科號Course Number:09220ANTH667900 學分Credit:1 人數限制Size of Limit:
中文名稱Course Title:社會科學寫作
英文名稱Course English Title:Writing in the Humanities and Social Science
任課教師Instructor:魏捷茲、蔣 斌
上課時間Time:TaTbTc
上課教室Room:人社C304

課程大綱:
一、課程說明(Course Description)
請至http://trex.hss.nthu.edu.tw/~anth/pro_courses.htm 下載。

Writing In the Humanities and Social Sciences
(Draft)
Second Semester, 2003-4 Academic Year
Institute of Anthropology
National Tsing Hua University

Instructors: Bien Chiang (etbien@gate.sinica.edu.tw) and James Wilkerson (wei.jiezi@msa.hinet.net)
Time: Tuesdays, 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Place: Room C304, College of Humanities and Social Science
Notes: A couple of preliminary comments about the preparation of this syllabus are in order. First, the instructors for this course thank the National Tsing Hua University Writing Center for their guidance and support in the preparation of this syllabus. Second, this is a tentative draft. It will be discussed at the first class meeting and can be changed to better suite student interests and needs. Third, though the instructors are painfully aware of the need to not swamp students with irrelevant or redundant websites, there will be additional websites provided over the course of the semester. These websites will include those for literature searches, professional associations, major journals, major departments and institutes of anthropology, and a few more websites for academic writing. Third, the instructors welcome other students in other departments and institutes to take this class for credit. If you are a student in another institute, please identify yourself at the beginning of class, during the break, or immediately after class.
Description. Whether to realize one’s own aspirations or to meet the expectations of others, effective academic writing is now more important than at any time in the past. Bluntly, more is also being asked today of a student in academic writing both before and after graduation than ever before. This course is intended to empower graduate students to respond to this reality without having to surrender their own right to make their own choices over why he or she should write or over what he or she writes. That is, though this course tries to avoid imposing why to write, or to teach what to write, this course does takes as its most important goal the teaching of how to write anthropology. The ultimate goal is that each student not only successfully graduate and hopefully benefit from his or her graduate studies in anthropology, but also so that he or she is better-equipped to cope with life—including but not only working life and a rewarding life as a writer—after graduation.
Special emphasis is given to academic writing in the humanities and social sciences as a social process. The stark reality of writing is that—though it may happen alone late at night, in small lonely room, and while filled with much private angst—it is an intensively social undertaking. In addition to being involved in the lives of real people who the person-as-writer knows personally and towards whom he or she feels a deep sense of responsibility—itself an intensively social activity strangely known as “fieldwork” for anthropologists—his or her own awareness of what he or she learns through fieldwork is challenged and transformed by the experience of committing that experience to paper for eventual public consideration. When writing to be read, one never writes alone.
If writing-to-be-read is a social process, then openly confronting this reality in a course on academic writing for the humanities and social sciences is potentially liberating in at least two significant ways. First, this course gives students the opportunity to exchange ideas with classmates—without any intention of insisting upon imposing a consensus—about how to confront emotionally and intellectually the choices that must be made by each individual author when writing-to-be-read. Writing-to-be-read is frankly emotionally and intellectually challenging and it is important to be emotionally and intellectually prepared to meet those challenges. Second, this course gives students the opportunity to learn and practice exactly those specific writing skills most likely to effectively empower an author to write his or her thoughts with confidence that he or she will be understood as originally intended. That is, it is not enough just to be willing or committed to writing-to-be-read; a student needs also to have the skills and strategies necessary to realize that goal.
Academic writing in the humanities and social sciences specifically requires accepting, understanding, and effectively and efficiently using the following specific skills and strategies: (1) fluency in the conventional style standards to enable a writer to foreground the uniqueness of a piece of writing; (2) mastery of the mechanics of the particular language and relevant writing genre so that a writer can defy the power of written language and their genre to imprison individual and novel thought and expression; and, (3) awareness about the conventions and practices in the submission, circulation, and preservation of texts necessary to retain control over the wider consequences of what is written.
There are a couple of final points to be made about this course. First, this course will from time to time touch upon the broader social significance of academic writing in general and for the humanities and social sciences in particular. Second, this course is organized in such a way so that, though sensitive to the different interests, perspectives, and history of distinct anthropological traditions, course content applies across language borders. That is, what is applicable for writing for the humanities and social sciences in Chinese is generally applicable to writing for the humanities and social sciences in English, and vice versa. This strategy has its pitfalls, but it does have the advantage from the student’s perspective that he or she does not have to learn to write one way in one target language, and an entirely different way for another target language. Third, the instructors of this course specifically hope that one consequence of this course is a heightened awareness of and sensitivity to issues involved in “writing culture” (or “writing society,” or “writing history,” and so forth) and how academic writing is embedded with such other academic activities as reading, talking, researching and how those activities are interwoven with wider society.
Requirements. The course requirements are all equally important, straightforward, and in every instance self-consciously geared to help each student with his or her individual needs in his or her respective courses and other degree requirements.
Readings. In other courses, writing requirements are usually organized around the required readings. In this course, it is the required readings that are organized around the writing requirements. As a consequence, the required readings are minimal, though this also means that their timely completion is even more important. Procrastinating is not possible, neither for the reading requirements nor for the writing requirements read, for instance, the handout from the University of North Carolina entitled “Procrastination” [http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/procrastination.html]).
Additionally, the comment in the course description about the emphasis in this course on this-worldly writing includes, naturally, coming to terms with the Internet. The bulk of this course’s required readings are provided on the Internet. The only exceptions are a few required readings that are specific exemplars of the various relevant genre for writing anthropology and other readings on style that are unavailable on the Internet. They will be handed out in class. The writing samples to be circulated in class include all genres, Chinese and English and translations from the one language to the other, and drafts, classic published examples, illustrative examples, and so forth.
The Internet addresses given immediately below are for web pages for writing centers at various North American universities, listed in the order of their importance for course required readings. (Some of the handouts available on the Internet must be accessed manually after going to the website for that particular writing center. In such cases, students need to go to the relevant website, look for key words such as “handouts” and “tips and techniques,” and then click on the relevant handout.)
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/ This address is the webpage for handouts for the UNC writing center. Note that one of the advantages for this course of the UNC writing center website is that it allows direct downloading of particular handouts. For this reason, only the webpage addresses and the full titles of the handouts are given below in the “Course Schedule.”
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~compose/student/ This address is the webpage for the Dartmouth College writing center. This is an excellent website, though much of its coverage is similar to the UNC writing center.
http://www.ipfw.edu/casa/WC/ [This website is currently under reconstruction. This address is the webpage for the Indiana University writing center. We have all the files and can send them to students should the relevant files not become available online (all these files are marked moved below).]
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/ This address is the homepage for the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign writing center. This website also does not permit direct access to and downloads from its individual handouts. To access the individual web pages, go to the above webpage, first click on “Tips and Techniques,” and then click on the appropriate title of the individual handouts as given below in the “Course Schedule” (see Table One).
http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/ This address is the webpage for writing at Bedford/St. Martins Press. This is a very useful website with much detail that will be interested to students who want to probe deeper in issues associated with academic writing.
http://www.rpi.edu/dept/llc/writecenter/web/wc_web/school/index.htm This address is the homepage for writing program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. This website is given mainly because it includes a useful description of the critique genre.
Writing Samples. In all likelihood, each student’s required writing samples for this course are already present in draft form, already required this semester for other courses, or already required this semester as other requirements for a degree. Whatever the case, students should choose as their writing samples those works that they intend to submit elsewhere, not just because it allows students to accomplish two goals at once, but also because it makes the task of revising a piece of writing that much more wedded to academic writing in real academic life. Those students working on a thesis or dissertation can simply extract each writing sample for the appropriate genre from their in progress thesis or dissertation and use it as their writing samples. Other students will be using writing assignments from previous semesters, writing samples due this semester, or writing samples due this semester for meeting other degree requirements. It is essential that required writing samples be punctually prepared before and submitted at the appropriate class meeting for each particular genre (again, see Table One for “Course Schedule”).
For the purposes of this course, one writing sample each is required for the following genre: (1) summaries, (2) critiques, (3) reviews of the literature, (4) articles, and (5) proposals. (Genre like abstracts, reaction papers, term papers and thesis and dissertation chapters will also be covered, respectively, under coverage for summaries, critiques, and articles.)
At least one writing sample should be in Chinese and one in English. Different students will want to have different ratios for their Chinese and English writing samples. Some students may decide to only submit a single critique, or even a summary, as their writing sample for one language, and prepare all other work in the other language. In making their decisions, the course instructors only ask that students take two things into consideration. First, do not attempt to do too much too soon in a second language; first build up your confidence in writing in that language. Second, be frank with yourself about your own future needs to write in a second language—remembering all the time that what you think today are your future needs may suddenly change tomorrow—and then start now in working towards those goals. As always, but especially in this case, share your fears, frustrations, and aspirations with your course instructors.
An essential point of qualification is essential when it comes to the submission of writing samples in this course. The instructors do not edit, revise, or rewrite a student’s writing samples. Nor do the instructors tell students why or what to write, but only how to revise for successful submission. Before submitting a writing sample for this course, students should be absolutely careful to solicit and fully understand what is expected when a piece of writing submitted in this class is submitted elsewhere, be sure that submitting a draft in this course as a writing sample is permitted, and be willing to take responsibility for all consequences for submission of such drafts as writing samples for this course. (This and other related points will be repeated both in the first class meeting and explored in greater detail under the topic “Submitting Written Work” in the “Course Schedule” [see Table One]).
Deadlines and Class Attendance. Whether required readings or writing samples, not being prepared for class is the same as an unexcused class absence. The reason is that not being prepared defeats the purpose of being in class and is unfair to and disruptive for the other students who do come to class prepared. Unless with prior consultation with, and the agreement of, course instructors, the maximum number of unexcused class absences is two. Excused absences require prior approval of one of the instructors and are at the discretion of the course instructors.
The Writing Center and its Tutorials. Finally, this class explicitly requires participation in the university writing center and its tutorials, though the extent of that participation will depend upon the needs of individual students. The specific nature and substance of participation in the writing center will be described at the first class meeting.
Course Grading. Fifty percent of the course grade is for the writing samples; fifty percent is for in class performance. Class performance includes attendance and active participation in class discussions.
Course grading of writing samples is set to standards of quality suitable for submission for review for publication. So long as adequate participation in the Writing Center and its tutorials can be assumed to resolve simple problems in the mechanics of language, scores for writing samples only take account of reflect command over: (1) the thesis statement, logic, and organization; (2) genre, and (3) style. A score of ninety or above indicates that the instructors judge that the writing sample submitted would be accepted for publication in a professional journal without further revision. A score of between eight-five and eighty-nine indicates that the work would be accepted for publication with modest revision. A score of between eighty and eighty-four indicates that the work has the potential for submission for publication after further extensive revision. A score of between seventy and seventy-nine indicates basic problems in writing that preclude submission for publication until those problems are better understood and more effectively confronted. A score below seventy indicates either an unwillingness or inability to write at a level consistent with that expected of graduate students.
Willful plagiarism in writing samples submitted, including willful failure to provide adequate documentation following accepted international scholarly conventions, is sufficient reason for course failure. What this means will be explained early in the course (read, for instance, the handout from the University of North Carolina entitled “Plagiarism” [http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/plagiarism.html]).

Table One. Course Schedule
WEEK TOPIC READINGS AND WRITING ASSIGNMENT
1. Overview of course content and the personal side of Writing
Introduction to summaries, responses, abstracts • http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/procrastination.html UNC writing center handout “Procrastination.”
• http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/plagiarism.html UNC writing center handout “Plagiarism” (see file “UNC Plagiarism”).
2. Overview of the public side of writing and the centrality of thesis statements
Writing sample for first genre—summaries—due
Introduction to critiques • UI writing center handout “Faculty Expectations for Academic Writing” (see file “UIndiana Expectations”). Go to http://www.ipfw.edu/engl/wchome.htm [moved], first click on “Handouts,” and then click on “Faculty Expectations for Academic Writing.”
• http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/readassign.html UNC writing center handout “How to Read an Assignment” (see file “UNC Read an Assignment”).
• http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/readingwriting.html UNC writing center handout “Reading Toward Writing” (see file “UNC Reading for Writing”).
• http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/thesis.html UNC writing center handout “Constructing Thesis Statements” (see file “UNC Thesis Statements”).
• IU writing center handout “How to Write Summaries and Responses” (see file “UIndiana SummariesResponses”). Go to http://www.ipfw.edu/engl/wchome.htm [moved], first click on “Handouts,” and then click on “How to Write Summaries and Responses.”
3. Arguments, and organization
Writing sample for second genre—critiques—due • http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/argument.html UNC writing center handout “Effective Academic Writing: The Argument” (see file “UNC The Argument”).
• http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/fallacies.htm UNC writing center handout “Fallacies: Mistakes in the Logic of Arguments” (see file “UNC Bad Arguments”).
• http://www.rpi.edu/dept/llc/writecenter/web/critique.html Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute writing center handout for critiques.
• http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/bkrev.html University of Toronto writing center handout for critiques.
• http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/njp0001.html Sample critique in anthropology.
• http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/organization.htm UNC writing center handout “Organization” (see file “UNC Organization”).
4. How to get started and writing and basic editing tips and techniques • UI writing center handout “Shaping Techniques” (see file “UIndiana Shaping”). Go to http://www.ipfw.edu/engl/wchome.htm [moved], first click on “Handouts, and then click on “Shaping Techniques.”
• UI writing center handout “A Review of Lessons from Style” (see file “UIndian Clarity and Grace”). Go to http://www.ipfw.edu/engl/wchome.htm [moved], first click on “Handouts,” and then click on “A Review of Lessons from Style.”
• http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/style.html UNC writing center handout “Improving Your Writing Style” (see file “UNC Writing Style”).
• http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/proofread.html UNC writing center handout “Editing and Proofreading” (see file “UNC Editing and Proofreading”).
• http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/feedback.html UNC writing center handout “How to Ask for and Receive Feedback on Your Writing” (see file “UNC Getting Feedback”).
• http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/revision.html UNC writing center handout “Straight Talk About Revision” (see file “UNC Revision” file)
• UI writing center handout “What is a Metadiscourse?” (see file “UIndiana Metadiscourse”). Go to http://www.ipfw.edu/engl/wchome.htm [moved], first click on “Handouts,” and then click on “What is a Metadiscourse.”
5. Documentation (including citations, references cited, and acknowledgements)
Introduction to reviews of the literature • http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/mla.html UNC writing center handout “Citation and Documentation in the Humanities: MLA Format” (see file “UNC MLA).
• http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/apa_2002.html UNC writing center handout “Citation and Documentation: APA Style” (see file “UNC APA”).
• http://www.apastyle.org/index.html APA’s own homepage for style advice.
6. Writing sample for third genre—reviews of the literature—due • UI writing center handout for “Writing a Review of Literature” (see file “Uindiana Lit Review”). Go to http://www.ipfw.edu/engl/wchome.htm [moved], first click on “Handouts, and then click on “Writing a Review of Literature.”
7. English in Chinese and Chinese in English (including Romanization systems and International Phonetic Alphabet)
Introduction to term papers, conference papers, articles, and books chapters • Relevant handouts from the Chicago Manual of Style will be provided in class.
8. Papers
Writing sample for fourth genre—articles—due • http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/introduc
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