Great Resource for Mead, Dewey and James

If you're interested in reading more about the main pragmatists we've been studying (particularly Mead, Dewey and James), have a look at the following website, which has a vast collection of articles and excerpts by these theorists: http://www.brocku.ca/MeadProject/

To help your revision for the midterm, take this quick online quiz on your Mead/symbolic interaction knowledge. Most of the questions apply to what we've learned (don't worry as much about numbers 2, 14, 16, 18 and 19).

Writing Guidelines

Format

· Use 12-point, Times New Roman font with one-inch margins. If you’re having trouble squeezing it all in, use Arial Narrow. If you don’t have a title page, make sure to include your name, student number, course code, professor and TA/section at the TOP of your first page.

· Page Numbering: In the top, right-hand corner of your header, put your last name and the page number. Don’t count the title page.

· Don’t underestimate the value of PROOFREADING. A great technique is to read it aloud to yourself to see if there are any awkward points; even the greatest of arguments will be lost in an essay that is choppy and difficult to read. Also, get a friend to read it over for both comprehension (you should have explained the terms you use to the point that someone without knowledge of your subject should have a good idea what you’re talking about) and for awkward flow/language errors.

· Always underline or italicize book/publication/newspaper/magazine titles within the body of your text. Put article/song titles in quotations

· Unless told otherwise, ALWAYS double-space and DO NOT leave an extra space between paragraphs!

· Paragraphs should always be at least three sentences long. When you move onto a new point, start a new paragraph. NEVER have “floating sentences” that are a paragraph unto themselves.

Language

· As a rule of thumb, try not to use more than two commas in one sentence. Semi-colons are a very effective tool and help the flow of your statements. Use a semi-colon ONLY when each part can stand on its own as a complete sentence. Make sure to write in complete sentences; a surprising number of people use many sentence fragments in their papers.

· Some students still make many grammatical errors, which again detracts from the flow and readability of the paper. Pay close attention to pronoun agreement. For example: “When someone writes a paper in first year university, they often make grammatical errors”. Don’t mix plural pronouns with singular ones! Make use of the terms “one”, “him/her”, “a person”. Watch the difference between then (in reference to time) and than (in reference to contrast, comparing)

· “Formal” does not mean that your paper needs to be restrictive or ‘up-tight’; it just means that there are certain conventions that you need to follow in order to write an academic paper (including avoiding contractions, staying away from personal anecdotes unless directly related, not using slang, short forms or colloquialisms)

· Double-check for common errors: confusion of affect/effect (verb/noun), “i before e”, there/they’re/their, its/it’s

· Write out all numbers up to ten (ie: write out two, do not put ‘2’). For numbers over ten, you may write the numerical form.

Content

· Do not assume your reader’s knowledge of the subject you are discussing and particularly of the examples you are using; explain terms, concepts and background for examples.

· Many people cling to the “hamburger” or three-prong essay from highschool where you have an introduction, three main points and conclusion. Realize that the next level of sophistication is required at the university level; a lot of the time the “three point” paper does not suit the assignment (especially in a compare and contrast essay like your upcoming one). Instead, state (in your introduction) your thesis statement: one sentence explaining exactly what you intend to argue in your paper. Cultivate a strong argument using examples, quotations, experience, etc. in a logical manner. Conclude by reiterating your thesis statement.

· Don’t forget to answer the WHY and HOW questions. WHY is this point (your thesis) important? HOW is it relevant? Don’t write for the sake of writing – have a point that says something meaningful, and explain why it is worthwhile to write/think about.

· Never generalize without explanation (make a sweeping statement that you do not provide an argument/justification for). Relatedly, do not make a claim about all people or a group of people without a reference. If it’s just your opinion, say so. Avoid vast generalizations for the most part – stay away from sweeping statements about the state of humanity! “Since the beginning of civilization, humankind has…”

· Don’t underestimate the importance of simplicity and clarity; avoid wordy, rambling sentences. Explain yourself clearly and include only what’s directly important to your argument.

Referencing

· Make sure to consistently reference. This is very important, as some markers will come down VERY hard on you if you use an inconsistent/insufficient referencing style.

· Avoid referencing lectures in your papers; it makes it seem like you haven’t engaged with the text.

· Within your paper, reference ALL quotations and paraphrased ideas that are not your own. Do so by putting the author’s last name, followed by the page reference immediately after the quote/paraphrase, followed by a period (Weaver, 2). There’s no need for footnotes unless you need to explain/qualify something outside the body of your text.

· Entitle your reference page Works Cited or Bibliography. Citations are to be double-spaced.

MLA Basic Guidelines (note: all you can italicize book titles instead of underlining if you prefer):

1. Book by one author:

Mistry, Rohinton. A Fine Balance. Toronto: McCelland, 1995.

2. Book by two+ authors (if more than three, just say first author followed by the term ‘et al’)

Podleski, Janet, and Greta Podleski. Crazy Plates. Waterloo: Granet, 1999.

3. Book by an editor/compiler

Silvera, Maceda, ed. The Other Woman: Women of Colour in Contemporary Canadian Literature.

Toronto: Sister Vision, 1995.

4. Work in a collection/anthology

Kincaid, Jamaica. “Blackness.” The Oxford Book of Caribbean Short Stores. Ed. Stewart Brown. Oxford:
Oxford UP, 1999. 162-165.

*note: if a multiple edition work or translated piece, write ‘2^nd Ed.’ and/or ‘Trans.’ directly after the book title

5. Magazine Article

Oh, Susan. “Flu Watch: Waiting for the Big One” Macleans. 29 Nov. 1999: 76-90.

6. Journal Article

Stratton, Florence. “Cartographic Lessons: Susanna Moodie’s Roughing it in the Bush and Thomas

King’s Green Grass, Running Water.” Canadian Literature. 161/162 (1999): 82-102

*note: 161/162 is the issue number

7. General Format for Electronic/Online Sources

Author. “Title of Document”. Title of Original Source. Date of Print Version. Volume #, Issue #, Date o

retrieval .

8. Lecture

Sevigny, Alexandre. “Lecture Number 9”. CMST 1A03: Introduction to Communication. McMaster

University, 12 November 2006.

Assignment Guidelines

General

-Clarity, transparency, succinct
-correct use of citations and bibliographies,
-introductory summary, clear point of departure, conclusion or summation
-course-driven vocabulary and copia, overall presentation, and the presence: meaning have a thorough knowledge of the background info, and make sure to do a little extra research to bring something more to topic (ie: why are some points included or excluded? Well rounded view?)

Particular

-“compare and contrast” two articles on same subject from ToC and from Dictionary
-similarities, differences – how treated. Why? Be CRITICAL (take a viewpoint)
-structure suggestion: if you want, start out with the more empirical comparisons (length, citations, etc.), then move into conceptual form of piece
-Examples: McLuhan, Oral culture; Orality, Primary & Secondary

Topics

-beginning stuff not as present in Dictionary (because Canadian); may have more material with propaganda, Chicago school (though would be interesting itself to examine Canadian exclusion from Dictionary)
-can go ahead in readings if something is of interest, may find more material later on (ie: Frankfurt School, ideology)

Questions to ask yourself:

Are they longer/shorter, shallower/deeper, clearer or more obscure, do either seem to have an explicit bias on the article, or hidden agenda? If so, why?

Do the entries seem to be sympathetic/unsympathetic, neutral, respective/dismissive?

What is emphasized, de-emphasized, omitted or glossed over?

Do the articles agree/disagree; how are they similar/different (in both topic and style)?

Point: to learn the limitations of sources, dictionaries and encyclopedia, while observing how emphases in treatment can shade what's being said.

Innis and McLuhan Resources

Along with the great articles on Innis, a particularly helpful Innis text is his book The Bias of Communication. There are several copies available at the Burnaby library. Check out the essay within it entited "Minerva's Owl" if you're interested in his theories of communication affecting society - particularly if you don't understand it very well, want to read an original text, or are considering featuring Innis for your research paper.

A hallmark overview of McLuhan's theories (containing his own description of hot and cool media) is his interview with Playboy magazine. Here's the link: http://www.nextnature.net/?p=1025

Tutorial Outline

Welcome to CMNS 110! Whether you are a student from another faculty taking this course as an elective, or plan to join the School of Communication, this class will serve as a fascinating and eye-opening overview on media concepts and critical studies. The purpose of having a tutorial is to debate, discuss and evaluate both the topics we are reading about and our wider views of society and communication. I both hope and expect that you will attend tutorials with the purpose of bringing your views, discussion topics and unique perceptions of the concepts to your peers.

About Me

Sonja Weaver – Hon. BA in Communication and Philosophy, McMaster University.

Currently working on MA in Communication at SFU in identity construction in information societies.

Office Hour: Mondays from 11:30-12:20 in SUR 5302

Email Address: snw1@sfu.ca

Tutorials

The purpose of the tutorial is to enhance and explore what you are learning in class and through your readings, so make sure to ask any and all questions concerning the course that you can think of. Each week, we will be concentrating primarily on the previous week’s readings, particularly the themes discussed in class. As mentioned in your class syllabus, part of each tutorial will be devoted to student briefings of the material (see below). I will also provide key themes and insights into the assigned readings (and any other topics that we find interesting).

Participation Expectations

5% of your final grade will be generated from tutorial participation, in addition to the 10% for your briefing. This does not refer just to attendance, but particularly the quality of your discussion in class.

Briefings

Have a look at the syllabus; the weekly briefings are outlined comprehensively there. Basically, you are to prepare a five minute walk-through and corresponding handout on the particular reading that you have signed up for; the idea is to explain the key concepts to the rest of us. You should speak about the topic for approximately five minutes or so, to be followed by about five more minutes of class discussion led by you. In order to make it easier on yourself, you may want to prepare questions or prompts ahead of time (instead of just asking people to comment – that will be like pulling teeth, believe me!), or even a short activity to do with the topic. You will be graded on your ability to concisely and accurately portray the material, demonstrating how you have made connections and enhanced your own understanding of the topic. You will also be evaluated on your ability to generate meaningful questions and/or class discussion of the theme.

Assignments

In our meetings leading up to the due date for the two written assignments, we will go over specific requirements and discuss topic ideas. Make sure to use Roman’s framing questions, theme suggestions and paper structure breakdown as a guideline for how to direct your research and writing; we will also discuss this in tutorials. I will be available to talk with you and go over your drafts and reasoning for assignment grades at my weekly office hour (if you plan on coming to an office hour to discuss an assignment, please email me your draft at least a day in advance so I can have time to look at it), as well as answering any brief questions you have via email. Above all, I want you to get the most out of this tutorial and course and will help you as much as I am able to. Just a side note – I’ve had a lot of experience with detecting copied/plagiarized work, so please save us both the hassle (and potential failing grade!) and submit only your own original work. All assignments are due on the date indicated on the syllabus unless you make alternate arrangements with me well in advance.

Resources

If you require a bit more guidance, the following resources may be helpful:

SFU Surrey Learning Commons: http://learningcommons.sfu.ca/surrey/

-provides workshops, groups and one on one academic support

-check out website for calendar of events, such as “Library Skills – Find Journal Articles Fast!”

SFU Burnaby Learning Commons: http://learningcommons.sfu.ca/

Health and Counseling Centre: http://www.sfu.ca/hccc/06personal/intro.htm

-offers a variety of services, from personal counseling to support workshops

Library Services: http://www.lib.sfu.ca/

-available on all three campuses; ranges from weekly info sessions to one on one research support