MARSHALL UNIVERSITY
CMM 205 THE RHETORICAL WORLD
FALL 2003
TUESDAY, THURSDAY, 2:00-3:15 SMITH HALL 232
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. William N. Denman
Office: Smith Hall 251 Telephone: 696-2476
Email: denman@marshall.edu
Office Hours: MWF 11:00-12:50; 2:00-3:15 pm. T 11:00-12:15, 3:30-4:30 pm.
R 12:00-1:45, 3:30-4:30 pm
COURSE DESCRIPTION: An introduction to the study of rhetoric as a force in influencing societies and human behavior.
This course fulfills the Multicultural requirement of the Marshall Plan.
PRE-REQUISITES: CMM 103, 104H, 207, or 305; YGS 161.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the course the student should:
1. Be able to define many concepts of rhetoric as an art and a practice in various cultures.
2. Be able to analyze the many uses of rhetoric as it occurs in everyday life.
3. Be able to apply methods of rhetorical criticism to texts/artifacts of popular culture.
4. Be able to describe ways in which rhetoric has influenced human activities in both the dominant culture and subcultures of our society.
5. Be able to describe the role of language and other symbol systems and how they are used rhetorically by different cultures and subcultures.
COURSE PHILOSOPHY AND THEMES:
Rhetoric is an often-denigrated art in today’s world, as when we hear politicians and
others accused of using “mere rhetoric”. Rhetoric is, however, a very vital element in the
construction and maintenance of any society. Indeed, rhetoric is the very foundation of
all societies. Rhetoric has been defined in a number of ways, but two of them will be
central to this course. Rhetoric at its most basic level is the various ways in which
communicators shape their messages to influence a specific audience. More broadly
conceived, rhetoric can be viewed as an attempt to understand how people construct the
worlds in which they live and how they make sense of those worlds. As Barry Brummet
puts it: “to see rhetoric as a dimension of culture rather than a kind of text should help to
increase awareness that the apparently innocent enjoyment of popular culture is also
participation in rhetorical struggles over how society will be ordered.” Rhetoric will be
examined, then, as both a tool of creation and a tool of analysis.
CMM 205 Rhetorical World Syllabus 2
This course will examine the ways in which we are shaped and influenced by the uses of
rhetoric. We will begin with a look at the classical roots of rhetoric and its uses in demo-
cratic forms of government. We will then look at how our concepts of rhetoric have been
adapted to society in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This will involve examining
a wide range of rhetorical uses and artifacts in such areas as the mass media, advertising,
literature, the arts, the internet, public advocacy of current issues, and politics.
The essential purpose of the course is to demonstrate how rhetoric shapes the world(s) in
which we live.
INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS:
The course will be largely discussion based, with the students called upon to read (view)
and then discuss the appropriate materials for the class session. The professor will serve
as a guide to sources and as a facilitator of discussion.
TEXTBOOKS:
Bruce Brummett, Rhetoric and Popular Culture, New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1994.
Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon, Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture
For Writers, 4th Ed., Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003.
COURSE EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT:
Students will produce a number of short papers exploring the range of subject material in
the course. Some of these will be responses to or analytical pieces about rhetorical
artifacts that will be heard, seen, or discussed in class. Students will be expected to
participate in class discussions and exercises, which will be worth 5 points each. The
major assignment will be a term project that will be an in-depth analysis of a particular
use of rhetoric in popular culture. The term project may be produced individually or
done in pairs, and will consist of both a written and an oral report.
The short response papers will be worth from 10 to 20 points and will be used to
determine if students have been able to fulfill the course objectives of defining,
understanding, and applying the rhetorical concepts dealt with in the course.
The term project, worth 150 points, will allow students to demonstrate the ability to
analyze a rhetorical act or artifact using a critical perspective appropriate to that artifact.
It is anticipated that the total number of semester points will be about 500. Grades will be
based on a percentage scale with 90% and above an A, 80-89% a B, 70-79% a C and so
on.
CMM 205 Rhetorical World Syllabus 3
COURSE OUTLINE:
I. Rhetoric and Popular Culture
A. Rhetoric and everyday life
B. The role of signs and artifacts in culture
C. Definitions and characteristics of culture
The difference between “high” culture—opera say, and “low” culture—
Elvis and any other popular music.
D. The role of beliefs, attitudes and values in culture
Why do we believe what we do and how does culture shape
those beliefs?
II. Rhetoric and its Tradition
A. Its early development in Ancient Greece—or, why did the Greeks
need to be
their own lawyers?
B. Rhetoric in the 18th century—how did it come to America,
and why
was it important in shaping our society?
C. Twentieth century developments.
III. Rhetorical methods in critical studies
A. The nature of texts
B. “Inside” the text
C. The text in context.
IV. Varieties of rhetorical criticism—what does it mean to be a critic?
A. Marxist criticism--the relationship between power and audiences
B. Psychoanalytic and Feminist criticism
Language, gender, and criticism. Are the differences between men’s and
women’s talk?
C. Media-centered criticism
D. Culture-centered criticism
E. Dramatistic/Narrative criticism
V. Rhetoric as part of daily life—how it shapes the world we live in.
A. The impact of advertising on our daily existence
B. Visual symbols and rhetoric
C. Television news, the print media, and “media bias"
D. What do forms of entertainment—television, music, movies, and
literature tell us about our world?
E. Is there a message in popular music?
F. Do “prime-time” television programs shape our views of reality?
G. Have Hollywood movies influenced our views of minority groups?
H. The uses of the internet and the spread to “hate” messages.
CMM 204 Rhetorical World Syllabus 4
VI. The rhetoric of subcultures and the constructing of race
A. What is the difference between a dominant culture and its rhetoric and that
of a subculture or minority group?
B. How can the work of contemporary thinkers help us understand the relationship between power and rhetoric?
C. How does the rhetoric of a subculture become “mainstream”?
D. How does rhetoric become a weapon of struggle for a subculture?
The rhetoric of groups like militias, white supremacy groups,
and others outside the mainstream.
E. The relationship between popular culture, race, and ideology in American life.
VII. The rhetoric of religion
A. What are some of the differences in religious expression in American life?
B. To what extent do these differences reflect ethnic, social, historical and economic groupings in America?
C. What are some of the points of tension between the religious and the
secular elements in American life, and how have these tensions been
reflected rhetorically?
VIII. The rhetoric of politics
A. The rise and fall of public speaking in politics
B. The influence of image
C. The influence of television, television news, and sound bites
D. Political advertising—its uses and abuses
E. Audience segmentation and polling
F. The popular dissatisfaction with politics
CMM 205 SEMESTER SCHEDULE FALL 2003
AUGUST
T 26 Introduction to the course, syllabus, etc. Class exercise 1.1 in RPC.
Assignments:
1. READ Chapter One in Rhetoric of Popular Culture (hereafter RPC); READ Introduction, pages 1-18 in Signs of Life, (hereafter SOL).
R 28 Further discussion of signs, meanings, and the nature of culture.
Assignments:
1. READ Fred Davis “Blue Jeans” in SOL pages 86-93 and David Geowey “Careful, you may run out of planet: SUV’s and the exploitation of the American Myth” in SOL pages 105-114.
2. Exercise 1.6 page 23 of RPC.
CMM 205 SECOND AND THIRD WEEKS FALL 2003
SEPTEMBER
T 2 Discussion of David “Blue Jeans” and Geowey “SUV’s”. The nature of culture.
What are the elements of “our” culture at Marshall, in West Virginia, and in the USA?
Assignment:
1. READ Chapter One “Consuming Passions” p 45-54 and L. Shames
“The More Factor” and A. Norton “The Signs of Shopping” pp 55-68 in SOL.
2. Bring to class a printed version of the front page or so of a website that sells products of some sort.
R 4 Is “shopping” a cultural thing? Does it define what we are? Can we exist without
It? What do catalogs tell us about ourselves? What do websites tell us?
Assignment:
1. READ Chapter Two Rhetoric and the Rhetorical Tradition in RPC.
T 9 Discussion of rhetoric and the rhetorical tradition. How important is public speaking in today’s society? Is there still a link between rhetoric and democracy?
How does rhetoric empower people?
Assignment: (Choose one of the following)
1. Go to a political website that should have texts of speeches, or that contains “position papers” or statements from party officials, office-holders and the like, and find the text of a speech or statement, copy it, read it, and bring it in to class. (A list of potential sites will be provided)
2. Go to a newspaper website and get a copy of an editorial or an “op-ed”
piece that takes a position on an issue that you either agree or disagree with, and bring that to class.
R 11 Discussion of speeches and editorials. What issues are you concerned about and why?
Assignment:
1. READ Chapter Three Rhetorical Methods in Critical Studies in RPC.
T 16 We were going to deal with Chapter Three. Lost day.
R 18 Discussion of texts. Assignment: material in SOL on advertising.
Assignment: bring ad to class or comments on a tv ad.
T 23 Discussion of advertising and the ads seen or brought in to class.
R 25 Video: Consuming Images with Bill Moyers.
Assignment: be sure to have read material in chap two on texts, and Chapter Three in RPC.
CMM 205 COURSE SCHEDULE FALL 2003
SEPTEMBER
T 30 Discussion of texts, diffuse texts, and rhetorical methods of critical studies.
Assignment: bring a musical selection that has particular appeal to you (either on a cassette or a cd)
Reading: in SOL, pages 279-287, “Bad Sistas” by Tricia Rose
OCTOBER
R 2 Discussion of music as both text/artifact (representing culture) and as an item with personal meaning.
Assignment: Reading Chapter Four in RPC.
T 7 Methods of Rhetorical Criticism.
Assignment: Reading Introduction to chapter three in SOL: Video Dreams,
pages 223-235 and A Tale of Two Sitcoms, by Steven Stark, pages 236-240.
and Plotting Paternity: Looking for Dad on the Daytime Soaps, by Laura Mumford, pages 249-259.
R 9 Your favorite television show and why. Working with critical methods.
T 14 Continued discussion of television and critical methods.
Assignment: Reading Introduction to chapter four in SOL: The Hollywood Sign,
Pages 289-298, and The Thematic Paradigm by R. Ray, pages 299-307 and Creating the Myth by L. Seger, pages 308-316.
R 16 The power of Hollywood.
Assignment: Reading The Return of Doris Day by S. Loh, pages 357-365 and
Class and Virtue by M. Parenti, pages 366-368 in SOL.
T 21 Women, gays, and minorities in film. What are we supposed to think?
Assignment: Reading Chapter Seven in RPC Afrocentrism and “Do the Right Thing”, pages 199-221.
R 23 Viewing of excerpts from “Do the Right Thing”.
Assignment: Read Intro to chapter seven “Constructing Race” pages 515-525 and Michael Omi “In Living Color: Race and American Culture” pages 526-537
And Benjamin DeMott “Put on a Happy Face” pages 538 and 548.
T 28 Discussion of “Constructing Race”. In-class exercise.
Assignment: read the intro to chapter eight “Life on the Margins” pages 599-
607 and Peter Doskoch “The Mind of the Militias” pages 618-624. Explore some
of the militia web-sites on the internet and bring in print-outs from a site you have
selected.
CMM 205 SEMESTER SCHEDULE FALL 2003
OCTOBER
R 30 Discussion of militias and similar groups. What is the nature of their beliefs and ideologies?
Assignment: read Kevin Jennings “American Dream” pages 640-644.
NOVEMBER
T 4 Also marginalized: gays and popular culture. Selections from “Will and Grace”,
“Birdcage”.
Assignment: Look up websites that deal with the issue of prayer in schools,
Including those that advocate putting/keeping prayer in schools and those that do
not, such as the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Bring copies of some of their position statements to class.
R 6 Religion and Popular Culture. How has religion shaped our society? What do we mean by “mainstream religions”? What has been the role of religious organizations as critics of American society? What are some of the criticisms leveled at current society by fundamentalist groups?
Assignment: read “Ganging Up Against the Gangster” from Public Enemies, Public Heroes. (handout)
T 11 Discussion of “Gangster” article. Censorship, morality, religion, and popular culture. Who is trying to protect whom from what? And why?
Assignment: read Eric Dyson “Be Like Mike: Michael Jordan and the Pedagogy of Desire” pages 667-675.
R 13 Heroes in culture: how we create them, why we revere them.
Assignment: What “hero(es)” do you have and why are they heroic to you”
Assignment: find a website of a political party or some organization that actively
supports a political position or policy. Bring its homepage and some information
about its activities to class.
T 18 Discussion of politics and culture. Why are people political? Why are people
turned off from politics?
R 20 Denman attending NCA convention in Miami Beach
T 25 Viewing of “Ashes to Glory” as an artifact and discussion of critical approaches.
R 27 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
CMM 205 SEMESTER SCHEDULE FALL 2003
DECEMBER
T 2 Discussion of term papers.
R 4 Reports on term papers.
FINAL SESSION TIME: 12:45-2:45 PM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11TH