ENG 315                                                            Dr. Don Bushman
Writing and Personal Identity                             MO 154
MWF 9:00-9:50                                                 Hours: MW 1:00-2:30 or by appt.
MO 204                                                              Phone: 962-3655
                                                                          e-mail: bushmand@uncwil.edu

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Raimes, Ann. Identities: Readings from Contemporary Culture. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1995.

ABOUT THE COURSE:

In ENG 315, Writing and Personal Identity, we will be exploring the relationship between writing and the self. What does that mean, you ask? Well, there are a couple of ways we can address this issue. First (and simplest), we’ll explore the ways that writing about our lives and our experiences helps us come to a better understanding of who we are and of why we act the way we do and believe what we believe. Second (and on a more theoretical level), we’ll explore the ways that language determines our identities; that is, we’ll consider whether there’s any better way to define our selves than through an analysis of the language--being able to talk the talk as well as walk the walk--that each of us has adopted, whether through the influence of family or region or schooling. For instance, some have argued that what really makes someone a biologist or a carpenter or an English professor is one’s ability to communicate on a professional level with other biologists/carpenters/English professors. Others go so far as to say that language is instrumental in creating our existences–it’s similar to that old "if a tree falls in the forest" question: if we didn’t have a language to communicate our thoughts to others, would those thoughts actually exist? Would we exist? We’ll also talk about how these ideas impact how writing classes are taught (or ought to be taught).

COURSE POLICIES:

Most days in this class will be spent either discussing required readings or working in small groups where you’ll be reading and responding to one another’s papers. Both activities are important to the success of this class. Here then are my policies: 1) Each absence after your fourth one will lower your final semester grade by a full letter; 2) paper grades will be lowered a full letter for each day the paper is late (or, for the various drafts that will end up in the portfolio, one letter for each day a draft is late).

BREAKDOWN OF GRADES:

Four response papers (3-4 pages each).........................20%

End of semester portfolio, which will include:
                Two exploratory essays (6-8 pages each)......40%
                Researched report (10-12 pages)...................30%
                Portfolio introductory essay (2-3 pages)........10%

Week #1
W 16th--Introduction to class and to one another
F 18th--More on issue of identity

Week #2
M 21st--Read Identities chpt. 1 ("Name")
W 23rd--Continue chpt.1
F 25th--Read Identities chpt. 2 ("Appearance, Age, and Abilities")

Week #3
M 28th--Continue chpt. 2; Response paper #1 due
W 30th--Read Identities chpt. 3 ("Gender and Sexual Orientation")
September
F 1st--Continue chpt. 3

Week #4
M 4th-- NO CLASS (Labor Day)
W 6th-- Read Identities chpt.4 ("Ethnic Affiliation and Class")
F 8th--Continue chpt. 4; Response paper #2 due

Week #5
M 11th--Workshop to develop topics for Exploratory Essay #1
W 13th--Conferences
F 15th--Conferences

Week #6
M 18th--Workshop drafts of Exploratory Essay #1 in class
W 20th--Workshop drafts of Exploratory Essay #1 in class
F 22nd--Drafts of Exploratory Essay #1 due; Read Identities chpt. 5 ("Family Ties")

Week #7
M 25th--Continue chpt. 5
W 27th--Read Identities chpt. 6 ("Education")
F 29th--Continue chpt. 6; Response paper #3 due

Week #8
October
M 2nd--Read Identities chpt. 7 ("Beliefs and Religion")
W 4th--Continue chpt. 7
F 6th--NO CLASS (Fall Break)

Week #9
M 9th--Read Identities chpt. 8 ("Nationality")
W 11th--Continue chpt. 8; Response paper #4 due
F 13th--Workshop to develop topics for Exploratory Essay #2

Week #10
M 16th--Conferences
W 18th--Conferences
F 20st--Workshop drafts of Exploratory Essay #2 in class

Week #11
M 23rd--Workshop drafts of Exploratory Essay #2 in class
W 25th--Draft of Exploratory Essay #2 due
F 27th--Library Reserve reading #1

Week #12
M 30th--Library Reserve reading #1
November
W 1st--Library Reserve reading #1; Response paper #5 due
F 3th--Library Reserve reading #2

Week #13
M 6th--Library Reserve reading #2
W 8th--Library Reserve reading #2; Response paper #6 due
F 10th--Library Reserve reading #3

Week #14
M 13th--Library Reserve reading #3
W 15th--Library Reserve reading #3; Response paper #7 due
F 17th--Conferences

Week #15
M 20th--Conferences
W 22nd--] NO CLASS
F 24th--  ] (Thanksgiving Holiday)

Week #16
M 27th--Workshop drafts of portfolio essays
W 29th--Workshop drafts of portfolio essays
December
F 1st--Final Conferences

Week #17
M 4th--Final Conferences
W 6th--End-of-semester portfolio due