S630 Studies in Public Address
Instructor: Robert Ivie
Kenneth Burke, A Grammar of Motives (1945; Berkeley: University of California Press, 1969) 442-43.
I. Purpose and Theme of the Course
This course focuses on a central theme of American public discourse that has impacted domestic culture and articulated foreign policy since World War II. Investigating the rhetorical formations of American internationalism reveals an enduring culture of fear that motivates the politics of domestic control and global domination. Our goal is to expose this culture and its correlates to a productive critique. Toward that end, we will inspect various rhetorical artifacts from the perspective of dramatism, discuss five books of cultural criticism along with selected articles that explore the relationship of political discourse to contemporary American culture, and complete independent projects of productive criticism on relevant topics.
II. Required Books
David Campbell, Writing Security: United States Foreign Policy and the Politics of Identity (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1992).
Alan Nadel, Containment Culture: American Narratives, Postmodernism, and the Atomic Age (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1995)
Edward W. Said, Culture and Imperialism (1993; New York: Vintage Books, 1994).
Francis A. Beer and Robert Hariman, eds., Refiguring Realism: International Relations and Rhetorical Practices (East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 1996).
Tom Engelhardt, The End of Victory Culture: Cold War America and the Disillusioning of a Generation (New York: Basic Books, 1995).
III. Units of Instruction and Reading Assignments
A. Dramatism, Productive Criticism, and the Construction of Danger
Week 1 September 4
David Campbell, Writing Security, pp. 1-104.
Robert L. Ivie, "Productive Criticism," The Quarterly Journal of Speech 81 (February 1995): np.
Robert L. Ivie, "The Social Relevance of Rhetorical Scholarship," The Quarterly Journal of Speech 81 (May 1995): np.
Kenneth Burke, "Dramatism," in International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, ed. David L. Sills (New York: Macmillan, 1968) VII, 445-52.
James L. Kastely, "Kenneth Burke's Comic Rejoinder to the Cult of Empire," College English 58 (1996): 307-326.
Videotape: George Bush Justifying Desert Shield and Desert Storm--The New World Order
Facilitator: R. Ivie
Week 2 September 11
David Campbell, Writing Security, pp. 105-262.
Robert L. Ivie, "Tragic Fear and the Rhetorical Presidency: Combating Evil in the Persian Gulf," in The Future of the Rhetorical Presidency, ed. Martin J. Medhurst (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1996).
Mark Pollock, "The Battle for the Past: Bush and the Gulf Crisis," in The Modern Presidency and Crisis Rhetoric, ed. Amos Kiewe (Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 1994).
Carol K. Winkler, "Narrative Reframing of Public Argument: George Bush's Handling of the Persian Gulf Conflict," in Warranting Assent: Case Studies in Argument Evaluation, ed. Edward Schiappa (albany: State University of New York Press, 1995).
Facilitator: R. Ivie
Written Assessment #1 (Writing Security) Due in Class.
B. Seeking Security in Containment
Week 3 September 18
Alan Nadel, Containment Culture, pp. 1-154.
Robert L. Ivie, "Eisenhower as Cold Warrior," in Eisenhower's War of Words: Rhetoric and Leadership, ed. Martin J. Medhurst (East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 1994).
Videotapes: The Truman Doctrine Speech
Dwight Eisenhower, "The Chance for Peace"
Facilitator: ________________________
Week 4 September 25
Alan Nadel, Containment Culture, pp. 157-300.
Robert L. Ivie, "Constructing a Republic of Fear: Frightful Metaphors in the Containment Rhetoric of Kennan, Truman, and Eisenhower," Annual Meeting, Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, Boulder, Colorado, June 24, 1996.
Facilitator: ________________________
Written Assessment #2 (Containment Culture) Due in Class.
Week 5 October 2
Oral Presentation and Discussion of Concept Papers
C. Seeking Security by Global Domination
Week 6 October 9
Edward Said, Culture and Imperialism, pp. xi-190.
Facilitator: ____________________________
Week 7 October 16
Edward Said, Culture and Imperialism, pp. 191-336.
Rebecca S. Bjork, "Public Policy Argumentation and Colonialist Ideology in the Post-Cold War
Era," in Warranting Assent: Case Studies in Argument Evaluation, ed. Edward Schiappa
(Albany: State University of New York, 1995).
Facilitator: ____________________________
Written Assessment #3 (Culture and Imperialism) Due in Class.
D. Reifying Fear
Week 8 October 23
Frank Beer and Robert Hariman, ed., Refiguring Realism, first half of book.
Facilitator: ____________________________
Week 9 October 30
Frank Beer and Robert Hariman, eds., Refiguring Realism, second half of book.
Facilitator: ___________________________
Written Assessment #4 (Refiguring Realism) Due in Class.
Week 10 November 6
Oral Presentation and Discussion of Research Paper Drafts
E. Conquering the Threat: Victimage Ritual or Comic Corrective?
Week 11 November 13
Tom Engelhardt, The End of Victory Culture, pp. 3-171.
Facilitator: ____________________________
Week 12 November 20
Tom Engelhardt, The End of Victory Culture, pp. 175-337.
Facilitator: ____________________________
Written Assessment #5 (Victory Culture) Due in Class.
Note: SCA Convention Nov. 23-26, Thanksgiving Holiday Nov. 27-Dec. 1
F. Re-evaluating American Internationalism
Week 13 December 4
Distribute Final Papers to Class by Friday, 5:00 p.m., December 6
Week 14 December 11
Class Discussion of Final Papers
Week 15 December 18, Finals Week
IV. Graded Assignments
A. Concept Paper (10%)
This paper should amount to about five pages (i.e., 1,250 words) of explanation and rationale for a project of productive criticism on a topic related to the theme of the course, i.e., the rhetorical formation of a culture of fear and domination in contemporary American public discourse. It will be presented orally in class and turned in to me on October 2.
B. Draft of Research Paper (20%)
This paper should amount to an initial draft of your argument, about 15-20 pages (i.e., 4,000-5,000 words), cleanly written, and well enough developed to benefit from close critique. Prepare a 15-minute presentation based on the paper that will facilitate discussion and useful feedback on your work. Turn the paper in to me on November 6.
C. Final Draft of Research Paper (20%)
This is the final version of your term paper. It should amount to about 25 pages in length (plus endnotes), i.e., about 6,250 words plus endnotes, revised to take advantage of previous feedback and expanded to incorporate additional research since completing the initial draft of your paper. The paper must be distributed to each member of the class no later than Friday, 5:00 p.m., December 6, so that it can be discussed in class on December 11.
D. Written Evaluations of Course Texts (40%)
These five papers, each about 1,000 words, present your evaluation of the required books for the course, with particular reference to their relevance and value for your term project in productive criticism.
E. Facilitations and Class Discussion (10%)
In addition to informed participation in each class discussion, you are expected to serve as
discussion facilitator for at least one class meeting. This entails preparing a two-page position
paper on the assigned materials for the class, which you will read at the beginning of class to open
and stimulate discussion. The paper will be turned in to me during the class period.