Syllabus
Instructor: Tom Bivins
Phone: 346-3740
e-mail: tbivins@uoregon.edu
Course Objective
To become familiar with the basic principles of persuasive communication through the examination of various aspects of popular culture—politics, mass media, advertising, the internet—as they exemplify and teach critical theories of persuasion. The course will focus on persuasion theory, research, and ethics and how a knowledge of language and critical thinking can make us better communicators as well as consumers of communication.
Assignments & Criteria for Grading
All class assignments will be listed each week on the course web site.
For I, II, and III below, no late assignments will be accepted unless it meets one of the "Acceptable Absences" listed below. It is up to you to make sure you know what assignment is due on what date.
DATE AND TITLE EACH ASSIGNMENT
All class assignments will be listed each week on the course web site. Grades will be kept separately on the companion Blackboard site. It is in your best interest to check the site regularly to make sure your grades have been recorded.
For I, II, and III below, no late assignments will be accepted unless it meets one of the "Acceptable Absences" listed below. It is up to you to make sure you know what assignment is due on what date.
I. Thoughts for the day: (15%) A brief (350-word maximum) write-up with at least two of the following kinds of entries:
- a question regarding the treatment of a specific concept or theory in the readings or in lecture;
- a thought that runs counter to a reading’s observations regarding a specific example, concept, term, or theory;
- an illustration of one of the points made in the reading (from family, friends, watching TV, or other source) that helps to apply a term, concept or theory;
- a reference to a "show and tell" item (print ad, video clip, speech, etc.) that illustrates a relevant point in the reading. Bring in the item or be prepared to locate it on the internet.
II. Essay: (20%) For all reading assignments, write a 2-page (approximately 700-word) essay in which you:
- Briefly abstract the article's main point(s);
- outline your critical opinion as to why the paper's argument or point of view needed to be presented and whether it has any merit;
- comment on the strengths and weaknesses of the reading as a whole, and it's contribution to your understanding of the topic.
For class periods in which more than one reading assignment is given, use the essay to synthesisze the all the articles, comparing or contrasting points, linking them thematically, etc.
III. Homework: (40%) Frequently throughout the term, there will be additional homework assignments that relate to the readings: analysis, commentary, examples, etc. These will be announced along with the readings for the class in which they are due. Format for homework will also be clarified for each assignment.
Additional essay assignments may also fulfill this criterion. They will be specified on the assgnments page under "Grading Criteria II."
The purpose of these various types of assignments is threefold: to engage you in thinking about how the material applies to your own life experience/situation; to facilitate interaction during the class sessions (via class discussion); and to add to the overall knowledge base for the course. We may not get to all of the specific issues or examples contained in any one assignment. Those we don’t get to may be targeted for discussion at the beginning of the next class.
Submitting Assignments
- Assignments are to be emailed to the instructor prior to the start of each class. They should be sent as separate documents in a single email. For example, if you have "Thoughts for the Day" and an essay or homework assignment due on a given day, send each as a separate document, appropriately labeled. The preference is for Microsoft Word documents, but other formats are acceptable if they can be opened successfully by the instructor.
- Print out and bring a hard copy of each assignment to class to facilitate your discussion.
- No homework will be accepted late or if you do not attend class. (See "Acceptable Absences" below for exceptions.)
- Homework assignments will be emailed back to you approximately one week after they are turned in. It is in your best interest to keep these graded assignments in case there is a discrepancy in your final grade at the end of the term.
IV. Ethics in Persuasion Paper: (25%)
- Option 1: With primary attention given to the discussion of Visual Persuasion, select a topic that you are able to relate to political or social uses of persuasion, to advertising, sales, information campaigns, or to other issues presented in class. The goal is to focus attention on the manner in which persuasive messages in the visual realm are utilized to convey attitudes and/or effect actions within society. Beyond presenting information in a descriptive fashion, the paper should contain a clear argument—what is your interpretation of the manner in which the message is constructed and relayed to an audience? The number of items to examine will vary depending on the topic chosen, but the expectation would be for a more formal 10-12 page paper for undergraduates and 12-15 page paper for graduate students.
- Option 2: The same as Option 1, except pay primary attention to Verbal Persuasion. Rhetorical theory and analysis would be especially important to a paper on verbal persuasion.
- Option 3: With primary attention given to the discussion of Propaganda, select a topic that you are able to relate to political uses of persuasion in the past or present. You may chose to examine an entire campaign or individual examples of propaganda. If you chose individual propaganda techniques instead of a complete campaign, the number of items to examine will vary depending on the topic chosen, but the expectation would be for a more formal 10-12 page paper for undergraduates and 12-15 page paper for graduate students.
PAPER SETUP REQUIREMENTS:
- Use white paper only, printed on one side, stapled in the upper left-hand corner.
- Be sure your name and the title of your paper are clearly stated on a cover page.
- Number all text pages at the bottom.
- The page count does not include end notes or a cover page.
- Use some form of Times font no larger than 12 points.
- Margins should be set no wider than .75 top, .60 bottom, 1.25 left, 1.25 right.
- Do not place your paper in a cover or folder of any kind.
Class Participation
Class participation is greatly encouraged. Merely sitting in class is not participating. Part of what you learn in this class will depend on your level of involvement.
If for some reason class is cancelled (bad weather, instructor illness, etc.), there will be a message on the "announcements" page on Blackboard as well as an email directly to you from the instructor. It's in your best interest to check the announcements regularly and to keep your email address updated.
Acceptable Absences
The ONLY acceptable absences are:
- students participating in University-sanctioned athletic or academic events,
- physician-verified illnesses,
- verifiable emergencies only if accompanied by a note from the office of academic advising.
Please e-mail the instructor IN ADVANCE OR AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE about your absence. I will make arrangements for missed homework and other assignments.
Extra Credit
Extra credit is given for past-life experiences only. Advanced degrees may be awarded upon proof of reincarnation.
Grading Criteria for written work—essays, research papers, homework, and other assignments.
F—Reveals you really have no clue what is going on, or are so carelessly inattentive to matters of style as to write an incomprehensible response.
D—Reveals less than adequate understanding of theory, concept, or other relevant information. Answer may also misapply concept, use an inappropriate or weak example in attempting to clarify an explanation, or may ramble on in the hope that something will eventually hit the intended target. Answer also may be more or less on target, but carelessly or sloppily written/proofed.
C—Provides an on-target recitation of the correct material from the text or other sources being consulted. Answer meets the basic expectations with respect to number of outside sources, or other conditions of a specific assignment. The writing, while clear and comprehensible, is otherwise non-exceptional, or gives evidence of inattention to basic matters of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
B—Is not only on-target, but is written in a clear, well-organized style, with few errors (and indicates attention given to correcting spelling or punctuation mistakes). In addition, examples illustrate thought beyond recall or recitation of a text’s commentary and adds to the overall understanding ofthe theory, concept, or other materials being evaluated. There is evidence of having gone beyond the text to consult other sources of information that might be relevant.
A—Goes beyond that required for a "B" response to indicate critical analysis, offering evidence of a cogent, well- reasoned defense of a position or argument that is advanced relative to the object under consideration. In other words, the answer reveals a clear authorial voice in command of the material. In addition, the style is elegant, indicating careful attention to presenting a well-constructed, well-thought-out response that advances understanding, stimulates thought or is otherwise evidence of exceptional thinking. Note: These standards apply as general guidelines for the evaluation of assigned papers, essays, etc. [for speeches, simply read as if one were presenting report orally]. As should be clear, inattention to matters of style/format will result in a corresponding decrease in a grade, even when content is otherwise clear and on-target. As a further explanation of these criteria, consider the following comments:
(1) A "C" answer is a good answer—it simply does not do any more than is being asked.
(2) A "B" answer is a better answer, but does not reveal depth of analysis that would be required to be considered exceptional.
(3) An "A" is an exceptional piece of work. Simply understanding the material is not the equivalent of an "A."
