Arizona State University, Downtown Phoenix Campus
ENG 317 - Cross Cultural Writing (sec. )
Fall 2016
Instructor: Michael Pfister
Office: AZ CENTER Suite 380
Office Hours: T/Th 9-10am or by appointment
Text: 480-262-8059
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @pfeest
Course Description
In this advanced writing course we will take a rhetorical approach to literature, specifically cross-cultural literature (whatever that means) to discover how those novels work as arguments about various issues. We will not engage in the hunt for “hidden meanings” or symbols; instead, we will analyze the novels to see how they persuade us to accept their vision of contemporary life using a cultural studies approach.
To this end, we will also read some short articles on subjects related to the issues discussed in the novel that give us a lens or way of viewing the novel. Each of the novels is quite short and immensely readable; all are contemporary. Although the subject matter is literature, the course’s main concern is helping you to develop as a writer and reader.
This course asks you to think deeply about cultural differences and their impact on writing and/or their role in miscommunication and misinterpretation. How do we interpret the difference and signifiers or difference? How do we (mis)understand each other and how is the world we construct connected to this rhetorical confusion.
Required Texts
Kwok, Jean. Girl in Translation. Riverhead Trade, 2011.
Henriquez, Christina. The Book of Unknown Americans. Knopf, 2014.
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Americanah. Anchor, 2014.
Hamid, Mohsin. The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Harvest Books, 2008.
Kahakauwila, Kristiana. This is Paradise. Hogarth, 2013.
All course materials (except for daily class notes) will be available via either Tumblr or Blackboard.
You will be required to submit all rough drafts via BB, and I will frequently correspond with the class via Tumblr or BB announcements, the latter of which is viewable from the main course page on Blackboard and your MyASU home page.
I will grade and annotate your polished drafts via my iPad. Thus, you will submit all polished drafts of your work to-
[email protected]
I would suggest that you do ALL of your work via Google Docs or Microsoft Word and then copy/paste/format in Tumblr or BB if necessary.
Create an account on Tumblr. You can use your existing Tumblr account if you already have one. You’re welcome to use a fake name/pseudonym/nickname, just let me know what it is.
Post the URL to your Tumblr to this discussion board, be sure to include:
Your name, URL of Tumblr so I can make sure I can access it, and the email address you used to set-up your account, so I can add you as a member of our Course Tumblr.
After today, I will regularly give specific instructions for posts. Those are due by 5pm the night before class. I encourage you to post articles, Tweets, videos, songs, pictures, etc. that you think relate to what we’re studying, along with your analysis of why.
Casual language is fine, but minimal profanity (remember that you're speaking to a broad audience).
I will generally give you a length for your posts, some of those posts might include formal work.
Read the class Tumblr and others if you wish. I encourage you to reply to comments and discuss with your classmates! You can post as much as you would like.
I will write periodic evaluations on your posts. Don’t expect comments on every one, but I’ll give you feedback and let you know how you are doing
Course Objectives & Outcomes
significantly improve your analytical prose writing
understand and effectively employ various forms of persuasion as it pertains to literature
understand and deploy effective rhetorical strategies in analytical discourse
discover and evaluate the methods of persuasion used in the construction of literary texts
read critically and analyze rhetorically writings and use those lenses to frame your own discourses
write in the different forms and styles of non-fiction prose discourse
develop techniques for conducting research
Grade Distribution
Project 1 20%
Project 2 20%
Project 3 25%
Process Work / Tumblr 20%
Attendance & Participation 15%
Grading for writing projects will follow ASU Downtown Writing Program standards, which are based on content, organization, expression, and mechanics. To compute project and course grades, the following values are assigned to the standard letter grades of A through E.
To compute final course grades, the following values are assigned to the standard letter grades (via Blackboard):
A+ = 97-100% B+ = 87-89% C+ = 76-79% E = 59% and below
A = 94-96% B = 84-86% C = 70-75%
A- = 90-93% B- = 80-83% D = 60-69%
Incompletes
University, departmental, and program policies on incompletes will be followed. Only in the case of a documented, verified emergency or illness will an incomplete be given at the very end of a course.
Late Writing Projects
Late projects will be accepted under certain circumstances with a grade penalty any late work MUST be submitted within 3 days of assignment date.
Attendance & Participation
Because so much of your learning will take place in class, you must attend and participate on a regular basis to receive credit for this course. If you miss more than 4 class meetings, your final grade will be lowered by a full grade. This includes university-sanctioned activities and illnesses. “Attendance means being present, on time, and prepared for the entire class period. A student who is chronically late to class, leaves early, or is not prepared to participate in the day’s work will not receive attendance and participation credit.” Should you arrive for class after I have called the roll, it is your responsibility to ensure that I correct the roll at the end of that class. Repeated tardiness will result in your being marked as absent.
If I need to cancel class, I will contact you via email. If after 15 minutes I am not present, you may assume that class is cancelled.
The Public Nature of Class Writing and Discussions
All class writing and discussions take place in either the public forum of the classroom or electronically, so when you voice opinions, adopt positions, or provide feedback, please do so responsibly and respectfully, considering the possible effect on others.
Classroom Protocol
We will spend much of our class time in discussions and workshops. Regardless of the class format, you are expected to be prepared, to listen, to contribute, and to participate in an appropriate fashion. Since this is a college class, behavior should be in accordance with a collegial university environment. Please treat your fellow classmates, the instructor, and the learning environment with respect.
Reading
Although we have an extensive list of novels in this class, they are very readable and I have worked to balance reading-to-writing. To be prepared for this class, you do need to read ahead so that on the day we have the team presentation, you can share your ideas and make informed comments. Most college readers in a literature course find that they need to read a work at least twice before class discussion. On the first reading they read through the novel quickly to understand the plot. Then they go back and read more slowly, annotating the work as they read. I urge you to adopt this practice because it actually saves you time.
Writing
Since this is a writing course, you must come to each class prepared to write, to share your drafts with others, and to revise what you have already written. This means you must work steadily in class and on your own.
In the Student Academic Integrity Policy manual, ASU defines plagiarism as “using another’s words, ideas, materials or work without properly acknowledging and documenting the source. Students are responsible for knowing the rules governing the use of another’s work or materials and for acknowledging and documenting the source appropriately.”
Consequences for cheating, plagiarizing, and any other form of academic dishonesty include failure for the assignment, probable failure for the course, disciplinary referral to the Dean, and possible expulsion from the University. The University Academic Integrity policy is located at http://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity. If you have questions about when and how to cite source information, please see me and/or the Writing Center. All writing for this class must be written for this class. Re-using a paper you wrote for another class or purpose (e.g., high school, college, job) constitutes academic dishonesty.
*You are responsible for becoming familiar with all ASU Downtown Writing Program’s policies. You are also responsible for learning and following the ASU Student Code of Conduct at http://students.asu.edu/srr/code.
Student Services
Disability Resources
Disability Accommodations. Qualified students with disabilities who will require disability accommodations in this class are encouraged to make their requests to me at the beginning of the semester either during office hours or by appointment. NOTE: Prior to receiving disability accommodations, verification of eligibility from the Disability Resource Center (DRC) is required. Disability information is confidential.
Establishing Eligibility for Disability Accommodations. Students who feel they will need disability accommodations in this class but have not registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) should contact DRC immediately. Their office is located on the first floor of the University Center Building, Suite 160. DRC staff can also be reached at (602) 496-4321 (V) and at [email protected]. Their hours are 8 to 5, M-F. Eligibility and documentation policies can be viewed at http://campus.asu.edu/downtown/drc.
Writing Center
The Writing Center is located in the Historic Post Office, lower level. Their services are FREE and will definitely help you boost your skills—and grade—in this class. For scheduled one-on-one appointments to discuss your writing at any point in your writing process, drop by or call (602) 496-0354.
Student Advocacy
The goal of Student Advocacy is to empower and connect students with the appropriate university resources and community agencies necessary to successfully address personal and/or academic concerns.
[email protected], (602) 496-1208
http://campus.asu.edu/downtown/student-advocacy
Student Counseling
[email protected], (602) 496-0721
College of Nursing and Health Innovation Building, 500 N. 3rd St., Suite 155
NOTE: If a crisis occurs outside of business hours (8-5, M-F), please call EMPACT's 24-Hour Crisis Line for ASU Students at (480) 921-1006 to speak to a counselor
http://students.asu.edu/counselingdowntown
Disclaimer
Information in this syllabus may be subject to change. Students will be notified by the instructor of any changes in the course requirements or policies.
