PERSUASION COMM 304 001 and 002 VATZ Spring, 2009
web: http://www.towson.edu/~vatz VB 211B
e-mail: rvatz@towson.edu (use sparingly, please) Office: 9-9:30 MTWTh or by appt.
CONTRACT FOR PERSUASION SPRING, 2009: YOU MUST TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES DURING CLASS; YOU MAY NOT LEAVE DURING CLASS TO CHECK FOR CALLS OR TEXT MESSAGES; YOU MAY NOT SURF THE INTERNET OR E-MAIL OR TEXT ANYONE DURING CLASS.
IF A STUDENT IS DISCOVERED VIOLATING ANY OF THESE RULES, HE/SHE WILL RECEIVE AN "F" FOR 1/3 OF THE COURSE
Required Reading
Richard Vatz and Lee Weinberg, Thomas Szasz: Primary Values and Major Contentions
Jeffrey Schaler, Addiction is a Choice
Recommended Reading
Robert H. Gass and John S. Seiter, Persuasion, Social Influence and Compliance Gaining
Richard E. Vatz, "The Article Rewrite Assignment," The Successful Professor, located: http://pages.towson.edu/vatz/rewrite2006two.pdf
Richard E. Vatz, "The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation," Philosophy and Rhetoric
Richard E.
Vatz, The Mythical
Status of Situational Rhetoric: Implications for Rhetorical
Critics' Relevance in the Public Arena; Review of Communication
Supplementary and/or Optional Readings
Winston Brembeck and William Howell, Persuasion (old classic)
Murray Edelman, Words that Succeed and Policies that Fail (and assorted works)
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Everything You Think You Know about Politics‑‑ and Why You're Wrong
Trevor Melia, Lucifer State (Many of you will love this novel on rhetoric; some will hate it)
Thomas Szasz, The Second Sin (and assorted works)
Theodore Windt and Beth Ingold, Essays in Presidential Rhetoric
Gary Woodward, Persuasive Encounters
Course Description
Theory and practice of linguistic and symbolic persuasion; applications of rhetorical
principles in social sciences and formal and informal communication; analysis of rhetoric
through discussion.
2. Vatz
Purpose
The aim of this course is to help the student understand theory and practice of linguistic and symbolic persuasion. Emphases will be on the "myth of rhetorical situation" theory of persuasion, political persuasion, persuasion in academe (especially social science), and persuasion and mystification in psychiatry, presented as a central persuasion model or prototype here. We shall also cover the concept of hierarchy in persuasion, emphasizing Kenneth Burke and Hugh Dalziel Duncan.
REQUIREMENTS: (i.e., considerations in grading through which objectives measured). All submitted papers must be printed. Read the following closely:
1. Attendance -- Important! Active class participation desirable and good attendance mandatory; absences for whatever reason totaling more than 4 will result in a 1/3 lower course grade (A- to B+; C to C-, etc.), and each subsequent absence shall be an additional 1/3 grade markdown. It is assumed that by your very presence that you gain vital information pertaining to this course. Unavoidable absences do not give you the right to miss more than a total of 4 classes – you cannot get all of the information and instruction that is necessary for this course when you miss more than 4 classes. Again, fewer than four will not generally affect your grade; having zero and only zero as well as no lates may add 1/3 grade.
Students must arrive on time for class. Students who arrive late will be marked absent unless they inform me that they have arrived (but lateness is frowned on, and habitual lateness, operationally defined as more than 3, will count as one-half absence per lateness beginning with the fourth). Attendance and attention are critically important in this class– again, cell phones must be turned off in class. No text messaging; no surfing on the web; and missing more than four classes means that you have missed far too much material, which results in grading reductions. Please forgive the repetition the repetition the repetition.
2. Persuasive reconstruction of an opinion piece (e.g., from Time, Newsweek, Washington Post, or variety of other sources). Any student who receives a "D+" or below may re-do the assignment, but the second/third/etc. attempt, however much it is improved, will be recorded as no higher than a "C" for this assignment. The resubmission may take place up to the final day of classes before finals, but should be done earlier.
++++++This is the seminal assignment of the course; it must be satisfied before
any other assignment is undertaken.+++++++++
3 Vatz
A final examination is expected for a 300-level course. I am not requiring you to take it, but it is necessary for those who want to raise their grades or receive an
"A" in the course.
Material in this objective examination is composed of the lectures, readings, tapes and class notes. Do Not Ask Me Privately About the Examination!!! – I shall answer such questions only in front of the class. It is an ethical breach to tell selected students about the content of a test or what should be studied or even not studied. I know some other professors in other disciplines do this; tell me their names, and I shall beat them up.
GRADING -- Very Important -- Read This Section Carefully as Well
*Again, since this is a 300-level course, it is expected that you will take a final examination. You may, however, receive up to a "B+" for the course without taking the final examination if you satisfy and do well enough on REQUIREMENT #1 and the first submission of #2 above.
VATZIAN PIETIES: Do not leave early EXCEPT in life or death matter, or it will be the latter; Leaving early and not returning without an explanation is an ethical breach akin to cheating...detection will mean failing the class…Again, all cell phones must be turned off in class, and you may not research the internet in class…violation justifies a failing grade…just don't violate these rules!!!!!!! I know I said this several times already. Ahem.
BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES:
1. The student must be able to describe and apply relevant theories of persuasion in the seminal assignment (see above) and demonstrate understanding in class discussions.
2. The student must be able to discuss and describe the basic elements of the process of persuasion, detailing in different representative situations the persuader's ability to know the audience, the methods used in audience analysis, what to discover about audiences generally, etc. Such representative situations will include political rhetoric, psychiatric rhetoric and journalistic rhetoric.
CALENDAR
WEEK 1-4 Introduction
Rhetoric and Persuasion - philosophical bases -- Rhetorical
Reversal Assignment
Logic and its place in persuasion
4. Vatz
WEEK 5-7 Rhetoric and Situations; Ethics and Persuasion -- Burkean Pentad
Rhetoric, Persuasion and Drugs/Alcohol Model -- read Schaler book
WEEKS 8-9 Political Persuasion -- Murray Edelman's Theories; Persuasion
in Presidential Campaigns;
"Rhetorical Presidency;" Public Opinion
WEEKS 9-12 Persuasion and Metaphor; psychiatric persuasion – read Szasz book
WEEK 13-14 Practical persuasion; hierarchical rhetoric and intimidation; examination
Grading as rhetoric; Persuasion and Social Science: Andrew
Weigert
FINAL MEETING Exam
[Students may not attempt a class for the third time without prior permission from the Academic Standards Committee. Information regarding this policy can be obtained through the Registrar's Office.]
Richard E. Vatz, Ph.D.
Towson Distinguished Professor
Towson Student Government Association Faculty Member of the Year,
2009
Professor, MCOM/COMM; University Senate; Towson University
Blogger, Red Maryland
Thomas Szasz Civil Liberties Award
Associate Psychology Editor, USA Today Magazine; Editor, Current Psychology
(410) 704-3107