Rhetoric & Composition 1: Academic Literacy

Unit Three: Academic Critique (Weeks 8-10)

Inquiry Theme: Critiquing Pop Culture Phenomena via Cultural Theory

Literacy & Rhetoric Goals: Students will

• Define critique as a method of evaluation

• Define theory as a set of principles that explains & predicts ideas, events,

     people's behavior, etc.

• Define and employ stasis theory as a means of generating questions

• Recognize how historical context (rhetorical situation) informs their thinking

     about phenomena

• Recognize how theory may deepen their thinking about phenomena

• Employ writing as processes of discovery, revision, and communication

• Recognize how academic critique builds upon exposition and analysis

Writing Goals: Students will

• Compose short writings that work toward longer essays

• Compose an academic thesis-support/theoretical-critique essay—i.e., critique

     (or evaluate) a pop culture phenomenon in terms of an assigned theory

• Address an audience of classmates and teacher who are as informed on the

     theory but less informed on the cultural phenomenon than the writer

• Employ the ethos , or rhetorical stance, of "student expert”

• Employ effective introductions & conclusions

• Define and narrow a topic, using a theory to generate questions about a cultural

     phenomenon, locating the phenomenon within a larger cultural/historical

     context

• Employ a thesis statement (as answer to theoretical questions generated) to

     organize essay

• Organize paper and each paragraph effectively, given the purpose and

     audience

• Employ their own ideas as main points of critique (topic sentences) in body ¶s

• Explain the theory (via summary, paraphrase, quotation) when necessary

• Employ, as evidence, details about the cultural phenomenon as well as

    students' theoretically-grounded reasoning about the phenomenon

• Employ stylistic strategies

• Employ academic citation practices

Suggested Readings:

• Alan Bryman, “The Disneyization of America” (public spaces)     

• Susan Calvert, et al, "Young Adult Perceptions and Memories of a Televised

     Woman Hero" (TV)

• Aaron Copeland, “How We Listen to Music” (music)     

• Anne Norton, “The Signs of Shopping” (shopping)

• Linda Seger, “Creating the Myth” (films)   

• Cynthia Selfe, "Lest We Think the Revolution Is a Revolution: Images of  

     Technology and the Nature of Change" (technology)  

• Katina R. Stapleton, “From Margins to Mainstream: The Political Power of

     Hip-Hop” (music)

• Dominic Strinati, “Postmodernism and Popular Culture” (film, TV, music…)

Suggested Writings:          

Short Writing 1: List 3 cultural phenomena suggested by the theories that could

                           serve as a paper topic; explain why 1 interests you (1¶)  

Short Writing 2: Generate 1 question from a theory and use it to discuss your

                           phenomenon   (1¶)

Short Writing 3:  Discuss gaps that you see in a theory (1¶)

Paper 3:            [Partially Assigned Paper Topic] Write a thesis-support essay

                           (4pp), using one of the assigned theories to critique a pop

                           culture phenomenon that you select (e.g., a sports hero,

                           a music group, a website, a shopping mall, a film, a TV

                           program).

 

Suggested Unit Grade: 20% of final course grade

The unit grade will be awarded to the final essay; however , short writings must be completed on due dates AND turned in with Portfolio Two. Otherwise students may lose 1/4 percentage point for each SW not completed on time or included in the unit portfolio. Peer review points are awarded separately.