(Critical Reading, Thinking and Writing)
Course Goals, Objectives, and Design
This is a freshman level course designed to develop skills in critical thinking, reading and academic writing. The course uses four major readings about culture and ideology by Michel Foucault, John Berger, Susan Bordo, and Pierre Bourdieu. It challenges students to respond to these difficult texts and to think about how these authors respond to each other. Even though the readings are very difficult, the emphasis is on developing academic writing skills, such as citing and summarizing arguments, thesis construction, organizational strategies, and consciously incorporating style. Developing collaboration skills is also stressed, and as the course progresses instructor led discussions are increasingly replaced by peer-group workshops. By the end of the course students will show substantial improvement in the ability to:
- Perform tasks in critical thinking, reading, and writing skills at the undergraduate level.
- Reflect on academic processes (particularly inquiry, research, and collaboration).
- Use of academic writing conventions, including integration of source material and documentation.
Required Books
- Bartholomae, David and Anthony Petrosky. Ways of Reading: An Anthology For Writers. 8th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008.
- Faigley, Lester. The Brief Penguin Handbook. 3rd ed. New York: Pearson, 2009.
- Department of English. Composition and Literature. Lawrence: University, 2010.
Major Assignments
Panopticism (Response Essay): As our book Ways of Reading explains, the major task in becoming a strong academic writer is learning how to enter into a dialogue with members of the academic community. This entails both learning how to listen (read) carefully and respond (write) clearly. Foucault was a generous thinker who loved to debate and push at difficult ideas. His public discussions with the American linguist/social activist Noam Chomsky and with the French philosopher Jacques Derrida only added to his legendary career. In that spirit, think of yourself as entering into a conversation with Foucault. He speaks to you from France. Are his ideas relevant in American society, in your community? He speaks to you from the 1970s. Are they still relevant today? What has he not taken into account? What can you say back?
Analysis of a Work of Art: After touring the Spencer Art Museum with the class, you will write an analysis of a work of art found in the collection. The primary goal of this paper will be to present a convincing analysis that uses evidence to argue for a clearly defined interpretation. While achieving this goal, you will also need to find ways to effectively incorporate the ideas discussed by John Berger, by agreeing with, challenging, or qualifying his position. Be sure to include an image of the work you are discussing with your paper.
Advertising Archive: As a member of a small group, you will contribute to a wiki archive of advertising images organized around a common theme. Your group will also complete an annotated bibliography as a subpage of your wiki that lists and summarizes at least ten academic articles related to your archive’s theme. Then, using images in your group’s advertisement archive, and sources from your group’s annotated bibliography, you will consider at least two current cultural roles available to a particular segment of the buying public. For example, you may choose advertisements directed to either men or women (as Berger and Bordo do), or you may focus on a relatively smaller group like preteens, senior citizens, rural consumers, Latinas, mothers, teachers, environmentalists, etc. Remember to focus on a type of consumer, not a product. In choosing a focus, consider that you must expand and modify the projects of Foucault, Berger, and Bordo, not simply restate or repeat them. The challenge is to take their analysis and apply it new directions. Finally, on the day you hand in your paper, your group will present to the class on your common topic. Remember, your project has four major components which will factor into your grade: the collaborative image archive, the group annotated bibliography, your individual paper, and the group presentation.
Course Schedule
Unit I: Ideology
J25T Introduction to class and Author’s Introduction; Althusser and the scene of hailing
J27R Read: 207-237. Assignment: Article Summary and Citation; Paraphrasing.
Week 2: Writing to Read—Working with Difficult Texts
F1T (Re)read 207-222. Using the Dialectical Notebook. Discussion—disciplinary power.
F3R Article Summary & Citation Due. (Re)read: 222-237. Discussion—Panoptic effects
Week 3: Writing to Read—Responding to Ideas
F8T Discussion—“Panopticism” at work, resistance? Writer’s Workshop—Casting.
F10R Paper 1 due. Reflection; Ways of Seeing (Episode 1).
Week 4: Unit II: The Death of Art
F15T Read: 95-118. Discussion—Getting behind “mystification”?
F17R Discussion continued—The Ideology of the Aesthetic.
Week 5: Field Work
F22T Meet at Spencer Art Museum. In-class writing exercise.
F24R Reread 95-118. Discussion; How to use Citation Finder; Warhol’s Superman.
Week 6: Example—Andy Warhol’s Superman
M1T Find, download, print, read and bring to class: “Through the Looking-Glass”
M3R Read 119-123. Discussion—The work of the critic.
Week 7: Group Conferences
M8T Group Conferences
M10R Group Conferences
Week 8: Workshop
M15T Writer’s Workshop—Chop Shop (Bring draft of your paper).
M17R Paper 2 due. Reflection. Ways of Seeing (Episodes 2 & 3).
Week 9: SPRING BREAK
Week 10: Unit III: The Politics of Desire
M29T Read 129-177; Bring three magazines to class; Discussion–Bordo
M31R Preparing for Research. Discussion continues–Bordo
Week 11: Research Practices
A5T Library Research—Meet at Watson Library. Advertising Archive Due.
Week 12: Incorporating Research.
A12T (Re)read 129-177; Discussion—Comparing Foucault, Berger, and Bordo
A14R Workshop—Balancing voices. Group Annotated Bibliographies Due
Week 13: Group Conferences
A19T Writer’s Workshop—Controlling Pacing
A21R Conferences
Week 15: Revision Project: New Spaces
A26T Paper 3 due. Panel Presentations on Advertising Archive and Projects.
A28R Read Pierre Bourdieu—“Distinction”; Discussion—What is Taste?
Week 16: Workshop
M3T Discussion continued—Free Agency?
M5R In-class exercise: Opposing Views.
Week 17: Final Thoughts
M10T Workshop—Thesis Revision (bring in rough draft); Peer Workshop (in class)
M12R Final Project Due. Course Evaluations.
The Academic Hood 