In distinguishing "Popular Science" from "Professional Science," Wikipedia writers describe the purpose of each form of science, addressing the difference from a rhetorical perspective. Professional Science, they maintain, is "forensic," whereas Popular Science is "epideictic." Epideictic (or ceremonial) oratory, which focuses on praise and blame, generally takes a side, assigning moral value to the science under consideration. We will explore what happens when forensic discourse, traditionally associated with professional science that aims to describe and validate scientific observation, is translated into epideictic discourse in the form of Popular Science, often to further a political position or serve as a form of entertainment. How do these translations affect the funding of scientific endeavors as well as our understanding of science?
In this class, we will examine the rhetorical strategies used by writers of popular science as they disseminate scientific information. These rhetorical choices will help us explore the role that science plays (and should play) in popular culture. We'll analyze popular documentaries such as An Inconvenient Truth to understand how science is used in this praise-or-blame paradigm. We will also look at how controversial scientific reports, such as those related to stem cell research and the genome project, are translated in political and economic debates. After we have examined these issues, you will investigate how a specific scientific discovery or study is depicted in popular culture and/or in the media. You might, for example, research how advertising influences prescription medication sales. Or, you might look at the impact that scientific/apocalyptic narratives have on our acceptance (or rejection) of scientific information (as in the case of narratives surrounding stem cell research).
The goal of this PWR course is simple: to help students develop and refine their academic writing skills, specifically in developing substantive research-based arguments, using rhetorical strategies to present ideas with intellectual rigor. In this PWR course you will learn to recognize, analyze, and use rhetorical strategies of argument across a range of writing genres. You will develop these skills by emulating the writing practices of professional writers: that is, you will draft and revise your writing; you will take into account the feedback of your peers and of your instructor; and your writing will be supported by credible resources and substantive research. Each assignment, each in-class activity, will contribute to your overall knowledge of writing. In this course, we will aim to make rhetoric visible; that is, we will look at the rhetorical strategies used by professional writers and think about the best rhetorical strategies to be used in our own writing.