| Reasoning &
Writing in the College
CAS
105
Fall 2000
Hidden
Histories in Language
Instructor: Carmen Reyes, Department of English
TR 2:00-3:15 CRN 12356
This section of CAS105
owes its theme and title to Hidden Histories of Science a collection
of essays written by contemporary
scientists who tell the lesser-known or previously untold histories of
various scientific ideas and discoveries. These "histories"
uncover and explore the sometimes vexed relationship between history and
knowledge. In addition to reading selections from
Hidden Histories of Science we will be reading essays that explore
similar questions about history and knowledge but that do
so from very different perspectives. All of the readings, which include
essays by James Baldwin, Virginia Woolf, Amy Tan, Stephen J. Gould, and
others, raise important questions about how history operates in our lives.
Moreover, they suggest that in order to answer these questions, we must
examine the various ways in which history is communicated. Thus, in addition
to asking questions like "How do we define history?" and "What
constitutes historical fact?" we will consider how language determines
the histories we write and how language can reveal and conceal knowledge.
Writing requirements include five short papers and a longer research paper.
Grades will be based on two writing portfolios and your participation
in class discussions and writing workshops.
Humor: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Instructor: Ann Robinson, Department of English
MW 3:25 - 4:40 CRN 12139
"Writing is
easy. All you do is stare at a blank piece of paper until drops of blood
form on your
forehead." - Gene Fowler (1890-1960)
Learning how to write
well is an admittedly long and arduous process, requiring determination
and practice, practice, practice. As we develop the skills which will
prove invaluable to you as you complete (successfully, of course) your
academic career, we will explore the phenomenon of humor from the perspectives
of disciplines as various as anthropology, literature, medicine, and sociology.
From Chaucer to Freud to Life in Hell, we'll examine the many functions
of humor in our lives. How do we define humor? Why do humans laugh? Is
humor universal? Timeless? What role does language play? Culture? What
triggers us to recognize humor? What is the role of humor in communication?
In community? While we learn to read closely and critically and write
clearly and effectively, we will examine humor as a social phenomenon,
exploring the historical and cultural constructs that govern our use and
understanding of humor. Using humor as our vehicle, this course will focus
on recognizing and developing an argument, organizing writing effectively,
identifying writing for a specific audience, and developing an academic
voice. You will emerge from this course a more competent and more confident
writer. After all, writing is easy.
The Individual and Social Responsibility
Instructor: Koren Bakkegard, Department of English
MW 3:25 - 4:40 CRN 12274
Organized around the
concept "The Individual and Social Responsibility," this course
focuses on writing in the context of each
writer's individual and social obligations. The course conceives of writing
as an essentially social function, interconnected with
reading, thinking, and conversing. Consequently, students examine how
writing involves and represents our negotiation with
our social environment, and how attention to language enhances our understanding
of our place in society. Students will
consider what motivates individual writers, how invitingly they present
their ideas, and the consequences of their choices.
Such examinations will pertain equally to the assigned texts and to essays
written by fellow classmates. Readings include
essays from the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, and they sample
a variety of academic and non-academic genres.
Among the authors under consideration are Virginia Woolf, Martin Luther
King, Jr., Isak Dinesen, Adrienne Rich, and
Stephen Jay Gould. Classroom meetings consist primarily of seminar discussions
and peer-review writing workshops,
wherein students respond to their classmates' writing and receive feedback
on their own. Assessment is based upon a portfolio
system that emphasizes process, revision, and self-evaluation.
The Marks and Signatures of Character
Instructor: Martin Boyden, Department of English
MW 6:15 - 7:30 CRN 12142
Have you ever worried
about someone in a book, a movie, or on a T.V. program as if he or she
were a friend or family member? The character is arguably one of the greatest
feats accomplished by language. In a few sentences or even a few words,
a voice or writing hand has the power to make an actor like Kelsey Grammer
stop being Kelsey Grammer and become Frasier Crane or MacBeth. More interestingly,
words set on a page can mentally evoke beings of language which readers
will often relate to as they would relate to living people, whether the
words give life to a person in the "real world" or someone completely
constructed from the imagination. What must a writer write so that a character
may come alive? Do characters reflect what people are or do characters
instruct people how to be? Does someone's taste for a particular type
of character determine the "character" someone looks for when
voting for a Presidential candidate? Through reading a variety of drama,
fiction, history, and perhaps viewing a movie and some television, this
course will study the relationship characters have with authors, audiences,
and the larger world in which authors and audiences live. Written work
will include a journal of response papers, a number of argumentative and
research essays, a few short in-class writing assignments, and active
participation in electronic discussions. Naturally, being a writing course,
significant time will also be spent on the writing process itself, most
often in the form of peer review and revision strategies.
The Evolution of the Written Word
Instructor: John Sutton, Department of English
TR 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 12329
Click here for course
syllabus
"Ye knowe ek
that in forme of speche is chaunge
Withinne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho
That hadden pris, now wonder nyce and straunge
Us thinkethhem, and yet thei spake hem so."
Essentially, what
Chaucer is saying in this quote from Troilus and Criseyde is that language
is always changing. The English
language has undergone a fascinating evolution over the past fifteen centuries,
and by examining how the language has
developed during that time we can gain a deeper understanding of our own
writing.
In this course you
will investigate how and why English has evolved into what it is today,
and, more generally, the dynamic and changeable nature of language. The
syllabus will include a variety of texts -- ranging from the Middle Ages
to the twentieth
century -- that will illustrate these points. You will also improve your
writing skills by studying the English language at a nuts-and-bolts level,
and will leave the course with a solid understanding of the history and
structure of English. Course requirements include several short papers,
peer reviewing, and faithful attendance; there will be no midterm or final
exam. No prior knowledge of linguistics is required.
Literatures of Social Values
Instructor: Lorna Mittelman, Department of English
MWF 1:00 - 1:50 CRN 12201
The Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution have remained the documentary base not
only for American government
and legal systems but also for social and personal values, despite radical
changes in the fabric of society and the composition of
the populace. Each age, each generation examines and constructs its values
concerning fundamental rights and responsibilities
regarding concepts such as equality, free speech, the right to life. Using
a variety of narratives, essays, poems and stories, students will examine
the experiences and opinions of others and formulate their own propositions
regarding selected issues.
Students will analyze the varieties of argument they encounter in their
readings and discover the essential elements of formal
writing. They will apply what they have learned and develop their thinking
and writing skills as they discuss, write and revise a variety of assignments,
culminating in the centerpiece of the students' efforts, the research
project on a topic of their choice.
Locating the Writer
Instructor: Rob Barrick, Department of English
TR 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 12295
Who is a writer? Where
in a bookstore does a particular writer belong? Or in the world? Why?
And who decides? In this section of CAS 105 we'll be exploring some of
the many questions which help to define what a writer is and where he
or she fits into the contemporary world. We'll be examining a variety
of writings, including essays, short stories, novels, and your own work,
from the bottom up (the nitty gritty details of punctuation, etc) and
from the top down, encountering some large questions along the way: What
elements define various genres? What is the relationship between a writer
and his or her audience? What are the responsibilities of a writer? And
what are your responsibilities for this class? Most importantly, be prepared
to talk a lot, exchanging original ideas and feedback on the materials
we'll be examining. There will also be short papers on most readings (1-2pp),
one longer paper (5-7pp), and a final research paper (10-12pp). We will
be reading works by Sven Birkerts, Nadine Gordimer, Salman Rushdie, Art
Spiegelman, and Virginia Woolf, among many others.
Writing Youth: The Making and Re-making of Youth Identity in American
Culture, or From the Mouths of Babes
Instructor: Barbara Brickman, Department of English
MWF 1:00 - 1:50 CRN 12089
Click here for course
syllabus
An article entitled
"The Global Teenager" in the Winter 1989 issue of Whole Earth
Review found that by the mid-1990's over
half the world's population would be under the age of twenty. So, who
are these people? What does it mean to be a "youth" in
the U.S.? One's youth, or particularly one's teen years, is a time of
making one's identity, solidifying who you are. This class
will investigate how the choices made by the "youth" reflect
and perhaps influence changes in American culture. How do "youth"
view, react to, live the overwhelming influence of mass media, the reliance
on computer technologies, the change in gender roles, the status of the
university, etc. We will use popular essays, some literature and film,
and critical essays to examine these questions and more about youth and
the present state of American culture. You will be expected to write several
essays on the topics discussed, and some class time will be devoted to
writing workshops, as well as peer reviews and revisions, as ways to develop
and clarify ideas or arguments. There will be no final exam.
The Really Real(?): Utopias, Narratives, and Truth
Instrucor: Chuck Ripley, Department of English
TR 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 12312
Does literature ever
give us any access to truth? How is it that individuals and societies
seem to be constructed through
language but also seem to exist beyond that language? How do (ever-changing)
media affect language and our conceptions of
ourselves and our society? This course will examine how language approximates,
corresponds to, and/or represents ideals in
literature through various kinds of utopias — some far-fetched (science
fiction) and others closer to home (the story of democracy in America).
We will use what these utopias teach us to examine how gender and race,
communities and societies are all idealized and constructed, concentrating
in what that means for us and our sense of ourselves today. Necessarily
in our examination of how ideals function in literature, we will also
be looking at the rhetorical strategies of other disciplines and the kinds
of arguments that are appropriate to these disciplines: after all, what
do stories have to do with science anyway? In practical terms, this will
mean examining what makes for good writings ideally and how this plays
out realistically in your very different classes.
Texts will be drawn
from more traditional literary genres such as short stories, plays, poems,
and essays, but we will also be
looking at movies, comic books, television, movies, and Internet sources.
Students will be expected to write several papers,
do weekly writing assignments, provide active feedback for their peers,
as well as be active and alert participants in class and
life.
Beauty and precision - Writing with style
Instructor: Anne Birien, Department of English
TR 2:00 - 3:15 CRN 12091
A reader's mind is
filled with verbal memories, successions of solemn encounters with language,
as it were. Among the most
pleasant memories are hours spent reading the works of achieved stylists.
Authors whose words the reader relishes in and treasures are the best
models for writing; in their works, feelings and ideas are conveyed most
precisely and beautifully. If
such endeavors humble aspiring writers, they can also empower them. Literature,
as Toni Morrison remarked in her Nobel
Lecture, is language kept alive; language turned "instrument through
which power is exercised." Language is not merely the
writer's primary material; it is also the "instrument" he/she
uses to shape the material. Like any precision tool, it requires sharpening
and frequent care . . . for fear that it might lose accuracy or become
unusable. In this light, we will focus on the
close readings of texts, mostly but not exclusively- literary; we will
analyze different authors' (Morrison, Mansfield, James,
Camus, Whitman...) stylistic strategies and discuss the efficiency of
rhetorical choices -as applicable in your own writing. This
class rests on the students' regular, rigorous and enthusiastic commitment
to both written assignments and oral participation;
there will be no final exam.
Poetry's Place in Society, or Can a Poem Really Matter?
Instructor: Brandon Barr, Department of English
TR 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 12283
Click here for course
syllabus
Poetry occupies a
somewhat vexed position in our society. Coffeehouses are filled to the
brim with poetry readings, yet books
of poetry almost never become bestsellers. Nearly everyone has written
a poem at some point, yet few people are passionate
about reading poetry. While twentieth century poets often lack a large
audience, they are still engaged in answering important
questions. Can poetry change the political landscape? Can it change the
world we see, even the language we speak? What
exactly constitutes a poem anyway? Do song lyrics count, or playground
chants? Can poetry be more than just something we
study in school? Can it really matter? As we examine the ways in which
a poem strives to affect the world it is created within,
we will engage ourselves in many of these same questions. By writing about
poetry in a variety of small writing experiments
and assignments (and one larger project) we will attempt to determine
both what a poem is, and what it can be. Our quest will
drive us through a wide sampling of poems and essays. Poets will range
from Dr. William Carlos Williams to Dr. Seuss;
contemporary song lyrics (from Bob Dylan to R.E.M.) will also be examined.
The Art of the Review Essay
Instructor: Kari Kraus, Department of English
MW 3:25 - 4:40 CRN 12240
We live in an era
and culture saturated by reviews — restaurant reviews, book reviews,
fashion reviews, software reviews,
scholarly reviews, film reviews, web reviews . . . this shortlist, which
could be expanded infinitely, gives some idea of the
protean and highly adaptive genre that we will read and write this semester.
For the duration of the course, we will exercise our
compositional dexterity by modeling the genre under consideration. In
particular, the course will underscore two important
components of the review essay that are translatable to other kinds of
scholarly writing: summary and evaluation. Despite its
prevalence, summary is a skill that too often receives short-shrift in
the academic environment. It demands of the writer a
judicious emphasis of some pieces of information and the inevitable suppression
of others. Evaluation is an equally subtle skill
that involves a complex mixture of argument, judgment, and wit. For your
final research project, you will choose a twentieth-century literary novel
of your choice to review and place within its larger generic context (e.g.,
science fiction, mystery, romance, hypertext). Part of your task will
be to chart the main contours of the particular form's development over
the course of the twentieth century in order to map its future directions.
This final task is what I call the "prophetic dimension" of
the review essay, forcing you to muster and put on display every dram
of insight and analytical acumen you possess. It's a bold rhetorical move
that we will build up throughout the semester. Along the way, we will
frequently stop to get down to the brass tacks of the writing business,
addressing revision, the weighing of evidence, grammar, and (of course)
that elusive will o' the wisp: style.
Science Fiction(s) of the Modern World
Instructor: Joanna Grant, Department of English
MWF 13.00-13.50 CRN 12196
"As you walk
down the winding passages at the base of the Great Pyramid of Cheops,
you begin to hear a faint humming
noise and your eyes, used to the fitful light of your primitive lantern,
slowly become aware of an eerie, otherworldly glow. As
you turn the corner, you realize that the pyramid is actually a shell
covering the Mother Ship of the mysterious alien race. If
you a) flee in terror, turn to page 65; b) whip out your Uzi and waste
'em in the name of God and America, turn to page 90."
Does this sound familiar? Did you read Choose Your Own Adventure books
when you were a kid? How about science fiction
and fantasy novels? If you did (and you are brave enough to admit it)
then this class is for you. Fantastic and speculative
literature, ranging from myths to magic realism, has a long and glorious
history of providing a vehicle for explorations of current social and
political situations and predicaments. In this class you will examine
a variety of texts, fictional, non-fictional and visual. Some will be
science texts, some will be science fiction texts, and many will inhabit
the strange and shifting ground between the two. The writing you will
produce will range from shorter classroom individual and group exercises
to longer essays and a full-length research paper. There will also be
screenings of selected films. These assignments will help you to develop
analytical, critical, and rhetorical skills that will serve you well no
matter what field you enter in later life.
Sentiment and Reason in Nineteenth-Century America
Instructor: Gina D. Tonogbanua, Department of English
Section 1: TR 12.30-1.45 CRN 12330
Section 2: TR 2.00-3.15 CRN 12367
Sentiment is often
understood today as being linked to (if not interchangeable with) excessive
emotion -- Hallmark cards and
"chick flicks" are good examples of what most people associate
with the sentimental. In a society that privileges reason,
sentimental literature, overwhelmingly popular in nineteenth century America,
has been dismissed for appealing to emotion
rather than reason. Yet what do we really mean when we talk about sentiment?
Eighteenth-century philosophers such as Adam
Smith defined sentiment as central to morality and virtue. When and how
did sentiment evolve into the often pejorative concept
it is today? What does it mean for us to privilege reason over sentiment?
This course will also examine how the changing
definition of what is considered literature contributed to the near disappearance
of this genre -- and how this definition reflects
social attitudes towards gender, race, and class. Primary texts will include
Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Hidden Hand, as well as
novels and short stories by other nineteenth-century women writers such
as Catherine Maria Sedgwick and Louisa May Alcott.
Students will also be required to engage with contemporary and current
critical works. On a regular basis students will be asked to formulate
questions about the assigned text and lead class discussion. Course requirements
will consist of a weekly two-page response paper in addition to a number
of longer writing assignments and a final research project. This class
will also focus on drafting and revision; students will be expected to
read and respond critically to writing produced by other class members.
No final exam.
Abduction
Instructor: Angela Gibson, Department of English
MWF 13.00-13.50 CRN 12184
Abduction is both
a recurrent literary motif and a constantly reinvented cultural practice
that puts social status, identity, and a
sense of belonging in a transitional state. The body becomes a site where
ownership is contested and social affiliations are
affirmed or denied. This course will explore a variety of abduction cases,
including the following: the cult brainwashing of Patty Hearst; the cultural
anxieties manifest in alien abductions and captivity narratives about
"going native"; the link between the body and female political
power with Helen of Troy, Queen Guinevere, and Princess Leah; Guatemalan
"disappearings"; kidnapping and parental custody rights; and
Elian Gonzales and disputes over national membership.
Through a combination
of readings and film, accompanied by class discussion, written argument
papers of varying lengths,
and peer workshops, we will investigate the historical peculiarities and
changing goals of abduction scenarios. Our collective
investigations will culminate in a final research project on a specific
category of abduction to be chosen by the student. This
final paper will incorporate independent research and will develop a focused
argument about this wide-ranging topic.
Different Americas/Different Visions in Twentieth-Century Fiction
Instructor: Jay Winston, Department of English
TR 11.05-12.20 CRN 12115
In this course, we
will read a number of short stories, all dealing with particularly American
experiences. That is, they are set
in different places, all called "America," and among different
people, all called "Americans," and all in the midst of what
has
popularly been termed "the American Century." However, we may
find that the different versions of "America" and "Americans"
found among these stories are very different, perhaps contradictory. In
reading them, we will think about how the narratives given in stories
can be said to take part in, or help create, larger narratives, the stories
we tell ourselves that help us, in the words of Priscilla Wald, to "constitute"
ourselves as Americans (or, perhaps, to constitute other people as Americans,
or to exclude others from such a definition). We will also think about
what, in this still relatively recent fiction, constitutes an American
voice, and whether, in an increasingly "global" society, such
terms mean what they used to, and what this might mean for our own writing.
Authors will likely include Sherwood Anderson, James Baldwin, Flannery
O'Connor, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Sherman Alexie. Students will be
expected to write numerous essays that will be workshopped in class, as
well as short responses to particular readings. There will be no midterm
or final exam.
Writing
about History
Witches and Witch-Hunts
Instructor: Neal Palmer, Department of History
TR 2.00 - 3.15 CRN 12381
Witches and witchcraft
have long been a part of European culture. But what do you really know
about them? This course will
explore the subjects of witches, witchcraft and witch-hunts from an historical
perspective. Students will learn the history of witches and witchcraft,
the role they played in early modern civilization, and discuss the continuing
attraction of this form of worship in the modern world. The related phenomenon
of the witch-hunt will also be discussed. Students will learn about the
dynamic behind early modern witch-hunts and how they are related to modern
events such as the "Red Scare" in 1950s America. The class will
read both historical scholarship and primary source material such as proceedings
of actual witch trials. Based on these readings, students will complete
several writing assignments in which they will practice and enhance their
ability to form a clear written argument and present textual evidence
to support that argument. The writing assignments will consist of several
short, informal papers, which will be subjected to peer review, and a
research paper.
Biography in Historical Context
Instructor: Henry Sommerville, Department of History
MW 3:25 -4:40 CRN 12150
The story of a single
human life can fascinate and inspire us. It can also help us to understand
a particular time and place in the
past. On the other hand, historical scholarship should shape our understanding
of past lives. In this class, we will study biography in historical context.
Students will focus on a particular historical figure, chosen in consultation
with the instructor, and examine how that person's choices and accomplishments
were related to his or her time, place, and social position. Students
will develop their writing skills through a variety of assignments related
to their subject. These will include a sketch of their subject's life,
a critical review of a biography, and an evaluation of other historical
sources. Finally they will synthesize these materials into an essay that
considers the historical figure in context. Students will have a chance
to improve all their writings through workshops, peer review, and revision.
Students can learn history in depth in an area of interest to them and
learn from their classmates about their historical interests.
Writing with Masters: Russian Literature beyond Dostoevsky
Instructor: Tatyana Bakhmetyeva, Department of History
TR 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 12072
"There is no
royal path to good writing; and such paths that exist . . . lead through
the jungle of self, the world, and craft" -
Jessamyn West.
As this quotation
suggests, writing is an active process, a journey, and not simply a product
of momentary inspiration. We will
begin our journey by asking ourselves questions: How do we write? Why
do we succeed and why do we fail in our attempts at
writing? What is successful writing? It is by answering these questions
that we will move along our path to the ultimate goal of
this course: "better writing," defined in the academic context.
Since every traveler needs good companions for an enjoyable
trip, we will be making our journey in the formidable company of Russian
literary masterpieces. Our critical reading and analysis of short stories
by famous Russian authors will stimulate class discussions and writing
assignments. Reading selections may include stories by Pushkin, Lermontov,
Tolstoy, Gogol, and others. Additional interdisciplinary readings related
to the topics of Russian history, literature and culture will expose us
to the rhetorical conventions of the academy and provide an opportunity
to exercise critical reading and writing skills on non-fictional texts.
Gender and American Culture
Instructor: Mary Henold, Department of History
TR 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 12303
Have you ever wanted
to read someone else’s diary? Ever blown the dust off an old magazine
and explored life in another
time? Have you ever lost yourself in a black and white movie? In this
course we will use these and other primary sources to
explore the part that gender has played in our national story. [Note:
Gender means men and women; we will study both in this
class.] In American culture, as in all cultures, gender is "constructed,"
society itself determines what is masculine and feminine. Luckily, our
culture has left many fascinating documents behind to tell us how this
process occurred. We will approach these sources as historians do, investigating
their context and then writing about their significance. You will analyze
essays by historians and other academics to explore how scholars develop
strong arguments based on evidence. You will then begin a process of research,
writing, peer review, and re-writing in which you practice the skills
you will need to develop and articulate arguments of your own. For most
writing assignments, including the research paper, you will have the opportunity
to choose primary sources from time periods and subjects that interest
you, as long as your essays address questions of gender in American culture.
War and Memory
Instructor: Brian Campbell, Department of History
MW 3:25 - 4:40 CRN 12227
The study of war is
often confined to campaigns and battles, generals and heroes. Rather than
look at war itself, this course
will examine how it has been represented and how it continues to impact
culture and society, in some ways which just might
surprise you. Taking a path which winds through Tara, Weimar and one town's
Nazi scandal, we will ask ourselves three
main questions: Are we still fighting the Civil War? What was the Lost
Generation? What happened to the winners and losers
of the Second World War? The class will be interdisciplinary, using journalism,
film, history, primary sources and literature.
There will be three short essays organized around each questions, an oral
history interview, and a longer research essay (8-10
pages) to conclude the semester. Each of the essays will focus on revision
and peer review, while helping students build
effective, organized arguments.
Required Texts: Confederates
in the Attic by Tony Horwitz, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest
Hemmingway and The Good
War by Studs Terkel
Films: Gone With
the Wind, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Nasty Girl and Saving Private
Ryan.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
Instructor: Lisa Szefel, Department of History
MW 3:25 - 4:40 CRN 12216
This course will focus
on developing critical writing skills by analyzing radical movements of
the 1960s in America. We will look at issues of sex (the women's liberation
movement, STDs, the Pill), lies (by John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson,
Richard Nixon), and videotape (as used in Presidential elections, the
civil rights movement, the Vietnam War). Analyzing these topics will illuminate
current attitudes toward politics and gender relations. Such issues also,
ultimately, probe questions about identity: about who we are as individuals
and as a nation. Students will learn how to use evidence to build arguments
in clear, creative, compelling narratives. Readings will include articles
and book excerpts written by both journalists and historians. Assignments
will include short papers, a research essay, and an oral history interview,
all of which will be reviewed by peers.
Reflections on American Education
Instructor: Jacalyn Eddy, Department of History
MW 3:25 - 4:40 CRN 12238
User-friendly teacher
seeks students: Why do we go to school? Why does America place such strong
emphasis on education?
Why is there an article in the newspaper almost every day about schools?
Why do I have to take CAS 105? John Dewey, Carl
Kaestle, Allan Bloom, Sven Birkets, Jonathan Kozol and other fascinating
individuals will supply answers to all these burning
questions. Using the broad topic of American education, we will consider
historical and current debates about such issues as
the function of education in a democratic society, literacy, the role
of public schools as cultural institutions, the use of electronic media
in the classroom, grading and teacher preparation. Major writing assignments
include two short papers (2-3 pages), 2 slightly longer papers (4 pages),
a book review, and a final research paper approximately 8 pages in length.
Writing about Philosophy
Morality, Metaphysics,
and Murder
Instructor: Nathan Nobis, Department of Philosophy
MWF 1:00 - 1:50 CRN 12408
This philosophy course
will offer instruction in writing clear and cogent argumentative and expository
essays. Since learning
to write effectively requires practice, this course will involve frequent
informal writing, writing workshops, several formal argumentative essays,
a research paper and many opportunities to reflect on and revise your
written work. Our main subject
matter, the topic we will write about, will be theoretical and applied
ethics. Theoretical ethics asks what it is for an action to be
right and for a person to be of good, or virtuous, character. Issues in
applied ethics that we will consider include the death penalty, the moral
status of non-human animals, and abortion and infanticide. We may also
consider some topics related to moral education and the teaching of ethics.
Our secondary topic(s) will stem from concerns related to ethics. We may
consider some questions in the metaphysics of freedom and determinism
(e.g. Do we act freely? Are we morally responsible for our actions?),
philosophy of religion (e.g. Does the existence of some kinds of suffering
cast reasonable doubt on the existence of God?), and/or philosophy of
art (e.g. Are there objective standards for good and bad art, or are aesthetic
evaluations just a matter of personal taste?). For more information, see
the course web page at http://mail.rochester.edu/~nobs/ethics/
Theory of Knowledge and Aesthetics
Instructor: Todd Long, Department of Philosophy
MW 6:15 -7:30 CRN 12269
We claim to know all
sorts of things, but do we? What is knowledge? How does knowledge differ
from belief? Can we be certain that we have the truth? Does knowledge
require certainty? Does it require justification? Is there an ethics of
belief? Reading texts from Plato, Descartes, Bertrand Russell, and W.K.
Clifford, we will focus on such questions as we begin to evaluate the
traditional analysis of knowledge. Then we will turn our attention to
philosophical aesthetics: What makes something a work of art? What is
the function of art? Reading texts from Curt Ducasse, Monroe Beardsley,
R.G. Collingwood, Leo Tolstoy, C.S. Lewis, and Flannery O'Connor, we will
consider such questions with an eye toward epistemological issues: Do
works of art provide us with a special kind of knowledge? Is there a rational
basis for distinguishing good art from bad art? Course requirements will
include writing and revising a variety of short papers as well as a longer
research paper, which will deal with some issue related to course readings.
Weekly reading and writing assignments will be aimed at enhancing students'
abilities to identify, interpret, and assess the reasoning involved in
various texts, as well as to construct their own well-formed arguments.
Philosophy of Psychology
Instructor: Stefan Forrester, Department of Philosophy
TR 2:00 - 3:15 CRN 12107
Scientists write differently
than philosophers, though both address similar topics and have similar
writing goals. In this course
we will explore the various connections between philosophical and scientific
discourse by writing essays which exemplify both
types of writing. These essays will be based on our study of the intersections
between psychology and philosophy. We will
consider several important questions, such as: Can we use the findings
of psychology to attempt to solve age-old philosophical
problems? If so, what justifies this approach? How far, in terms of our
knowledge of the human mind, can psychology take us? What is psychology's
importance to morality? To culture? These questions will be addressed
in the work of four major authors. (1) Freud's legacy, Civilization and
its Discontents (2) Milgram's legacy, The Milgram Experiment (3) Amelie
Rorty and the theory of emotions, and (4) Owen Flanagan, psychological
determinism and free-will. For each of these four segments of the course
you will be required to write an essay that deals with one or more of
the central issues raised in that segment. There will be various in-class
writings, peer review sessions, and individual conferences that will help
you to clarify your ideas and revise your papers. Finally, you will be
required to design a research project based on your outside reading in
a particular area of study that impacts both psychology and philosophy.
This project will form the basis of the final research paper.
Social and Political Philosophy
Instructor: Dan Mittag, Department of Philosophy
MW 6:15 - 7:30 CRN 12394
In this course we
will be writing to explore, to understand, and to evaluate various issues
in the general field of social and
political philosophy. We will focus on both classical and contemporary
readings, which develop theories of justice, civic responsibility, and
the proper role of government. We also will explore and evaluate contemporary
social theories, which focus
on race, class, and ethnicity. While the overwhelming majority of the
course will be centered around philosophical issues, the
nature of some of the readings will also be part sociology (insofar as
they focus on facts about a society and then develop and
evaluate theories which explain these facts), and part political science
(insofar as they theorize about different forms of government and the
nature of laws). By writing a series of critical essays of varying lengths,
and by engaging in the writing process while striving to produce clear,
academic prose, students not only will come to better understand the complexity
of the
issues discussed in class, but also will come to refine their critical
thinking, writing, and argumentative skills.
The Notion of Virtue in Ancient Greece
Instructor: Evamaria Cadavid, Department of Philosophy
TR 2:00 - 3:15 CRN 12375
What was it about
Mother Theresa that made her valuable and worthy of respect? Is it the
same quality or qualities that make
your parents worthy of respect? Ancient Greek literature offers two distinct
ways of answering these questions. Early Greek writers, such as Homer,
believed that people are valuable because of their physical strength,
how much land and wealth they had, and because of their ability to win
both physical and intellectual contests. Later Greek writers believed
that people are valuable and worthy of respect just because they are human
beings. In this course, we will trace the development of these two
views in Greek literature, as well as read and critically analyze the
arguments offered for and against these views. Students will
be expected to complete several writing assignments in which they explore
and evaluate both theories, as well as develop and
support their own interpretations of the texts. Students are also expected
to actively participate in class discussions and in a
writing workshop group where their writing will be subjected to peer review.
Writing about Political Science
Current Debates in the US Congress
Instructor: Christian Grose, Department of Political Science
TR 9.40-10.55 CRN 12173
Is affirmative action
needed to ensure racial and gender equity? Is the American electoral system
broken and in need of reform?
Should the government regulate what individuals post on the Internet?
These are the types of questions that have been at the
center of recent policy debates in the US Congress. In this course we
will discuss and analyze contemporary debates in the context of the US
Congress, including affirmative action and racial politics, campaign finance
reform, and regulation of the Internet. Students will learn and write
about how the rules of Congress, the electoral concerns of representatives,
and other factors affect the likelihood that bills pertaining to these
issues will become law. The writing requirements for the course will
include the following: informal writing exercises in class; short papers
that will focus on persuasive writing skills where students will argue
in favor of or against a particular policy proposal, supplying evidence
to support their arguments; short papers that will focus on critical analysis
where students will analyze what factors drive members of Congress to
take particular positions on these issues; and a longer research paper
where students will formulate a research question, accumulate evidence,
and supplement this evidence with arguments and conclusions. These papers
will be anonymously peer-reviewed in class and through a course listserv.
Participation in class discussion will also be expected.
Writing about Science and Technology
Science and Society
Instructor: Jonathan Koehler, Department of History
MW 3:25 - 4:40 CRN 12121
Science holds an overwhelming
influence in every aspect of contemporary society. Yet, how often have
you stopped to consider the effect of science on society? What have people
in past historical periods thought about "science"? This course
will give you the opportunity to ponder the fluid meaning of "science,"
as we focus on the changing relationship between man and the natural world
since the 16th century. Course topics will include, among others, 18th
century exploration and the Enlightenment, Darwin and evolution, and the
development of "scientific" racism. We will spend the final
weeks of the course examining how modern science affects our lives. Frequent
informal writing, in-class discussion, and opportunities for revision
will emphasize the evelopment of students' analytical and writing skills.
Students will also be expected to submit a number of critical essays,
as well as a well-argued research paper on a topic of their choice, but
within the scope of the course.
Science, Religion and Education: Creationism vs. Evolution
Instructor: Allen Plug, Department of Philosophy
MWF 1:00 - 1:50 CRN 12413
In August 1999 the
Kansas State Board of Education decided to no longer require the teaching
of evolution in state schools.
This decision reignited the debates on the place of Creationism within
science and the acceptance of the theory of Evolution
within the scientific community. The central aspects of these debates
involve several questions concerning philosophy of
science. These include, What counts as a scientific theory? What are the
limits of science? When, if ever, ought we accept a
scientific theory as fact? How, if possible, can a scientific theory be
confirmed or disconfirmed? During the first section of this
course we will examine these basic questions, and various answers to them.
During the second section the students will be
expected to use the theoretical concepts learned in the first section
and critically apply them in their own writing on the subject
of the Creation/Evolution debate. Students will be expected to engage
the subject matter through class discussions,several short
analytical papers and a longer research paper.
Representations in Science
Instructor: Jonathan Finn, Visual and Cultural Studies
MW 15:25-16:40 CRN 12252
The sciences form
an essential part of our daily lives. As such, it is important to be able
to write and communicate about the
sciences effectively. Focusing on representation in the sciences, this
course will develop the writing skills needed to create
clear, coherent and effective arguments. Visual and graphic representation
play an important role in shaping what we learn
within the sciences as students and as researchers, and how we understand
science as non-scientists. Whether it is through
graphs, photographs, drawings, written documents or other means, representation
serves as an essential tool for communication in science. Through this
course we will examine how scientists use images and graphic material
in their research and writing for professional and lay publications. We
will also develop the skills needed for writing about visual representations
in this context. Initially, students will produce several short papers
and will participate in peer evaluation exercises and class discussion.
To strengthen and formalize their writing skills, students will be responsible
for a longer research paper and a class presentation at the end of the
term.
Writing about Visual and Cultural
Studies
Visual Culture
Instructor: Matthew Reynolds, Visual and Cultural Studies
MWF 9.00-9.50 CRN 12168
Click here for course
syllabus
We currently live
in a society obsessed with images. How can we use writing to assess and
make sense of these images in our
daily lives? And how can we use an understanding of images in their many
forms to learn about writing? Film, photography, painting, advertisements,
television, and the internet all traffic images which form a visual culture.
This course will utilize the
study of visual culture as a means for providing instruction and practice
in writing at the college level. In a series of short analytical papers
students will examine various aspects of image production and reception
in film, photography, multimedia, etc. These exercises will be designed
to enhance their skills in developing clear, compelling arguments and
as an introduction to various styles and modes of writing. In addition,
they will participate in peer critiques and editing workshops intended
to strengthen their own writing and editing abilities. Finally, through
these exercises and shorter papers, students will develop a longer, research-oriented
paper dealing with a particular topic in visual culture
Enhanced
Sections, Offered Fall Term Only
NOTE: Places in CAS
105E sections will be reserved for students whose writing placement results
suggest that they will
benefit from a more intensive first-year writing experience. All CAS 105E
sections will be held in a computer lab, include an
additional class session each week, and be limited to 10 students.
Mass Media
Instructor: Jeanne Rose, Department of English
Section 1:
TR 3.25 - 4.40 CRN 84880, CLARC PC Lab
M 12.00-12.50 CRN 84904, Taylor 31
Students must register for all sessions associated with this section of
CAS 105E.
Section 2:
TR 6.15-7.30 CRN 84899, CLARC PC Lab
F 12.00-12.50 CRN 84910, Taylor 31
Students must register
for all sessions associated with this section of CAS 105E. Have you heard
that the average American sees over 200 advertisements each day, sometimes
when we don't even realize it?
As we enter the twenty-first
century, we are surrounded by mass media in our daily activities. This
course explores a variety of
media through a range of texts, including George Orwell's novel 1984;
Don DeLillo's White Noise; the 1999 film The Insider; short articles about
advertising by William Lutz, Charles O'Neill, and Susan Bordo; writing
on cultural theory by Jean Baudrillard and Fredric Jameson; and a range
of primary source material, including print advertisements, commercials,
the world wide web, newspapers, magazines, and television. As we draft
and revise numerous papers of different forms and lengths, we will be
discussing key aspects of academic argument, such as thesis statements,
providing evidence and support, and incorporating primary and secondary
source analysis into our writing. This course is offered in a computer
lab and will also explore how emerging technologies, particularly computers
and the WWW, play a role in our academic writing.
Exploring Discourses of Science and Technology
Instructor: Pamela Bedore, Department of English
MW 3.25-4.40 CRN 84865, CLARC PC Lab
F 12.00-12.50 CRN 84878, Harkness 114
Students must register for all sessions associated with this section of
CAS 105E.
Bill Joy, president
of Sun Corporation, has recently spoken out against blindly accepting
new technologies without fully examining their potential dangers. He is
joining an ongoing critical conversation about the technologies that affect
virtually every area of our daily lives. In this course, we will examine
the communication strategies most commonly used in science and technology
writings of various kinds. Students will be exposed to critical essays,
popular media, and fictive narratives that deal with issues of technology.
Writers may include Stephen Jay Gould, John Allen Paulos, Isaac Asimov,
Ursula Le Guin and Robert J. Sawyer. Although our class will begin by
discussing pre-selected examples of technology writing, students will
be encouraged to analyze and emulate science writing in an area of their
own choosing in the second half of the semester. Areas may include information
technologies, reproductive technologies, medical technologies, robotic
technologies, etc. Students will learn critical thinking skills and writing
strategies that will be beneficial throughout their academic careers in
the sciences or the humanities. Students will write several argument papers,
will participate in peer review workshops, and will produce a major research
paper.
Representing Home: Writing, Memory and Identity
Instructor: Narin Hassan
Section 1:
TR 12.30 - 1.45 CRN 84826, CLARC Mac Lab
F 9.00 - 9.50 CRN 84843, CLARC Mac Lab
Students must register for all sessions associated with this section of
CAS 105E.
Section 2:
TR 3.25 - 4.40 CRN 84834,CLARC Mac Lab
F 10.00 - 10.50 CRN 84851, CLARC Mac Lab
Students must register
for all sessions associated with this section of CAS 105E.
This course will explore
writing, language use and cultural representation through a number of
mediums including fictional texts, autobiographical writings, films and
critical essays. The course will explore language and identity in relation
to notions of home, belonging, memory, and travel. Some of the many questions
we will explore in the course include: How is writing a medium for constructing,
understanding and articulating identity? What role does memory play in
the writing we produce? How do we represent and construct notions of "home"
and "belonging" in our writing? How does travel and migration
change our understanding of home, culture and identity? What is the relationship
between writing, language, culture and nationality? A large portion of
this course will be organized around discussion and group work in a workshop
format and you will be asked to share your writing with your peers in
writing groups. We will use the computer lab to write and revise essays
and to practice editing and redrafting techniques. Students will be asked
to write and revise papers of numerous lengths including weekly response
papers, longer (4-5 page) essays, peer reviews and a research paper. Students
will also be asked to be discussion leaders and resenters for course material.
last
updated
01/08/2003
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