ENGL 354 Modern Rhetorical Theory

Course Description

Modern Rhetorical Theory is designed to introduce students to the development of rhetoric as a concept, discipline, and series of practices in the 20th and into the 21st centuries. The class also introduces students to practices of criticism and thinking about, with, and through academic conversations as scholars.

Students will read a wide range of works dealing with topics of linguistic persuasion. Additionally, students will write in a number of media and genres in response to these, and other, readings.

Course Overview

Welcome to Modern Rhetorical Theory.

In this class, we will be exploring the development of rhetorical thought in the twentieth century. Specifically, we will be studying the role that the emergence of global media (starting with the telephone network, but including television and the Internet) played in shaping the explosion in rhetorical thought that occurred during this period and is continuing to occur today.

Additionally, as a writing intensive course, we will be studying the role of the critic in this conversation and what it means to engage in a scholarly conversation.

Meeting Time / Location

TR 3:55-5:10, LAAH 465

Prerequisites

Junior or senior classification.

Learning Objectives

In this course, students can expect to learn:

  1. To comprehend the development of rhetoric as an intellectual discipline in the twentieth century.
  2. To understand the evolution of a scholarly conversation.
  3. To engage with a scholarly tradition in their own writing.
  4. To participate and evaluate the writing standards of a scholarly community.

eCampus Site

This course has an eCampus site on which you will turn in all your papers and post your reading journals (read more on the assignments page). The “Information” navigation link contains information I give you (such as this syllabus) while the “Content” navigation link contains stuff you will provide me (papers and reading journal entries).

Technology Assumptions

I assume you are familiar with sites like eCampus and the library. If not, please contact me via email or visit me in office hours to discuss any problems you are having.