English 367, in general, is a course designed to help students become stronger writers and stronger critical thinkers. The ".05" indicates that folklore is the specific critical focus--"lens"--through which you will do this writing and thinking. To begin with, we'll be looking at some definitions of "folklore" and talking about how to "read" culture. One way to critically examine the way culture "works" is to look at it through the eyes of both insiders and outsiders, and in the first text we read, a novel called Oral History, you'll see a character who lives outside Appalachian culture listening to stories (narratives) of the area, as told by insiders. This book will provide a starting point for us to discuss how one studies a culture and what concepts and behaviors of a culture can be studied. Throughout the quarter we will read other written texts--articles and a full-length non-fiction work--and watch several short films that will provide a more in-depth look at various U.S. communities and their cultural communication.
As a composition teacher, I believe it is important for writers to read other writers (both published writers and peers), practice writing in different styles and genres, and discuss their ideas with others orally to develop critical language and argument skills. Writing is "thinking on paper," so your reading and participating in class discussions as well as responding to classmates' writing (and, of course, doing your own writing) will all contribute to your development as a writer. In addition to these broader writing skills, we will regularly address issues of writing--punctuation, sentence structure, style, documentation of sources, and overall essay structure. Once each week, we'll have a "writing moment" during which we field questions about general writing issues or cover a specific writing strategy/topic related to one of the readings (perhaps on style or structure) or one of your current writing assignments.
Course Readings: There will be a significant amount of reading in the course: some will introduce you to basic ideas in folklore scholarship and some will introduce you to ways of "reading" culture that may be new to you (some will do both). It's important that you keep up on the readings and participate in class discussions to advance your critical thinking skills, so please read assigned readings before the class meeting during which they are to be discussed. Also, if you don't understand the readings, please persist in reading, jotting down questions as you go so that we can address those in class. Even if you do understand the readings, taking good notes on them will help facilitate discussion. An additional reason for doing the readings (and doing them on time) is the informal reading journal that you are required to write for most of the readings. These journals will not only help prepare you for class discussion but also will give you an opportunity to develop your writing skills, and serve as a significant percentage of your course grade.
MATERIALS NEEDED FOR THE COURSE:
(available at Central Classrooms Bookstore and OSU Barnes & Noble)
Correll, Timothy Corrigan and Patrick Arthur Polk. Muffler Men. Jackson, MS: UP of Mississippi, 2000.
Smith, Lee. Oral History. New York: Ballantine, 1993.
Course Packet (also required) available at Grade A Notes, 22 E. 17th Ave. access to a grammar/usage handbook of your choice (this information is available on-line, but you may not always be able to tote your computer around with you to access it) |
