English 103: Composition and Critical ThinkingTicket #: 1112

Los Angeles Valley CollegeEnglish 103; 8-1025

Summer 2016Professor Jessica Glick

Office Hours: TBA/After class; English department main office H121Room: H105E-mail address: jessica.l.glick@gmail.com

Required Texts:Arendt, Hannah. Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of EvilBeer-Hahn, Edith. The Nazi Officer's Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the HolocaustCourse Reader. (available in the campus bookstore). You need this immediately.

We will largely be exploring the philosophical themes/rhetoric of memory and evil in this class. Although we’ll start off with things less evil, like popular culture and politics, by the end of the session you should be prepared to write a 7-9 page research paper on your understanding of the concept evil.

Required Materials

Access to a computer: for email, essay writing and online responses. I have a class Facebook that you are required to add (see URL below). If you are not on a facebook you’ll need to create an account for the sake of the class. Alternatively if you don’t want the class to see your personal facebook (in my newsfeed) you will need to create a new account. This should only take you a few minutes. Please send a friend request to my class Facebook ASAP. You will have discussion questions posted, as well as a quick way to ask me, and others questions. Most importantly, you’ll also be sending your essays to the class for our workshop dates via the class facebook. It’s under “Glick Valley” and the url is: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011227429538

Books (see above) including course reader.

ADA Statement If you are a student with a disability requiring classroom accommodations, and have not contacted SSD, do so in a timely manner. SSD is located in the Student Services Annex, Room 175 or call SSD at (818) 947-2681 or TTD (818) 947-2680 to meet with a SSD counselor. If SSD has already sent the memo to instructor confirming accommodations required by student for this class, please meet with me to discuss arrangements.

Statement for Academic Dishonesty Plagiarism is the use of others’ words and/or ideas without clearly acknowledging their source. When you incorporate those words and ideas into your own work, you must give credit where credit is due. Plagiarism, intentional or unintentional, is considered academic dishonesty and is not tolerated. Anyone found to be plagiarizing or cheating on assignments (e.g., copying or giving answers, using ‘crib’ sheets, etc.) will:

1. Receive a zero (fail) on the assignment, and2. Be referred to the Associate Dean of Student Services for further disciplinary action, following due process.For further information on plagiarism, go to the Writing Center website (www.lavc.edu/WCweb/plagiarism.html) and refer to the STANDARDS OF STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION in the current Schedule of Classes and Catalog.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid Financial Aid is available! Call (818) 947-2412. Go to the Financial Aid Office in the Student Services Center, first floor. For more info: http://www.lavc.edu/financialaid/.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Write coherently organized analytical essays that demonstrate sound reasoning, the ability to clearly connect evidence to claims, advanced critical thinking strategies, and an understanding of conventions of scholarly discourse.2. Use critical thinking and advanced research skills to illuminate various political, social, ethical, and philosophical ideas.

Course Objectives

l. Develop hypotheses inductively by observing examples, patterns of analysis and effective structures.2. Develop hypotheses deductively by stating assumptions or inductively derived conclusions and substantiating them with adequate support leading to well-defined conclusions.3. Identify ambiguities and recognize them when developing the premises of their argument.4. Demonstrate the ability to suspend their judgments for a period of time, so that they can draw reasonable conclusions based on evidence and not on predetermined opinions.5. Recognize fallacies in their own predetermined points of view and seek new positions that are more in line with prevailing evidence.6. Avoid weak forms of argumentation that are based on fallacies, which are commonly found in both inductive and deductive reasoning.7. Recognize and employ both inductive and deductive reasoning in writing. This includes the ability to distinguish between fact and inference, to recognize logical fallacies, and to identify and work with assumptions.8. Determine whether the conclusions follow from, or are supported by, their premises.9. Demonstrate the capacity to recognize and avoid the use of both stereotype and propaganda.10. Avoid the use of informal fallacies and be able to identify vagueness, as well as clarify meanings.

Policies

Attendance: A portion of your grade depends on class participation. We will be active in class and this requires your presence. Because this is such a short class (19 sessions) you are allowed to miss one class. I will drop you on your second absence. After the drop deadline you will receive an F. If you miss class you are responsible for asking a classmate what you missed.

Email: use an appropriate email, first name.last name@emailserver.com. I am pretty good at responding to emails promptly; however, make sure you give me 24-48 hours to respond especially if it's the weekend.

III. Course Requirements (You will be graded on the following):Short Essays (3) 25%Final Research Paper 25%Final Conference Project (including workshop responses) 20%Midterm 5%Discussion Leaders (credit/nc) 5%Essay Facilitator+Whole Class Workshop Essay Read 20%

** In lieu of rough drafts and peer review you will each workshop one essay once. This will require you to email your essay to the class (via Facebook) a minimum of 24 hours before your workshop date. The class will then have the day to read your draft, write a response, and the assigned Facilitator will lead a workshop during your scheduled class date. IF you fail to email your response the day before you, as the Reader, are responsible for bringing a hardcopy of your essay to class the day of your workshop (one copy for each person enrolled, and one for me).

Please buy a two-pocket folder to turn in your assignments.

IV. Course Policies

A. Reading Assignments: All readings is to be completed by the date listed on the syllabus (that means you are to come in WITH it read by the date it’s listed).

B. Writing Assignments: Please keep all of your graded essays and drafts together in a folder (portfolio) and a backup file so that you can have an opportunity to revise essays that you have completed.

C. Workbook: Your in-class activities responses for workshopping, and any additional writing assignments we do in class.

All out-of-class essays must be typed, double-spaced, and must include a heading in the left-hand corner (first and last name, instructor’s name, class name, and date) to receive credit (prior to the title of the essay which is on the next page). Example:

Walter White

English 103

Professor Glick

Date of Assignment

Pure Meth but Not Pure Morals: The Gray Area in AMC’s Breaking Bad

C. Class Participation, Discussion Leaders Assignment and Attendance: Attendance is crucial to you earning a passing grade in English 103. This is also why we have discussion leaders. You will all, one point in the semester be responsible for leading a discussion with your partner/s. It’s your responsibility to come to class that day with an outline prepared. Your goal is not to summarize the text but to engage the class in discussion about the texts’ important/interesting/contrasting/complex points. Class discussions will help you to better understand the materials read.

Please be aware of the tone of voice and opinions you express about other people, their backgrounds or sexual orientations in class. Anyone whose comments I deem as offensive will immediately be asked to leave and be marked as absence for that class session.

See the LAVC website for important drop/add dates.

D. Late Papers and Assignments: In general, no late assignments are accepted and no makeup credit is granted. If you have an emergency situation, please contact me within 24 hours of the missed class to determine whether alternative arrangements can be made.

Workbook activities are done predominately in class. If you “miss” class (but we know it’s more than likely because you were too tired to wake up) it’s your job to ask your friend what you missed, and get the necessary info from them. I’m happy to answer questions if you don’t understand an assignment, but email me for clarification not for an assignment on a date you ditched.

V. If you are a student with a disability, please register with Services for Studentswith Disabilities (818 947-2681) to be eligible for academic accommodation.

The Writing Center is in LARC, 2nd floor. Free services are available there for all students. I encourage you to take your drafts to the Writing Center for additional feedback.

VI. Email: Please use a professional email, and address emails in a professional manner. Allow me 24-48 hours to respond, especially if on a weekend. Use “English 103” in the subject line.

VII. Technology: Turn off your technology until you’re out of the classroom; that includes your cell phones and computers.

**** Schedule****Note: I may change the schedule, but I will give you appropriate notice if a change needs to be made. All readings that are in the course reader are abbreviated by CR.

Week 1: June 13-June 16M: Class OverviewT: Reading Completed: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly CR; DL 1W: Workshops 1-5 (Essay 1); Caruth, “The Wound and the Voice” (CR); DL 2TH: Final Draft Essay 1 Due; DL 3 on Foucault (see below for URLs to readings).

Foucault "Power": http://www.michel-foucault.com/dulwich/subject.pdfFoucault, "Part II: The Repressive Hypothesis" (you only need to read part 2 though feel free to read the rest if you'd like; there are other readings to prepare for essay 2 on the class Facebook, feel free to skim through those):

https://suplaney.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/foucault-the-history-of-sexuality-volume-1.pdf

Week 2: June 20-23M: DL 4: Neiman "From the Introduction of Evil and Modern Thought"; Delbo

"Arrivals, Departures" (CR)T: Essay 2 Workshops 6-15; Langer, "Interpreting Survivor Testimony"; Young

"Memory and The Politics of Identity" (CR) DL 5W: Essay 2 Workshops 15-20; Schwartz (CR) and Merton (CR); start The Nazi

Officer’s Wife. TH: Essay 2 Final Draft; Continue ^

Week 3: June 27- June 30M: Read: The Nazi Officer’s Wife T: Finish ^; DL 6; Start Eichmann You can skip chapters 9-13 and the majority of

14 (read the last page in chapter 14).W: Read/Finish EichmannTH: DL 7 ^; + Appelfield “After the Holocaust” (CR); Final Drafts Essay 3 Due

Week 4: July 4- July 7M: No Class 4th of JulyT: Workshops 21-30: 9/11 readings (CR) DL 8W: Workshops 31-40, “The E-Word” (CR) and “In the Ruins of the Future” (CR);

DL 9TH: Workshops 41-45 Week 5: July 11-July 14M: Essay 4: Research Paper Due T: Essay 4 Writer’s ClinicW: Final Conference Pt. 1TH: Final Conference Pt. 2/Last Class

Essay Prompts: (Prompts listed out of order because prompt 2 is longer).

(Essay 1): “Political Analysis”: It’s a voting year! In your essay trace one candidate through their political campaign. I want to know what specifically makes this person a good or bad candidate based on the rhetoric and language on their key positions on major issues that are important to the people of the United States. You will be doing a Rogerian approach to argument: look at the claims (why the candidate thought they should be present) and the warrants they used to support their reasoning. NOTE: You are not writing an analysis of why you hate Donald Trump, but rather are looking at WHAT and HOW/WHY someone is claiming they are a good choice for President. Times New Roman, 12 pt Font, 1 inch margins. 4-6 pgs.

(Essay 3):"The Banality of Evil": Both novels discuss two opposing sides of the Nazi Holocaust, one from the perspective of the perpetrator and the other the victim. Although

both are told after the fact they present two very different sides of the same story. In your essay please ascertain how likely and credible you find both sources; (2-3 pgs) same MLA requirements as above.

Questions to consider: To what extent does one narrative contradict the other? How inclined are you to believe Eichmann's central thesis and the very claim about the banality of evil? To what extent is survival a means of personal will and/or luck? How does memory affect the narrative?

You will need to use the novels to support your thesis. You should look at Aristotle’s appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos to support your argument.

Prompt 4 (Research Paper):

You will need to support your thesis through textual evidence in the books.

To what extent is evil represented in our society today? You may choose to look at one of the events as described in the course reader or you may choose one example of your own but please analyze the event of your choosing and address what that event states about human nature and the very nature of good and evil. Note: I am NOT looking for a book report on an event but rather what that event says about evil, memory (if time has passed) and what argument that event is making about our society?

7-9 pgs; MLA formatting.---- ------------------------------ -----------------------------------------------Essay 2: Pop Culture Essay (See syllabus for due dates)For this essay, you will have the opportunity to analyze ANY element of popular culture that you are most interested in. You will write a 4-6 page essay in which you must analyze at least one film, music video, song, piece of art, poem, or book in a way that illuminates how this popular cultural artifact functions in our society. How does this cultural artifact relate to power and knowledge? Does it reinforce dominant ideologies of race, gender, class, sexuality, America, the American dream, or other norms of American culture?

ORDoes it challenge dominant ideologies, norms, and discourses of power? How does this element of popular culture challenge? What are the norms that your video/song/piece of art is challenging? And HOW is it challenging them?

OR ORIs it doing both? Maybe it is speaking to a racial issue that is very critical and challenging, but while doing this, your cultural artifact uses stereotypical images of men that reinforce dominant ideologies about gender… Then your thesis might be two-fold.

Doing the ResearchWhen composing this research essay keep in mind that there is a SIGNIFICANT research component. You will need peer reviewed sources to back up your argument. These sources should consist of theoretical readings from our class such as Foucault or any other critical theorists (see below).

Choosing a Topic I really want you to choose your topic with the ideas of our course in mind: pick something to write about that you can see yourself analyzing deeply—challenging. One of the hardest parts of writing essays is figuring out what you want to say. It sounds obvious but it’s true! You have to want to say something, to argue something—to contribute to your topic. There is absolutely ZERO point in writing something that either means nothing to you, or that has nothing new to say about your topic. Also, pick something that you are okay with getting EXTENSIVE feedback on. I will have very high standards for how you approach your argument and will challenge you to think of almost everything about your topic. I will point out all gaps I can find in your argument.

Extra HelpSo ask yourself: what readings/ideas from class am I most interested in analyzing? What elements of popular culture have piqued my interest the most? Do some intellectual soul-searching!And FYI: You can choose more than one song, film, or art piece to write about as long as you can analyze them underneath the same narrow thesis statement. Make sure that you have enough time and page space to effectively analyze ANY and ALL songs or films that you choose, WHILE including the research. That is a lot to fit into one paper.

Requirements for this Research Essay:-You must have a recognizable Thesis—Remember, this is just your argument in one sentence.-Articulation of the norms/ideologies/discourses of power of the text(s) you are analyzing.-Provide a close reading or analysis of the pop culture artifacts you are discussing—Cite specific scenes, quotes, or moments of the text that are important for backing up your argument.-Cite 5 sources at least that are Peer-Reviewed sources that help you make your argument.-Utilize TS/IS (if you used this in 101) and your own textbook—integrate quotes effectively; introduce your sources effectively.-Organize your essay. Utilize transition words when moving from paragraph to paragraph-Go to Tutoring-Come to Office hours-Annotate this prompt-Take Peer-review VERY seriously.-Save all your drafts-Proofread-Must be in MLAConsult theory for help:Freud, Foucault, Marx, Feminist Theory, Psychoanalytical theory, language (Derrida); Queer Theory.AND scholarly journal articles; through the library website: articles on race, gender, sexuality, class or other social markers that are relevant to your analysis; or articles on the video/song/artwork you are focusing on; articles on the artist you are focusing on; articles

on the genre that you are discussing; ANY articles that help you back up your thesis statement. What are scholars saying about your topic already? Remember, you can’t just make the same argument that other scholars are making; you have to be in conversation with those authors—you have to use the They Say, I Say framework. What are THEY (scholars) saying, and what are YOU (a new scholar) saying that moves the conversation forward. At the end of the day:This may seem daunting, but what I really want you to be looking at is what you’re already looking at every day. What is our obsession with pop culture; with Zac Brown Band (bet you don’t know who that is but you should- and you would in Nashville); Katniss Everdeen (fine); with the Kardashians (gross); with Drake (no thanks); Beiber (worse); Twilight (even worse); Biggie vs Tupac (old school) say about our society?