Class Schedule

All work is due the day it is listed on the syllabus. For reading assignments and homework, this means the work must be completed by the date listed. Abbreviations: N/D = Nickel and Dimed SOL = Signs of Life in the U.S.A. WRP = Writing Research Papers

Week One 9/12 Introductions to Course and Syllabus 9/14 WRP Chapters 1 (“Writing from Research”) and 2 (“Finding a Topic”). Writing Diagnostic today. Bring an examination bluebook.

Week Two 9/19 SOL 1-58 (“Introduction” and “Writing about Popular Culture”). We will discuss semiotics, and we will also brainstorm possible Research Project topics. 9/21 Topic Proposal Due WRP Chapter 6 (“Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism”) and SOL 65-82 (“Consuming Passions” and Shames, “The More Factor”) We will discuss these readings, and we will also spend some time on paraphrase and summary.

Week Three 9/26 SOL 83-100 (Norton, “The Signs of Shopping” and Hine, “What’s in a Package”) We will have an in-class summary of Hine, so read his argument carefully. 9/28 Tentative Thesis Statement Due SOL 109-118 (Kron, “The Semiotics of Home Décor”) and 136-139 (Frank, “Countercultural Consumerism”) Homework due today: Write a paraphrase of the paragraph in Kron on page 113, beginning “If an object reflects a person accurately…” Provide the original text, and below it, your paraphrase. Remember that the paraphrase must change the wording and the sentence structure, while leaving the ideas intact and in their original order.

Week Four 10/3 REMINDER: Library Labs begin this week. SOL 141-160 (“Brought to You B(u)y” and Marchand, “The Parable of the Democracy of Goods”) and WRP Chapter 14 (“Works Cited: MLA Style”) Homework due today: Write a brief summary of Marchand’s argument. Remember that a summary is much shorter than the original text, and includes the thesis and main points, but leaves out the details and examples. 10/5 SOL 161-182 (Craig, “Men’s Men and Women’s Women,” St. John, “Metrosexuals Come Out,” and Schlosser, “Kid Kustomers”) Classwork: You will be asked to write an in-class paraphrase of a passage from one of our readings.

Week Five 10/10 SOL 381-396 (“American Paradox” and Brooks, “One Nation, Slightly Divisible”) and WRP Chapter 8 (“Organizing Ideas and Setting Goals”) Homework due today: Write a brief summary of Brooks’ argument. Mid-term Evaluation

10/12 Working Bibliography Due Common Essay (in-class timed writing). We will spend our class time today writing the in-class English 110 Common Essay.

Week Six 10/17 Sentence Outline Due WRP Chapter 12 (“Writing the Introduction, Body, and Conclusion”) and SOL 400-419 (Easterbrook, “The Progress Paradox” and Solomon, “Masters of Desire”) Homework for today: Write a brief summary of either SOL reading for today. 10/19 Annotated Bibliography Due SOL 432-449 (Lippard, “Alternating Currents,” Nelson, “I Won. I’m Sorry,” and Kennedy, “Blind Spot”)

Week Seven 10/24 N/D (entire text). We will devote most of today to a discussion of Barbara Ehrenreich’s book. 10/26 Synthesis Due: Argumentative Synthesis using three of your Research Project sources. Provide photocopies of pertinent passages from sources. SOL 420-431 (Lubrano, “The Shock of Education” and Corliss, “The Gospel According to Spider-Man”)

Week Eight 10/31 Study and Drafting Day. We will have no class meeting today. I will be in my office for anyone who has questions or concerns. 11/2 Rough Draft of Research Paper Due We will devote today to an in-class peer review of Research Paper drafts. Each student should bring two (2) copies of his or her draft.

Week Nine 11/7 – Ehrenreich Critique due today. SOL 299-315 (“The Hollywood Sign” and Ray, “The Thematic Paradigm”) and 331-342 (Boyd, “So You Wanna Be a Gangsta?”) SOCI 11/9 SOL 343-348 (Denby, “High-School Confidential”) and 372-376 (Sobchack, “The Postmorbid Condition”) Homework due today: Write a brief summary of one of the two readings for today.

Week Ten 11/14 Conferences by appointment 11/16 Conferences by appointment

Exam Period Nov 27-29

Final Exam Date and Time TBA Final Research Papers Due. Be sure papers are accompanied by Rough Draft, Proposal, Sentence Outline, and photocopies of all sources used in writing the paper. Post-test in-class writing. This will be a timed writing. Bring an examination bluebook.