Issues in Criticism: Rhetoric and the Achievement of Woman's Rights |
English 484, Winter 2005 Professor: Alisse Portnoy Grader: Betsy Mitchell |
Course Information |
Welcome The nineteenth-century United States woman's rights movement is an ideal case study for this sort of inquiry. Most nineteenth-century women living in the United States had little or no access to political leaders, nor to higher education or the wages they earned, nor were they allowed to sign contracts or own property in the United States. But despite these rigid constraints and tremendous opposition, over a span of eight decades women generated massive social and political changes in this country. How? By using virtually the only tool available to them: language. This semester, we'll consider a question central to rhetorical criticism: how do people use language to define, reform, and even revolutionize politics and society? This class focuses on rhetorical theory and criticism, rather than the history of the rhetorical tradition. As rhetorical critics, we will apply rhetorical theory to specific texts, and we will develop an understanding of and a facility with rhetorical issues such as the functions and scope of rhetoric, rhetorical situations, methods of appeal, exigence, objects of agreement, concepts of audience, patterns of arrangement, figures of speech and other elements of style. We also will imagine language as a means by which power dynamics are created, deployed, sustained, altered, and redeployed. As we apply rhetorical theory--in other words, when we act as rhetorical critics--we'll concern ourselves with the analysis, comparison, and evaluation of texts. These activities parallel higher-order thinking skills (rather than basic skills such as recall), so many people see rhetorical theory and criticism as a way to facilitate, enhance, or even produce critical thinking. Therefore, another objective of this class is that you will learn, practice, and strengthen critical thinking skills central to your life within and beyond the classroom. What will you learn about the woman's rights movement when we use rhetorical theory to critically examine woman's rights appeals? You will learn about the histories and ideologies of one of the longest and most important civil rights movements in the short history of the United States. You will compare and evaluate the ways logical, ethical, and pathetic appeals of this social movement changed across time, situation, audience, purpose, and rhetor. You will identify rhetorical challenges women faced and strategies women adopted to meet varied constraints in their fight for civil rights. By extrapolating from this case study, I predict that your appreciation for the power of language will increase dramatically, and that you will begin to see rhetoric and as an exciting and indispensable component of civic life. You may even leave this class asking yourself, "How can I use language to change the world?". |
Texts for the Course Campbell, a professor at the University of Minnesota, includes black and white women in her collection. However, since Man Cannot Speak For Her was published, some scholars have worked diligently to recover more texts produced by African Americans. One scholar and professor at the University of Maryland, Shirley Wilson Logan, published some of these texts in a 1995 collection called With Pen and Voice: A Critical Anthology of Nineteenth-Century African-American Women. We'll use this collection, too, and we'll talk about the rhetorical implications of a separate anthology for what some scholars call "marginalized voices." Both of these anthologies also will prompt us to ask some important questions related to textual criticism: Whose editing counts, especially in recovery work? What is an "authoritative" text? We'll also read a popular and inspiring history of the movement, Eleanor Flexner and Ellen Fitzpatrick's Century of Struggle: The Woman's Rights Movement in the United States. Flexner completed the first edition in 1959. Because the book remains one of the best historical introductions to the movement, it has been reprinted several times. The most recent edition includes new material contributed by Ellen Fitzpatrick, hence their collaborative authorship. Finally, there are two references you might consider using during the semester. One is Sharon Crowley and Deborah Hawhee's Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students . I usually use this book as a textbook in my upper-level writing course, but it has great information about much of the rhetorical theory we'll talk about in class. It may be a useful supplement to the material I present in class. So, too, may be Gerard Hauser's Introduction to Rhetorical Theory , a more traditional but also useful guide to rhetorical theory. The required books for this course are available at Shaman Drum Bookshop (313 South State Street, 662-7407, <http://www.shamandrum.com>). Additionally, the required books and also the references are on reserve at University Reserves, <http://www.lib.umich.edu/reserves/index.html>. Since I ask people to refer directly to the texts during discussion, please bring the assigned readings to class so that you easily and quickly can point your classmates and me to the passage(s) under consideration. |
Primary Course Activities and Requirements Readings Participation I expect you to come to each session on time and prepared, with reading and writing assignments completed. I also expect you to be attentive and responsive to other members of this class--your colleagues. This classroom must be one of mutual respect and open exchange. The University's Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities explains that the University of Michigan "is dedicated to supporting and maintaining its scholarly community. As its central purpose, this community promotes intellectual inquiry through vigorous discourse. Values which undergird this purpose include civility, dignity, diversity, education, equality, freedom, honesty, and safety." If you have any questions, please talk with me, review this code at <http://studentpolicies.dsa.umich.edu/statementstudentrights.htm>, or call the Office of Student Conflict Resolution at 936-6308. Tests Poster Presentation Papers |
Services for Students with Disabilities |
Office Hours I will hold office hours throughout the semester. Office hours are an extension of the classroom. You are welcome to come by with questions, comments, and concerns. If you are enjoying a reading and would like to discuss it further, if you are having a problem with something in the course, if you don't understand something, please come and see me. |
Communication With Your Classmates |
The Gayle Morris Sweetland Writing Center |
Academic Integrity Academic dishonesty, including plagiarizing, cheating, doubly submitting papers or portions of papers, aiding and abetting dishonesty, and fabricating material, will not be tolerated. Please read carefully the Department of English Language and Literature's memo on plagiarism which is posted at <http://www.lsa.umich.edu/english/undergraduate/plagNote.asp>. If you have any questions about "what counts," see me. |
Grading |
Some Final Notes Changes in the Policies and Schedule of Assignments |
Most recent update: January 5, 2005.