors into your success in this course, as will an occasional quiz or two. I expect you to read all of the texts on the syllabus carefully and come to class ready to talk about their arguments and your reactions to them. Homework includes gathering of texts and other materials or preparing documents for your classmates and me. Exercises and papers will be discussed in class; there are three exercises (two out-of-class and one in-class) and two papers for this course. Given the structure of this class, class participation will be informally but clearly reflected in your exercises and papers since these activities will benefit from the clarity of thought and expression and the exchange of ideas which class discussions provoke. Participation also will be formally reflected in your overall grade for the course. I expect you to come to each session on time and prepared, with reading and writing assignments completed. I also expect you to be attentive and responsive to other members of this class -- your colleagues. This classroom must be one of mutual respect and open exchange. The University’s Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities explains that the University of Michigan “is dedicated to supporting and maintaining its scholarly community. As its central purpose, this community promotes intellectual inquiry through vigorous discourse. Values which undergird this purpose include civility, dignity, diversity, education, equality, freedom, honesty, and safety.” If you have any questions, please talk with me, review this code online, or call the Office of Student Conflict Resolution at 936-6308. A quick note about deadlines: assignments are due at the start of class on the day listed in the schedule of assignments. If an exercise or paper is submitted between the start of class and 2:00 pm on that day, the grade you have earned will drop 1/3 of a letter grade. After that, the assignment drops a full letter grade for every day it is late. Even if your assignment is so late that you cannot earn a passing grade on it, in order to pass this class you must submit both papers and the three out-of-class exercises such that they would have earned a minimum grade of "D" if submitted on time. |
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| Texts for the Course | |||||||||
Required readings for this course are available on our CTools site, and will be updated throughout the semester (including with your own contributions!). Because there is no textbook for this course, it is imperative that you attend class -- you'll miss lots of material if you are absent. Since I ask people to refer directly to the texts during discussion, please bring the assigned readings to class (hard copy or on a laptop) so that you easily and quickly can point your classmates and me to the passage(s) under consideration. |
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| Services for Students with Disabilities | |||||||||
If you think you may need an accommodation for any sort of disability,
please contact Services for
Students with Disabilities (G-664 Haven Hall, 763-3000) and make an
appointment to see me during my office hours within the first two weeks
of the semester so that we can make appropriate and useful arrangements. |
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| Office Hours | |||||||||
I will hold office hours throughout the semester. Office hours are an
extension of the classroom. You are welcome and encouraged to come by with questions,
comments, and concerns. If you are enjoying a reading and would like to
discuss it further, if you are having a problem with something in the
course, if you don't understand something, please come and see me. |
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| Communication | |||||||||
With Me: The most efficient way to get in touch with me outside of class time and office hours is email. During the semester, I check my email every weekday. I will use email (your "umich" account, through our CTools list) to contact class members in case class is canceled because of snow or some other emergency, or if I want to pass on information about the course. With Your Classmates: Your classmates are an integral part of your English 403 experience. I recommend that you introduce yourself to people in this class, and that you exchange email addresses with several classmates so that you can form study groups, find out what you missed in case of an absence, etc. |
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| The Gayle Morris Sweetland Writing Center | |||||||||
I recommend that you visit the Sweetland Writing Center when you write papers for this and other University of Michigan courses. It is a great resource, or rather a composite of great resources. If you are interested in finding out more about their services, including Online Writing and Learning, Writing Workshops, and Peer Tutoring, visit the Sweetland at 1139 Angell Hall, call 764-0429, or check out their website. |
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| Academic Integrity | |||||||||
Academic dishonesty, including plagiarizing, cheating, doubly submitting papers or portions of papers, aiding and abetting dishonesty, and fabricating material, will not be tolerated. Carefully review the Department of English Language and Literature’s policy on plagiarism. If you have any questions about “what counts," see me. |
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| Grading | |||||||||
Your final grade in this course is determined as follows:
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| Some Final Notes | |||||||||
Commercial Notetaking Changes in the Policies and Schedule of Assignments |
MRU: 12 January 2009