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9/19: Narrative as Argument
Today we’ll start with a round-robin reading of our Counterstory Assignment. Each of us will choose a couple sentences to read aloud to the group and we’ll go around, reading and listening, reserving any feedback until the end. We share patterns and reflections after each member of our community reads. We’ll then access “Argument as Emergence, Rhetoric as Love” by Jim Corder, available on our course Blackboard site. Corder’s purpose in this article is define argument, but his intent is to offer a different definition than that proposed by other scholars. Rather than stating a position, acknowledging a counterargument, and proposing a solution, Corder proposes that “argument is emergence toward…
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9/5: “Single Stories” and “Counterstories”
We’ll discuss the role of storytelling in activism. Stories can lead to persuasion, protest, and policy changes. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie‘s story–and the many stories that circulate in her life–inform her writing, non-profit work, and public engagement. As you watch, take note of anything you like, find interesting, relate to, or have questions about. Be ready to describe “single stories” Adichie held about other people or places and “singles stories” that were imposed upon her. Consider Adichie’s definition of a single story. We understand single stories to be stereotypes that gain traction, eventually becoming common narratives often fueled by hate or fear and subconsciously accepted as some sort of truth. Single…
