CMNS 334
Urban
Communication
Winter
2011
Dr. Daniel Makagon
Office: 14 E Jackson, 1828
Office Hours: Tuesday 2:00-3:00
and by appointment
Phone: (312) 362-7979
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. A hard copy of this paper is due February 8th
in class.
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 except when listed as an option. 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 12 hours with a pre-approved 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 feature short answer questions that will 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 writer's argument(s), the quizzes are designed for you to state the author's 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 author's argument. If we do not understand what s/he's 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). Answers will be graded based on your ability to clearly summarize the author's argument(s) and use examples from the reading to support your answer(s). There will also be 1-2 homework assignments that will be graded as quizzes.
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
your contributions advance our overall learning (i.e., I will consider how your
questions help us understand difficult reading 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 urban experience rather than functioning to advance an autobiographical
tale only). In short, I assess participation based on quantity and quality.
You are allowed one (1) unexcused
absence in this class and three (3) absences total if at least two or those
absences are excused. If you miss more than three class sessions with at least
two of those absences being excused, or if you have more than one unexcused
absence, then you will receive an "F" for the class. Missing this
many class sessions undermines the integrity of the classroom experience.
Note that arriving more than 10 minutes late to class or leaving early will
constitute an absence. If you exceed the quantity of allowed absences because
of illness or a family emergency, you should meet with the Dean of Students
office to discuss withdrawal options.
All assignments are due on assigned days. There will be NO MAKE UPS for an unexcused absence.
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. Documented illnesses or documented emergencies are
considered excused absences. 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 submit the paper on the next date you attend class. 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.
Students
with disabilities should provide me with documentation from the Office of
Students with Disabilities.
Cellular
Phones: If you have a cellular phone or pager, turn it off or set
it to vibrate, and keep it in your backpack or purse. All cell phones must
be put away during the class session. I will confiscate cellular phones for
the remainder of the class session if you are sending or reading text messages
or using your phone to check email/surf the Internet.
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 DePaul's policy on academic integrity. 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