Writing & Rhetoric II: Ethnography.
Fall 2011
(52-1152-08)
M/W 10:30-11:50 am
33 E Congress Building, Rm. 543
Instructor: John Casey
Office: 33 East Congress, Suite 527.
Office Phone: 312-369-8125 (Leave a message for John Casey).
E-mail: jcasey@colum.edu (This is the best way to get in touch with me).
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30-5:30 or by appointment.
Required Texts:
UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED IN THE SYLLABUS, ALL TEXTS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE THROUGH THE OASIS WEBSITE FOR THE COURSE.
Recommended Texts:
Maimon, Elaine P., Peritz, Janice H., and Yancey, Kathleen Blake, (eds.)
A Writer’s Resource—A Handbook for Writing and Research. Mc-Graw Hill.
Third Edition. 2010.
Course Description: Writing & Rhetoric II is designed to assist students in the use of writing to
develop and sustain an in-depth personal and intellectual inquiry into a subject of their choosing.
The course unfolds in a series of reading and writing assignments designed to lead students
through the research process with the ultimate goal being a written project of considerable length
and complexity. Focusing particularly on research methodology, within a broad course theme,
students will learn to engage the work of others while generating their own worthwhile questions,
collect primary data, locate secondary resources relevant to their primary research, and from the
data collected (both primary and secondary) develop original research insights.
By the end of this class, students should be able to:






use research and essay-writing to dialogue with published authors about topics of public
concern;
use research and essay-writing to explore original ideas in considerable depth and at
sustained length;
identify argumentative claims and evaluate supporting detail;
use numerous kinds of published sources to enhance and complicate their own ideas,
using MLA style citation, and maintaining a strong personal voice;
acquire editing skills that will advance their level of syntactical maturity;
be able to analyze and respond to argumentative texts critically.
Class Attendance Policy: You are allowed four absences without penalty. I will deduct five
points from your final grade for each additional absence. If you are more than fifteen minutes
late to class, you will be marked as absent.
Late Assignments: Assignments must be turned in on time. I will not grade late assignments.
Also, if you know that you will be absent on the day that an assignment is due, please make prior
arrangements to deliver a hard copy of the assignment to me. I do not accept electronic
submissions of final drafts.
Academic Integrity: Plagiarism is no joking matter. It is an offense that can lead to expulsion
from the College and possibly even criminal charges. The Columbia College Chicago Catalogue
states that “The College prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty. ‘Academic Dishonesty’ is
understood as the appropriation and representation of another’s work as one’s own, whether such
appropriation includes all or part of the other’s work or whether it comprises all or part of what is
represented as one’s own work (plagiarism).” If I suspect that an assignment has been plagiarized
in parts or in its entirety, I will not grade it. This will lead to a failing grade and repeating the
course.
Campus Resources: Be aware that as a student at Columbia College there are many resources
available to you. These include the college Library, Museum of Contemporary Photography, and
gallery spaces for your course research. The Writing Center, which is part of the Learning Studio
located on the first floor of the 618 S. Michigan Ave. Building, is an excellent place to go for
extra help with reading and writing in the class. Here you’ll find peer and staff tutors able to give
you an unbiased opinion on your work. Students with personal issues are encouraged to seek out
the services of the Counseling Center, located at 731 South Plymouth Court, room 112. Those
students who need accommodation for a disability or have special needs are encouraged to visit
the Services for Students with Disabilities office, located on the fifth floor of the 33 East
Congress Building or contact the program’s administrator, Sandra K. Saunders, at 312-369-8134
or TTY 312-369-8178. Students must be registered with the Services for Students with
Disabilities office in order to receive special accommodations in this class.
You can find out more about these services by contacting one of the English Department’s
Student Advocates at 312-369-8199 or at engadvocate@colum.edu
Grading: There is one primary writing assignment for the class, the ethnography paper that you
will turn in during the last two weeks of class. The other reading and writing that you will do is
designed to assist you in the completion of this final project. The final draft of your ethnography
should be approximately 10-15 pages long (double-spaced, 12 point font) and all sources should
be properly documented using the MLA style.
Class participation involves more than just showing up to class on time, although that is
important. I will expect you to be respectful of others in the class and contribute periodically to
class discussion.
See appendices (at the end of the syllabus) for information on Field Notes, Resource Review, and
Cultural Autobiography.





Ethnography
Field Notes
Resource Review
Cultural Autobiography
Class Participation
30%
30%
15%
10%
15%
Daily Class Schedule for Writing & Rhetoric II
**This schedule is subject to change.
Week One: Examining Ethnographic Writing.
9/7- Class Activities: Introduction to the class. Review Syllabus.
Personal introductions. Read selections from Engaging Communities, Chapter 2 in class. Discuss
the difference between ethnographic writing and a research paper.
Skills Focus: Examine the concept of ethnography in relation to the more traditional research
paper.
Monday, September 12. Last day to ADD classes or change sections.
Week Two: Introduction to Urban Ethnography.
9/12- Reading Due: “Mapping/Texting” pages 15-29.
Class Activities: Examine and discuss assigned reading. How does urban ethnography relate to
other forms of ethnographic research? How does it compare to studies in anthropology?
Skills Focus: Critical Reading.
9/14- Reading Due: Engaging Communities, Chapter 14, “Reckless Culture” pages 60-72.
Class Activities: In groups of three or four, re-write one paragraph from the professional
ethnography to sound more like a student research project. Then re-write one paragraph of the
student paper to sound more like a professional ethnography.
Skills Focus: Exploring the relationship between language and content.
Monday, September 19. Last day to DROP classes.
Week Three: Exploring City Life.
9/19- Reading Due: “The Measure of a Town” pages 35-42.
Class Activities: In class writing. What qualifies a location to be a city? Do you prefer city life
or a more rural way of living? Why or why not?
Skills Focus: Drawing connections between personal experience and published research.
9/21- Reading Due: “The Measure of a Town” pages 42-50.
Class Activities: Discuss Cultural Autobiography assignment. In small groups, come up with
your own vision of an ideal city. What will it look like? Who will live in it? What kinds of
services will be available?
Skills Focus: Developing ideas from critical reading.
Week Four: Defining the American City.
9/26- Writing Due: Cultural Autobiography.
Reading Due: “The American City: Nightmare, Dream, or Irreducible Paradox?” pages 13-29.
Class Activities: Examine and discuss assigned readings. Pick a specific passage from the essay
where the author defines the American city. What makes it different from cities around the
world?
Skills Focus: Critical reading.
9/28- Reading Due: “Query 19: Notes on the State of Virginia—Manufactures” pages 291-292
and review photo gallery on the Guardian website “Detroit in Ruins.”
Class Activities: Examine and discuss assigned readings. Why does Jefferson feel that cities are
like a cancer? What makes farming, in his view, a better way of life?
Skills Focus: Critical reading.
Week Five: Chicago.
10/3- Reading Due: “Chicago: the Classical Center of American Materialism” pages 86-103.
Class Activities: In-class writing—What is materialism and how (according to the author) does it
relate to Chicago? Cite at least one passage from the essay as evidence.
Skills Focus: Critical writing.
10/5- Writing Due: Research proposal.
Reading Due: Engaging Communities, Chapter 3, pages 1-17.
Class Activities: Present research proposals to the class. Discuss the viability of the research
projects.
Skills Focus: Forming a research question or topic.
Week Six: Aspects of the American City—Neighborhood.
10/10- Reading Due: “Models of Neighborhood Change” pages 84-96.
Class Activities: In-class writing. How does the author define a “neighborhood?” How and why
do they change? Do you agree with the author’s analysis of neighborhood change? Why or why
not?
Skills Focus: Critical writing.
10/12- Writing Due: Field Notes #1 (Place and Space) Due.
Reading Due: Engaging Communities, Chapter 5.
Class Activities: Share with the class some of your primary research findings. Discuss the
experience of doing field research for the first time.
Skills Focus: Identifying the difference between primary and secondary research.
Week Seven: Aspects of the American City— The Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethnic
Neighborhood.
10/17- Class Activities: Library Visit. DATE CHANGE! ORIGINALLY 10/19.
Skills Focus: Finding secondary sources to complement your field research.
10/19- Reading Due: “Color Full Before Color Blind” pages 762-770.
Class Activities: Examine the essay in small groups. What (according to the author) is the
difference between being “Color Full” and being “Color Blind?” What is the author’s position on
multi-racial and multi-ethnic neighborhoods?
Skills Focus: Critical reading in a group context.
Week Eight: Aspects of the American City—Urban Renewal and Gentrification.
10/24- Writing Due: Resource Review.
Reading Due: “The Real People: Selecting the Authentic Old-Timer” pages 145-160.
Class Activities: Examine and discuss the reading. Hold a class debate on urban renewal and
gentrification.
Skills Focus: Developing informed arguments.
10/26- Writing Due: Field Notes #2 (Ritual and Symbol) Due.
Class Activities: Share field research findings with the class.
Skills Focus: Oral presentation of research.
Monday, October 31. Last day to WITHDRAW from classes.
Week Nine: Aspects of the American city—The Suburbs
10/31- Reading Due: Visit the website “Levitttown: Documents of an Ideal American Suburb.”
Class Activities: In-Class writing---What is a suburb? How are suburbs like Levittown related to
cities? Find at least two examples from the site to support your position.
Skills Focus: Critical reading and writing.
11/2- Reading Due: “Chicago’s Other Suburbs” pages 394-409.
Class Activities: Prepare and present a legal case involving property shared by an imaginary city
and a neighboring suburb.
Skills Focus: Forming an argument.
Week Ten: From Research to Writing—Planning and Drafting.
11/7- Writing Due: Thesis and Outline for the paper. TYPED.
Reading Due: Engaging Communities, Chapter 8.
Class Activities: Share your thesis and outline with a partner and offer each other feedback.
Skills Focus: Developing a focus and structure for a research paper.
11/9- Writing Due: Field Notes #3 (Identity and Reflexivity) Due.
Class Activities: Share with the class some of your primary research findings.
Skills Focus: Using informal presentations and progress reports to develop your ideas.
Week Eleven: From Research to Writing—Revising and Editing.
11/14- Reading Due: Engaging Communities, Chapter 9, pages 23-26.
Class Activities: Discuss assigned reading. Look at OWL website materials on revision and
editing [handout]. Practice revision and editing on expanded field notes #3.
Skills Focus: Recognizing the difference between revising and editing a piece of writing.
11/16- Writing Due: Research Paper Draft. Two Copies.
Class Activities: After turning in my copy of your research paper draft, exchange the second
copy with a partner in the class for peer review.
Skills Focus: Practice revising and editing the writing of others.
Week Twelve: From Research to Writing—Evaluating Sources.
11/21- Reading Due: Engaging Communities, Chapter 7, pages 1-4 and Chapter 6, pages 14-22.
Class Activities: Bring in a list of secondary sources to evaluate in class for their relevance and
reliability. Look at a couple of websites as part of a discussion on the reliability and relevance of
non-traditional sources.
Skills Focus: Evaluating sources.
11/23- Writing Due: Field Notes #4 (Authority and Representation) Due.
Class Activities: Share field research with the class. Discuss how your experience compares
with that of professional ethnologists. Do you now feel like an authority on your subject?
Skills Focus: Consequences of our writing and research.
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY: November 24-27.
Week Thirteen: From Research to Writing—Integrating Sources.
11/28- Reading Due: Engaging Communities, Chapter 4, pages 10-18 and handout on MLA
style.
Class Activities: Examine the readings for today’s class.
Skills Focus: Proper use of source material.
11/30- Writing Due: Research Paper Draft for peer review.
Class Activities: Examine research paper draft for areas where quotes need proper integration or
citation. Find places where quotes or paraphrases of others might be needed.
Skills Focus: Integrating sources into a research project.
Week Fourteen: Presentations.
12/5-Writing Due: Final Draft of Research Paper. [Group One]
Class Activities: Student Research Presentations.
Skills Focus: Listening to and evaluating student presentations.
12/7-Writing Due: Final Draft of Research Paper. [Group Two]
Class Activities: Student Research Presentations.
Skills Focus: Listening to and evaluating student presentations.
Week Fifteen: Presentations.
12/12-Writing Due: Final Draft of Research Paper. [Group Three]
Class Activities: Student Research Presentations.
Skills Focus: Listening to and evaluating student presentations.
12/14-Writing Due: Final Draft of Research Paper. [Group Four]
Class Activities: Student Research Presentations.
Skills Focus: Listening to and evaluating student presentations.
Appendix A: Cultural Autobiography
3 required parts:
 Basic demographic profile
 Visual representation of the self
 Companion narrative
Basic demographic profile:
For this part, provide basic information about yourself such as: Where were you born?
Where did you grow up? What is your native language? Who is in your immediate
family/household? What activities were you involved in as a child? What activities are you
involved in now? What is you socio-economic status? What is your age, gender, ethnicity, etc?
What is the most significant event to happen to you in your life so far?
Organize this information either as a list or in a question and answer format, as you
would in a survey. Keep in mind that the questions above are suggestions/guidelines. Provide
only the information that you feel comfortable providing to me and that you believe is relevant in
order to understand you as a person. No more than two pages.
Visual representation of the self:
Use any visual medium to create a representation of yourself. You can choreograph and
videotape a dance number, you can draw/paint a self-portrait, you can create a collage, you can
photograph yourself taking part in an activity that defines who you are, or you can design an
outfit that describes you. The purpose of this part of the assignment is to see who you are.
Companion narrative:
This is the most important part of your autobiography. Here, you are using a written
narrative in support of everything you’ve said/shown us in the other parts. You will not simply
explain the visual piece or the data from your earlier demographic profile, but rather work to tell a
story that further explains who you are. You may choose to focus on one event (maybe the “most
significant” moment from the basic demographic profile) or you can tell the story of how you
became the person standing in front of us today. How do the demographic basics in the first
section affect this person? Also, work to explain how you developed your own perspective of the
world around you. What makes that perspective unique? This section should be 2 pages typed and
double-spaced.
Appendix B: Field Notes.
Further descriptions of these assignments can be found in Engaging Communities chapters 10-13.
I strongly recommend that you purchase a folder or a notebook with folder pockets so that you
can keep all your research materials in one place.
Field notes Assignment #1
Place & Space
Basic Instructions: Get a notebook to record your observations. Go to your site and spend at
least an hour there. During this hour, you are to do nothing but observe. If you wish to become an
active participant in your site, you can do that before or after you begin taking notes. Write down
any observations you make at your site and include them in your notebook.
What to Write: First and foremost, capture the atmosphere and the mood of your site as you
sense it in the moment you are there. You are recording the experience of your hour of
observation, not a moment before or after. Be prepared to record everything you experience with
all of your senses: everything you see, taste, hear, feel and smell. If necessary, write the five
senses down in your notebook beforehand so that you remember to comment on each of them
extensively. Your observation should be dimensional. For PLACE & SPACE, you should be
concerned primarily with those things. Place deals with not only the place you are in, but what
your place is in that environment. What does the place make you think about? What are you
comparing it to? Do you feel out of place? Are you interested in it? Space concerns the actual
physical space surrounding you. What does it look like? What is going on around you? Who are
the people? What do they talk about? What do they look like? What artifacts do you notice? What
are people in the space doing? For this set of field notes sketches or photographs might be a good
idea. These field notes are the beginnings of the primary sources that you will use to create your
final research paper.
Turning Your Initial Observations Into Expanded Field notes: The final product that you will
turn in to me is an analysis of your observations. A 2-3 page (typed/double-spaced) examination
of the raw data contained in your notebook. The analysis in your expanded field notes will not
only help you better understand your initial observations but will also work directly into your
paper as the semester progresses. Use the following as an organization technique for your
expanded field notes: original observations in normal type, thoughts and feelings in italics, and
analysis in boldface.
What to Turn In: On the due date, you must turn in a copy of your expanded field notes to me in
order to receive full credit for the assignment. These expanded field notes should have your
name somewhere on them and be stapled together.
Questions to consider before and after your site visit:
What is NOT there? And how do you know? Discuss negative space; discuss absences.
How does the space function?
What does the place mean to you? To others?
Who are you when you’re there?
What are the prominent features and characteristics that define the space?
How does this place fundamentally or materially change? What make this change happen? What
does it mean?
What has been revealed to you as the truth of this site, after you’ve stripped away the layers?
What is the real story?
Field notes Assignment #2
Ritual & Symbol
Basics: Same as before. Visit your site for a 2nd time; again, stay for at least an hour. Take notes
about what you see and sense. You will be examining through a slightly new lens, but still it is
based primarily on your spontaneous observations.
What to Write: Think of rituals and symbols that you are familiar with in American events:
Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, Weddings, getting your driver’s license for the first
time, etc. What are some things similar to these events that you could be fairly certain to see at
your site? Rituals and symbols are present in every environment. Ritual suggests rhythms and
patterns (actions). It also makes me think about cultural “norms” and rules. What happens in your
space that characterizes it? What happens that is normal? What is surprising? A symbol is more
of a talisman (object). The symbol is an artifact closely tied to or representative of your site; it is a
tangible, physical thing.
Turning Your Initial Observations Into Expanded Field notes: The final product that you
will turn in to me is an analysis of your observations. A 2-3 page (typed/double-spaced)
examination of the raw data contained in your notebook. The analysis in your expanded field
notes will not only help you better understand your initial observations but will also work directly
into your paper as the semester progresses. Use the following as an organization technique for
your expanded field notes: original observations in normal type, thoughts and feelings in italics,
and analysis in boldface.
What to Turn In: On the due date, you must turn in a copy of your expanded field notes to me in
order to receive full credit for the assignment. These expanded field notes should have your
name somewhere on them and be stapled together.
Questions to consider before and after your site visit:
What actions have you observed?
Are they repeated actions or one-time deals?
Who participates in these actions and how?
Could this action be considered a ritual?
What could this ritual reveal about the place?
What artifacts do you notice and how do they fit in to the space?
How do they function? Are they worn? Displayed? Natural? Mechanical? Manmade? Modern?
Old?
What cultural meaning could you assign these symbols?
Field notes Assignment #3
Identity & Reflexivity
Basics: Same as before. Visit your site for a 3nd time; again, stay for at least an hour. Take notes
about what you see and sense. Again you will be examining through a slightly new lens, but still
the end result is based primarily on your spontaenous observations.
What to Write: You will be, in many ways, continuing the research of symbols that you began in
your last set of field notes. Identity is tied very closely to symbol: What represents us? How do
we interpret these symbols? What do they say about the person or place that is carrying them?
Who are you? Who are the people at your site? Can you move past the stereotypes and try to
really interpret the symbols you see? Reflexivity is also about interpretation to some extent; you
are trying to consider the larger cultural interpretations of yourself and your site. Why do you
make the assumptions you make about people at your site? Go back and revisit some of your first
sets of field notes. What are some assumptions that you can (or already have) made about the
people or the environment of your field site? What do those assumptions say about you? Your
main purpose here is not only to try and interpret patterns that you see in the raw data of your
notes, but also try to understand how you relate to your field site.
Turning Your Initial Observations Into Expanded Field notes: The final product that you
will turn in to me is an analysis of your observations. A 2-3 page (typed/double-spaced)
examination of the raw data contained in your notebook. The analysis in your expanded field
notes will not only help you better understand your initial observations but will also work directly
into your paper as the semester progresses. Use the following as an organization technique for
your expanded field notes: original observations in normal type, thoughts and feelings in italics,
and analysis in boldface.
What to Turn In: On the due date, you must turn in a copy of your expanded field notes to me in
order to receive full credit for the assignment. These expanded field notes should have your
name somewhere on them and be stapled together.
Questions to Ask:
What are some of the markers of identity here?
Is the meaning of these markers something you deduced, or something you were told?
How relevant is identity in this setting?
How do you think you are perceived by people at your site?
Are you an insider, an outsider, or both? Explain!
What are some of the stereotypes of the people at your site? What are the negative connotations
that follow these stereotypes? Have they been proven or disproved in your research?
Field notes #4
Authority & Representation
Basics: Same as before. Visit your site for a 4th and final time; again, stay for at least an hour.
Take notes about what you see and sense. You will be examining through a slightly new lens, but
again the end result is based primarily on your spontaneous observations.
What to Write: First, you are going to want to establish a set of unanswered questions. This is
your last set of field notes, so you should really be thinking about the shape and style of your final
project. Think of your final ethnographical paper as a research project in which your primary data
comes from your field notes. You are going to tell the story of your site; more importantly, how
you play a role in your site. For this set of field notes, you can work as much from old notes as
from your new ones. Consider writing more about some of the “highlight observations” from
your site visits. Are there some really good stories that could be further enhanced? If so, reapproach them in greater depth or from new angles. In addition to developing material to fill gaps
and enliven your stories, address questions relating to authority and representation.
Think of AUTHORITY as having several stems: local, personal, societal, emotional,
global, political, spiritual, etc. How would you characterize your authority in this place? Has it
changed over the course of your visits? From what do you derive your personal authority?
Experience, expertise, age, gender, talent? From you capacity for understanding and compassion?
Suffering? Class or race? Socioeconomic status? Re-address the insider/outsider dynamic for
your site. What controls your space? Why do questions of authority matter anyway?
For REPRESENTATION, start to deal with the way you’ll present (& represent) your
site and its qualities in your ethnography. Does your story as to be told in a chronological, linear
style? Does it demand to be told in a less rigidly structured, circular kind of narrative? Are you a
dictator or a gentle story-teller? Friendly or harsh? Whimsical or grave? Also, what will you tell
and what will you not tell? What are the ethical implications of your choices?
Turning Your Initial Observations Into Expanded Field notes: The final product that you
will turn in to me is an analysis of your observations. A 2-3 page (typed/double-spaced)
examination of the raw data contained in your notebook. The analysis in your expanded field
notes will not only help you better understand your initial observations but will also work directly
into your paper as the semester progresses. Use the following as an organization technique for
your expanded field notes: original observations in normal type, thoughts and feelings in italics,
and analysis in boldface.
What to Turn In: On the due date, you must turn in a copy of your expanded field notes to me in
order to receive full credit for the assignment. These expanded field notes should have your
name somewhere on them and be stapled together.
Appendix C: Resource Review.
Resource Review Assignment
The primary sources that make up your field notes will serve as the basis for your paper. In order
to become an authority on your subject, however, you will need to consider already published
(i.e. secondary) sources. You should head to the library with a list of specific questions in mind.
What don’t I know about this site yet? Who are some of the people and organizations that might
be interested in my topic?
You should focus on gathering academic resources (i.e. well-researched books and articles) and
imagine yourself in dialogue with those sources. How does what they say relate to what you plan
to say in your writing? Your final ethnography essay will develop from a successful dialogue
between your primary data (fieldwork) and your secondary data (academic resources).
There are two parts to this assignment:
The first is an online exercise created by the Columbia College Library. You must visit the site
http://www.lib.colum.edu/cirt/ethno/intro.htm and print out the final confirmation page.
The second is an annotated bibliography.
Your annotated bibliography should contain a list of 5-7 sources, ideally a mixture of books,
websites, and articles, in MLA format. Under your listing for each source, you must include a
description of the work. You should also explain how and why that work will be useful to your
research.
Important note: One of the best ways to find sources (especially on hard-to-research topics) is by
bibliography diving. If you find one or two books or essays that fit what you are looking for, look
in the back of them to see what resources the authors of those texts used. Several of those sources
might help you as well.
2-4 pages double-spaced; typed; MLA format