ENG308J: Writing and Rhetoric II

Visit http://www.10families.com/ for an excellent exhibit of ten American families.

"Family Affair": Rhetorics of the American Family

Don't forget to post to the message boards for Weeks Nine and Ten!!!

The subjects of this course are writing and rhetoric. We wil approach these subjects by putting it in the context of the American family. In addition to reading and analyzing the books listed below, we will be watching several sitcomes, including Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Will and Grace, Frasier, and Everybody Loves Raymond. We will examine all of these texts i the context of American family rhetorics; that is, the specific cues or markers that mark these American families. We will be thinking about how these families are different and the same as each toer and hwo the American family has been shaped and re-shaped int he last century. We will aslo go beyond te content of these texts and explore the specific rhetoricalmoves taht writers make in terms of ethos, pathos, and logos. Youwill be writing papers that focus on the family, both your own and the ones we will be talking about in class. My hope is that you will not only learn more about writing and rhetoric, but also about the American family and its many manifestations. The course will conclude with a showing of the film Boogie Nights.

You can purchased the following books at any of our local bookstores or super cheap at half.com.

• Stephanie Coontz, The Way We Never Were
• Stephanie Coontz, ed., American Faimilies: A Multicultural Reader

I have given all of the assignments for this course equal weight because I thin that they are all important to your learning this quarter.

Reading Quizzes 25%

There will be pop reading quizzes throughout the quarter to make sure that you are reading. I do not ask ridiculously specific questions, but rather, I ask short essay questions. There will typically be five questions that focus on main themes or concepts in each book. You cannot make up a quiz. There will be no exceptions to this policy. You may bring your books and any notes that you have taken during your reading to class to use during the quiz.

Discussion Board Posts 25%

Every Friday between 12:01a.m. and 11:59 p.m., you will be required to post tot he online class discussion board. your messages there must be further speculations about the books and sitcoms that we have been discussion all week. You should not just reiterate what we have discussed in class, but rather come up with your own ideas and reflections about those texts. It is up to to you decide whether you want to post an original thread or follow up on what someone else has written; however, at least twice during the quarter, you must post an original message.

Family Narrative--A Personal Essay 25%

TBA

Reflective Essay 25%

The reflective essay is the capstone project of the course. You will focus on the texts we have discussed in class, class discussions, and the posts that you have made to the message boards. You will receive more specific information about this essay as we grow closer to the end of the course. Your essay should be 4-5 double-spaced pages (Times New Roman).

The Spring Literary Festival, which brings in wonderful, well-known writers each year, will be in May. You will be able to earn extra credit by attending and writing a brief essay, approximately one page, about the person(s) that you heard read. There are multiple times available, and I will give you more information about the participants and their scheduled reading times as we get closer to the presentation dates.

I do not except late assignments. EVER. If you know in advance that you will not be in class on the day that an assignment is due, then please see me. We can make arrangements.

As the first part of this syllabus makes clear, your attendance in this course is crucial; however, I know that people get sick or need to go on an interview or just can't wake up on time. Given that, you can miss class four times, that it is a while week of class, before it will count against you. After the fourth absence, your final grade will be lowered by 1/3. For example, if your final grade is a B+ and you miss class six times, then your final grade will become a B-. Although I do not take attendance by calling roll each day, do not think that I am not keeping track of your absences. Your quizzes and your other participation will be noticed and recorded. Also, it is in your best interest to attend class regularly, because may items, such as paper due dates and quiz dates will change according to where we are as a class. I will not remind yo of these changes, so you must be aware of when assignments change.

Click on each board below to read what others in the class have written this week and to make your post.

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

Week Five

Week Six

Week Seven

Week Eight

Week Nine

Week Ten