teaching with writing
social sciences syllabi
Disciplines
in the social sciences (e.g., Anthropology, Economics, Education,
Geography, Linguistics, Political Science, Psychology, Religious
Studies, Sociology, Statistics, Women's Studies) share with
other sciences the practice of basing disciplinary knowledge
on scientific inquiry. Social scientists ask and answer questions
about patterns of human activity and use writing both as an
aid to their own research and thinking and as a means of communicating
and thus legitimizing their findings. A primary objective of
social science research is to interrogate the relationship
between commonly held ideas about the world and actual observations
of the world. Writing in the social sciences is often highly
rhetorical, built around a thesis about a social phenomenon
and concrete evidence to support it. When social scientists
postulate, debate, and publish their findings, they contribute
to the body of ideas that keeps these fields dynamic.
sample syllabi
american
studies
- American
Studies 3112, American
Everyday Life: a lower-division course that focuses primarily
on the U.S. after World War II. Writing assignments include
descriptive writing, criticism, and a final paper.
communication
disorders
- Communication
Disorders 5900, Clinical
Issues and Procedures: an upper-division course designed
to familiarize students with the communication disorders
profession, with an emphasis on writing.
economics
- Economics
4431W, International Trade:
an upper-division writing-intensive course in which a sequence
of short assignments leads to a formal paper.
geography
- Geography
1301, Introduction to Human
Geography: a writing-intensive introduction to human
geography in which students conduct primary and secondary
research into issues of place, migration, war, nature, and
memory. Written assignments include writing-to-learn activities,
a sequenced formal paper, and a presentation.
linguistics
- English
3601, Analysis of the English
Language: an upper-division writing-intensive course
that asks students to identify and
investigate rhetorical and cultural ramifications of language.
See also the schedule for
sequenced course assignments.
- Linguistics
(100-level), Discovering
Linguistic Knowledge: an introductory course comprised
of a range of writing activities including essays, research
papers, reviews, and observational journals; grading suggestions
accompany descriptions of assignments.
political
science
- Political
Science 3835, International
Relations: an upper-division course
that focuses on major theoretical approaches to world
politics. Writing assignments include responses to assigned
readings and essays in which students are asked to connect
theoretical approaches to current events.
- Political
Science 371, Political
Design and Futuristics: an
upper-division writing-intensive course in which students
investigate political strategies and forms of governance
by designing a political system appropriate for a permanent
settlement on Mars. Assignments include four brief papers,
a group presentation, and a final report.
sociology
- Sociology
3411W, Understanding
Formal Organizations: an upper-division writing-intensive
course with writing assignments that include brief in-class
exercises, two 3-4 page papers, field notes, and a formal
10-12 page paper.
- Sociology
(100-level), Explaining
Human Behavior in Sociological Language: a writing-intensive
introductory course with numerous write-to-learn assignments,
field notes based on primary research, and multiple drafts
of a research paper.
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