309C S21 Mehlenbacher | English Language and Literature

ENGL 309C - Spring 2021 - SEC 081 - A. Mehlenbacher

Course Description and Learning Outcomes

Description

In Contemporary Rhetorical Theory, we will survey the key authors, concepts, issues, and debates of contemporary rhetoric and place them in a practical context. The rst half of the course will focus on the (arguably) ve most important contemporary rhetoricians (Weaver, Richards, Burke, Toulmin, and Perelman), and the second part will concentrate on contemporary rhetoric at work in culture through power relations, discourse, sexuality, race, media, advertising, and propaganda. Recognizing with Kenneth Burke “how overwhelmingly much of what we mean by ‘reality’ has been built for us through nothing but our symbol systems,” we will examine theories of rhetoric to better understand the pervasiveness of rhetoric in our ways of knowing. The class will consist of lectures, presentations, discussion, and workshop exercises.

Learning Outcomes

In this course, you will learn to:

Explain key rhetoric theories and theorists of the 20th century.
Apply these theories to contemporary culture.
Compare these theories, individual theorists, and movements.

This online course was developed by Gordon Slethaug, with instructional design and multimedia development support provided by the Centre for Extended Learning. Further media production was provided by Instructional Technologies and Multimedia Services.

Course Schedule

IMPORTANT: ALL TIMES EASTERN - Please see the University Policies (/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=671341&type=content&rcode=uWaterloo-622388) section of your Syllabus for details

WEEK	MODULE	READINGS AND OTHER ASSIGNED MATERIAL	ACTIVITIES AND ASSIGNMENTS
Week 1	M o dule 1: Intr o ducti o n (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /quickLink .d 2 l ? o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 626071 )	Timothy Borchers, Heather Hundley. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction. Second Edition. Pages 3-24. (Textbook).	Intr o duce Y o urself (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /q uickLink .d 2 l o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo 653589 )

Week 2	M o dule 2: Semi o tics , Lan g uage , and Disc o urse (Saussure and Peirce ) (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /quickLink .d 2 l ? o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 626072 )	Timothy Borchers, Heather Hundley. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction. Second Edition. Pages 297-299, 126-129. (Textbook).	Gr o ups f o r Discussi o ns (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /q uickLink .d 2 l o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo 625981 ) will be created by Technical Supp o rt

		Chandler, Daniel. "Models of the Sign", Semiotics, The Basics. Routledge. Second Edition (2007). (PDF).	Reflecti o n 1 (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /q uickLink .d 2 l o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 625982 )

Week 3	M o dule 3: Semi o tics , Lan g uage , and Disc o urse (Barthes and Derrida ) (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /quickLink .d 2 l ? o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 626073 )	Timothy Borchers, Heather Hundley. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction. Second Edition. Pages 126-130, 328-329. (Textbook).	Discussi o n 1 (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /q uickLink .d 2 l o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 625981 )

		Barthes , R o land . "Myth T o day (../../media /d o cuments /Barthes Myth -T o day .pdf ? _&d 2 lSessi o nVal =uOn 7 xdGp 2 CUntM 3 y CkPuDNL g T &o u =671341 )", Mythologies. Hill and Wang, (1972). (PDF).
		Derrida , Jacques . "Structure , Si g n , and Play (../../media /d o cuments /Derrida -Structure -Si g n -and -Play .pdf ? _&d 2 lSessi o nVal =uOn 7 xdGp 2 CUntM 3 y CkPuDNL g T &o u =671341 )", Writing and Difference, trans. Alan Bass. University of Chicago Press; Reprint, 1993 edition (February 15, 1980). (PDF).
Week 4	M o dule 4: Traditi o nal Rhet o rics (Fish and Weaver ) (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /quickLink .d 2 l ? o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 626074 )	Timothy Borchers, Heather Hundley. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction. Second Edition. Pages 162-170. (Textbook).	Reflecti o n 2 (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /q uickLink .d 2 l o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 625982 )

		Fish , Stanley . "Rhet o ric (../../media /d o cuments /Fish -Rhet o ric .pdf ? _&d 2 lSessi o nVal =uOn 7 xdGp 2 CUntM 3 y CkPuDNL g T &o u =671341 )", The Stanley Fish Reader. Wiley-Blackwell (January 1999). (PDF).
		Weaver, Richard. "The Phaedrus and the Nature of Rhetoric", Readings in a Contemporary Rhetoric. Pages 130-145. (Textbook).
Week 5	M o dule 5: Traditi o nal Rhet o rics (Kenneth Burke ) (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /quickLink .d 2 l ? o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 626075 )	Timothy Borchers, Heather Hundley. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction. Second Edition. Pages 171-188. (Textbook).	Discussi o n 2 (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /q uickLink .d 2 l o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 625981 )

		Burke, Kenneth. "Dramatism", Readings in a Contemporary Rhetoric. Pages 160-170. (Textbook).
		Burke , Kenneth . "Terministic Screens (../../media /d o cuments /Burke -Terministic -Screens .pdf ? _&d 2 lSessi o nVal =uOn 7 xdGp 2 CUntM 3 y CkPuDNL g T &o u =671341 )", Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method. Berkeley, Cal. University of California Press, 1966. (PDF).
		Burke , Kenneth . "Definiti o n o f Man (../../media /d o cuments /Burke Definiti o n -o f -Man .pdf ? _&d 2 lSessi o nVal =uOn 7 xdGp 2 CUntM 3 y CkPuDNL g T &o u =671341 )", Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method. Berkeley, Cal. University of California Press, 1966. (PDF).
Week 6	M o dule 6: Traditi o nal Rhet o rics (T o ulmin ) (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /quickLink .d 2 l ? o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 626076 )	Timothy Borchers, Heather Hundley. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction. Second Edition. Pages 96-107. (Textbook).	Discussi o n 3 (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /q uickLink .d 2 l o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 625981 )

		Toulmin, Stephen. "The Tyranny of Principles", Readings in a Contemporary Rhetoric. Pages 93-109. (Textbook).
		Toulmin, Stephen. "Theory and Practice", Readings in a Contemporary Rhetoric. Pages 110-129. (Textbook).

Week 7	M o dule 7: Traditi o nal Rhet o rics (Perelman ) (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /quickLink .d 2 l ? o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 626077 )	Timothy Borchers, Heather Hundley. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction. Second Edition. Pages 108-112. (Textbook).	Reflecti o n 3 (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /q uickLink .d 2 l o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 625982 )

		Perelman, Chaïm. "The New Rhetoric: A Theory of Practical Reasoning", Readings in a Contemporary Rhetoric. Pages 57-92. (Textbook).
Week 8	M o dule 8: Cultural Rhet o ric , Critical Rhet o ric , and P o wer (Marx ) (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /quickLink .d 2 l ? o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 626078 )	Timothy Borchers, Heather Hundley. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction. Second Edition. Pages 291-316. (Textbook).	Reflecti o n 4 (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /q uickLink .d 2 l o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 625982 )

Week 9	M o dule 9: Cultural Rhet o ric , Critical Rhet o ric , and P o wer (h oo ks and F o ucault ) (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /quickLink .d 2 l ? o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 626079 )	Timothy Borchers, Heather Hundley. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction. Second Edition. Pages 263-290. (Textbook).	Discussi o n 4 (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /q uickLink .d 2 l o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 625981 )

		hooks, bell. "Reflections on Race and Sex", Readings in a Contemporary Rhetoric. Pages 228-234. (Textbook).
		hooks, bell. "Teaching Resistance," Readings in a Contemporary Rhetoric. Pages 243-249. (Textbook).
		Foucault, Michel. "History, Discourse and Discontinuity", Readings in a Contemporary Rhetoric. Pages 283-301. (Textbook).
		Foucault, Michel. "The History of Sexuality", Readings in a Contemporary Rhetoric. Pages 302-318. (Textbook).
Week 10	M o dule 10: P o stm o dernism (Baudrillard and Ec o) (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /quickLink .d 2 l ? o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 626080 )	Baudrillard, Jean. "A Marginal System: Collecting", Readings in a Contemporary Rhetoric. Pages 259-275. (Textbook). Timothy Borchers, Heather Hundley. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction. Second Edition. Pages 317-328. (Textbook).	Reflecti o n 5 (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /q uickLink .d 2 l o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 625982 )

		Ec o , Umbert o . Travels in Hyperreality (../../media /d o cuments /Ec o Hyper -Reality .pdf ? _&d 2 lSessi o nVal =uOn 7 xdGp 2 CUntM 3 yCkPuDNL g T &o u =671341 ). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Reprint edition (2001). (PDF).
Week 11	M o dule 11: Media , Techn o l o gy , and Advertising (McLuhan , Barthes , and McNair ) (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /quickLink .d 2 l ? o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 626081 )	Timothy Borchers, Heather Hundley. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction. Second Edition. Pages 113-137. (Textbook).	Discussi o n 5 (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /q uickLink .d 2 l o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 625981 )

		McLuhan , Marshall . "The Medium is the Messa g e (../../media /d o cuments /mcluhan -the -medium -is -the -messa g e .pdf ? _&d 2 lSessi o nVal =uOn 7 xdGp 2 CUntM 3 y CkPuDNL g T &o u =671341 )". Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. The MIT Press; REV edition (Oct. 24 1994). (PDF). McLuhan , Marshall . "Media H o t and C o ld (../../media /d o cuments /mcluhan -media -h o t -and -c o ld .pdf ? _&d 2 lSessi o nVal =uOn 7 xdGp 2 CUntM 3 y CkPuDNL g T &o u =671341 )". Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. The MIT Press; REV edition (Oct. 24 1994). (PDF).
		Barthes , R o land . "Rhet o ric o f the Ima g e (../../media /d o cuments /Barthes -Rhet o ric -o f -the -Ima g e .pdf ? _&d 2 lSessi o nVal =uOn 7 xdGp 2 CUntM 3 y CkPuDNL g T &o u =671341 )", Image Music Text. Hill and Wang. (July 1, 1978). (PDF).
		McNair , Brian "Part y P o litical C o mmunicati o n 1: Advertising (../../media /d o cuments /McNair -P o litical -Advertising .pdf ? _&d 2 lSessi o nVal =uOn 7 xdGp 2 CUntM 3 y CkPuDNL g T &o u =671341 )", An Introduction to Political Communication. 5th Edition, Routledge (2011). (PDF).
Week 12	M o dule 12: Pr o pa g anda (Ellul and Hitler ) (/d 2 l /c o mm o n /dial o g s /quickLink /quickLink .d 2 l ? o u =671341 &type =c o ntent &rc o de =uWaterl oo- 626082 )	Ellul , Jacques . "The Characteristics o f Pr o pa g anda (../../media /d o cuments /Ellul -Pr o pa g anda .pdf ? _&d 2 lSessi o nVal =uOn 7 xdGp 2 CUntM 3 y CkPuDNL g T &o u =671341 )", Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes. Vintage (January 12, 1973). (PDF).
		L o ebs , Bruce . "Hitler ´s Rhet o rical The o ry (../../media /d o cuments /Hitlers -Rhet o rical -The o ry .pdf ? _&d 2 lSessi o nVal =uOn 7 xdGp 2 CUntM 3 y CkPuDNL g T &o u =671341 )", Relevant Rhetoric, Volume 1, Issue 1, Spring 2010. (PDF).
There is No Final Examination for this course.

Official Grades and Course Access

Offcial Grades and Academic Standings are available through Quest (https://uwaterloo.ca/quest/). Your access to this course will continue for the duration of the current term. You will not have access to this course once the next term begins.

Grade Breakdown

The following table represents the grade breakdown of this course.

Activities and Assignments	Weight (%)
Introduce Yourself	5%
Discussions	30% (5x6%)
Reflections	65% (4x16.25%)
TOTAL	Weight 100%