ENC1101/1102 Class Themes
Fall 2012
Classes are identified as follows:
Instructor
Title
Description
(Section numbers are not provided because we often have to change instructor/section assignments before the semester begins, and this has caused some problems in the past when students get instructors and themes that they have not chosen.)
ENC1101 Composition I
Hank Bunnell
The Dark Side of the Future
This course in film analysis and criticism will focus on the portrayal of dystopian societies (the antithesis of utopian societies, characterized by governmental tyranny and exploitation of the people) in popular science fiction films. These films, commonly dismissed as escapist fantasy, often insightfully and subversively reflect contemporary political and social concerns. We will examine similar themes of paranoia, oppression, alienation and dehumanization at the hands of technology in films such as Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, and the Star Wars trilogies. The course will stress the distinction between the film reviews we are accustomed to reading and the more scholarly analyses found in journals such as Film Comment, with students extensively reading and writing examples of each.
Bennington-Dykes
Ideological Warfare in America: A House Divided Against Itself
Our theme for this Composition I class will endeavor to stir each student’s intellectual curiosity, moving them beyond their ideologically-driven identity to that of a college-level student with all the attributes of critical literacy: critical thinking, media evaluation, and cultural critique skills. In this class, we will analyze the two prevailing American ideologies: conservatism and liberalism. This analysis will include research and study of the current political discourse. While cultivating their critical literacy, students will also employ argument theory.
Colonna
Dialogue and Dissidence: The Challenge of Democracy
This course will trace the development of democracy in the West, interrogating key moments in the history of democratic theory from the ancient Greeks to the present. Each week we will investigate the contributions of radical thinkers and visionaries, from Plato and Aristotle to Thomas Paine and Mahatma Gandhi. Readings for the course will focus on the role of dissidence, dialogue, and compromise in approaching the democratic ideal, and will come from various genres: from essays, novels, short stories, dramas, poetry, letters, and film. Much of students’ work will concentrate on recognizing, summarizing, critiquing, and constructing arguments. Students will gain experience writing academic essays, developing lucid arguments with clear lines of thought, incorporating careful evidence, expressive ideas, and above all extensive consideration of, and dialogue with, alternative perspectives.
Diamond
Women in the Horror Genre
In this class, we will study different depictions of women in popular horror films. We will focus on both supernatural and slasher films, analyzing the reasons why and methods by which particular violences are enacted by and upon women. The horror genre provides a unique venue to analyze larger social ideologies about women and women’s bodies, pregnancy, motherhood, sexuality, religion, and victimization. Specifically, areas of analysis will include the virgin/whore motif, insanity vs. supernatural ability, the prevalence of religious iconography in female-centered horror films, and the dual expression of power and sexuality. Texts may include such classic films as Carrie and Rosemary’s Baby, in addition to more current films like Scream, The Craft, The Gift, and Teeth as well as various supplemental readings, theory, and film criticism. Students will spend the semester learning to construct sound academic arguments using Toulmin’s format for argumentation and will be expected to produce a 6-8 page final paper that outlines a particular issue of interest from one of our class texts.
Hardy
Occupy Your World: Students, Social Movements, and Argument
Students have historically been at the forefront of social movements throughout the world, often leading the charge for social change. However, some authors have characterized the current youth generation in America as apathetic toward not only social or political movements, but toward life in general. In this class, we will seek to find out if this is true and, if not, how we can counter this assumed notion. By studying popular American social movements of the past and present, we will develop a framework by which we will more critically evaluate this question of youth apathy. In this class, we will learn how to analyze and engage in argumentative writing and mediated texts to critically investigate what this means for America and, subsequently, other areas of the world. Particular emphasis will be placed on the roles of social media, popular culture, and politics. Students can expect to engage in daily reading and writing assignments, rigorous class discussion, a class presentation, and a final argumentative research paper.
Jason Hogue
Fast Food Culture: Health, Consumerism, and Globalization
This course will use the concept of fast food “culture” as an entrance into the debate about the rise of global consumerism. Directly and indirectly, the fast food industry affects each of us, sometimes in ways we may not even be aware of. Criticism abounds regarding fast food in terms of health concerns related to both obesity and food safety issues, advertising that targets teens and children, and the promotion of an “instant gratification” mindset—not to mention critiques of the homogenizing effect the fast food mentality has on culture worldwide. We will look at multiple arguments surrounding these debates in hopes of not only understanding and being sensitive to opposing viewpoints, but also of being aware of our own investment in particular views and standpoints. This topic will serve as a jumping-off point for the practice of academic writing and discussion. Students will learn and practice research techniques and work toward the goal of effectively using rhetoric and argumentative strategies to compose a sustained academic argument.
Ogden
The Discourse of Civil Rights
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has"- Margaret Mead. In this course, we will study various civil rights movements in this country, focusing particularly on the African American Civil Rights Movement, the Feminist Movement, and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GBLT) Movement. While discussing these movements we will pursue the following questions; is America today what our founding fathers had intended and what are the limits of freedom? The course is designed to help students write effectively as they analyze a wide variety of texts, engage in close reading and active listening, and explore current social issues, allowing them to develop and express their own thoughts and perspectives.
Phelps
Truth and Truthiness: Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and the News
A study conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that viewers of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart were better informed about politics and current events than viewers of “real” news programs were, and separate polls by The Pew Research Center and The New York Times have shown that many people trust Jon Stewart to be their primary source for news. Are comedy news programs like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report really just “fake” news, and what is the difference between those programs and “real” news? Through Stewart’s own criticisms of television news and others’ criticisms of Stewart, we will investigate those questions and work toward developing a critical understanding of what qualifies as truth in reporting and what constitutes the thing that Stephen Colbert calls “truthiness.” Students will produce a minimum of 6,000 words of text (approximately 18-20 full pages) including but not limited to eight annotated bibliographies, a mid-term paper, and a 7-8 page final essay.
Satterwhite
Culture and Subculture
This theme-based composition course will examine how certain subcultures, though often deemed subversive to the mainstream, help to define the dominant culture. This course will begin with the readings of texts from the 1920s and 1930s, primarily focusing on the Harlem Renaissance and moving into the writers of the post-war Beat Generation. From the Beats, we will explore the birth of the 1960s counterculture and follow this through the Black Arts Movement and into rise of Hip-Hop and Punk. We will read and critically analyze literature of these various cultural epochs, as well as listen to music and watch films that will help contextualize the various works. Students will be required to participate in class, read the assigned texts, and produce a final argumentative research paper or participate in a group project that focuses on one of the specific topics covered in this course.
Schultz
Creating Texts
In this class, we will discuss and analyze social communication platforms and technology. It is fair to say that we are living in the age of communication; however, social media, networking websites, and other platforms are having a distinct impact not only on our cultural development but also on how human beings interact and communicate. We will explore the positive and negative impacts of communication technology with an emphasis on investigating how that technology impinges upon or enhances advocacy, awareness, and social change. To that end, students will create arguments and other writings focused on exploring their causes, promote those causes in social media environments, and design presentations targeted at raising awareness.
Smith, G.
Rhetoric and Resistance: The Discourse of Empire
This course will introduce students to the rhetoric of empire as well as its resulting voices of resistance through an exploration into the history of mass media’s role in propagating imperialist ideology during times of economic and military expansion. Beginning with the roots of modern nationalistic rhetoric in 19th century Britain and spanning into our own contemporary neo-colonial entanglements in the Middle East, we will analyze the deployment of imperialist rhetoric, both visual and linguistic, in the mass media. In addition to introducing students to theories of imperialism and the role of mass media in reinforcing imperialist doctrine, this course will engage students in the analysis of the historic and present role of literature, radio, film, and print advertising in reinforcing nationalistic stereotypes and in justifying and maintaining popular consent for war. We will additionally address and explore voices of dissent as expressed through alternative media, as well as through the resistant arts and literatures of the colonized.
Stith
The Rhetoric of Political and Social Issue Cartoons
In this class, we will analyze and discuss the use of both verbal and visual rhetoric in political and social issue cartoons. We will discuss the language and symbols utilized in the cartoons and how the language and symbols construct claims about the issues. We will focus on discussing and researching the validity and/or invalidity of the claims made by the cartoonists. As a final project, students will be required to produce an argumentative paper discussing the verbal and visual rhetoric in cartoons and whether or not the claims made by the cartoonist(s) are valid or invalid.
ENC1102
Composition II
Acree-Miller
America’s Historical Menu
In this class, we will examine food throughout American history as a means to learn about our country and ultimately about ourselves. We will discuss how food has changed over the years including changes in methods of cooking, popular dishes, and food costs. Our focus will be on six specific time periods: Colonial America, the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the modern green movement.
Angeletti
Organized Activism: Understanding Nonprofits
Activism is necessary to advance a free society, and clear articulation is vital to the success of a movement. In this class, you’ll create a hypothetical nonprofit organization to support a cause you care about. Over the course of the semester, you’ll thoroughly research your cause and learn to write position papers, proposals, mission statements, open letters, and documents in several other genres that will prepare you to write in the public sphere. The course will culminate in your developing portfolios and presentations that advertise your organization to the class.
Bustamente
Twitter and Facebook and YouTube--Oh my!
In this class, we will analyze and discuss the explosion of social media and technology and the effects it has on our everyday lives. We will explore how websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube influence politics, education, and other areas of communication. Technology is rapidly growing and changing the way people communicate and share ideas. These changes, some positive and some negative, affect everyone. Understanding how to locate, interpret, and share information on the web is vital in this day and age. As a final project, you will be required to make your own social media website in the form of a blog, a vlog, or a forum.
Garrett
Writing as Public Performance
What does it mean for an author to write for public audiences? What are common platforms for public delivery today? This class explores the relationship among writer, audience, and textual production in public arenas, including academic, political, and cultural contexts. We will read and write personal essays, make public blogs, and conduct research about ongoing public rhetorical performances, such as the 2012 presidential elections. We will analyze these performances and others, not only looking at textual content but also examining bodily delivery. In addition, we will make use of multimedia to analyze and design our own writing, composing with a combination of words, images, sounds, and video.
Johnson
The Mediated Body
Representations of the human form have changed over time in response to technological advances and shifts in cultural values. The course will examine these changes through art, literature, film, and public discourse during the 20th and 21st centuries. Primary texts are drawn from a variety of media and most will be available through the library’s course reserves. Students will engage in a variety of writing genres as well as group and individual presentations to demonstrate proficiency in course objectives.
McCoy
Social Commentary in South Park, “Mmmkay?”
Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s long-running hit series South Park has sparked much public debate since its debut in 1997. As an animated comedy rife with social and political implications, South Park responds to issues in American culture in unique and controversial ways. The show, by conflating “toilet humor” with satire, employs a specific set of rhetorical devices to perform its social and political commentaries. For this course, we will take up South Park as our primary text, attending to the arguments it makes as well as to the arguments of its pundits who vilify the show on the grounds that it is an incubator of moral decay. With a primary emphasis on argumentation, we will explore the conventions of various public genres as we interpret opposing arguments. To fulfill the objectives of this course, students will be expected to synthesize class discussions with required readings in an effort to construct their own arguments in various rhetorical situations appropriate for the public sphere. Some assignments include, but are not limited to, the following: a commentary, a movie review, a rhetorical analysis, and a position paper that will be presented at the end of the semester.
Mullins
The Braindead Megaphone
Throughout the semester, we’ll read several of George Saunders’ essays from The Braindead Megaphone. We’ll discuss his critique of modern media, and we’ll investigate how music, film, literature, the internet, and news media influence cultural discourse and shape our lives.
Rieben
Female Images in the Media
In 1997, feminist scholar Susan Bordo claimed that the media sets up unattainable ideals that not only perpetuate racial and gendered stereotypes, but also instill in women a sense of inadequacy that often leads to unhealthy behaviors, such as extreme dieting. We will research current media to see if this issue is still relevant today, to explore new marketing trends and social concerns, and to analyze the way media images shape the self-esteem of both women and men. We will also discover ways to initiate positive change in our community through public writing.
Rodgers
Gateway to America: Ellis Island and Beyond
This course will equip the student with the required skills for public writing. Although the issue of immigration is currently a ‘hot topic’ dividing those who are citizens against newcomers, we are, in fact, a nation of immigrants. Our exploration of the theme of immigration will include not only the immigrant’s motivations and experiences, but also how the concept of being an immigrant has evolved and changed over the years. Our focus for the beginning of this course will revolve around the history of Ellis Island. Students will write on a variety issues in both an informative and a persuasive way based on their research into the historical, sociological, and even the biological aspects of becoming an American through the gateway of Ellis Island. We will examine various texts including first person accounts of immigrants; the film Gangs of New York (Martin Scorsese); the novel House of Sand and Fog (Andre Dubus III); the essay “The Great Divider” by George Saunders (as published in Braindead Megaphone); and the ABC News 20/20 documentary Is America Number One? (John Stossel, 1999). Other reading selections may be taken from the following: American Passage: The History of Ellis Island (Vincent Cannato); Being American: Four Centuries of Immigrant Writing (Ilan Stavans); The Long Way Home: An American Journey from Ellis Island to the Great War (David Laskin); Immigrant Kids (Russell Freedman); and Immigrant Women (Elizabeth Ewen).