ERIC ED395315: Rhetorics, Poetics, and Cultures: Refiguring College English Studies. Refiguring English Studies Series.

218 Pages·1996·3.2 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CS 215 285
ED 395 315
AUTHOR
Berlin, James A.
Rhetorics, Poetics, and Cultures: Refiguring College
TITLE
English Studies. Refiguring English Studies
Series.
National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana,
INSTITUTION
REPORT NO ISBN-0-8141-4145-5; ISSN-1073-9637
PUB DATE
96
NOTE
218p.
National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W.
AVAILABLE FROM
Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096 (Stock No.
41455-3050: $18.95 members, $25.95 nonmembers).
Classroom Use
Guides
PUB TYPE
Historical Materials (060)
Teaching Guides (For Teacher) (052)
MF01/PC09 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*College English; *Cultural Context; *Curriculum
DESCRIPTORS
Evaluation; Educational H:story; *English
Departments; *English Instruction; Higher Education;
Humanities; Language Role; Literary Criticism;
*Rhetoric; Teacher Student Relationship
*Critical Literacy; Cultural Studies; Departmental
IDENTIFIERS
Politics; Literary Canon; Poetics; Postmodernism
ABSTRACT
.
This book, the final work of a noted rhetorician and
scholar, examines the history and development of English studies, and
the economic and social changes that affect the understanding of the
humanities today. Noting that while rhetoric once held a central
place in the college curriculum, the book describes how rhetoric
became marginalized in college English departments as the study of
literature assumed greater status in the 20th century--a result of
the shift in decision-making in practical and political matters from
the "citizenry" to university-trained experts. The first section of
the book provides relevant historical background and explores the
political uses of English as a discipline. The second section, "The
Postmodern Predicament," shifts the focus to the contemporary scene.
The third section, "Students and Teachers," explores the general
guidelines recommend3d for the pedagogy of a refigured English
studies. It is argued that the classroom should become the center of
disciplinary activities, the point at which theory, practice, and
democratic politics interact. In the final section, "Departmental
Directions," three English departments that have addressed concerns
about English studies are profiled and recent research that attempts
to correct failings in traditional approaches to Loth literary and
rhetorical studies is discussed. Also, research in rhetoric and
composition is examined. An afterword by Janice Lauer concludes the
book. (NKA)
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Refiguring English Studies provides a forum for scholar-
Refiguring
ship on English Studies as a discipline, a profession, and
a vocation. To that end, the series publishes historical
ENGLISH
work that considers the ways in which English Studies
STUDIES
has constructed itself and its objects of study; investiga-
tions of the relationships among its constituent parts as conceived in
both disciplinary and institutional terms; and examinations of the role
the discipline has played or should play in the larger society and public
policy. In addition, the series seeks to feature studies that, by their form
or focus, challenge our notions about how the written "work" of En-
glish can or should be done and to feature writings that represent the
professional lives of the discipline's members in both traditional and
nontraditional settings. The series also includes scholarship that con-
siders the discipline's possible futures or that draws upon work in other
disciplines to shed light on developments in English Studies.
Volumes in the Series
David B. Downing, editor, Changing Classroom Practices: Resources for Lit-
erary and Cultural Studies (1994)
Jed Rasula, The American Poetry Wax Museum: Reality Effels, 1940-1990
(1995)
James A. Berlin, Rhetorics, Poetics, and Cultures: Refiguring College English
Studies (1996)
Robin Varnum, Fencing with Words: A History of Writing Instruction at
Amherst College during the Era of Theodore Baird, 1938-1966 (1996)
NCTE Editorial Board:Colette Daiute, Hazel Davis, Bobbi Fisher, Keith Gilyard,
Gail Hawisher, Ronald Jobe, Richard Ltickert, Karen Smith, Chair, ex officio,
Mario Welshons, ex officio
NCTE College Section Committee: James L. Hill, Chair, Albany State College;
Frank Madden, Assistant Chair, Westchester Community College; Pat Belanoff,
SUNY at Stony Brook; Theresa Enos, CCCC Representative, University of Ari-
zona; Jeanette Harris, University of Southern Mississippi; Dawn Rodrigues,
Kennesaw State College; Cynthia Selfe, Michigan Technological University; Tom
Waldrep, University of South Carolina; Collett Dilworth, CEE Representative,
East Carolina University; Louise Smith, ex officio, Editor,
Uni-
College English,
versity of Massachusetts at Boston; Miriam Chaplin, Executive Committee Liai-
son, Rutgers University; Miles Myers, NCTE Staff Liaison
Rhetorics, Poetics, and
Cultures
Refiguring College English Studies
James A. Berlin
Purdue University
Refiguring English Studies
Stephen M. North, Series Editor
SUNY at Albany
Ny7
uo
\-1 National Council of Teachers of English
Urbana, Illinois 61801-'1096
ct 1111 W. Kenyon Road,
r:
Manuscript Editor: Michael Himick
Production Editor: Michelle Sanden Joh las
Interior Design: Tom Kovacs for TGK Design
Cover Design: Pat Mayer
NCTE Stock Number: 41455-3050
© 1996 by the National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved. Printed
in the United States of America.
It is the policy of NCTE in its journals and other publications to provide
a forum
for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the teaching of
En-
glish and the language arts. Publicity accorded to
any particular point of view
does not imply endorsement by the Executive Committee, the Board of
Direc-
tors, or the membership at large, except in announcements of policy, where such
endorsement is clearly specified.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Berlin, James A.
Rhetorics, poetics, and cultures : refiguring college English
studies / James A. Berlin.
p. c.
(Refiguring English studies)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8141-4145-5
1. English philologyStudy and teaching (Higher)United States.
2. English languageRhetoricStudy and teachingUnited States.
3. PoeticsStudy and teaching (Higher)United States. 4. Language
and cultureUnited States. 5. Pluralism (Social sciences).
I. Title. II. Series.
PE68.U5B47 1996
808'.042'071173dc20
95-42783
Contents
vii
Editor's Note
ix
Acknowledgments
xi
Introduction
1
I. Historical Background
3
Studies
1. Building the Boundaries of English
17
Really Come From?
2. Where Do English Departments
39
II. The Postmodern Predicament
41
Curriculum, and English Studies
3. Postmodernism, the College
57
4. Postmodernism in the Academy
77
and English Studies
5. Social-Epistemic Rhetoric, Ideology,
95
III. Students and Teachers
97
ClassroOm
6. English Studies: Surveying the
115
7. Into the Classroom
147
IV. Department Directions
149
8. Sample Programs and Research
177
9. A Closing Word
vi
Contents
Afterword
181
Janice M. Lauer
Works Cited
183
Index
197
Author
205
Editor's Note
of Rhetorics, Poetics,
James Berlin first submitted a manuscript version
Studies to NCTE's Refiguring
and Cultures: Refiguring College English
the spring of 1993, based
English Studies series in the winter of 1992. In
recommendations and those of four outside reviewers,
on both my own
for the book, pending
the College Editorial Board approved a contract
and resubmitted the
revisions. Professor Berlin completed the revisions
the manuscript was sent out
project in November 1993, at which point
forwarded those reviews to
for a second round of reviews. In January, I
time of his death in Feb-
him, and he made still further revisions. At the
of
the finishing touches on the final version
ruary 1994, he was putting
the manuscript.
with generous support from a
At the request of the Berlin family, and
able to finalize the
number of people at Purdue and elsewhere, we were
penultimate version and sub-
changes Professor Berlin had made in that
and into print. To the
sequently to see the project through production
his acknowledgments, there-
list of names Professor Berlin included in
Harkin, John Trimbur, and Vic-
fore, I would add the following: Patricia
Gary Beason, for technical support;
tor Vitanza, for help with sources;
painstaking (and often ingenious)
and especially Karen Kura lt, for her
grateful to all of these
work verifying quotations and citations. 1.am very
Finally, Professor Berlin's family
people, and I know Jim would be as well.
Lauer, without whose stead-
and I want to offer special thanks to Janice
project could never have
fast commitment and thoughtful guidance this
been brought to fruition.
Stephen M. North
Series Editor
vii
Acknowledgments
Center for Humanistic Study for a
I would like to thank the Purdue
for a sabbatical semester, both
semester's support and Purdue University
work on this manuscript. I would
of which came at crucial times in the
encouraged me in this project by
also like to thank the universities that
them.
inviting me to share parts of it with
number of critical readings. I
The manuscript has profited from a
Bizzell, James Cruise, Lester Faigley,
would especially thank Patricia
Leitch, Alan McKenzie,
Geraldine Friedman, Janice Lauer, Vincent
thank the anonymous readers
George Moberg, and James Porter. I also
the text, and Steve North,
for NCTE, who offered detailed comments on
for continued editorial and personal support.
and Christopher, and my wife,
Finally, I want to thank my sons, Dan
gifts that life has to offer.
Sam, for sharing with me the best
elsewhere in different forms:
Parts of this manuscript have appeared
Boundaries in English Stud-
"Rhetoric, Poetic, and Culture: Contested
Postsecondary, eds. Richard H.
ies," The Politics of Writing Instruction:
I. Schuster (Portsmouth, NH:
Bullock, John Trimbur, and Charles
Studies and Cultural
Boynton/Cook-Heinemann, 1991); "Composition
Into the Field: Sites of Composition
Studies: Collapsing the Boundaries,"
York: Modern Language Associa-
Studies, ed. Anne Ruggles Gere (New
(Inter)views:
in the U.S.: A Response,"
tion, 1993); "Freirean Pedagogy
Literacy, eds. Gary A. Olson
Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives on Rhetoric and
Illinois University Press, 1991);
and Irene Gale (Carbondale: Southern
Composition and Refistance, eds. C.
"Composition and Cultural Studies,"
Blitz (Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook-
Mark Hurlbert and Michael
and English Studies: Postmodern
Heinemann, 1991); "Literacy, Pedagogy,
Praxis, and Hie Postmodern, eds.
Connections," Critical Literacy: Politics,
(Albany: State University of New
Colin Lankshear and Peter L. McLaren
Cultural Studies, and the Compo-
York Press, 1993); "Poststructuralism,
11.1
Theory in Practice," Rhetoric Review
sition Classroom: Postmodern
(1992): 16-33.
ix
1 0