ENG 111-4 - Topic: Do Words Make a Difference (W) (1)

Do Words Make a Difference? The Language of the Me Too, Black Lives Matter, Alt-Right, and other Twentieth-Century Movements.

This course will examine the contested language and rhetorics of recent social movements, and reflect on the relationship between language and power. Who has the power to define social movements? What rhetorical appeals have been most effective and with whom? What difference does language make with respect to (shifting) individual and group identities? What is the relationship between language and political efficacy? How has the conflict between banning hate speech and protecting freedom of speech been socially drawn and contested? Students will develop skills in academic research, writing and discussion. Not open to students who have previously completed a First-Year Writing Course.
(Writing Requirement)