C342 -- Rhetoric and Race
[note: this description is for general information only; students enrolled in the class should download a revised and updated syllabus from Oncourse]
Description: People in America talk about race. Sometimes, we talk about race as if it doesn't exist, sometimes we talk as if it shouldn't exist, and sometimes we talk as if race is the single most significant aspect of our daily lives. Rarely, though, do we recognize that it is through our talk about race that race becomes meaningful. Whenever we talk about race, and whatever we say about it, race is inventedin and through our words. We talk race into being, and it is race in the form of a discursive concept, as a rhetorical invention, that so profoundly impacts our culture.
This course will explore the relationship between rhetoric and race, exploring the possibilities and implications entailed by an understanding of race as a rhetorical artifact. We will read from a variety of sources, concentrating primarily on those that explicitly enact and/or theorize a relationship between discourse and race. The course will be fundamentally historical,
We will follow a generally chronological logic, with the intention of providing historical context for contemporary racial discourse. For the most part, our readings will be paired, with each example of public discourse read in conjunction with an essay that supplies a theoretical, historical, or analytical framework. Our primary goal will be to critique and develop ways of thinking and writing about race that follow upon an understanding of the relationship between race and rhetoric.
Required Materials: Most of the readings listed on the syllabus will be available in electronic format through the IU Library's "E-Reserves" system. Accessing these materials requires a password, which I will announce in class. In addition to the materials on E-Reserves, the following books are required. I ordered these texts through the IU Bookstore, but of course you may also obtain them from other local or on-line bookstores if you prefer.
West, Cornel. Race Matters. New York: Vintage Books, 1994.
Washington, Booker T., W. E. B. Du Bois, and James Weldon Johnson. Three Negro Classics: Up from Slavery, the Souls of Black Folk, the Autobiography of an Ex-Colored ManNew York: Avon Books, 1965.
Walker, David. David Walker's Appeal, in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble, to the Coloured Citizens of the World, but in Particular, and Very Expressly, to Those of the United States of America. New York: Hill and Wang, 1965.
Turner, Nat. The Confessions of Nat Turner and Related Documents. Edited by Kenneth S. Greenberg. Boston: Bedford Books, 1996.
Malcolm X. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Ballantine Books, 1973.
Grading: I cannot expect, nor will I accept, less than your very best work. I will use "whole" letter grades on most assignments (no "plusses" or "minuses"). There will be no opportunities for "extra credit" or to "make up" missed assignments. The course grade will be calculated as follows; the specific assignments are described in more detail below:
Participation -- 20%
Presentation -- 20%
Proposal -- 10%
Final Paper -- 30%
Final Exam -- 20%
Assignments:
1) Presentations. You will work in small groups, outside of class, to prepare presentations concerning the course material. These should be approximately 20 minutes in length, and should at least provide the following: (a) historical and contextual information concerning the assigned text, (b) an analysis of the text emphasizing how it contributes to our understanding of the relationship between rhetoric and race, and (c) six questions designed to encourage class discussion. These presentations also might include audio or video clips, still photographs or illustrations, comparison or contrast with other texts, in-class activities or exercises, pop quizzes, posters, or anything else you can invent that would contribute to our understanding of the text. Although you will make your presentation as a group, you will be graded individually based on the quality of your contributions during the presentation.
2) On-Line Responses. During the weeks when you are not making a prepared presentation in class, you are required to contribute to the appropriate discussion forum on Oncourse. I may provide some guiding questions, but for the most part you will be left to your own devices in articulating your response to the course materials. You may also respond to the postings of others. The purpose here is to engage the readings and to invite others to do so as well. The on-line responses will not be individually graded, but cumulatively will contribute to your participation grade.
3) Proposal. This will be constitute a description and rationale of your final project (described below). It should be approximately four pages (1000 words) in length. Specific instructions will be provided during class.
4) Final Paper. This paper will be a critical examination of some specific example of contemporary public discourse about race. We will brainstorm and discuss possible topics in class, but in general I will expect that you will focus on a discursive event concerning race or race relations in America. The topic must be approved in at least two weeks before the due date of the Proposal. The Final Paper should be at least 12 pages (3000 words) long.
5) Final Exam. The specific format of this exam will be discussed in class, but it will be comprehensive and cumulative.
Attendance: I do not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences, except in the case of university-sanctioned events or religious holidays; therefore, it is not necessary to provide "documentation" when you miss a class.
An attendance sheet will be circulated each day.
It is your responsibility to sign the attendance sheet.
You have two "free" absences to use when and as you wish.
Each absence in excess of those two will reduce your cumulative letter grade in the course by 1/3 of a letter.
If you do not use your "free" absences, your grade on the Final Exam will be increased by 1/3 of a letter.
Late Assignments: Late assignments are not accepted. Whether or not you are present in class, any and all assignments due that day must be turned in. It is your responsibility to contact me regarding any special circumstances that may affect your ability to complete an assignment on the day it is due. I will handle these circumstances on a case-by-case basis.
Academic Integrity: All graded work in this course must represent your own, personal, inventive endeavor. All references to ideas that are not your own invention must be clearly cited, whether they are direct quotations, paraphrases, or "in your own words." If you have any doubt about whether things you are planning to do constitute academic dishonesty, contact me immediately. It is often easier, and always much more pleasant, to ameliorate these issues before the offense has been committed. All students are expected to be familiar with the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct: <http://dsa.indiana.edu/Code/>.
Technology: I assume that each student enrolled in this course owns a personal computer, complete with printer and high-speed access to the Internet. For those students unable to obtain their own computer, I assume that they possess a level of computer literacy sufficient to allow frequent use of the computers provided in "labs" throughout the campus. I assume also that all assignments are prepared on a word processor and that a copy of the assignment is stored on disk, thus simplifying the process of revision. I make regular use of e-mail to distribute notices and materials, so I expect students to check their e-mail regularly. I also expect students enrolled in this class to maintain their e-mail accounts so that they do not go "over quota." Finally, remember that it is to be expected that machines sometimes break down, and that therefore computer malfunctions do not constitute an "excuse" or an "emergency." I expect that you prepare your assignments far enough in advance so that when your computer malfunctions (and it will) you will be able to rectify the problem and turn in the assignment on time.
Incompletes: A grade of incomplete can be assigned only after the student and instructor have mutually agreed that this is the best course of action under the circumstances.
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