|
|
|||||||||||
COMP 3014: Writing and the Social Sciences
“An Institute for the Production of Knowledge”
Winter 1998
Lind Hall 217
M W F 8:00-8:50
Director: Eric Drown
Director’s Office: 110/307 Lind Hall Writing Lab: 306 Lind Hall
Comp. Program Office: 225 Lind Hall Mac/PC Labs: 26 Lind/152 Folwell Hall
Office Hours: TBA
E-mail address: drown001@maroon.tc.umn.edu
Introduction:
Generally, the social sciences ask questions about who people are and how they live. How these questions are asked and what methods guide the search for answers vary from discipline to discipline. Historians look at change over time, anthropologists study communities in depth through ethnographic fieldwork; psychologists take human behavior and consciousness as their object of study, while sociologists plumb the organization of society for clues; economists pay strict attention to the workings of capital in the development of human society, and educators study and debate learning processes and their effects on us; political scientists focus on the history and theory of government, and specialists in international relations focus on contact between nations. One of the goals of this course is, therefore, to facilitate discussion among disciplines within the social sciences and encourage intellectual cross-fertilization.
Since much social science research is sponsored by or meant to inform the policy of governments (whether at the county, state, or federal level), the public has a vested interest in what social scientists have to say. Therefore, this class will be run as an institute, that is, as a “think-tank.” A government entity/agency has hired us to conduct research into a matter of public interest so that it can make informed public policy. Our job, then, is to make the insights of the social sciences comprehensible to policy-makers (US senators, congressmen and -women, presidential advisors and others). One major objective of the course is that students actually produce some knowledge useful to their discipline, the social sciences, and civic life. Accordingly most of the work you do this quarter will lead to an interpretive synthesis of current research on a topic of importance for American public policy.
You, as an intellectual community, will take responsibility for many stages of the process: designing and defending research projects, formulating reading lists, and organizing a mini-conference at the end of the quarter. You will need to be self-directed, to be able to work within small and large groups, to get work done on time, to take and give constructive criticism, and to manage the freedom and responsibility of participation in this institute. If you feel uncomfortable with this structure, please talk to me immediately so that we can decide if this is the right learning opportunity for you.
Finally, since the pace of a 10-week course is demanding, as Director of Research, I'll be asking you to make project decisions about topics well before you feel comfortable, to work in groups, and to keep up. If you need help at any stage, please contact me. Procrastination is your worst enemy. If you don’t believe me check out the daily schedule near the end of this document.
A Word on Office Hours and/or E-mail:
In a workshop class this size, it is impossible for me to give close attention to each student’s needs in class. My office hours are intended to be opportunities for students to come for one-on-one discussions about anything: from writing and research problems to problems with class dynamics. You just want to talk about ideas or something interesting you’ve read? Come on in. I like talking with students. I’ll do my best to make you feel comfortable. Please, please, please take advantage of this time.
Sometimes students are intimidated by one-on-one talks with instructors. If you’re one of these students, use e-mail to write me a memo. It may take a day or two or three for me to get back to you, but I will. If you don’t know about e-mail, call Sheppard Labs/CIS at 626-5592. Every student registered in day school is entitled to a free e-mail account. You already have it; take advantage of it. If enough students have and use E-mail, I can send class announcements and assignments electronically.
Institute Policies:
All members of the institute will be treated with respect. Participants should expect to take responsibility for their views, and to have them subject to question. I do not believe that honest differences in passion, point of view, and politics must be erased to facilitate harmony. But throughout this project, thoughtful dialogue will replace confrontation and demeaning behavior whenever disagreements arise.
Writing Format:
All institute work (including readings) should be kept so that you and I can review your progress throughout the course of research. Don't throw anything away. In addition, you should make a backup disc or photocopy of all your work. Error or breakdown—your, mine, or the machine's—can happen. I will hold you responsible to have copies of your work. Never, I repeat never, save your work to a public hard drive. I have had students steal work from one another by lifting papers stored on hard drives in one of the dorm computer labs. In order to protect yourself from the ordeal of plagiarism always save your work to a floppy disk when working on a public computer.
In order to be accepted, all formal papers must be: word processed in a 12-point font with 1 inch margins, double-spaced, stapled (not paper clipped or dog-eared), and accompanied by notes and bibliography that conform to discipline standards. You are responsible for correct grammar, spelling, and typography. Pages must be numbered, and your name must appear on each page. I must receive all papers by the meeting time of the date due. Late papers will not be accepted. All work done outside of class must be word-processed and written to high standards.
Grading:
Even though this is a research institute, it is also a composition course. Therefore, my grading policy conforms to CLA guidelines. Be advised that CLA and the Composition Program consider a C to be equivalent to basic fulfillment of the course requirements. In order to get anything higher than a C, you will have to perform beyond the basic course requirements. If your are concerned about your grade, please consult with me early and often. A's and B's are honors grades. Please read the following grading scale carefully.
F.........You turned in the assignment but did not attempt to fulfill the requirements, or you did not turn in the assignment.
D.........You attempted to fulfill the requirements, but did not meet basic standards in content, clarity, and insight.
C.........You completed the assignment and satisfied all requirements.
B.........You completed the assignment, satisfied all requirements, and went beyond by developing new insights.
A.........You completed the assignment, satisfied all requirements, went beyond by developing new insights, and expressed your ideas with particular elegance, style, and/or wit.
All writing at this institute will be judged according to how well it meets these criteria:
1) content: How well have you considered/discussed the task at hand, the meaning of what you have read, thought, seen, or said? How well have you mustered pertinent information and evidence?
2) clarity: How well have you expressed your ideas, arguments, or interpretations? Is your prose clean and clear, intelligible and jargon-free?
3) insight: How complete is your paper—have you considered potential objections to your argument or interpretation? Have you thought through the social, political, or logical implications of your argument? Have you gone beyond the conventional wisdom to consider alternative explanations or interpretations of your data?
In order to earn an A in this class, your writing must excel in all three categories.
Course-Grade Breakdown:
|
Final Paper=35% |
Reading
Responses=20% |
Abstract/Defense=15% |
Paper
Proposal=30% |
Course-Grade Calculation
All grades in this course will be given in letter form. The following grades are available:
|
A+ |
A |
A- |
B+ |
B |
B- |
C+ |
C |
C- |
D+ |
D |
D- |
F |
In order to facilitate calculation, letter grades correspond to numbers; thus,
|
A = |
A- = |
B+ = |
B = |
B- = |
C+ = |
C = |
C- = |
D+ = |
D = |
F = |
|
11 |
10 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
The formula I use to calculate your grade is:
(G1 x .35) + (G2 x .20) + (G3 x .15) + (G4 x .30) = Final Grade:
where G1 = the Final Paper, G2 = the average of Reading Responses, G3 = the Abstracts and Defenses, and G4 = the Paper Proposal.
Your final letter grade is assigned based on the result of this calculation and any adjustments warranted by the attendance policy.
Acts of scholastic dishonesty may
result in an F for the course and additional disciplinary action.
Attendance:
A research institute requires the constant participation of all
members. If you are unable to attend
class for what you believe is a legitimate reason, you should call the
Director, before class time if at all possible, at the phone number listed at
the head of this document, leave a message on the message line, or send an
e-mail memo explaining the circumstances of your absence. The
Composition Program has a standard attendance policy. If you miss the equivalent of one week of class your course grade
is jeopardized. If you miss the
equivalent of two weeks of class you fail the class.
Incompletes:
Incompletes will not be given. If you do not complete an assignment you will receive no credit for that assignment and your course grade will reflect this. If there are specific attenuating circumstances, please contact me immediately.
Required Texts:
E. Hughes, J. Silverman, D. R. Wienbroer, Finding Answers: A Guide to Conducting and Reporting Research.
S. Freedman and S. Steinberg, Writing and Thinking in the Social Sciences.
|
Daily Schedule |
Due In Class: |
|
Monday, January 5: •Class Format •Role of
Writing in Social Sciences |
•First day of
class. NB. All assignments must be
word-processed. |
|
Wednesday, January 7: •Composing
Sentences |
•Write an
encyclopedia entry defining the term “Social Science.” Your editor has allotted you 225-250
words. Spend them wisely. Research is necessary to complete the
task. •Read Hughes,
pp. xi - 19 |
|
Friday, January 9: •Set research
focus •Library |
•Brainstorm 2
possible topics for the research focus.
For each topic, write 300 words describing and justifying the
topic. Remember your reader is a public policy-maker and, while smart,
knowledgeable, and interested, is not a social scientist. •Read Hughes,
pp. 21-47. •Read handout
entitled “Social Science Research Model,” included in this packet. |
|
Monday, January 12: •Discussion of
research focus •Question
Asking/Kinds of Questions |
•Write 500
words describing the institute’s research focus. Identify some key questions, relevant datum, significant
contexts. Explain why studying this
topic is in the public interest. •Over the
weekend, go to the library and, using the “Indexes” feature of LUMINA,
identify the on-line indexes and journal-titles that will be of relevance to
this topic. Compile a list of all
relevant indexes and fifteen relevant journal titles. Make use of the internet to identify at
least five scholarly and/or advocacy organizations which might have something
to contribute to a debate on the institute research focus. Add these to your list. Find out what specialized libraries exist
on campus and in the Twin Cities.
List some of these. •Begin
collecting article titles and abstracts for inclusion in the course reading
list. Look ahead to assignment due
Friday, January 23. |
|
Wednesday, January 14: •Discuss
questions and topics •Annotated
bibliographies--kinds of sources. |
•Write a list
of 20 questions on the institute research focus. •Read the
handout titled “Paper/Grant Proposal” included in this packet. Write a 250-500 word topic description for
your individual project. •Begin to
collect, read, and annotate sources for your own paper. Collect at least five by Monday, January
19, 15 by Monday, January 26, 25 by Monday, February 2. Proposal (and annotated bibliography) due
dates: Draft--February 9; Final--February 18. |
|
Friday, January 16: •Reviewing
existing literature |
•Compile an
annotated bibliography of 15 journal articles relevant to the institute’s
focus. If the annotation is available
in the index use it, otherwise garner one from the abstract, else review the
first and last few paragraphs and briefly describe the questions and findings
of the article. These articles can
come from academic journals, from intellectual/high-journalistic magazines,
such as the Nation or the National Review (but not Time, Newsweek, or U.S.
News and World Report), from government publications (Congressional
Quarterly), or from publications of advocacy organizations. •Preview the
abstract assignment due Friday, January 23. Photocopy 2-4 of the articles on
your bibliography. Include all notes
and bibliographies in the copy, and be sure to write the complete
bibliographic reference on the first page of the article. •Read Hughes,
pp. 48-56, 65-78. •Read handout
entitled “Processing the Articles” included in this packet. |
|
Monday, January 19: |
Martin Luther
King, Jr. Birthday--NO CLASS |
|
Wednesday, January 21: •Discuss
results |
•Review your
annotated bibliography and the articles you’ve collected for your own
research project. Write a 500 word
summarizing the results of your initial review of the literature. Identify the key questions being asked by
social science professionals and policy-makers about this topic. What do these writers agree about? What do they seem to disagree about? What kinds of policy have been made on
this topic? What social scientific
theories inform these debates? What
themes, metaphors, examples, statistics, key phrases appear over and over
again? |
|
Friday, January 23: •Set reading
list |
•Choose 2
articles which you think should be included on the reading list, read them,
and write an abstract of each. Then, in a brief, persuasive essay defend your
choices. Discuss why the
questions raised in the article, the paradigms and methods used, the data
presented, and/or the findings made are especially pertinent to our discussion
of the topic. Consult the handout
entitled “The Abstract and the Case for Reading an Article” included in this
packet. We’ll be culling about 10
readings from 200, so it’s crucial for you to be specific and persuasive in
this defense if you hope to have your article read and discussed by the
class. Bring 4 copies of your work to class. •Please bring a complete, clean, well-photocopied copy
of each article on which you choose to write to class. I will put the ones chosen on Reserve at
Walter Library, so you will not get them back. If your article is poorly copied, it cannot be added to the
reading list. |
|
Monday, January 26: •Paragraph/Essay
Development Strategies in Reading Reviews: Reporting (Claims, Data, Logic,
Interpretation), Analyzing, Interpreting |
•Read handout
entitled “Critical Tasks in Paragraphs,” included in this packet. •Write 7
operational questions for your individual topic. For each question, construct a hypothesis and describe how you
intend to go about answering it. What
kinds of evidence will be needed? If
you can, cite specific article titles, data, or other sources of information
and perspective. Write 3
interpretive/theoretical question for your individual topic.
Finally, justify the questions as a whole in 250-400 words. •In light of
these questions, substantially revise the topic description of individual
project. Justify your project in 2-3
additional paragraphs. Specify the
public’s interest in your project.
This piece ought to look and feel like a finished piece of writing of
about 400 words. |
|
Wednesday, January 28: •Discuss
readings. |
•Read handouts
entitled “Processing the Articles,” “On Reading Well,” and “Reading Reviews”
included in this packet. •Read
A&B--Reading Review 1 Due NB: You Must Complete 3 Of the 5 Reading
Reviews. 2 of the 3 required
reading reviews may be of articles you are reading for your individual
project. |
|
Friday, January 30: •Composing
Paragraphs |
|
|
Monday, February 2: •Discuss
readings. |
•Read
C&D--Reading Review 2 Due |
|
Wednesday, February 4: •Making
Claims/Using Examples |
•Read Hughes,
pp. 79-96. |
|
Friday, February 6: •Discuss
readings. |
•Read
E&F--Reading Review 3 Due |
|
Monday, February 9: |
•Full Draft-Grant Application (aka “Paper
Proposal”) Due. •Please bring to class any page of your
draft printed on an overhead transparency.
Please choose a plain-style, large-format font. •Please write a self-analysis of your
proposal |
|
Wednesday, February 11: |
Overhead
workshop continues |
|
Friday, February 13: •Discuss
readings. |
•Read
G&H--Reading Review 4 Due •Read Hughes,
pp. 97-104. |
|
Monday, February 16: •Drawing
Conclusions |
|
|
Wednesday, February 18: |
•GRANT APPLICATION DUE With Annotated Bibliography (at least 15 sources). |
|
Friday, February 20: •Discuss
readings. |
•Read
I&J--Reading Review 5 Due |
|
Monday, February 23: •Making
Contrasts |
|
|
Wednesday, February 25: •Defining
Terms |
•Read Hughes,
pp. 160-164. |
|
Friday, February 27: |
•FIRST DRAFT OF PAPER DUE. •Please bring to class any 2 pages of
your draft printed on an overhead transparency. Please choose a plain-style, large-format font. •Please write a self-analysis of your
draft. |
|
Monday, March 2: |
Overhead
workshop continues |
|
Wednesday, March 4: |
CONFERENCE |
|
Friday, March 6: |
CONFERENCE |
|
Monday, March 9: |
CONFERENCE |
|
Wednesday, March 11: |
CONFERENCE |
|
Friday, March 13: |
CONFERENCE |
|
FINAL PAPERS DUE Friday, March 13 in class. If you want your paper back, leave a SASE (with at least 2x32¢ stamps on it) with it. |