---

---

The Play and Poverty of Language

Dean Rehberger
Office: 248 Bessey Hall (EBH)
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00-12:00
Office Phone: 432-2568
Mailbox: 229 Bessey Hall
Pilot: rehberge@pilot.msu.edu
URL1: http://atl46.atl.msu.edu/atl/rehberger.html

URL2: http://www.msu.edu/user/rehberge/

Integrative Studies in Arts and Humanities 231C:
Themes and Issues: Roles of Language in Society
Tuesday and Thursday
12:40-2:30 pm
209 Berkey Hall

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Return

BOOKS:

• Horatio, Alger. Ragged Dick, Or Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks. Signet Classic, 1990.
• Hoover, Paul, ed. Postmodern American Poetry. Norton, 1994.
• Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. Perennial Library. 1990.
• Lakoff, George, and Mark Johnson. Metaphors We Live By. U of Chicago Press, 1980.
• Lakoff, Robin Tolmach. Talking Power: The Politics of Language. Basic Books, 1990.
• Liebow, Elliot. Tell Them Who I Am:The Lives of Homeless Women. Penguin, 1995.
• Riis, Jacob. How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements. Dover (with photos)1971.

ESSAYS:

• Franklin, Ben, "The Way to Wealth."
• Funiciello, Theresa, "The Poverty Industry."
• Sumner, William Graham, selection from What the Social Classes Owe to Each Other

Materials:

• 2 Computer Disks, DS, HD, 3.5"
• 1 Plastic disk carrying case.
• 1 Portfolio (folder with pockets)

Return

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Return

Course Objectives

Often we think of language as a tool for communication, a transparent medium that conveys our thoughts to others. Language, however, is much more complex than we imagine. Language not only allows us to express our thoughts, but shapes our attitudes and actions. Words define who we are and how we see the world. They create our culture, expand our perspectives, and form our relationships with others. Although words help us to understand things, they can also set limits on what appears reasonable and rational. Words can, that is, perpetuate social hierarchies and cultural stereotypes.

For example, think about how your attitude changes toward a person if he/she is defined as a "criminal," a "murderer," the "accused," or the "defendant." Or think about how in our culture we often associate particular qualities with colors. When we hear the word "green," we may think of "nature," "trees," "fresh," "alive," and so on. "Yellow" may elicit "sunshine" or "cowardice"; "White" brings to mind "purity," "innocence," "clean," "goodness," and "sterile"; "Red" contains "danger," "wild," "angry," and "hot"; "Black" holds "evil," "badness," "beauty," and "terror." Although the color of skin tends to be various shades of brown, we often define races in terms of these primary colors. The problem, of course, is that in our culture the qualities we associate with these colors often help to form and perpetuate racial stereotypes.

In this course, we will explore how language creates both insights and blindness. In the first unit of the course, we will play with language. Through poetry, we will investigate the ways that words and figures of speech (metaphors, similes, antitheses) help us to understand the world and expand our ways of seeing. In the second unit, we will collect cultural metaphors used to define class and gender. Through the reading of essays and novels, we will examine how language shapes our attitudes about the rich, the poor, and the middle class, and defines our thinking about men and women. We will analyze closely the language used to describe poverty. In doing so, we will try to describe how the language of poverty both aids and hinders our attempts to help the poor.

Class Format
We will discuss texts as a class. But we also will try many classroom activities, including group work, workshops, freewriting, prewriting, language games, collaborative writing, microthemes and role playing. Therefore, you will need to follow the syllabus closely and attend class regularly. All of us will be charged with doing the reading assignments and coming to class prepared with thoughts, questions, and responses.

Return

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Return

Project 1: Word Play:
You will choose a single poem from our poetry anthology and explore the language of the poem. You will analyze the historical, social and cultural meanings of the words as well as the figures of speech.

We will encourage creative responses. Your project may be a traditional essay or a hypertext. The hypertext may present a unique organization and form, and it may include text fragments, other poems, links, images, definitions, and much more. We will discuss the project in more detail as we move through the unit. All final projects will be published on the WWW.

The project should be 1200 words long minimum. The first draft is due on 27 February 1996 (electronic and hard copy). The final draft is due on 29 February 1996 (electronic copy only).

Project 2: Poverty
This project will focus on how class--particularly the poor--are imagined in American culture. In other words, when it comes to poverty, what metaphors and stereotypes do we live by? You will be encouraged to analyze the problem from both a cultural and historical perspective? You might also examine how race and gender intersect with your definitions of class. You should use information from the readings in the course and you will also be encouraged to do library and net research. Remember to properly document your sources.

We will encourage creative responses. Your project may be a traditional essay or a hypertext. The hypertext may present a unique organization and form, and it may include text fragments, other poems, links, images, definitions, and much more. We will discuss the project in more detail as we move through the unit. All final projects will be published on the WWW.

The project should be 1800 words long minimum. The first draft is due on 23 April 1996 (electronic and hard copy). The final draft is due on 2 May 1996 (electronic copy only).

Internet and Computers
Although we will meet 8 times during the quarter in a computer lab (132 EH), you are not expected to know anything about using computers. We will learn together. We will work with word processing, e-mail, and the Internet. We will also publish our work on the net and learn a bit about creating hypertexts.

You can access a more detailed syllabus and the essays at the following net address (URL) or from my home page:

http://atl46.atl.msu.edu/atl/reh/iah231c.html

Tell all the Truth but tell it slant--
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As lightening to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind--

By Emily Dickinson


Return

DAILY SHEDULE

Return

1/16: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Lakoff and Johnson, Ch. 1-10

1/18: Computer Lab 132 EH
a) Read Hoover,
PP. 3-103

1/23: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Lakoff and Johnson, Ch. 10-20

1/25: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Hoover,
PP. 103-203

1/30: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Lakoff and Johnson, Ch. 20-30

2/1: Computer Lab 132 EH
a) Read Hoover,
PP. 204-301

2/6: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Lakoff,
PP. 1-56

2/8: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Hoover,
PP. 301-408

2/13: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Lakoff,
PP. 161-214

2/15: Computer Lab 132 EH
a) Read Hoover,
PP. 408-510

2/20: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Lakoff,
PP. 215-302

2/22: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Hoover,
PP. 510-612

2/27: Classroom 209 BH
a) Project 1 Draft Due

2/29: Computer Lab 132 EH
a) Portfolio Due
b) Project 1 Final Draft

UNIT 2: Language of Poverty

3/12: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Ben Franklin

3/14: Computer Lab 132 EH
a) Read Horatio Alger, PP. 3-92

3/19: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read William Graham Sumner; Jacob Riis Ch. 15-16

3/21: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Horatio Alger, PP. 3-92; Jacob Riis Ch. 17

3/26: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Jacob Riis
Ch. 1-14

3/28: Computer Lab 132 EH
a) Read Jacob Riis
Ch. 18-25

4/2: Classroom 209 BH
a) Film: Grapes of Wrath
4/4: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Zora Neale Hurston, Ch. 1-9

4/9: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Zora Neale Hurston, Ch. 10-20

4/11: Computer Lab 132 EH
a) Read Elliot Liebow, Part 1

4/16: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Theresa Funiciello; Elliot Liebow, Part 2

4/18: Classroom 209 BH
a) Read Elliot Liebow, Appendixes

4/23: Classroom 209 BH
a) Project 2 Draft Due

4/25: Computer Lab 132 EH
a) Portfolio Due

May 2: 7:45-9:45 a.m.
a) Project 2 Final Draft Due

Return

COURSE GADING
POLICY

Return

E-Mail Week 2_____
E-Mail Week 3_____
E-Mail Week 4_____
E-Mail Week 5_____
E-Mail Week 6_____
E-Mail Week 7_____
E-Mail Week 8(Opt)_____
E-Mail Week 9_____
E-Mail Week 10_____
E-Mail Week 11_____
E-Mail Week 12_____
E-Mail Week 13_____
E-Mail Week 14_____
E-Mail Week 15 (Opt)_____

(For each missed week subtract .5 from your grade except optional weeks. Thus no misses equals a 4.0; 1 miss equals a 3.5; 2 misses equals a 3.0 and so on.)

E-Mail Grade____
10%
Mid Portfolio Grade_____
15%
Final Portfolio Grade _____
15%
Project 1 Grade_____
25%
Project 2 Grade_____
35%

Final Grade_____
100%
Return

STUDENT LIST
AND
E-MAIL ADDRESSES

Return

Return

SPECIAL LINKS

Return

CLASS HANDOUTS

Return

STUDENT PROJECTS

(Note: The links to class projects have been cut from this version of the syllabus.)
Return