Keith Wilhite - Teaching

Download the PDF for WR20 - Fall 2009 here.

Writing About Real Things
Wr20 – Fall 2009 (28 & 30)

“[T]here is no problem that does not ultimately lead
back to an analysis of commodities…” ~Georg Lukács

CONTACT INFORMATION

Office Hours: W 1:00-3:30 (and by appointment)

Office: 200V Art Building (East campus)

Professor Keith Wilhite
Email: keith.wilhite@duke.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION
The central goal of this course is to give you guided practice in academic writing of the sort you’ll be expected to produce at Duke University and in professional life. Academic writing is intellectual writing not primarily because of who writes it (university students, scholars, and other public intellectuals), and not because of its subject matter (which ranges from politics to literature to biology to engineering), but rather because intellectual writing typically includes certain identifiable features, all of which you will learn to master:

it locates its project within the context of previous thinking on the subject
it responds to and makes use of the work of others
it judiciously offers reasons to support its claims
it recognizes its guiding assumptions and the implications of its findings

I have designed the course to highlight your relationship as a writer to the words and ideas of others. Such a relationship carries certain responsibilities, such as careful reading, thoughtful response, and reasoned analysis and argument. The assignments will invite you to use the words and ideas of others as points of contention, extension, and departure. At times you may disagree with what a writer has concluded, but often you may choose to build upon and extend what’s been said, or take your argument in a new direction altogether. When composing intellectual writing, how you read is intimately connected to how you write. We will practice strategies for responsive reading, emphasizing how you can put pressure on previous findings and arguments and how to focus your writing on such responses. Rather than begin with the question, “What do I have to say?” we will begin by asking: “What have others had to say about this subject, and how might I respond to them?”

WHY “THINGS”?
The primary subject of this course is academic writing, but you must have an issue to address in your writing, and something to read about. I assume that you have signed up for the course partly because you hold some interest in the topics of material culture or consumerism or would like to explore how writers frame arguments about objects and consumer practices for specific disciplines and audiences.

I selected our topic, though, because there is no easy way to avoid our engagement with material culture. Whether you celebrate materialism or take a dim view of consumer culture—and this course will not ask you to adopt either stance—it’s impossible to deny that our social, economic, and political systems depend on consumer practices. It’s equally true, however, that we derive a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction from the objects we consume and the things through which we identify ourselves to others. Some writers will tell us we are dupes of capitalism and pawns to advertising agencies; others will insist that shopping can be a subversive practice, a way to assert a sense of agency in the marketplace. But what our readings will suggest again and again is that, while “real things” have a material existence, this objective presence exists within a larger, fluid network of images, ideas, and cultural values. In short, things have “social lives.” People endow objects with meaning, and that meaning changes over time and in relation to other objects, but these “things,” in turn, help us to articulate who we are and what we value at a particular moment in our lives. How do we use objects to make meaning, to reinvent ourselves, or to satisfy our desires? How do objects become the things we just can’t live without?

Because this is an academic writing course, it is useful to explore how such ideas and questions have played out across a variety of texts. In intellectual contexts, writers are always writing with and struggling against the limits and possibilities of language, trying to articulate as concisely and clearly as possible positions on issues that themselves seem to resist perfect clarity or resolution. Therefore, we’ll consider competing arguments and approaches to our subject in order to discover both WHAT writers have to say about material culture and HOW they say it. We’ll pay particular attention to writers’ methods of debate and exchange, identifying the strengths and limits of their writing while exploring how the controversy might be framed differently. You’ll have numerous opportunities to deliberate (in seminar discussions and in writing) on issues that resist easy answers. Such work will give you practice in navigating similar public issues that call for reasoned analysis and response.

REQUIRED TEXTS
The following texts will help us think about our topic and the practice of academic writing:

AT THE BOOKSTORE
Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Harris, Joseph. Rewriting: How to Do Things with Texts
Woodward, Ian. Understanding Material Culture

ON BLACKBOARD
I have installed a “Course Readings” page on our Blackboard (Bb) site where you will find most of the
articles and chapters you will be required to read over the course of the semester. You’ll be responsible
for printing, reading, and bringing these texts with you to class on the assigned date.

COURSE GOALS AND PRACTICES
The only way to become a better writer is through practice—not only through the revision of your
own writing, which is critical, but through developing the practice of reading and responding to the
written work of others. With that in mind, all Writing 20 courses share three common goals:

1. Engage with the work of others. In pursuing a line of inquiry or research, intellectual writers need
to identify and engage with what others have written about a text or issue. This academic move
asks that you read closely and attend to context, and that you make fair, generous, and assertive
use of the work of others.

2. Articulate a position. The point of engaging with the work of others is to move beyond what has
been said before. Writers respond to gaps, inconsistencies, or complexities in the literature of
their field and anticipate possible counterarguments in order to provide new evidence or
interpretations that advance clear and interesting positions.

3. Situate writing within specific contexts. In order to best contribute to their fields of inquiry, writers
need to develop an awareness of the expectations and concerns of their intended readers. These
expectations include not only appropriate and effective support for arguments, but also
conventions of acknowledgement, citation, document design, and presentation of evidence.

We’ll work on meeting these goals by honing your skills as readers and writers:

1. Researching. You will critically read scholarly work about our course topic. This research may
include locating sources, questioning methodology, examining evidence, identifying social or
political contexts, or considering the implications of a work.

2. Workshopping. Academic writers reread their own writing and share work-in-progress with
colleagues in order to reconsider their own arguments. You will learn how to become critical
readers of your own prose through responding to one another in classroom workshops, seminar
discussions, and/or conferences.

3. Revising. You will be asked to rethink your work-in-progress: to extend, refine, and reshape
what you have to say and how you say it.

4. Editing. As a final step in preparing documents, you will edit for clarity and correctness.

THE PLAN OF WORK
As you might expect, training in intellectual writing requires your commitment of time and energy. You will need to develop the habits and discipline of a writer: maintaining a regular schedule that allows you to work with texts for sustained periods of time, finding a place for writing that works best for you, mapping out time to draft and revise your work. There is nothing especially fancy about this. The key for most writers is to develop a routine, as you would if you were learning to play a musical instrument. The best way to grow as a thinker and writer is through practice.

There are two Major Projects (MPs) in the course. Each project begins with your reading a text or set of texts. Next, you’ll prepare a Major Project Draft. Your classmates and I will respond to your work-in-progress and offer a “Review” of your writing. As part of the revising process, you will compose a “Revising Plan” that articulates what feedback you have found particularly helpful and how you plan to put that advice into practice. Finally, you will revise your draft in light of seminar discussions, my comments, and the remarks of colleagues. Drafting and revising papers involves you in a steady rhythm of daily work. If you fall behind, it will be difficult to catch up. Therefore, I generally do not accept late papers and will not comment on late drafts. If you find that you are stuck, or feel that you cannot meet a particular deadline, I ask that you email me so we can address the problem together.

In addition to the MPs, you will also submit a number of less formal writing projects. You will be responsible for posting comments and discussion questions to the Course Blog and responding to your peers’ blog posts over the course of the semester. You will write three Short Essays (~750 words each)that will provide you with material for the Major Projects. In-class writing or “think pieces” will also be part of the day-to-day work of the course.

ENGAGEMENT
Your preparation for class and your responses to others (in our seminar discussions, in peer reviews, and on the blog) is central to the goals and practices of our course. As such, I’ll expect you to be in the room, on time, and ready to participate every class period this semester.

I realize, however, that a situation may arise that necessitates your absence. You are permitted to miss a total of three classes over the course of the semester, for any reason, without penalty. Any absence beyond this limit will result in your final grade being lowered a half step for each additional day missed (in other words, a grade of B would become a B-). You should be judicious in your use of these excused absences. As the semester progresses, life inevitably will get in the way, or you’ll simply feel under the weather for a stretch of time. To invoke a cliché, please save something for a rainy day.

I will assess your engagement in seminar based on two questions: 1.) What observations, questions, or arguments did you bring to the table pertaining to the day’s work? and, 2.) How well did you respond to your colleagues’ observations, questions, and work-in-progress?

If you are not present in class, or you consistently arrive late, you cannot effectively engage in the work of the course. Work missed as a result of an absence (i.e. workshops or in-class writing) cannot be made up at a later date. You are responsible for keeping up with any information you missed during your absence, especially any discussion of upcoming assignments. Check our Bb Announcements page regularly, and please contact another student if you’re absent from class.

GRADING
I will calculate your grade for the course in the following way:

Engagement in Seminar - 10%
Blog Postings & Responses - 10%
Short Essays (3x10%) - 30%
Major Project 1 (1500 words) - 20%
Major Project 2 (2000-2500 words) - 30%

You will receive letter grades on each of the Short Essays and the two Major Projects. (I will assess your Engagement and Blog writing at the end of the term, but feel free to ask me about your progress at any point.)

Letter grades are necessarily reductive, especially in a course that hopes to develop more nuanced ways to discuss the strengths and limits of written work. In general, though, essays and major projects that do not advance beyond a clear and satisfactory summary of other texts will earn a “C.” (A “D” means that you have difficulty writing with clarity or that you have misunderstood the text(s) in question. An “F” indicates that you did not turn in a full response to the assignment.) To earn a “B,” you must begin to raise questions about the texts you are reading, explore their implications, assess their strengths or limitations as they pertain to your own agenda as a writer. The writer of an “A” essay responds to and goes beyond the texts he or she is reading. To earn an “A,” you must forward, counter, or transform the work of other writers, to make their work part of your own clearly developed line of thinking.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
According to the MLA Handbook for Writers, “Plagiarism involves two kinds of wrongs. Using another person’s ideas, information, or expressions without acknowledging that person’s work constitutes intellectual theft. Passing off another person’s ideas, information, or expressions as your own to get a better grade or gain some other advantage constitutes fraud.”¹ Since academic writing draws heavily upon the work of others, it is vital that you understand the distinction between the appropriate use of others’ texts and the fraudulent appropriation of their work. Our work with Joe Harris’s book, Rewriting, will emphasize how to make generous, assertive, and ethical use of your research, and I will also direct you to a set of web materials available on our Bb site concerning plagiarism and citation. As an academic writer, you are personally responsible at all times for properly acknowledging and citing your source materials in Blog Posts, Short Essays, and Major Projects. The penalty for plagiarism is failure of the assignment and, possibly, the course.

THE WRITING STUDIO
The Writing Studio offers free help with drafting and revising any writing project associated with
any course at Duke. Trained tutors are available to help students who are struggling with writing, as well
as students who are confident writers in search of critical feedback to help them polish their work. You
can meet with a tutor on a one-time basis to help with a particularly difficult assignment, or you can meet
with a tutor on a regular basis. To learn more, or to make an appointment, please visit the Writing Studio
website at http://uwp.duke.edu/wstudio/.

Also, check out the Writing Studio’s promotional video on YouTube. It’s available through the
“External Links” page on our Bb site.

COURSE SCHEDULE
READING & WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE AT THE START OF CLASS ON DATE SPECIFIED. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BRING A COPY OF THE DAY’S REQUIRED READING(S) WITH YOU TO CLASS.


Week 1	Reading	Writing	In Class
T 8/25			Introductions Course Policies & Practices *Excerpt from White Noise
TH 8/27	Harris, Introduction Watch Writing Studio Video (Bb) *Woodward, ‐‐“Defining Material Culture” (14‐16) & ‐‐“Basic Premises of Material Culture Approach” (26‐31)	*Exploring Your Own Material Culture	Introducing material culture Sharing your drafts

Week 2	Reading	Writing	In Class
T 9/1	Harris, Ch. 1 (13‐33) Woodward, Ch. 3 (35‐44) *Marx, “Fetishism of the Commodity”(Bb)		*Coming to Terms with the Marxist Critique
W 9/2		*BP1² Due – Blog Posts due by 6pm; Responses due by 11:59pm.
TH 9/3	*Brooks, “Intro” & “Consumption” (Bb)		*Discussion: From Bourgeois to “Bobo”

Week 3	Reading	Writing	In Class
T 9/8	* Twitchell, “Two Cheers for Materialism” (Bb) * Klein, “Alt.Everything” (Bb)	*Coming to Terms Pre‐Draft	*Discussion: Agency in the Marketplace
TH 9/10		*E1 Draft (Everyone bring a draft of E1 to class!)	*Full‐Class Workshop (E1) – two writers³
F 9/11		*E1 Revised Draft (posted to Bb by 11:59 pm)

Week 4	Reading	Writing	In Class
T 9/15	Harris, Ch.2‐3 (34‐ 72) Norton, “Signs of Shopping” (Bb)		*Discussion: Norton using other texts; the uses of Norton’s text
W 9/16		*BP2 Due – Blog Posts due by 6pm; Responses due by 11:59pm.
TH 9/17	Woodward, Ch. 4 (57‐61, 67‐70, 73‐77) Barthes, Selections – Mythologies (Bb)		*Discussion: The Semiotic Approach to Material Culture

Week 5	Reading	Writing	In Class
T 9/22	*Johnson, “Intro” & “Television” (Bb)	*Forward/Counter Pre‐Draft	*Discussion: Framing a writing project & The uses of TV
W 9/23		*BP3 Due – Blog Posts due by 6pm; Responses due by 11:59pm.
TH 9/24	*Bauerlein, “Screen Time” (Bb)		*Discussion: How well does Bauerlein counter Johnson?

Week 6	Reading	Writing	In Class
T 9/29		*E2 Draft (Everyone bring a draft of E2 to class!)	*Full‐Class Workshop (E2) – two writers
W 9/30		*E2 Revised Draft (posted to Bb by 11:59 pm) _____
TH 10/1	*Mamiya, “Pop Art and Consumer Culture” (Bb)		* Discussion: Art as Commodity

Week 7	Reading	Writing	In Class
T 10/6 Fall Break
TH 10/8		MP1 Draft (Bring THREE COPIES of MP1 draft to class) Post Updated Draft of MP 1 to Bb by 11:59 pm	*Small Group Workshops (MP1)

Week 8	Reading	Writing	In Class
T 10/13	*Harris, Ch.5 (98‐123)	*Peer Review (MP1)	*Full‐Class Workshop (MP1) – two writers
TH 10/15		*Revising Plan (MP1)	*Full‐Class Workshop (MP1) – two writers

Week 9	Reading	Writing	In Class
M 10/19		*MP1 Final Draft (Posted to Bb by NOON)
T 10/20	*Read Assignment Sheet for E3! (Bb)	*Notes for library research session	*Lilly Library Session with Emily Daly (MEET IN LILLY!)
TH 10/22	Featherstone, “The Body in Consumer Culture” (Bb) Woodward, Ch.5 (84‐86, 95‐105)		*Discussion: Ads, the Body, and Consumer Practices

Week 10	Reading	Writing	In Class
T 10/27	*Outside Research for E3		*Working with Ads – Rare Books Room Session with Lynn Eaton (MEET ON WEST CAMPUS!)
W 10/28		*BP4 Due – Blog Posts due by 6pm; Responses due by 11:59pm.
TH 10/29	Klein, “Branding of Learning” (Bb) Woodward, Ch.7 (133‐37, 140‐50)		Discussion: Material Culture and Identity Clips from No Logo

Week 11	Reading	Writing	In Class
T 11/3	*Radin, “Prostitution and Baby Selling” (Bb)		*Discussion: The body as “contested commodity”
TH 11/5	*Outside Research for E3	*E3 Draft (Bring THREE COPIES of E3 draft to class)	*Small Group Workshops (E3)
F 11/6		*E3 Revised Draft (posted to Bb by 11:59 pm)

Week 12	Reading	Writing	In Class
T 11/10	*Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Ch.1‐8)		*Initial reactions to the novel
W 11/11		BP5 Due – Blog Posts due by 6pm; Responses due by 11:59pm.
TH 11/12	*Dick, Do Androids Dream… (Ch.9‐12)		Discussion: Bodies and/as Things Clips from Blade Runner

Week 13	Reading	Writing	In Class
T 11/17	Dick, Do Androids Dream…(Ch.13‐16) Outside Reading (TBA) (Bb)		*Discussion: Critical approaches to the novel
W 11/18		*BP6 Due – Blog Posts due by 6pm; Responses due by 11:59pm.
TH 11/19	Dick, Do Androids Dream… (Ch.17‐22) Outside Reading (TBA) (Bb)		*Wrap‐up discussion of the novel & critical approaches

Week 14	Reading	Writing	In Class
M 11/23		*MP2 Draft (Posted to Bb by 11:59 pm)
T 11/24	*Peers Drafts of MP2		*Small Group Workshops
TH 11/26 Thanksgiving Break

Week 15	Reading	Writing	In Class
T 12/1	*Peers Drafts of MP2	*Peer Review (MP2)	*Full‐Class Workshop (MP2) – two writers
TH 12/3	*Peers Drafts of MP2	*Revising Plan (MP2)	*Full‐Class Workshop (MP2) – two writers

Week 16	Reading	Writing	In Class
M 12/7		*MP2 Final Draft (Posted to Bb by 11:59pm)

¹ MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed. (New York: Modern Language Association of
America, 2009), 52.
² BP = Blog Post; E=Essay (i.e. the short essay assignments); MP=Major Project
³ Writers submitting their essays for the full-class workshops must post their essays to Bb by 11:59 pm
the night BEFORE the workshop. This policy applies for every full-class workshop!