RWS 100: The Rhetoric of Written Argument

RWS 100 is a general education course that teaches students to interpret, analyze, synthesize and produce written arguments.

We focus on argument as it’s central to GE goals and capacities, & because argument is a key part of academic literacy, critical thinking, and civic life -Lasch: “argument is the essence of education,” and

“central to democratic culture”; - Graff: Universities are “houses of argument” & “argument literacy” is key to undergrad education.

Why We Fight! (4 your right to succeed in RWS100)

The ability to interpret arguments, locate claims and evidence, analyze moves and strategies, and evaluate arguments is important to undergraduate education.

“Argument literacy” is central to business, law, professional life, and to academic study (including graduate school).

Students tested for these skills in the WPA, the LSAT, GMAT, and GRE – all the gateways to professional life.

Sustainability, Social Justice & Environmental Integrity

Students will read a series of short and medium-length texts on this topic, as well as three long texts:

1) Oreskes’ “The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change: How Do We Know We’re Not Wrong?”

2) The documentary Food Inc. (Kenner)

3) Anderson, Confessions of a Radical Industrialist

Assignment Sequence

1. Produce a summary and analysis of a single argument (Oreskes)

2. Research and synthesize texts in order to situate an argument within a broader “conversation” (Food Inc.)

3. Identify, analyze and evaluate rhetorical strategies (Confessions of a Radical Industrialist)

4. Produce an argument that contributes to the conversation/uses one of the texts as a “lens” to build an argument

The three main texts

All three are calls to action – on climate policy, food policy, or industrial policy.

Oreskes’s text is about the nature of arguments on climate change – who are the most reliable authorities? What constitutes valid evidence; what criteria do scientists use to decide whether knowledge is valid, and how do academic communities work?

Connects directly with the 3 chapters toward the end in Confessions, that deal with the science of climate change, and Anderson’s analysis of skeptics.

Food Inc. & Confessions

Food Inc. provides an “on-ramp” to Confessions – it introduces themes and claims that Anderson will explore in greater detail.

Both texts are shaped by Paul Hawken’s The Ecology of Commerce.

Both argue that profitability and environmental responsibility must go together, and business must play a key role in environmental reform.

Food Inc. & Confessions

Anderson presents a radical critique of “industry 1.0,” Food Inc. presents a similar critique of “industrial food”

Both argue that the ‘take-make-waste” paradigm cannot continue. It is extractive, polluting, and reliant on petrochemicals. It promotes an instrumental view of nature and people that is dehumanizing, out of balance and unsustainable.

It’s riddled with perverse incentives. We need reform the produces “ecologically honest prices” so markets move toward sustainability. And we need to look to nature for models (reuse of raw materials in a closed-loop cycle.)

We are piloting a wiki to:1. Make resources for teaching the common book

project more widely available to teachers in RWS, as well (perhaps) faculty in other departments

We are piloting a wiki to:

2. Open up and share teaching resources and program materials with outside groups (high schools, community colleges, the CSU)

3. Conduct teacher training & provide more opportunities for collaboration and coordination

We are piloting a wiki to:4. Provide alternative platforms for

teaching; give students experience of a CMS with relevance outside the classroom; open up different roles for students than the traditional LMS.

5. Encourage “CMS literacies” that support new initiatives in publishing, community organization, collaboration, public intellectualism, teaching, and open source education.

Teaching and scholarship mix and the “process” is opened

Edupunk/Open Source – Moodle, Sakai, Open Journal System, Mediawiki, etc.

Commercial Remix – google sites, NING, Facebook, wikispaces, etc.

Mature, “Mixed Model” Open Source – Wordpress, drupal, joomla, plone

Open Humanities Press: peer reviewed journals using Wordpress & OJS

Towards an ecosystem of CMSs

1) Platforms that support key elements of new media literacy & “CMS literacy” for students.

2) Developing CMS literacies for teachers that support new initiatives in publishing, community organization, public intellectualism, teaching, and open source education.