Rhetoric of Science and Technology: Calendar
Spring 2009
January
T 1/20 What is the Rhetoric of Science and Technology?
In-Class Activities
• Introductions; Course Overview; Preliminary definitions.
H 1/22 Forever the Future
Preparation
• Please read "Science, The Endless Frontier" (Vannevar Bush, 1945) focusing on the report summary and Chapters 1,3 and 6 and "Prospects for 'a rhetoric of science'" (PDF 358K) (Wander and Jaehne; Social Epistemology, 2000, vol. 14, nos. 2/3, 211-233).
• Please read the Essay Sequence Assignment and the Rhetorical Analysis Assignment;
• Please sign up for the class wiki as soon as possible. Click the "Join" button in the upper right corner and go from there.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
T 1/27 Staking the Ground
Preparation
• Please read from Nelson, Megill and McCloskey The Rhetoric of the Human Sciences: Nelson, Megill and McCloskey "Rhetoric of Inquiry" pgs. 3-18; Michael Leff "Modern Sophistic and the Unity of Rhetoric" pgs. 19-37; John Campbell "Charles Darwin: Rhetorician of Science" pgs. 69-86.
• Discussion Leader: Please post your questions on the readings to the Question 1 forum on the wiki by noon on 1/24 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment);
• Respondents: Please post your response to selected questions to the Question 1 forum on the wiki by noon on 1/26 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment).
• Class Members: Please provide your assessment of the presentation within 24 hours.
In-Class Activities
• The discussion leader will direct the class conversation on the assigned readings.
H 1/29 Rhetoric and Revolution
Preparation
• Please read from Nelson, Megill and McCloskey The Rhetoric of the Human Sciences: Richard Brown, "Reason as Rhetorical: On Relations Among Epistemology, Discourse and Practice" pgs. 184-197;
• Please read from Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions: Chapters 1-3, pgs. 1-34.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
February
T 2/3 The Social Sciences, Rhetorically
Preparation
• Please read from Nelson, Megill and McCloskey The Rhetoric of the Human Sciences: Arjo Klamer "As If Economists and Their Subjects Were Rational" pgs. 163-183; Megill and McCloskey, "The Rhetoric of History" pgs. 221-238; Paul Hernaldi "Literary Interpretation and the Rhetoric of the Human Sciences" pgs. 263-275; Michael Shapiro "The Rhetoric of Social Science: The Political Responsibilities of the Scholar," pgs. 363-380;
• Discussion Leader: Please post your questions on the readings to the Question 2 forum on the wiki by noon on 1/31 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment);
• Respondents: Please post your response to selected questions to the Question 2 forum on the wiki by noon on 2/2 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment).
• Class Members: Please provide your assessment of the presentation within 24 hours.
In-Class Activities
• The discussion leader will direct the class conversation on the assigned readings.
H 2/5 Knowledge and Rhetoric
Preparation
• Please read from Nelson, Megill and McCloskey The Rhetoric of the Human Sciences: McGee and Lyne "What Are Nice Folks Like You Doing in a Place Like This? Some Entailments of Treating Knowledge Claims Rhetorically" pgs. 381-406;
• Please read from Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions: Chapters 4-6, pgs. 35-65.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
T 2/10 Written Knowledge
Preparation
• Please read from Bazerman Shaping Written Knowledge: Chapters 1 (PDF; 85K) and 2 (PDF; 536K);
• Discussion Leader: Please post your questions on the readings to the Question 3 forum on the wiki by noon on 2/7 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment);
• Respondents: Please post your response to selected questions to the Question 3 forum on the wiki by noon on 2/9 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment).
• Class Members: Please provide your assessment of the presentation within 24 hours.
In-Class Activities
• The discussion leader will direct the class conversation on the assigned readings.
H 2/12 Early Experiments
Preparation
• Please read from Bazerman Shaping Written Knowledge: Chapter 3 (PDF; 97K);
• Please read from Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions: Chapters 7-9, pgs. 66-109.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
T 2/17 Scientific Literature, Scientific Structure
Preparation
• Please read from Bazerman Shaping Written Knowledge: Chapters 4 (PDF; 238K) and 5 (PDF 120K);
• Discussion Leader: Please post your questions on the readings to the Question 4 forum on the wiki by noon on 2/14 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment);
• Respondents: Please post your response to selected questions to the Question 4 forum on the wiki by noon on 2/16 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment).
• Class Members: Please provide your assessment of the presentation within 24 hours.
In-Class Activities
• The discussion leader will direct the class conversation on the assigned readings.
H 2/19 Science as Semiotics
Preparation
• Please read from Bazerman Shaping Written Knowledge: Chapter 11 (PDF; 127K);
• Please read from Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions: Chapters 10-13, pgs. 110-172.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
T 2/24 Stalled Rhetoric
Preparation
• Please read from Gross and Keith Rhetorical Hermeneutics: Dilip Gaonkar "The Idea of Rhetoric in the Rhetoric of Science" pgs. 25-85;
• Discussion Leader: Please post your questions on the readings to the Question 5 forum on the wiki by noon on 2/21 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment);
• Respondents: Please post your response to selected questions to the Question 5 forum on the wiki by noon on 2/23 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment).
• Class Members: Please provide your assessment of the presentation within 24 hours.
In-Class Activities
• The discussion leader will direct the class conversation on the assigned readings.
H 2/26 Rich Rhetoric
Preparation
• Please send a brief e-mail, by the end of the day, that outlines how you will proceed with the Rhetorical Analysis Assignment;
• Please read from Gross and Keith Rhetorical Hermeneutics: Michael Leff "The Idea of Rhetoric As Interpretive Practice" pgs. 89-100; Deirdre McCloskey "Big Rhetoric, Little Rhetoric" pgs. 101-112; Carolyn Miller "Classical Rhetoric without Nostalgia" pgs. 156-171.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
March
T 3/3 Rhetoric's Audience
Preparation
• Please read from Gross and Keith Rhetorical Hermeneutics: James Jasinski "Instrumentalism, Contextualism, and Interpretation in Rhetorical Criticism" pgs. 195-224; Steve Fuller "'Rhetoric of Science': Double the Trouble?" pgs. 279-298; Andrew King "The Rhetorical Critic and the Invisible Polis" pgs. 299-314.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
H 3/5 Rhetoric of Rhetoric
Preparation
• Essay One due.
• Please read from Gross and Keith Rhetorical Hermeneutics: Dilip Gaonkar "Close Readings of the Third Kind" pgs. 330-356.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
T 3/17 The Social Construction of Technology
Preparation
• Please read: "The Social Construction of Facts and Artefacts" (PDF; 9.5 MB) (Pinch and Bijker, Social Studies of Science, Vol. 14, 1984, 399-441).
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
H 3/19 SCOT, Rejoinders
Preparation
• Please read: "The Social Construction of Facts and Artefacts: A Response to Pinch and Bijker" (PDF; 3.8 MB) (Russell, Social Studies of Science, Vol. 16, 1986, 331-346); "Science, Relativism and the New Sociology of Technology" (PDF; 3.3 MB) (Pinch and Bijker, Social Studies of Science, Vol. 16, 1986, 347-360); "Upon Opening the Black Box and Finding It Empty" (PDF; 4.0 MB) (Winner, Science, Technology, & Human Values, Vol. 18 No. 3, Summer 1993, 362-378).
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
T 3/24 Rhetoric of Technology
Preparation
• Please read: "A Call for the Study of the Rhetoric of Technology" (PDF; 752 KB) (Windsor, Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Vol. 12 No. 3 July 1998, 285-287); "Learning from History" (PDF; 7.3 MB) (Miller, Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Vol. 12 No. 3 July 1998, 288-315); "The Production of Technology and the Production of Human Meaning" (PDF; 1.7 MB) (Bazerman, Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Vol. 12 No. 3 July 1998, 381-387);
• Discussion Leader: Please post your questions on the readings to the Question 6 forum on the wiki by noon on 3/21 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment);
• Respondents: Please post your response to selected questions to the Question 6 forum on the wiki by noon on 3/23 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment).
• Class Members: Please provide your assessment of the presentation within 24 hours.
In-Class Activities
• The discussion leader will direct the class conversation on the assigned readings.
H 3/26 Applying Rhetoric of Technology
Preparation
• Please post stage one of your Rhetorical Analysis to the wiki by the end of the day;
• Please read: "The Rhetoric and Counter-Rhetoric of a 'Bionic' Technology" (PDF; 6.2 MB) (Blume, Science, Technology, & Human Values, Vol. 22 No. 1, Winter 1997 31-56); "Toward a Feminist Rhetoric of Technology" (PDF; 604 KB) (Koerber, Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Vol. 14 No. 1 January 2000 58-73); "Digital Rhetoric" (PDF; 72 KB) (Zappen, Technical Communication Quarterly, 14(3), 2005, 319-325).
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
T 3/31 Rhetoric, Interdisciplinarity, Genetics
Preparation
• Please read from Ceccarelli Shaping Science with Rhetoric: Chapters 1-3 pgs. 1-58;
• Discussion Leader: Please post your questions on the readings to the Question 7 forum on the wiki by noon on 3/28 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment);
• Respondents: Please post your response to selected questions to the Question 7 forum on the wiki by noon on 3/30 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment).
• Class Members: Please provide your assessment of the presentation within 24 hours.
In-Class Activities
• The discussion leader will direct the class conversation on the assigned readings.
April
H 4/2 What is Life?
Preparation
• Please read from Ceccarelli Shaping Science with Rhetoric: Chapters 4-5 pgs. 61-110.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
T 4/7 Rhetorical Scientism
Preparation
• Please read from Ceccarelli Shaping Science with Rhetoric: Chapters 6-7 pgs. 113-153;
• Discussion Leader: Please post your questions on the readings to the Question 8 forum on the wiki by noon on 4/4 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment);
• Respondents: Please post your response to selected questions to the Question 8 forum on the wiki by noon on 4/6 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment).
• Class Members: Please provide your assessment of the presentation within 24 hours.
In-Class Activities
• The discussion leader will direct the class conversation on the assigned readings.
H 4/9 Multiple Audiences, Multiple Rhetorics
Preparation
• Please read from Ceccarelli Shaping Science with Rhetoric: Chapters 8-9 pgs. 157-182.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
T 4/14 Justifying Rhetoric of Science
Preparation
• Please read from Gross Starring the Text: Chapters 1-3 pgs. 3-45;
• Discussion Leader: Please post your questions on the readings to the Question 9 forum on the wiki by noon on 4/11 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment);
• Respondents: Please post your response to selected questions to the Question 9 forum on the wiki by noon on 4/13 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment).
• Class Members: Please provide your assessment of the presentation within 24 hours.
In-Class Activities
• The discussion leader will direct the class conversation on the assigned readings.
H 4/16 Rhetoric All the Way Down
Preparation
• Please read from Gross Starring the Text: Chapters 4-6 pgs. 49-97.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
T 4/21 Rhetoric and Reception
Preparation
• Please read from Gross Starring the Text: Chapters 7-9 pgs. 98-141;
• Discussion Leader: Please post your questions on the readings to the Question 10 forum on the wiki by noon on 4/18 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment);
• Respondents: Please post your response to selected questions to the Question 10 forum on the wiki by noon on 4/20 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment).
• Class Members: Please provide your assessment of the presentation within 24 hours.
In-Class Activities
• The discussion leader will direct the class conversation on the assigned readings.
H 4/23 Science, Rhetoric and Society
Preparation
• Please post stage two of your Rhetorical Analysis to the wiki by the end of the day;
• Please read from Gross Starring the Text: Chapters 10-12 pgs. 142-191.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
T 4/28 Greater Discontent
Preparation
• Please read: "The Globalization of Rhetoric and the Argument from Disciplinary Consequence" (Simons, Poroi, 2, 2, November, 2003); "The Globalization of Rhetoric and Its Discontents" (Fuller, Poroi, 2, 2, November, 2003); "Rhetoric and Its Discontents" (Nelson, Poroi, 2, 2, November, 2003).
• Discussion Leader: Please post your questions on the readings to the Question 11 forum on the wiki by noon on 4/25 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment);
• Respondents: Please post your response to selected questions to the Question 11 forum on the wiki by noon on 4/27 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment).
• Class Members: Please provide your assessment of the presentation within 24 hours.
In-Class Activities
• The discussion leader will direct the class conversation on the assigned readings.
H 4/30 Reflections
Preparation
• Please read A Hard Look at Ourselves" (PDF; 147 KB) (Ceccarelli, Technical Communication Quarterly,14(3),257-265); "Rhetoric of Science: Enriching the Discipline" (PDF; 159 KB) (Fahnestock, Technical Communication Quarterly,14(3), 277-286).
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss the assigned readings.
May
T 5/5 What Will Open Access Mean to Rhetoric, Science and Technology?
Preparation
• Please read "A Very Brief Introduction to Open Access" (Peter Suber) and review Open Access Overview: Focusing on open access to peer-reviewed research articles and their preprints (Peter Suber)
• Discussion Leader: Please post your questions on the readings to the Question 13 forum on the wiki by noon on 5/1 (please consult the Essay Sequence assignment);
• Respondents: Please post your response to selected questions to the Question 13 forum on the wiki by noon on 5/4(please consult the Essay Sequence assignment).
• Class Members: Please provide your assessment of the presentation within 24 hours.
In-Class Activities
• The discussion leader will direct the class conversation on the assigned readings.
• A summative moment.
S 5/9 Final
Preparation
• Essay Two and any edits to the Rhetorical Analysis assignment are due no later than 9:45. For reference, the exam schedule.
Well Done!
