Description:
Civic engagement refers to the wide range of activities of people working to make a difference in their communities and /or in public life. Working at the election polls, volunteering as a first responder, organizing a food donation drive, a protest, or community clean-up, or running for public office, are all forms of civic engagement. Writing, storytelling, visual communication, and savvy rhetorical choices are crucial to civic engagement as tools to create positive change in our communities. Communicating about civic issues effectively across a wide range of audiences can be tricky, however. If we are to believe the majority of news media outlets and mainstream pop culture, civil civic engagement is all but dead. Political discourse, in particular, is characterized by incivility, indecency, and extremity on seemingly all sides of the political divide. In this class, students will deepen their understanding of what it means to be a civically engaged citizen by critically engaging with models of communication-focused civic engagement in pop culture and professional settings alike, as well as theories regarding public (and interpersonal) discourses to better understand the most effective ways to be an engaged citizen. In particular, our discussions and projects will focus on intersections between civic engagement and new media with topics such as: new media literacies, digital ethics, collective identity, digital tools for composition and research, and civic participation. Students will learn about the ways that others have engaged with difficult topics and created social change, and will consider the ways that they can affect change in their own communities and/or personal lives as writers and digital storytellers.
Learning Goals:
- Define key concepts, such as “civic engagement,” “civic imagination,” “citizen journalism,” “new media,” “digital ethics,” “slacktavism,” and “civility,” which have run through debates about the civic functions of communication, media, and professional writing
- Discuss how specific rhetorical strategies play into the larger realm of public and civic communications
- Describe a range of different rhetorical strategies through which civic functions are performed or communicated about in contemporary US democratic life
- Analyze the ways the rise of social networks and other web 2.0 communication/writing practices shifted civic engagement
- Identify proper communication strategies for a given rhetorical situation based on audience and civic engagement purposes
- Create sample documents exemplifying civic engagement genres of writing and new media
- Engage in civic discourse using focused rhetorical tactics and writing/communication genres discussed and analyzed during the course
Requirements:
- Digital Materials
- A laptop, tablet, or other reliable digital device that you can bring to class, charged.
- Regular access to a reliable internet connection. (This could be the library here on Centenary’s campus.)
- Regular access to a computer with Adobe Acrobat Reader (The computers in the library at Centenary should already have this downloaded. You can download this for free on your personal computer at http://get.adobe.com/reader/.)
- A Google Drive account (also free; this comes with a Gmail account).
- Textbooks and Readings
- While there is no required textbook to purchase, readings will be provided by me in PDF format online via Perusall. (This is a free online site.)
- Homework
- All course information, including homework assignments, can be found on our course website. Links to all important information will also be posted in Moodle throughout the semester.
- Assignment Submission
- Directions for submitting assignments will be posted on Moodle.
- Grading Policy and Course Expectations
- For descriptions of the attendance policy, expected classroom behaviors, technology use policy, assignment deadline policy, grade calculation rubric, and my expectations of the labor you’ll need to put into this course in order to successfully pass it, please see our course’s Grading Contract, posted on our course website.
- For policies including the academic integrity policy, please refer to the Centenary University Syllabi Statements linked in our course’s Moodle site.
- Special policy on inclusive language and gender-neutral pronouns: English is an evolving language that continuously changes to meet cultural, technical, and sociopolitical needs. In recent years, discussions of identity and inclusion have been shaping the way we use pronouns. With that in mind, please respect the pronoun choices of your classmates as we participate in class discussions and peer review. When appropriate, gender-neutral pronouns should be used. They/them/their/theirs/themself are commonly accepted forms of gender-neutral pronouns, but by no means are those the only, or even the most common, options. I encourage you to identify your pronouns when you feel comfortable doing so, and to refer to others in ways that align with their identities. Additionally, our awareness of harmful terminology in everyday speech is constantly shifting as we learn and grow as individuals. As a result, this class will be a place for us to think critically about the ways our words impact those around us. Language that degrades the humanity of others in- and outside of our classroom (i.e., words or phrases that are classist, ableist, racist, gender-exclusionary, anti-LGBTQIA, etc.) will be analyzed critically with an eye towards respectful communication and thinking, as our classroom community develops greater awareness of identity in the texts we confront. This class values inclusion, kindness, diversity, and thoughtful conversations that interrogate cultural concepts, and it is important for our language use to reflect that.
Assignments:
- Please see the Assignments page for more information.
Academic Assistance:
- Accommodations: Students with documented disabilities are entitled under the law to reasonable accommodations. I am committed to an access-friendly classroom, and am willing to do whatever I can to help you succeed in this course. If you have a disability and need accommodations, please notify me as early as possible during the semester and contact the Office of Disability Services: dso@centenaryuniversity.edu or call 908-852-1400, ext. 2251.
- Academic Success and Advising Center: The Academic Success and Advising Center offers assistance in a variety of areas, including study skills and content-based tutoring. Contact academicsuccess@centenaryuniversity.edu or call 908-852-1400, ext. 2353.
- Writing Collaboratory: Students seeking help with writing assignments, as well as those wishing to develop their writing skills in general, are invited to visit The Writing Collaboratory, a tutoring center specializing in writing. The tutors, who offer one-on-one assistance, are some of your fellow undergraduates specifically trained in proven methods for writing tutoring. The Collaboratory hours are 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. To get more information or to set up an appointment, send an email to writing.collaboratory@centenaryuniversity.edu or call 908-852-1400, ext. 2400.
Inclusivity Statement:
English is an evolving language that continuously changes to meet cultural, technical, and sociopolitical needs. In recent years, discussions of identity and inclusion have been shaping the way we use pronouns. With that in mind, please respect the pronoun choices of your classmates as we participate in class discussions and peer review. When appropriate, gender-neutral pronouns should be used. They/them/their/theirs/themself are commonly accepted forms of gender-neutral pronouns, but by no means are those the only, or even the most common, options. I encourage you to identify your pronouns when you feel comfortable doing so, and to refer to others in ways that align with their identities. Additionally, our awareness of harmful terminology in everyday speech is constantly shifting as we learn and grow as individuals. As a result, this class will be a place for us to think critically about the ways our words impact those around us. Language that degrades the humanity of others in- and outside of our classroom (i.e., words or phrases that are classist, ableist, racist, gender-exclusionary, anti-LGBTQIA+, etc.) will be analyzed critically with an eye towards respectful communication and thinking, as our classroom community develops greater awareness of identity in the texts we confront. This course values inclusion, kindness, diversity, and thoughtful conversations that interrogate cultural concepts, and it is important for our language use to reflect that.
