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FFC 100: Reading the Rhetoric of Popular Culture

Gerri McNenny, Ph.D.
College of Educational Studies

GE Area(s): Foundations of Western Thought (Freshman Foundations Course)

FFC 100 Sections 12 & 13 Spring 2018
Reading the Rhetoric of Popular Culture

Meet the Instructor

Prof. Gerri McNenny
Associate Professor, Attallah College of Educational Studies
Office location: Reeves hall Rm. 212
Office hours: Tuesdays 2 to 4 pm, Thursdays 3 to 4 pm, and by appointment
E-mail: mcnenny@chapman.edu
Office phone : 714-744-7936
Class location: FFC 100-12 (Thursdays 4 to 6:50 pm) Wilkinson Hall 210
FFC 100-13 (Tuesdays 4 to 6:50 pm) Smith Hall 217

Welcome!
Welcome to Reading the Rhetoric of Popular Culture. In this class, you’ll be challenged to apply your
intelligence, critical awareness, and creativity in reading, analyzing, and participating in the rhetoric of
popular culture.

Course Information
Credits: 3
Restrictions: None
Prerequisites: None
GE Area: Freshman Foundations Course

Catalog Description
Popular culture, whether manifested in music, film, television, or the Internet, constitutes a carnival of
persuasive appeals, continually sending out messages about how to be a part of the in-crowd, what
counts as valuable, and how to conduct ourselves in our lives. How can we make sense of the onslaught
of messages, arguments, and media overload we experience every day? In this course, we’ll explore the
power of applying the many lenses of rhetorical analysis in understanding, unmasking, decoding, and
disrupting the ideologies inherent in popular culture texts.

GE/Freshman Foundations Course Student Learning Outcome: Students critically analyze and
communicate complex issues and ideas.
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Required Texts

Sellnow, D. (2014). The rhetorical power of popular culture. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN 978-
1452229959
And assigned readings available on Blackboard.

Course Objectives/Outcomes
1. To understand the history of rhetoric and the rhetorical tradition.
2. To apply principles of rhetorical criticism to the lived experience of popular culture.
3. To critically evaluate contemporary events and trends through the various lenses of rhetorical analysis.
4. To identify and understand underlying ideologies and assumptions implicit in actual and
hypothetical systems using rhetorical analysis of mediated texts (electronic texts).
5. To relate the insights and methods of rhetorical analysis to other fields of knowledge and experience,
including education, cultural diversity, and political systems.

Major Topics Covered

Understanding the history and nature of rhetoric and rhetorical criticism
Conducting rhetorical analyses of popular culture
Understanding and conducting the following approaches to rhetorical criticism:
Narrative analysis
Symbolic convergence analysis
Neo-Marxist analysis
Feminist analysis

Methods of evaluation

Assignments Due Date % of

Grade
Personal blog applying principles of rhetorical criticism to popular texts Throughout the 20%
semester
Narrative Rhetorical Analysis 20%
Final presentation & essay of Rhetorical analysis #2 Weeks 14-16 20%
Group presentation of rhetorical criticism approach As assigned 10%
Exercises and quizzes Throughout the 20%
semester
Midterm on rhetorical criticism terms Week 7 10%
Total 100%
Assignments Due Date % of
Grade
Grading scale: A > 94%, A– > 90%, B+ > 87%, B > 84%, B->80; C+>77; C>74; C->70; D+>67; D>64; D->60
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Assignments

Below is a brief description of assignments for this class. A more elaborated and scaffolded description
of these assignments will be available on our class Blackboard site.

Narrative Rhetorical Analysis #1 (20%): Conduct a narrative rhetorical analysis using a text of your own
choice.

Final Presentation of Rhetorical Analysis #2 (20%): Working in a group of four people or less, choose
from among the various approaches to rhetorical analysis we have studied to analyze any text
appropriate to your chosen approach. You and your group will be asked to create a short 20-minute
multi-media presentation on this rhetorical analysis. As always, you can be creative, choosing a text and
applying the principles of your chosen method to that text.

Personal Blog (20%): Your personal blog will give you the opportunity to apply the principles of
rhetorical criticism to popular texts. You’ll be asked to keep and share a personal blog applying the
various approaches to rhetorical criticism of popular texts. This will give you the chance to share your
blog entries with all members of the class and comment on each other’s writing. Blog entries need to be
completed prior to the beginning of the class. Falsifying the time of submission for blogs is a violation of
academic integrity and will cause you to receive a zero for the first blog and a failure in the class for the
second. Please be sure to read Chapman University’s Academic Integrity Policy. I take academic integrity
seriously and expect you to do so as well.

Group Presentation of Rhetorical Criticism Approach (10%): Working in a small group, you will create a
multi-media presentation to explore and demonstrate one of the approaches to rhetorical criticism we
discuss in class.

Exercises and Quizzes (20%): We’ll be applying the various approaches to rhetorical analysis to many
texts during the semester. These will be in-class exercises. In-class exercises will be evaluated using a
scale of 1 to 5, with 1 indicating minimal effort and 5 indicating exceptional effort. Exceptional effort can
be demonstrated through insightful responses to the questions, ample evidence of examples,
descriptions, and interpretations that contribute to the rhetorical analysis, and sufficient quantity of
writing. Online quizzes will assess your understanding of the reading.

Midterm on rhetorical criticism theories and terms (10%)

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Attendance Requirement: Attendance is required. You are the life of this class! Your participation is vital
to the work of this class. Because this is a three-hour class, you may miss one class. If you miss a second
class, your grade will be lowered by 10% of your final grade. Missing three classes will cause you to
receive a failing grade. If you are ill, you will need to obtain verifiable documentation from a physician. If
you are absent, you will not be able to make up the work missed in that class unless you have a doctor’s
letter of excuse.

Attendance Grade Adjustment Scale: CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY ATTENDANCE

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1 absence: No penalty POLICY (from the C.U. Undergraduate Catalog):

2 absences: Minus one grade “Class attendance policies are determined by
3 or more absences: Automatic F for the course each instructor and shall be included in the
course syllabus distributed at the beginning of
each term. The university recommends as a
minimum policy that students who are absent
20% of the course should be failed.”
Leaving Early and Coming Late to Class
Leaving early and coming late to class (by more than five minutes in both instances) count toward
absences. Two late arrivals or early departures count as one absence. Please be aware of this and come
to class on time and leave only at the end of class.

Electronics Use Guidelines

Using electronic or wireless devices in the classroom is a privilege, not a right. The use of these devices
in the classroom is permitted on a class-by-class basis at the discretion of the instructor. Students are to
refrain from using all electronic devices during class time. Students who have a need for these devices
as specified by a letter from the Disability Services Center should present proper documentation to the
instructor at the earliest opportunity. All other uses will result in a loss of participation points and/or a
drop of one full grade in the course. Phones are to be put on vibrate and out of sight in order to reduce
their disruption.

Student Support at Chapman University

Over the course of the semester, you may experience a range of challenges that interfere with your
learning, such as problems with friend, family, and or significant other relationships; substance use;
concerns about personal adequacy; feeling overwhelmed; or feeling sad or anxious without knowing
why. These mental health concerns or stressful events may diminish your academic performance
and/or reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. You can learn more about the resources
available through Chapman University’s Student Psychological Counseling Services
here: https://www.chapman.edu/students/health-and-safety/psychological-counseling/.
Fostering a community of care that supports the success of students is essential to the values of
Chapman University. Occasionally, you may come across a student whose personal behavior concerns
or worries you, either for the student’s well-being or yours. In these instances, you are encouraged to
contact the Chapman University Student Concern Intervention Team who can respond to these concerns
and offer assistance: https://www.chapman.edu/students/health-and-safety/student-
concern/index.aspx. While it is preferred that you include your contact information so this team can
follow up with you, you can submit a report anonymously. 24-hour emergency help is also available
through Public Safety at 714-997-6763
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Chapman University’s Academic Integrity Policy

Chapman University is a community of scholars that emphasizes the mutual responsibility of all
members to seek knowledge honestly and in good faith. Students are responsible for doing their own
work and academic dishonesty of any kind will be subject to sanction by the instructor/administrator
and referral to the university Academic Integrity Committee, which may impose additional sanctions
including expulsion. Please see the full description of Chapman University's policy on Academic Integrity
at www.chapman.edu/academics/academic-integrity/index.aspx .

Chapman University’s Students with Disabilities Policy

In compliance with ADA guidelines, students who have any condition, either permanent or temporary,
that might affect their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to contact the Disability Services
Office. If you will need to utilize your approved accommodations in this class, please follow the proper
notification procedure for informing your professor(s). This notification process must occur more than a
week before any accommodation can be utilized. Please contact Disability Services at (714) 516–4520 or
visit www.chapman.edu/students/student-health-services/disability-services if you have questions
regarding this procedure or for information or to make an appointment to discuss and/or request
potential accommodations based on documentation of your disability. Once formal approval of your
need for an accommodation has been granted, you are encouraged to talk with your professor(s) about
your accommodation options. The granting of any accommodation will not be retroactive and cannot
jeopardize the academic standards or integrity of the course.

Chapman University’s Equity and Diversity Policy

Chapman University is committed to ensuring equality and valuing diversity. Students and professors are
reminded to show respect at all times as outlined in Chapman’s Harassment and Discrimination Policy.
Please see the full description of this policy at http://www.chapman.edu/faculty-staff/human-
resources/eoo.aspx . Any violations of this policy should be discussed with the professor, the dean of
students and/or otherwise reported in accordance with this policy.

Prepared By:
Gerri McNenny, Ph.D., Spring 2018