CMN 308
Urban Communication
Winter 2008
Dr. Daniel Makagon
Office: SAC 596
Office Hours: Thursday 3:00-4:00
and by appointment
Phone: (773) 325-7376
e-mail: dmakagon@depaul.edu
home page: http://condor.depaul.edu/~dmakagon
Course Objectives
The rise of the metropolis has been one of the most
important and engaging stories in the twentieth century and into the new
millennium. Great hopes and fears are mapped onto the city. These hopes and
fears are reflected in cinematic, photographic, and televisual images of the
city; songs about urban life; talk about the metropolis; and cultural practices
that take shape in urban neighborhoods. The city is ultimately understood via a
complex mix of everyday cultural experiences, intercultural interactions, and
engagement with symbols (verbal and mediated). We will pay special attention to
relationships between the material (land, labor, and capital) and symbolic
features of city life in an effort to more fully understand the city as a site
of communication. Further, we will focus on the construction of public spaces
that facilitate a more active and engaged public life.
Required Texts
Daniel Makagon, Where the Ball
Drops: Days and Nights in Times Square
All other course readings are
available on-line. Download and print the files from:
http://condor.depaul.edu/~dmakagon/student
Course Assignments
Class Participation 10% ____(pts.)
X .10 = ______
Mid-term Paper (4-6 pages) 30% ____(pts.)
X .30 = ______
Quizzes 30% ____(pts.)
X .30 = ______
Group Project/Service Final 30% ____(pts.)
X .30 = ______
Final Grade= ____________
You are required to complete the
reading assignments before you attend
class. This will lead to more fruitful discussion.
Mid-term Paper
This
assignment asks you to write an analysis of some key issues raised in the first
half of this class (likely 2-3 issues given the paper length). The objective of
this paper is to assess the ways in which communication allows us to more fully
understand contemporary urban life. In general, you should develop a thesis
that identifies important issues pertaining to urban life, as raised in course
materials. The body of your paper should (A) describe the issues, (B) flesh out
the reasons why those issues are important, and (C) discuss how viewing those
issues through a communication lens helps us understand the issues better. This
paper is due February 12th.
All
papers must be typed, paginated, double-spaced throughout the entire essay, and
use a consistent style (e.g., Chicago, MLA, or APA). Use one-inch margins and
12-point font. Do not send me electronic copies of your work. See the syllabus addendum (available in the folder that
contains pdfs for this class) for a description of my grading policies and
expectations as well as further details on written assignments.
Contact or visit the Writing
Center for assistance with your writing: Lincoln Park at 802 W. Belden, 150
McGaw Hall, 773-325-4272. The Loop at 25 E. Jackson, 1620 Lewis Center,
312-362-6726. wcenter@depaul.edu.
Final
There are two options for the
Course Final.
You and your group will be responsible for one group project and presentation at the end of the quarter. This project will focus on the design of public space. These projects will be presented in class. (A description of the assignment details and rationale is available in the folder that contains pdfs for this class.)
Service Learning Final
You can volunteer a minimum of 10 hours with a Steans Center selected service organization. This organization will be actively involved with community life in ways that reflect the kinds of issues we will address in this course. You would then write a 4-6 page final paper that assesses your service work in terms of course content. (A description of the assignment details and rationale is available in the folder that contains pdfs for this class.)
Pop Quizzes
Quizzes will mix short answer and multiple choice to allow me to gauge how well you understand the arguments made in the readings. Unlike your papers and class discussion, where I am interested in your opinions about the issues and the strength of the writerŐs argument(s), the quizzes are designed for you to state the authorŐs argument only. In other words, I am not striving to understand what you think about the issues; rather, I am interested in how well you understand the construction of the authorŐs argument. If we do not understand what s/heŐs saying then our critique of her/his work will not be properly grounded. Possible points for each quiz question will be listed after the question (usually 10 or 20 points per question and usually 1-3 questions per quiz for short answer quizzes). Answers will be graded based on your ability to clearly summarize the authorŐs argument(s) and use examples from the reading to support your answer(s).
Course Policies
Promptness is expected as a general rule. If you are consistently
late to class your grade will be negatively affected.
Attendance
and Active Participation are expected and
required. Participation grades are factored by considering how often you
participate in class discussion and how that discussion advances our overall
learning (i.e., I will consider how your questions help lead us to a greater
understanding of difficult passages, how your contributions further discussion
rather than hinder discussion, how your comments foster lively debate, how your
participation grows from an engagement with the reading and college experience
rather than functioning to advance an autobiographical tale only). If you miss
very few classes and your participation level is excellent, you can expect an
"A" for this portion of your grade. If you miss very few classes and your
participation level is above average (i.e., you participate during most class
sessions rather than every class session), you can expect a "B" for this
portion of your grade. If you miss very few classes and your participation
level is average (i.e., you contribute sometimes or your contributions donŐt
elevate our thinking enough), you can expect a "C" for this portion of your
grade. If you miss the most possible classes you can miss without failing the
class and your participation level is average, you can expect a "D" for this
portion of your grade.
You
are allowed one (1) unexcused absence in this class and three (3) absences
total if two or more of those absences are excused. If you miss more than
three class sessions, which means you will have missed 20% of the term, then
you will receive an "FŐ for the class (even if the absences are excused).
Missing this many class sessions undermines the integrity of the classroom
experience. If you miss this much class because of illness or a family emergency,
you should meet with the Dean of Students to discuss withdrawal options.
All
assignments are due on assigned days. There will be NO MAKE UPS. Documented illnesses or documented emergencies are the
only exception to this policy. Changes in work schedules, personal celebrations
(e.g., birthdays), or vacations are NOT considered to be legitimate reasons for
missing assignment deadlines or class meetings. If you miss a quiz and have
documentation for your absence then you will take the quiz on the next date you
attend class. Similarly, if you have an excused absence for a class session
when you would turn in a paper then you can give me the paper on the next date
you attend class. (Note: If you will be missing a class because of a religious
holiday, let me know in writing at least two weeks before the holiday so we can
make arrangements to make up missed work.)
If you have a cellular phone or
pager, turn it off or set it to vibrate. Plagiarism will be discussed below but
for now you should note that all cell phones must be put away during quizzes
and you should not be sending or reading text messages during class sessions.
Plagiarism
I have often found that plagiarism
becomes tempting if students are feeling pressured. Remember, when in doubt
quote. If you are quoting somebody directly then you need to list the
information within quotation marks and cite a page number. If you are
paraphrasing then you need to cite the person and a page number. Never copy and
paste entire documents into your paper and do not quote others to the point
where your ideas become indistinguishable from your source's ideas. There is no
reason to plagiarize given the resources available to you (e.g., opportunities
to meet with me; coaches in the writing center; my handout on writing for the
class; and DePaulŐs policy on academic integrity, which can be found at
http://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/handbook/code16.html). If you do plagiarize,
you will automatically receive a grade of "F" in this class. Moreover, the
Academic Affairs office will be contacted.
Grade Scale
93-100 A, 90-92 A-, 88-89 B+,
83-87 B, 80-82 B-, 78-79 C+,
73-77 C, 70-72 C-, 60-69 D,
0-59 F