comm 335 syllabus

8/4/2019 COMM 335 Syllabus

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COMM 335 Persuasion

Fall 2010TTh 9:30-10:45 a.m. (Walker Science 107)

Prof. Nancy Clare Morgan

[email protected]@mac.com

Dana 110A

704-688-2731 (office)704-517-6206 (mobile)

Office hours: MW 1:00-2:30 and by appointment

Required Textbook:

Larson, C. (2007). Persuasion: Reception and responsibility. Boston, MA: Wadsworth.ISBN: 978-0-495-56750-9

Course Description:

Rhetoric is the art of influence, friendship, and eloquence, of ready wit and irrefutable

logic. And it harnesses the most powerful of social forces, argument.

The ancients considered rhetoric the essential skill of leadershipknowledge so

important that they placed it the center of higher education. Scattered colleges and universitystill teach rhetoricin fact, the art is rapidly gaining popularity among undergraduatesbut

outside academia we forgot it almost entirely. What a thing to lose.

Besides all these practical tools, rhetoric offers a grander, metaphysical payoff: it joltsyou into a fresh new perspective on the human condition. After it awakens you to the argumentall around, the world will never seem the same.

Jay Heinrichs, Thank You for Arguing

This course is designed to change the way students perceive the world.

Grounded in rhetorical theory, the art of persuasion has reemerged as a critical skill in both

personal and mediated communication contexts. This course examines the strategies individualsand organizations use to persuade people to take a particular side in decisions that rely on

opinion. Topics include the importance of credibility, logic, and emotion with regard both to

evaluating and creating persuasive messages.

After completing this class, students should be able to

Act as educated receivers of persuasive communications, with a refined sense ofresponse-ability

Analyze messages using the ethical standards of persuasion and determine the speakersadherence (or lack thereof) to those standards
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Apply any one of a number of theories of persuasion, as well as personal experience andcited research, in creating their own (responsible and ethical) persuasive presentations

Evaluate symbols, motivation, logical and cultural premises, as well as nonverbalmessages, and how they connect (or do not) with a variety of audiences

Identify types of persuasion in political campaigns, modern media, and advertisingGrading Information:

This class requires students to complete two projects (one written and one multimedia) and twoexams. Each component will be with 20% of your grade, as will your class participation(attendance, completion of reading assignments and discover assignments, class discussion, in-

class exercises, meeting deadlines, etc.).

Exams

The mid-term exam will cover the theoretical premises of persuasion in a fill-in-the-blank /

multiple choice format.

The final exam will require students to read and analyze a persuasive communication using one

of a choice of models.

Project IIdentifying Persuasive First Premises: Campaign Analysis

With 28 Senate seats, 104 House seats, and 28 governorships in play, this fall looks to be anexciting one in American politics. What better time to sharpen your reception skills and

become critical analysts of persuasive messages in the media.

For this project you will analyze the persuasive messages produced by the candidate or politicalaction committee of your choice. Using the readings on social movements, you will examine the

life-cycle of and persuasive efforts used by the candidate / organization you have decided to

study. I suggest you focus on an ad (or series of ads), a speech (or series of speeches), or aparticular issue championed by your candidate / organization. You must have your analysis

choice approved by the date on the class schedule. The 5-6 page paper will include at least two

academic articles (not websites) that provide background on analyzing political persuasion and

two substantial sources (i.e., books or articles but not brief websites) about your candidate /organization.

Please use APA style for all citations and include an abstract at the beginning of your paper. The

following resources may help you become reacquainted with APA style:APA Style:http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx

Purdue OWL:http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/

Project IIBecoming a Persuader: Its for a Good Cause

This is each students opportunity to persuade her fellow classmates using the tools we studyover the course of the semester.
http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspxhttp://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspxhttp://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspxhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx


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For this project, you will chose a non-profit organization, issue or cause that is near and dear toyour heart, and prepare a 4-6 minute multimedia presentation designed to convince your

classmates why they should donate to that cause. You will need to use a combination of

narrative or testimonial (ethos), imagery or emotional appeals (pathos), and statistics or rational

appeals (logos), as well as persuasive nonverbal cues. Additionally, your presentation should bean example of responsible persuasion and adhere to the standards of ethics we discuss.

Remember, however, that your audience is comprised of educated receivers who have studied

the application of persuasion. Each class member will have a certain number of COMMdollars that he or she can contribute to a cause. The presenter who earns the highest amount

will be rewarded for her persuasive skills.

***All assignments must be submitted by the time class begins on the assigned due date.

Assignments may be submitted on paper, through Moodle, or via email ([email protected]).

Please note, however that typical email issuesfailed connections, no attachment, etc.will not

be excused unless there is a university-wide email outage. Late assignments will be penalized1/3 of a letter grade each day past the due date.***

All written assignments will receive letter grades that will be converted to a numerical score for

final grade computation. The addition of a + orto the letter grade will give you a better

indication of your numerical score. The grading scale is as follows:A 10090

B 8980

C 7970

D 6960F 59 and below

For a better sense of criteria for grading papers, please refer to the remarks below, published by

the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, Harvard University (used with permission).Note that four topics recur: thesis, use of evidence, design (organization), and basic writing skills

(grammar, mechanics, spelling).

From a list by Lewis Hyde, edited by Sue Lonoff, with thanks to Richard Marius's writing handbook.

The Unsatisfactory Paper.

The D or F paper either has no thesis or else it has one that is strikingly vague, broad, oruninteresting. There is little indication that the writer understands the material being presented.

The paragraphs do not hold together; ideas do not develop from sentence to sentence. This paperusually repeats the same thoughts again and again, perhaps in slightly different language butoften in the same words. The D or F paper is filled with mechanical faults, errors in grammar,

and errors in spelling.

The C Paper.
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The C paper has a thesis, but it is vague and broad, or else it is uninteresting or obvious. It does

not advance an argument that anyone might care to debate. "Henry James wrote some interestingnovels." "Modern cities are interesting places."

The thesis in the C paper often hangs on some personal opinion. If the writer is a recognized

authority, such an expression of personal taste may be noteworthy, but writers gain authority notmerely by expressing their tastes but by justifying them. Personal opinion is often the engine that

drives an argument, but opinion by itself is never sufficient. It must be defended.

The C paper rarely uses evidence well; sometimes it does not use evidence at all. Even if it has a

clear and interesting thesis, a paper with insufficient supporting evidence is a C paper.

The C paper often has mechanical faults, errors in grammar and spelling, but please note: a paper

without such flaws may still be a C paper.

The B Paper.

The reader of a B paper knows exactly what the author wants to say. It is well organized, it

presents a worthwhile and interesting idea, and the idea is supported by sound evidencepresented in a neat and orderly way. Some of the sentences may not be elegant, but they are

clear, and in them thought follows naturally on thought. The paragraphs may be unwieldy now

and then, but they are organized around one main idea. The reader does not have to read aparagraph two or three times to get the thought that the writer is trying to convey.

The B paper is always mechanically correct. The spelling is good, and the punctuation is

accurate. Above all, the paper makes sense throughout. It has a thesis that is limited and wortharguing. It does not contain unexpected digressions, and it ends by keeping the promise to argue

and inform that the writer makes in the beginning.

The A Paper.

The A paper has all the good qualities of the B paper, but in addition it is lively, well paced,

interesting, even exciting. The paper has style. Everything in it seems to fit the thesis exactly. Itmay have a proofreading error or two, or even a misspelled word, but the reader feels that these

errors are the consequence of the normal accidents all good writers encounter. Reading the paper,

we can feel a mind at work. We are convinced that the writer cares for his or her ideas, and aboutthe language that carries them.

The sure mark of an A paper is that you will find yourself telling someone else about it.

Copyright 2002-2006 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College.


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Attendance Policy:

Attendance is mandatory. If you are ill enough to infect others or cannot make it through 50

minutes of class without vomiting or passing out, please contact me ahead of time and bring a

note from student health when you return. Three or more unexcused absences will negatively

affect your class participation grade. Three or more consecutive unexplained absences will bereported to the dean. Please keep in mind that explanations / excuses for absences are covered

by the Honor Code.

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE FOR CLASS SESSIONS AND ASSIGNMENTSPlease complete assigned reading before coming to class on Tuesday unless otherwise noted.

Discover assignments are due on Thursday.

Week 1: August 6Introduction

Week 2: August 31, September 2Persuasion in Todays Changing WorldReading assignment:

Larson: Chapter 1Discover / Propaganda:

Begin with Sourcewatch as a jumping off point(http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Propaganda ) and explore some of the

historical and contemporary uses of propaganda. How do they differ? Which are more

effective? What common ground to they create? Be prepared to share and discuss yourfindings.

Week 3: September 7, 9Perspectives on Ethics in Persuasion

Reading assignment: Larson: Chapter 2

Discover / Ethics in advertising:

Think of an advertisement (television or print) or a piece of direct marketing that you findunethical. Bring it to class if possible. By what standards are you judging this ad? What

alternatives do you think the ads sponsor might have had? Why might they haverejected alternatives that you see as more responsible?

Week 4: September 14, 16Approaches to Persuasion

Reading assignment:

Larson: Chapters 3-4Discover / PSAs:

Search YouTube for two types ofpublic service adsthose designed to promoteabstinence from a specific behavior (e.g., dont do drugs, dont drink and drive, dont textwhile driving) and those designed to promote engagement in a specific behavior (e.g.,

volunteer, read to your kids, do breast self-exams). Compare and contrast these ads in

terms of how they use credibility, narrative, invitational rhetoric, heuristics, and effects.

Week 5: September 21, 23Symbols, and Tools for Analysis
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Propagandahttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Propagandahttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Propagandahttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Propaganda


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Reading assignment:

Larson: Chapters 5, 6Discover / Coining a phrase:

Watch an excerpt from George W. Bushs 2002 State of the Union address. Consider thesymbols and language he usesincluding coining the phrase axis of evil in this three

minute clip.http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9232436

Week 6: September 28, 30Tools for Analyzing Language and Other Persuasive Symbols

No reading assignment. Bring in questions on theoretical premises for discussion.

MIDTERM EXAMSEPTEMBER 30

Week 7: October 5, 7Psychological or Process Premises

Reading assignment:

Larson: Chapter 7Discover / You spent your entire ad budget on that?

Search Superbowl ads and watch a selection from recent years. Are they attention-getting? Are they memorable? Is the product / service they are promoting memorable?

***Analysis paper topics due via email by the end of the day on October 7***

Week 8: October 12Content or Logical Premises in Persuasion

Reading assignment:

Larson: Chapter 8FALL BREAK

Week 9: October 19, 21Cultural Premises and Nonverbal Messages in Persuasion

Reading assignment:

Larson, Chapters 9, 10Discover / Success and failure Watch Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s I have a dream speech from August 28, 1963

(http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm ). What cultural

premises can you read into this speech?

Watch an excerpt from the 1960 debate between Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice-President Nixon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QazmVHAO0os ), particularly

Nixons appearance, actions and body language. Citizens who listened to the debate on

the radio believed Nixon won this encounter, but television viewers disagreed. Why do

you think his nonverbal messages spoke louder than his verbal ones?

Week 10: October 26, 28Application of Persuasive PremisesReading assignment:

Larson: Chapter 11Discover / Political campaigns

Do the concepts in this chapter change the way you view political campaigns? Did youhave any Aha! moments about your paper? Come to class prepared to discuss.
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9232436http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9232436http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9232436http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htmhttp://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htmhttp://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QazmVHAO0oshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QazmVHAO0oshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QazmVHAO0oshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QazmVHAO0oshttp://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htmhttp://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9232436


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Week 11: November 2, 4Becoming a Persuader

***Analysis paper due by 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 2***

Reading assignment (complete by November 4):

Larson: Chapter 12Week 12: November 9, 11Modern Media and PersuasionReading assignment:

Larson: Chapter 13Discover / Decision-making in traditional media

Watch the evening news (national or local) and scan the front page of the morning paper.What decisions went into the stories that appear? Why do you think some were chosen

over others? Does the medium affect the message? How are the gatekeepers trying to

persuade you to watch their program / buy their paper?

Week 13: November 16, 18The Use of Persuasive Premise in Advertising

Reading assignment:

Larson: Chapter 14Discover / Think of an ad that broke through the clutter for you. Bring a copy or URL if possible.

What kind of language did it use? What were the overt and secondary messages are

contained therein? Can you answer Ranks 5 questions for that ad?

THANKSGIVING BREAK

Week 14: November 30, December 2Wrap-up and presentations

Reading assignment:

TBD***Presentations must be completed by 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 2***

Week 15: December 7, 9Presentations and exam review


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Disability AccommodationsIf you are a student with a verified disability and you require accommodations, please provide

me with the necessary memorandum that was given to you by Student Disability Services.

Contact: The Coordinator of Disability Services: Sandy Rogelberg, 704-337-2508.

Honor Code

The Honor Code, which permeates all phases of university life, is based on three fundamental

principles. It assumes that Queens students: a) are truthful at all times, b) respect the property ofothers (this includes written works, thus, plagiarism is a Honor Code violation), and c) are honest

in tests, examinations, term papers, and all other academic assignments. It is a violation of the

Honor Code for a student to be untruthful concerning the reason for a class absence. If youbelieve that you have witnessed a violation of the Queens Honor Code, I encourage you to speak

with me confidentially. All members of the Queens community adhere to the Honor Code, these

expectations are outlined in the Honor Code Booklet,http://portal.queens.edu.

University Closings / Cancelled ClassesIn the rare occasion when it is necessary to close the university announcements will be made on

TV and radio, and will be posted on the Queens web site, www.queens.edu. The best way for theQueens community to receive fast and accurate information about closings is to sign up for

QALERT.

QALERT: Receive campus emergency notifications via voicemail, text and/or e-mail, sign up atwww.queens.edu/alert . Remember, you must register as a new user each academic year, even if

youve signed up in the past. The system is wiped clean every August, and you will receive amessage before that happens. For more information, [email protected].

NOTE: If classes are meeting but you feel that you cannot find a safe way to get to class, you

should notify me as soon as possible.

Intellectual Property Policy

Queens University of Charlotte faculty and students adhere to the Queens Intellectual PropertyPolicy and U.S. Copyright Law. See Faculty Handbook, http://moodle.queens.edu, and the

Queens University of Charlotte website athttp://www.queens.edu.

Important Dates:

Classes begin August 25Last day to ADD September 1

Labor Day September 6

Last day to DROP September 8

Fall Break October 14-17Last day to WITHDRAW October 18

Thanksgiving Break November 21-28

Final papers due December 8Classes end December 9

Reading Day December 10

Examination period December 11-17
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