Research Network Forum Project (Proposal, Critical Form + Symposium)
(50 points)
There is a dual purpose guiding our completion of this final project: (1) to reflect on the challenge(s) of studying intercultural rhetorical traditions, using archival resources that were constructed in a Western purview; and (2) to articulate how global rhetorical concepts or questions can be used to study issues more local to us. So, your final project will be completed in the spirit of Graduate Research Network Forums held annually in advance of several of our major conferences, including the Conference on College Composition and Communication, the Rhetoric Society of America, the American Society for the History of Rhetoric, and the Symposium on Second Language Writing. This means I will ask you to write a brief but focused “critical form,” in which you articulate an idea you know you would like to take up in future work, and to present a condensed version of that form in a symposium-like setting designed for an audience to ask questions and provide feedback.
The critical piece could take one of several forms:
(1) a short prospectus identifying an issue, problem, or subject that deserves further research and in which you propose a line of inquiry or particular methodology to investigate the problem in more depth;
(2) a comparative reading of how two or more secondary texts deal with a primary text, subject, or tradition;
(3) an analysis of some social or cultural development reflected or deflected by some of the texts you read (i.e., the marginalization of a particular group, the transition from orality to literacy, the philosophical practices of a particular citizenry, etc.); or
(4) an application of an historical text or issue to some current problem that is pedagogical or scholarly in scope.
Whatever you choose, note that the emphasis is on focused articulation, so your final project need not be longer than ~6-7 single-spaced pages, including works cited. You are free (and highly encouraged) to draw on our reading lists as you complete this project, as well as to identify new and other sources. MLA or Chicago-style citations preferred.
I will also ask you to transform that critical form into a dynamic presentation, in which you articulate your project in ~10-12 minutes for an audience slightly larger than this class—providing sufficient context and justification and arguing for its usefulness—before fielding their questions about purpose or method. The precise format and content of the presentation will be determined by you, and may absolutely use digital tools to help you present, but please also provide a well-rendered handout so that your audience members have something concrete to take away. Your principal consideration for this symposium should be how best to talk us through your project.
Around mid-semester, I will ask you to submit a brief proposal (~1-2 single-spaced pages) in which you (1) indicate which form your project will take; (2) identify the subject and question you want to investigate; and (3) list/describe the main sources that have influenced you thus far. I will also ask you to (4) list the names of several individuals you would like me to invite, including colleagues, friends, and/or other professors. I am happy to meet with you at any point throughout the semester to talk through ideas and promote early planning.
March 1 - proposal due to Canvas
April 19 - symposium in class (and materials due to Canvas)
April 26 - critical form due to Canvas (by 3:35 p.m.)
