Writing as Exploration: Interrogating Stereotypes

Writing as Exploration: Interrogating Stereotypes
ENC 1102.16 M/W/F 10:10-11am WMS 217
ENC 1102.20 M/W/F 11:15am-12:05pm WMS 217
Instructor: Lucy Littler
Office: Williams 329
Office Hours: M/W 9-10am, T/TH 10:50-11:50am, and by appointment
Email: [email protected]

First Year Composition Mission Statement
First-Year Writing courses at FSU teach writing as a recursive and frequently collaborative process of invention, drafting, and
revising. Writing is both personal and social, and students should learn how to write for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Since writing is a process of making meaning as well as communicating, FYW teachers respond to the content of students'
writing as well as to surface errors. Students should expect frequent written and oral response on the content of their writing from
both teacher and peers. Classes rely heavily on a workshop format. Instruction emphasizes the connection between writing,
reading, and critical thinking; students should give thoughtful, reasoned responses to the readings. Both reading and writing are
the subjects of class discussions and workshops, and students are expected to be active participants of the classroom community.
Learning from each other will be a large part of the classroom experience.

The primary purposes of ENC 1102 are to encourage life-long critical writing and reading, to explore writing for a variety of
audiences and purposes, to improve writing abilities, and to learn to see oneself as an active writer and reader, in order to be a
more responsible citizen in a democratic society and in the academic setting of the university.

If you would like further information regarding the First-Year Composition Program, feel free to contact the program director,
Dr. Deborah Coxwell Teague ([email protected]).

Goals for Students in ENC 1102:

 improve writing processes and products, especially promote fluency with the written word, audience awareness,
rhetorical sophistication, editing of their own work, and responding to peer writing (standard English competency)

 examine and conduct multiple research processes, especially personally-motivated relevant research, an exploration of
different kinds of research and the role of inquiry and how knowledge is produced through writing and research

 acquire a working knowledge of MLA citation, and develop responsible citation habits in general
 analyze and practice multiple reading strategies, especially difficult and/or complex, multi-layered texts (including

student-generated texts, professional texts, multi-media, and imaginative and popular texts)
 engage intellectually and responsibly with voices and audiences outside students’ direct experience (including writing

with sources and writing in dialogue with peers and experts)
 actively prepare, through writing, reading, and research, for academic and life-long critical writing and reading

Required Materials
 Convergences by Atwan
 The Curious Researcher by Ballenger
 The Scott Foresman Handbook by Hairston, Ruszkiewicz, & Friend (Prentice Hall, 2007)
 Our Own Words available at http://english3.fsu.edu/writing/oow
 Access to a Computer (the university provides a number of computer labs)
 Electronic Storage device (flash/thumb drive, disk, etc)

Requirements of Course
All of the formal written assignments below must be turned in to me in order to pass the course. Attendance is also a requirement.
More than four absences in a TR or MW class, or more than four absences in a 6 week course, or more than six absences in a
MWF class is grounds for failure. Three ―tardies‖ will constitute an absence.

 Three papers, edited and polished
 Multiple drafts and revisions of each of the three formal papers
 Two Oral Presentations
 Exploratory journals, some in-class & some out-of-class
 Two individual conferences, one group conference
 Thoughtful, active, and responsible participation and citizenship, including discussion, preparation for class, in- and

out-of-class informal writing

 Check email and course Blackboard site daily

Evaluation
Rough drafts will be graded on completeness and potential—not on editing, coherence, or other mechanical issues. If you miss a
scheduled workshop or show up to a workshop without a complete and thoughtful draft (or the requested number of copies, etc),
your final paper grade will be lowered by 1/3 (this means a final paper that would normally be a B would become a B- if you
missed one workshop, a C+ if you missed two workshops, etc.)

Final papers will be graded on audience-awareness, organization, thoughtfulness, and editing. Each final paper will be handed in
with a packet of required materials (rough drafts, process writing, etc). If you fail to hand in the other required materials with
your final draft, your final paper grade will be lowered by a full letter grade. All other written and oral work will be graded on
meaning or content and appropriateness to the assignment.

Paper 1—Snapshots From your Personal Life: How Stereotypes have affected or shaped your life (20%)

Paper 2—Research Paper: Exploring a stereotype relevant to your own life (30%)

Paper 3—Group Project: Stereotypes in multimedia (20%)

Oral Presentation 1—The Curious Researcher (10%)

Oral Presentation 2—Paper 3 (10%)

Journals—Writing activities, in and out of class (10%)

ALL FORMAL PAPERS AND THEIR DRAFTS MUST BE COMPLETED AND TURNED IN TO EARN A PASSING
GRADE IN THIS COURSE.

Attendance
I keep strict attendance and will adhere to the First-Year Writing rule that an excess of four absences in a TR class or six
absences in MWF [that's the equivalent of 20% of this course] is grounds for failure. You should always inform me, ahead of
time when possible, about why you miss class. Save your absences for when you get sick (it will happen, trust me) or for family
emergencies. If you are late to class (and/or conference) three times, it will be counted as an absence. Not showing up for a
conference counts as an absence as well.

Please keep in mind that attendance in this course means being here both physically and mentally. Sleeping, not participating, or
detracting from the progress of the class is grounds being asked to leave for the remainder of the class meeting and counted
absent for the day.

Drafts and Workshops
FSU believes that writing is an on-going process that includes stages of invention, drafting, revision, and editing. These stages
don’t always happen in a set order, nor do they necessarily happen only once during any given writing task.

To encourage this process-approach to writing, each paper in ENC 1102 will consist of several drafts. These drafts will be due
on designated workshop days—days on which you will be expected to not only receive feedback on your own work but also
generate feedback on the work of your peers.

You are required to not only attend workshops with a completed and thoughtful draft, but you are also expected to contribute to
the workshop by giving your peers’ drafts your full attention and offering them honest, helpful criticism.

You should submit your draft to our course Blackboard site well in advance of class time so you will be prepared to share your
work as soon as class begins. Sometimes you will be expected (you will have ample time to prepare) to bring one or more hard
copies of your draft to class.

I will take up drafts at various times during the semester and provide written and/or oral feedback. I will not tell you what to do
because your writing should be a reflection of your choices as a writer—I will offer suggestions by discussing with you how
your work has affected or reached me as a reader. I will act as a ―sounding board‖ on which you can flesh out your ideas and

bring your intentions as a writer to fruition from the initial invention stages of an assignment all the way to editing and polishing
your final drafts.1

Please see the Evaluation section of this course information sheet for the penalties associated with missing a workshop or
coming to a workshop unprepared.

Journals
Each week, we will engage in a number of journaling assignments. Some of these assignments will be completed in class, others
will require that you spend some time reading, reflecting, and writing outside of designated class meeting time.

First-Year Composition Course Drop Policy
This course is NOT eligible to be dropped in accordance with the ―Drop Policy‖ adopted by the Faculty Senate in the spring of
2004. The Undergraduate Studies Dean will not consider drop requests for a First-Year Composition course unless there are
extraordinary and extenuating circumstances utterly beyond the student's control (e.g.:death of a parent or sibling, illness
requiring hospitalization, etc.). The Faculty Senate specifically eliminated First-Year Composition courses from the University
Drop Policy because of the overriding requirement that First-Year Composition be completed during students' initial enrollment
at FSU.

Reading/Writing Center
The RWC offers one-on-one help for students with their writing, whether they need help with a writing problem, understanding
what their teacher wants, or just want to do better on their writing assignments. The Center is staffed by teaching assistants who
are trained in writing and teaching. Make an appointment by calling ahead (644-6495) or stopping in (222-C WMS). The Writing
Center is open 9:00-4:30 Monday-Friday. Online tutoring is also available. The Center is a great asset; please take advantage of
it.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is grounds for suspension from the university as well as for failure in this course. It will not be tolerated. Any instance
of plagiarism must be reported to the Director of First-Year Writing and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Plagiarism is a
counterproductive, non-writing behavior that is unacceptable in a course intended to aid the growth of individual writers.

Plagiarism is included among the violations defined in the Academic Honor Code, section b), paragraph 2, as follows:
"Regarding academic assignments, violations of the Academic Honor Code shall include representing another's work or any part
thereof, be it published or unpublished, as one's own." A plagiarism education assignment that further explains this issue will be
administered in all first-year writing courses during the second week of class. Each student will be responsible for completing the
assignment and asking questions regarding any parts they do not fully understand.

Gordon Rule
Successful completion of all writings in this course and a final course grade of C- or better will allow you to satisfy the Gordon
Rule requirement. The University requires you to write 7,000 words, but you will be writing much more than that in any FYW
course.

American Disability Act
Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should in the FIRST WEEK OF CLASS 1) register with and
provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) and 2) bring a letter to the instructor from SDRC
indicating the need for academic accommodations. This and all other class materials are available in alternative format upon
request.

Description of Paper Assignments

Paper 1—Snapshots: How stereotypes have shaped or affected your life

In Robert Atwan’s introduction to Chapter 1: ―Staging Portraits,‖ he tells us, ―Our life story is not our life but a story, with all the
shaping, selectivity, and distortions that the word conveys‖ (41). For our first paper project, we will consider how our life stories
have been shaped or affected by stereotypes, and then we will create a small cross section of this story for our peers. Using words
as your medium, you will construct ―snapshots‖ (captured moments) of select times in your life when stereotypes (your own or

1 For more information on this approach to teaching composition, please see Brannon and Knoblauch’s ―On Student’s Rights to Their Own Texts:
A Model of Teacher Response‖

other people’s) have influenced decisions you have made, experiences you have had, etc. We will create four or five of these
mental images—pictures captured in time—to relate a certain characteristic of who you are, a small glimpse of how your life has
been shaped so far.

To create a snapshot (a word description of the moment), use all five senses to convey the reality of the picture to the reader. Use
descriptive writing that ―shows‖ a reader a moment rather than just telling them about it. Use dialogue and internal monologue to
add ―voices‖ to your ―word pictures‖. Choose three or four of these moments to create a ―collage‖ of sorts that gives the reader a
glimpse of your life and how it has been affected by stereotypes. You will shape your story through the selection, depiction, and
organization of these snapshots. Remember who the audience will be: those students sitting in your ENC 1102 classroom. Choose
those snapshots that they will be interested in and will want to read.

Feel free to talk with your family and friends to refresh your mind. Also consider that our memories of an event are never exactly
as the event occurred, so if you desire, you may wish to embellish your memory by supplying names or places or dates if you
can’t remember the specifics.

These snapshots are just that—individual pictures a reader might find in a photo album. Do not feel the need to make word
transitions between the snapshots. You might want to section off each snapshot with a subtitle or an image.

The final draft of this project should be 4-6 pages in length, submitted in MLA format (left hand headings), and directed toward
your peers.

Paper 2—Research Paper: Exploring a stereotype relevant to your own life

Your second paper of the course is a researched paper, 8-10 pages, with a Works Cited Page and MLA documentation. You will
choose to investigate a stereotype that personally affects or interests you. You could choose to look into a stereotype that affects
you as a student, as a woman/man, as an athlete, as a musician, etc. You could also examine stereotypes that have to do with
race, ethnicity, religion, or age. Perhaps you want to interrogate a stereotype associated with your chosen profession or a club to
which you belong. The options are limitless, but you should choose a topic you are truly interested in and want to learn more
about.

You are expected to include at least five sources. You should use a variety of different types of sources; for example, magazines,
books, journals, Internet sources, personal interviews, etc. Remember that this is a research paper, but it is also YOUR paper.
Your voice should be the main focus of the project, and your sources should back up or support what you have to say. We will
spend time in and out of class discussing research methods and integrating source material into your writing.

This assignment will consist of the following components–

–Group presentation: As part of your assigned group, you will present to the class and be prepared to lead discussion on one
chapter of The Curious Researcher. (Will not affect paper grade, but will count as 10% of final course grade)

–Annotated Bibliography of Sources

–Rough Draft

–Final Draft

Paper 3— Group Project: Stereotypes in multimedia

For this assignment, you and 2 of your peers will explore how a specific stereotype is represented in multiple forms in popular
culture. You could analyze a movie, advertisements, television shows, music, music videos, reality television, etc, but you must
analyze at least 4 different mediums that portray the stereotype you have chosen to investigate. Your goal is to produce a study
that problematizes the stereotype your group has selected. You should consider why the stereotype persists, who creates it, who
propagates it, who benefits from it, and who is hurt by it.

Though this is a collaborative project, the final draft should be a unified, coherent piece. In other words, it should not feel like 3
papers that have been ―glued‖ together. In addition to your written analysis, your group may include visual/audio/etc examples
of the stereotype you haven chosen to analyze.

The final draft should be 8-10 pages in length, MLA style page set-up and documentation.

Your group will present your study to the class in an oral presentation during the final two weeks of class. (Will not affect paper
grade but will count as 10% of final course grade)

Tentative Schedule

Week 1 (January 7-11)
M 1/7: Syllabus, Introductions, etc

HW: Read Convergences page 2-35 ―Introduction‖
W 1/9: How do we read texts?

HW: Read Convergences page 44-51 Cofer’s ―Silent Dancing‖
F 1/11: How do we read texts?

Week 2 (January 14-18)
M 1/14: What are stereotypes and why do they exist?

Plagiarism Exercise: Required for all ENC 1102 Students at FSU
Introduce Paper 1—Snapshots From your Personal Life: How Stereotypes have affected or shaped your life
HW: Read Convergences page 70-71 Allison’s ―What Did You Expect?‖
W 1/16: How do we represent ourselves in texts?
Descriptive Writing
HW: Read Convergences page 79-88 Sexton’s ―Resume‖ and ―Self in 1958‖
F 1/18: How do we represent ourselves in texts?
Showing vs. Telling
HW: Convergences page 89-102 Mann’s ―The Family of Mann‖ and Harris’s
―Daughter, Model, Muse, Jessie Mann on being Photographed‖

Week 3 (January 21-25)
M 1/21: MLK Holiday, no class meeting
W 1/23: How do we represent ourselves in texts?

Descriptive Writing
HW: Draft 2, Paper 1, Specifics, TBA
F 1/25: Peer Workshop, Specifics, TBA, Descriptive Language
Curious Researcher Presentation Assignments

Week 4 (January 28-February 1)
M 1/28: Individual Conferences
W 1/30: Individual Conferences
F 2/1: Individual Conferences

Week 5 (February 4-8)
M 2/4: Paper 1 Due, Unit Wrap-Up

Introduce Paper 2—Research Paper: Exploring a stereotype relevant to your own life
HW: Read Convergences page 420-428 Angelou’s ―Human Family‖ and Brooks’
―People Like Us‖
W 2/6: What does diversity mean?
Curious Researcher Presentation Group ―Introduction‖
HW: Read Convergences page 430-438 Rodriguez’s ―Gangstas‖
F 2/8: How is personal identity connected to community?
Curious Researcher Presentation Group 1
HW: Research Ideas

Week 6 (February 11-15)
M 2/11: Library Day, Specifics TBA

HW: Read Convergences page 440-449 Schott’s ―Report on the Difference…,‖
Sumner’s ―Marriage,‖ Morris’s ―Herstory‖
W 2/13: How does gender define us?
Curious Researcher Presentation Group 2
HW: Read Convergences page 451-468 Eighner’s ―On Dumpster Diving,‖
Morton’s ―Mr. Lee‖
F 2/15: How does class define us?

Curious Researcher Presentation Group 3
HW: Draft 1, Paper 2, Specifics TBA

Week 7 (February 18-22)
M 2/18: Peer Workshop, Specifics TBA

HW: Read Convergences page 470-476 Patterson’s ―Race Over‖
W 2/20: How does race define us?

Curious Researcher Presentation Group 4
HW: Draft 2, Paper 2, Specifics TBA
F 2/22: Peer Workshop, Specifics TBA

Week 8 (February 25-29)
M 2/25: Curious Researcher Presentation Group 5
W 2/27: TBA
F 2/29: Conferences

Week 9 (March 3-7)
M 3/3: Conferences
W 3/5: Conferences
F 3/7: Paper 2 Due, Unit Wrap-Up

Week 10 (March 10-14) Spring Break

Week 11 (March 17-21)
M 3/17: Introduce Paper 3— Group Project: Stereotypes in multimedia

Group Brainstorming Session
HW: Read Convergences page 180-192 Erdrich’s ―Z: The Movie that Changed My Life,‖ and ―Movie Gallery‖
W 3/19: Are movies a part of who we are?
HW: Read Convergences page 193-207 Lesser’s ―Weegee,‖ and Ephron’s
―The Boston Photographs‖
F 3/21: Why do we take pictures?

Week 12 (March 24-28)
M 3/24: Group Work
W 3/26: Group Work

HW: Draft 1, Paper 3, Specifics TBA
F 3/28: Peer Workshop, Specifics, TBA

Assign Group Presentation Day

Week 13 (March 31-April 4)
M 3/31: Group Conferences
W 4/2: Group Conferences

HW: Draft 2, Paper 3, Specifics TBA
F 4/4: Peer Workshop

Week 14 (April 7-11)
M 4/7: Group Presentations
W 4/9: Group Presentations
F 4/11: Group Presentations

Week 15 (April 14-18)
M 4/14: Group Presentations
W 4/16: Group Presentations
F 4/18: Paper 3 Due

Course Wrap-Up

I reserve the right to alter the above schedule as I see fit throughout the course of the semester. Please check Blackboard
EVERYDAY to stay up to date on schedule changes, announcements, etc.