Theater and Rhetoric:
Rhetoric
The material on this page is from the 2003-04 catalog and may be out of date. Please check the current year's catalog for current information.
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Theater and Rhetoric:
Rhetoric
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The major in rhetoric offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human communication. Students complete a series of core courses in rhetorical theory and criticism, history of public address, and film and television studies, complemented by courses on language, media, and communication drawn from the curricula of other departments. All students complete a senior thesis. Cross-listed Courses. Note that unless otherwise specified, when a department/program references a course or unit in the department/program, it includes courses and units cross-listed with the department/program. Major Requirements. Students must choose a concentration in either rhetorical theory and criticism or in film and television studies. Each major consists of eleven courses distributed as follows: Rhetorical Theory and Criticism. Required core courses: 1) RHET 155. What is Rhetoric? 2) One of the following:
3) One of the following:
4) One of the following: RHET 260. Lesbian and Gay Images in Film. 5) One of the following:
6) One of the following: RHET 390: Contemporary Rhetoric. 7) RHET 457 and/or 458. Senior Thesis. 8) Students are also required to complete at least one course from each of the following areas. No single course may be used to complete more than one requirement. No more than one Short Term unit may be counted toward the major.
Film and Television Studies. Required core courses: 1) RHET 155. What is Rhetoric? 2) AA/RH 162. White Redemption: Cinema and the Co-optation of African American History. 3) One of the following:
4) RHET 260. Lesbian and Gay Images in Film. 5) RHET 276. Television Criticism. 6) One of the following:
7) RHET 457 and/or 458. Senior Thesis. 8) Students are required to complete three film and television studies courses from among the following. No more than one Short Term unit may be counted toward the major. AA/TH 226. Minority Images in Hollywood Film. 9) Students are also required to complete one critical methods course from among the following:
Pass/Fail Grading Option. There are no restrictions on the use of the pass/fail option within the major. Secondary Concentration in Rhetoric. The secondary concentration consists of six courses. A coherent program for each student's secondary concentration is designed in accord with the following guidelines and in consultation with a member of the rhetoric faculty who is chosen or appointed as the student's departmental advisor for the secondary concentration. The courses or units required for the secondary concentration in rhetoric include 1) RHET 155. What is Rhetoric? 2) One of the following:
3) One of the following:
4) One of the following:
5) One of the following:
6) One of the following:
General Education. Any one rhetoric Short Term unit or First-Year Seminar 293 may serve as an option for the fifth humanities course. CoursesRHET 155. What is Rhetoric? Although the oldest discipline, rhetoric may be the least understood. Aristotle defined rhetoric as "the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion." In this course, students conduct a historical survey of rhetorical theory from classical times to the present. Rhetorical artifacts examined include political speeches, television programs, print advertisements, editorials, music, film, and Internet sites. Required of all majors. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every year. S. Kelley-Romano. CM/RH 160. Classical Rhetoric. The Romans ran the ancient world by the sword, but also by the word. This course explores how they did the latter. Readings include classical works about rhetoric, examples of classical oratory, and the variety of exercises by which the practice of rhetoric was taught. Writing assignments include analyses of speeches by classical orators, as well as a range of ancient rhetorical exercises such as fables, speeches of praise and invective, persuasive speeches to historical figures, and mock courtroom speeches. The course concludes with an examination of the Gettysburg Address and consideration of its debt to classical rhetorical theory. All readings are in English. Not open to students who have received credit for Classical and Medieval Studies 160 or Rhetoric 160. Offered with varying frequency. M. Imber. AA/RH 162. White Redemption: Cinema and the Co-optation of African American History. Since its origins in the early twentieth century, film has debated how to represent black suffering. This course examines one aspect of that debate: the persistent themes of white goodness, innocence, and blamelessness in films that are allegedly about black history and culture. Historical and cultural topics examined in film include the enslavement of Africans, Reconstruction, and the civil rights movement. Particular attention is given to films in the interracial male buddy genre. Not open to students who have received credit for African American Studies 160 or Rhetoric 160. Normally offered every year. C. Nero. RHET 185. Public Discourse. This course is designed to develop an awareness of and skill in the techniques needed by a speaker in varying situations, from the large gathering to the small group. Students analyze and compose public speeches on various political issues. Enrollment limited to 24. Normally offered every year. Staff. RHET 195. Documentary Production. This course provides an introduction to documentary production, including videography, sound, lighting, and editing. Students learn both to produce documentaries and to recognize the importance of production decisions in shaping the meanings and influence of documentaries. Students collaboratively produce short documentaries on subjects of their own design. Recommended background: prior production experience and course work in film criticism. Enrollment limited to 16. Written permission of the instructor is required. Offered with varying frequency. Staff. INDS 235. The Politics of Pleasure and Desire: Women's Independent and Third Cinema and Video from the African Diaspora. This course examines independent cinema, third cinema, and some written texts by women of African descent using contemporary theories of female pleasure and desire. By viewing and reading these cultural productions drawn from "high" and "low " culture in the light of a variety of film theories (i.e., feminist, womanist/black feminist, postcolonial, diasporic) as well as race critical, feminist, and cultural theories, students explore the "textual" strategies that construct black female representations, Afra-diasporic authors/directors and audiences as subjects and as agents of political change. Recommended background: any of the following: African American Studies140A, African American Studies/Women's and Gender Studies 201, African American Studies/Theater 225, 226; Theater 102 or Theater 110. Cross-listed in African American studies, rhetoric and women's and gender studies. Normally offered every other year. S. Houchins. New course beginning Winter 2004. RHET 257. Rhetorical Criticism. In this course, students apply rhetorical theories to a variety of artifacts to understand the unique insights afforded by rhetorical studies. Students write, present, and discuss papers in which they apply and analyze different rhetorical perspectives. Rhetorical artifacts examined include political speeches, campaign advertising, television, print advertisements, editorials, music, film, Internet sites, and social movement rhetoric. Prerequisite(s): Rhetoric 155. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. S. Kelley-Romano. RHET 260. Lesbian and Gay Images in Film. This course investigates the representation of lesbians and gays in film from the Golden Age of Hollywood to the contemporary independent filmmaking movement. Topics may include the effect of the "closet" on Hollywood film, homophobic imagery, international queer films, "camp" as a visual and narrative code for homosexuality, the independent filmmaking movement, and the debates about queer visibility in contemporary mass-market and independent films. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. C. Nero. RHET 265. The Rhetoric of Women's Rights. Prior to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, women were almost totally without political, economic, or social power. Because of their situation, women necessarily employed rhetorical means to attain the goal of women's suffrage. This course is a study of the oratory of the women's suffrage movement. Specifically, it highlights the barriers women faced and how they dealt with those difficulties rhetorically. Students learn and apply the tools of rhetorical criticism in order to identify, describe, and evaluate the speakers of the movement and their ideas. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every other year. S. Kelley-Romano. RHET 275. African American Public Address. This course is a study of the history of oratory by African American women and men. Students examine religious, political, and ceremonial speeches. Historical topics include the abolition of slavery, Reconstruction, suffrage, the black women's club movement, Garveyism, and the civil rights and Black Power movements. Contemporary topics include affirmative action, gender politics, poverty, education, and racial identity. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. C. Nero. RHET 276. Television Criticism. This course examines the representational strategies employed by television to convey social messages. The goals of the course are twofold: first, to acquaint students with the basic theoretical premises of rhetorical approaches to television; and second, to provide students an opportunity for critical and original research. Possible televisual texts include prime-time dramas, situation comedies, soap operas, talk shows, news programming, and sporting events. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: Rhetoric 155, 185, or 291. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. S. Kelley-Romano. RHET 291. Introduction to Argumentation. An examination of the theory and practice of argumentation. This course explores argument theory from antiquity to the present and gives students the opportunity to develop skills in structured academic debates. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 20. Normally offered every year. R. Brito. RHET 360. Independent Study. Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Normally offered every semester. Staff. RHET 365. Special Topics. Offered occasionally in selected subjects. Offered with varying frequency. Staff. RHET 386. Language and Communication of Black Americans. Charles Dickens wrote in 1842 that "all the women who have been bred in slave states speak more or less like Negroes, from having been constantly in their childhood with black nurses." This course examines the linguistic practices of African Americans alluded to by Dickens. Readings focus on the historical development of "Black English" as a necessary consequence of contact between Europeans and Africans in the New World; on patterns and styles of African American communication such as call-and-response, signifying, and preaching; and on sociopolitical issues such as naming traditions, racial/ethnic identity, gender and language acquisition, and education and employment policy. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency. C. Nero. RHET 390. Contemporary Rhetoric. A seminar devoted to the close textual analysis of recent and provocative political discourse. The texts for analysis are drawn from various media, including controversial political speeches, documentaries, music, and advertising. This course is designed to offer students extensive personal experience in criticism and to introduce key concepts in critical theory and practice. Enrollment limited to 15. Written permission of the instructor is required. Offered with varying frequency. Staff. RHET 391. Topics in Rhetorical Criticism. The topic varies from semester to semester. The seminar relies largely upon individual student research, reports, and discussion. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency.
RHET 457, 458. Senior Thesis. A substantial academic or artistic project. Students register for Rhetoric 457 in the fall semester or for Rhetoric 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both Rhetoric 457 and 458. Normally offered every year. Staff. Short Term UnitsRHET s18. Goldberg's Canon: Makin' Whoopi. Whoopi Goldberg has been a locus of cultural contradictions since her arrival in the public's consciousness. Her dark skin and perennially nappy hair defy cultural standards about female beauty, yet she is one of a handful of actresses who can open big budget Hollywood films. The same Hollywood film industry acknowledges her as a "leading lady," yet it has seldom given her "leading lady" roles. This course examines Goldberg's film and television performances, her career as a humorist, and her controversial persona as an antagonistic public figure. Some of the social and cultural issues students address in this unit include skin color and hair texture chauvinism, the grotesque and the comical, racial and gender stereotypes, black lesbianism, and discourses about the black female body. Enrollment limited to 30. Offered with varying frequency. C. Nero. RHET s21. Documentary Video Production. In this unit, students direct and produce video documentaries on subjects of their own selection. Classic documentaries are viewed and discussed in class. Students make weekly presentations of their work-in-progress and analyze the works of others. Prior coursework or production experience in film or video is recommended. Enrollment limited to 12. Written permission of the instructor is required. Offered with varying frequency. Staff. INDS s25. Black Terror. This unit explores Gothic fiction and film, works that create an atmosphere of brooding and unknown terror and represent race and gender as sources of dread, of "The Horror". Students read works by such authors as Sheridan Le Fanu, Bram Stoker, Toni Morrison, Nalo Hopkinson, Tananarive Due, Thulani Davis, Reginald Mc Knight, Jean Rhys, and Harriet Wilson. The films include The Mark of Lillith, Dracula, Ganga and Hess, The Hunger, and Carmilla. Using psychoanalytic, film, race, queer, and gender theories as tools, students excavate deeply embedded discourses of race, sex, and sexuality. Recommended background: Theater102, African American Studies/Theater 225 or 226. Cross-listed in African American Studies, Rhetoric and Women's and Gender Studies. Offered with varying frequency. S. Houchins. New unit beginning Short Term 2004. EN/RH s29. Place, Word, Sound: New Orleans. This unit offers an interdisciplinary and experiential approach to the study of New Orleans, the most African city in continental North America. The goal of the unit is to understand the impact of place on culture and aesthetic practices, learn how institutions represent New World and Creole transformations of Africanity, and introduce students to historical and contemporary debates about African influences in the United States. Students examine cultural memory, questions of power, and definitions of cultural terrain as expressed in literature, art, music, and architecture. In addition to attending the seven-day Jazz & Heritage Festival, students visit various sites of literary, cultural, and historical significance to New Orleans. Recommended background: a course in African American studies offered in English, music, rhetoric, or African American studies. Enrollment limited to 16. Written permission of the instructor is required. Offered with varying frequency. K. Ruffin, C. Nero. RHET s30. Television Criticism: Prime-Time Women. In this unit, television programs are examined to understand how they negotiate social issues. Specifically, rhetorical approaches to television are employed to underscore the usefulness of critical attention to television discourse. Programs such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Bewitched, Charlie's Angels, The Honeymooners, I Dream of Jeannie, and Murphy Brown are examined to reveal how women's roles have been articulated and represented to the American public. The development of feminist themes are then examined in contemporary television programs, such as Law and Order, The X-Files, Ally McBeal, Friends, and Sex and the City, to assess the current condition of "prime-time women." Prerequisite(s): one course in rhetoric. Recommended background: a course in criticism/critical methods. Enrollment limited to 30. Offered with varying frequency. S. Kelley-Romano. RHET s31. Conspiracy Rhetoric. "Just because you're paranoid does not mean they're not out to get you." This unit examines the rhetoric that has surrounded conspiracy theories in American culture. Specifically, students focus on the argumentative form as well as the social functions of conspiracy discourse. Particular attention is paid to those conspiracies that surround UFO and alien abductions discourse. Prerequisite: at least one rhetoric course. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Written permission of the instructor is required. Offered with varying frequency. S. Kelley-Romano. RHET s50. Independent Study. Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term. Normally offered every year. Staff. |
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