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Fall 2012 Th 1:30 3:00PM 106 Bowman House

Introduction to the Rhetoric of Inquiry

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**This document is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor**
Overview
This version of rhetoric of inquiry asks you to critically engage academic and popular texts by examining their execution of the time-honored devices of narrative, ethos, pathos, eros, logos, topos, mythos, and tropos. To do so, I have provided you with a combination of seminal readings in various disciplines, juxtaposed against more recent texts. I ask you to engage and provide insightful judgment of cases, critical interpretations, and deconstruct the warrants behind discourses.

Instructor: Andr Brock E-Mail: andre-brock@uiowa.edu Phone: 319-335-6014 Office: 214 Bowman House Office Hours: Th 12-1:30PM

Materials
Attention Critical Thinking Skills Argumentation Computer with Internet connection E-book software w/annotation capability 1. Calibre (PC epub/PDF reader) 2. FoxIt reader (PC PDF reader) 3. Preview (Mac PDF reader) 4. Stanza (iOS epub/PDF reader) 5. Aldiko (Android epub/PDF reader)

Required Texts
I have sought to reduce book costs by scanning articles from selected texts or selecting articles available through the University Library InfoLink service. You should probably acquire a PDF/EPUB reader (Ive noted good ones in the column to the left) if you wish to annotate the e-texts.

Milestones Goals
Students should be able to identify rhetorics drawing from ideological, cultural, and social frameworks. Students will publish and participate on a collaborative weblog.
August 23, 2012

No Class
October 26, 2012

No Class (ASIST conference)

Expectations
You must: Bring an open mind and critical perspective to the course materials and class discussions Read the assigned readings BEFORE class Post required feedback to the class blog by the agreed-upon deadline Complete assignments in a timely fashion

December 13, 2012

Portfolio due

Introduction to the Rhetoric of Inquiry

As your instructor, you can expect me to: Provide stimulating OR informative course materials Actively facilitate class and online discussions Post readings and assignments to the course blog in a timely fashion Deliver feedback on assignments in a timely fashion.

Assignments
You are required to post to the course blog weekly either as a discussant or commenter. Your blog posts will be used as fodder for class discussion, so Ill print them out for your recollection each class. The requirement for each is listed below. Your contributions will be assembled as a portfolio at the end of the semester, showcasing your skill in argumentation and analysis of the texts. Discussant (OP) As discussant, you are required to read your text at least one week in advance. Your post must include the following elements: 1) Post by 12 midnight Friday the week BEFORE your reading is discussed in class. 2) Post analysis of the ARGUMENT(s) deployed in the reading. Make your claim first; then devote the rest of the post to backing your claim up with evidence from your text. I will make fun of you if you summarize the reading itself. Bonus points will be awarded if you embed a multimedia example (image, video, etc) in your post to buttress your analysis. Be prepared to explain why you chose your image/text/artifact. 3) You also must post questions for discussion in the comments using the following as a guide: a. Formulate a question about something in the reading that confused you b. Formulate a question about something that excited you (i.e., a connection to current or future interests) c. Formulate a question to elicit higher-level thinking (i.e., what can we apply these readings to in our lives/institutions?) d. Finally, formulate a question to stump your classmates (be prepared to answer it for them) For claritys sake, I ask that you post your analysis before your questions. Commenter If youre not the assigned discussant, you MUST answer one or more of the questions using the comment functionality below the discussion post. You may provide an alternate analysis, but only AFTER you answer one of the questions. 1. Comments should posted no later than Wednesday noon the day before the reading is to be discussed. a. The later you post, the less likely youll be able to contribute to the discussion. Also, brevity is not necessarily a virtue. 2

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Introduction to the Rhetoric of Inquiry

2.

Incivility will not be tolerated.

Evaluation
Class participation = 30% Blog participation = 30% Portfolio = 40%

Reading List/Calendar
Argumentation Aug. 23. No class read Frankfurt On Bullshit and Podhoretz, My Negro Problem and Ours Aug. 30. Syllabus, Assignments, Logistics, Discussion Sept. 6. Stephenson, Snow Crash Racial Logics Sept. 13. Myrdal An American Dilemma, Appendix 1: Valuations and Beliefs and Fitzhugh Cannibals All!: Negro Slavery Sept. 20. Myrdal Appendix 2: Notes on Facts and Valuations Sept. 27. Lewis, Culture of Poverty and Payne Framework for Understanding Poverty Oct. 4. Du Bois The White World and Murray White America

Oct. 11. Du Bois Colored World Within and Tour Whos Afraid of PostBlackness Nation-as-Culture Logics Oct. 18. Hofstader, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life Oct. 25. Hayes, Twilight of the Meritocracy Scientific and Social Logics Nov. 1. Davies, Why Beliefs Matter: Reflections on the Nature of Science Nov. 8. Westacott, The Virtues of our Vices: A Modest Defense of Gossip, Rudeness, and Other Bad Habits Information and Technology Logics Nov. 15. Ong, Orality and Literacy: Technologizing the Word

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Introduction to the Rhetoric of Inquiry Reading List/Calendar

Nov. 29. Pariser, The Filter Bubble Dec. 6. Gleick, The Information Dec. 13 Turn in post portfolio

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