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This unit is focused on student analysis and mapping of both public and
private spaces. This analysis and mapping considers how spaces and places
are produced as controversial or become the ground of controversies.
Readings in this unit deal with the interrogation of the rhetorical aspects
of homes, neighborhoods, public buildings, internet websites, and consumer
places. Students should be able to examine the spaces surrounding them
through actual physical exploration as well as critical inquiry. Students
will become acquainted with the application of rhetorical terms to not
only written and verbal texts but also physical structures.
Theme
The theme of this unit is the rhetoric of space and place. Students
begin this unit by examining the difference between the terms space and
place (this distinction relies implicitly on theorizations made by de
Certeau). The unit continues by thinking about how spaces are rhetorically
created. Students are asked in this section of the unit to think
about neighborhoods as materializations of this construction. Finally,
students are asked to map out a controversy over space and/or place and
analyze the arguments used by proponents and opponents within the controversy.
This theme is focused on analyzing the rhetorical posturing of even the
most common surroundings. This posturing should be understood as
highly political and often the impetus for controversy.
Goals
The goal for this unit is to push at the budding analysis
skills of new rhetoric students. Students will hone the skills they
have just recently learned by applying rhetorical terms to critically
examine space and/or place. More specifically, this unit will examine
how students can understand controversies about and surrounding space
and place. By the end of the unit, students should be able to think
about how rhetorical concepts are evident through particular spaces or
places; however, students should also be able to think about the possible
inadequacy of rhetorical ideas in terms of applying them to nontraditional
texts.
Evaluation Criteria
There are two major assignments in this unit and several
small homework assignments. Reading responses are a part of the student’s
total class grade. They are required to complete 10 responses a
semester, this unit calls for 4. Evaluation sheets for the instructors
are attached to this document behind each of the major assignment descriptions.
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