Weekly Schedule

GLOBAL WRITING SEMINAR

FALL 2016

WEEK ONE: SEPTEMBER

WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

Tuesday
CLASS 1

9/6
CLASS
INTROS,
KEYWORDS &
READING
VISUALLY

Thursday
CLASS 2

9/8
Power: Tracking,
Mapping, Reading,
Writing

Today youll be introduced to your class

syllabus, your class web site, your class Slack
site, and our class database on Air Table.
Todays lecture will introduce you to a concept
from cultural studies called key words,
focusing our attention on the keyword subject.
Well end by learning a color-coded technique
for reading theoretical material that I call
reading visually.

All cultural studies projects ask the question: in

this instance, which actors (human and nonhuman) appear to have power over others, and
to which powers are those currently in power
subjected?
Today we will use our color-coded assigned
readings, to practice two methods for tracking
power relations in cultural phenomena. The first,
discourse analysis, involves noting the
appearance of words and phrases that signal
power relationships of some sort. The second,
actor-network mapping, is a visual plotting of
the relationship between parties at discrete
moments in a phenomenon.

READING &
DUE
TODAY

WRITING
DUE TODAY

No reading. No writing.
First day of First day of
class.
class.

Target
employee
story from
Web

Complete
Student
Questionnaire
Join Slack
and add
channels

We end with a discussion of how power

operates in the reading and writing process
through things like claims to authority, citation
practices, point of view, authorial voice, reader
engagement, reader refusal, reader as writer,
and so forth.

WEEK 2 SEPTEMBER
WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

Tuesday
CLASS 3

9/13
SUBJECT AS
ARGUMENT

Today I begin by suggesting that one way to

think about subjectivity is as an argument we
make to ourselves, about ourselves (similarly,
we can think of identity as an argument we
make about ourselves to others.)

READING
DUE TODAY

WRITING
DUE TODAY

Keyword
essay:
Subject

visual
reading of
Subject
essay as
directed

To make sure we are clear on what an argument

is, and how it works, well go through our visual
reading of the essay called subject, paying
close attention to the difference between
argument and evidence.

visual
reading of
Target
piece for
subject
positions

Next, well examine the many pieces of

vocabulary that appear in this essay, focusing
especially on how identity and interpellation are
linked. To solidify what weve learned, well turn
back to the multiple subject positions articulated
Target employee story, adding some personal
and observational narratives from our own lives,
for good measure.

Thursday
CLASS 4

9/15
LAYERING TIME
AND SPACE

Today we consider the fact that subject positions are

always a product of time and space, which are in turn
subjected to things like technology, perception,
language and norms.
Well begin by reviewing the concepts of temporality
and spatiality covered in your reading for today.
To give you some experience working with these
concepts, well use discourse and semiotic analysis
to analyze material on a Tumblr site called Selfies at
Serious Places. Well end by talking about ways in
which artists have tried to derail the power of time
and space through techniques like direct address,
narrative braiding, interactive footnoting, montage,
collage, curating, and forking paths.

Space
Time

Visual
reading of
both time
and space
essays
Return to
Target
essay and
mark for
space and
time

WEEK 3: SEPTEMBER
WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

Tuesday
CLASS 5

9/20
ADDING
MARKETS

Thursday
CLASS 6

9/22
LEARN TO
BRAID
NARRATIVE
AND
THEORY

READING
TODAY

Thus far, weve considered three separate

Market
keywords in cultural studies: subject, time, and
space. Today we look at one more: markets.
Story
Well begin by turning back to the case of
about
Target once more to consider various subject
Targets
positions within markets (producer, consumer,
failure in
distributor, materials owner, advertiser,
Canada
financer.)
Watch:

We then consider the difference between

regulations and norms within and between
markets (relative to age, gender, race, ability,
region, nation, currency, etc.) We end by
discussing a development in digital culture that
confounds current economic categories,
regulations, and norms: the rise of high
frequency trading.

In this class, youll learn to braid

observational narratives with cultural studies
keywords to create a story that thinks.
Reading like writers, well start with todays
assigned text, noting how Sharma moves from
observation to theory (usually to explain a
phenomenon), and how she braids
observation back into the text (usually to raise
questions about or complicate the theory shes
just described.)
Next, youll practice braiding yourself, using
one of the essays you submitted to NYU
before the start of the school year, searching
for places in your existing narrative that could
be meshed with theoretical concepts from
class.

How High
Frequency
Trading
Works

Introduction
to Sarah
Sharmas In
the
Meantime

WRITING
DUE TODAY

Visual
read of
market
essay
Locate
two
essays
you
submitted
before
school to
rework for
Paper 1

Visually
distinguish
this text at
three levels:
between
narrative and
theoretical
sections; and
with regard
to transitions
between the
two

WEEK 4: SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

Tuesday
CLASS 7

9/27
YOUR
BRAINSTORM

Thursday
CLASS 8

9/29

WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

READING
DUE TODAY

WRITING
DUE TODAY

Shortly, youll be asked to produce Paper 1,

a 1200 word cultural studies essay that braids
observational narrative with conceptual
material from at least two keywords covered in
class.

Read:

Make a
teaching
chart for
yourself
using one of
your essays

Today, we will talk about the six factors that

make up every cultural studies essay: topic,
question, object/case, lens (es), method and
presentation.

Choose of
Sarah
Sharma
chapter
selections

Keeping the 6 factors in mind, well work on an

abstract template assignment, designed to
help you plan Paper 1.

All week, Ill be holding private meetings with

students to discuss their paper plans. In order
to accommodate students who can ONLY
meet me during this 1:15 of class time each
week, class is cancelled today. All students
are expected to have engaged with their peer
reviews and redrafted their essay before
meeting me to discuss further actions in my
office.

Preparing
Your abstract
for Meetings is due today
with Terri

PRIVATE
MEETS WITH
YOUR
ABSTRACT

WEEK 5: OCTOBER
WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

Tuesday
CLASS 9

10/4
TALKING
DRAFTS

Thursday
CLASS 10

10/6
TALKING
DRAFTS 2

Today, well work peer-reviewing one

anothers talking drafts. We will begin by
visual noting the where narrative appears,
and how that narrative is braided into
theoretical material throughout. Next, we
color code the text, noting argument,
evidence, and style choices. Finally, we
engage specific questions raised by the
writer of this text in the talking sections of
the draft. After weve uploaded all our work
to Slack, we then talk in pairs about our
findings.

Today, well work peer-reviewing one

anothers talking drafts. We will begin by
visual noting the where narrative appears,
and how that narrative is braided into
theoretical material throughout. Next, we
color code the text, noting argument,
evidence, and style choices. Finally, we
engage specific questions raised by the
writer of this text in the talking sections of
the draft. After weve uploaded all our work
to Slack, we then talk in pairs about our
findings.

READING
DUE

Whats a
Talking
Draft?

WRITING DUE
TODAY

Talking drafts
of your essay

Peer
Review
Protocols

Talking drafts
of your essay

WEEK 6: OCTOBER
WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

Tuesday
CLASS 11

10/11
GLOBAL
KEYWORDS

Thursday
CLASS 12

10/13
LEARN TO
MACRO
RESEARCH, AKA
RESEARCH
SELFISHLY

In paper 1, you were asked to produce an

T
essay that braided shared keywords with
personal observations. For paper 2, you
will be producing an essay that allows
someone who doesnt know you to
understand and appreciate your interests
as a global researcher. For this, youll to
supplement our shared cultural studies
keywords with concepts from global
studies that resonate with you as a thinker,
a writer and (for some of you) a creative
practitioner. This class will consist of
exercises to help you do just that.

Last class, you were asked to choose a

section of the Thinking Globally book that
appealed to your personal intellectual tastes.
Today, you will learn to use NYUs library
resources to continuing your path of selfish
(technically self-directed) research We begin
by discussing scholarly research in two
ways: at the macro or telescopic level, and
at the microscopic level. Today you will learn
how to do macro research to uncover
overview, introduction and summary texts for
keyword list building. In a few weeks, youll
supplement this with micro research:
chapters and articles that take a more
specific and focused approach than an
introduction or overview would.

READING
DUE

Intro to
Thinking
Globally
Choose one
other
chapt
er in
this
book
to use
for
keyw
ords

Finding
Scholarly
Sources:
The Macro
View

WRITING
DUE
TODAY

develop a
personaliz
ed
keyword
list, per
the
directions
in todays
assignme
nt

Develop a
list of at
least three
keywords
beyond
what you
encountere
d in
Thinking
Globally,
and use
scholarly
sources to
find
introductor
y texts to
explore
those
terms

WEEK 7: OCTOBER
WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

Tuesday
CLASS 13

10/18
YOUR
PRELIMINARY
RESEARCH
STATEMENT

Thursday
CLASS 14

10/20
PRIVATE MEETS

READING
DUE

WRITING
DUE TODAY

Today we begin drafting Paper 2: Your

Preliminary Research Statement. A research
statement is a document scholars produce
when asked to detail their intellectual plans
and goals. Were calling yours preliminary to
remind you that nothing you submit for Paper
2 is set in stone. In your next months and
years at GLS, you can and probably will
change your mind in large and small ways,
and thats great. Paper 2 is a road map, not a
contract: youre creating it to get some clarity
about your present intellectual interests, not
to turn it into a GPS that leads you off a
scholarly cliff in the future.

Read
Research
Statement
Guidelines
(Paper 2)

Write full
responses
to questions
in
Preliminary
Research
Statement

All week, Ill be holding private meetings with

students to discuss their papers. In order to
accommodate students who can ONLY meet
me during this 1:15 of class time each week,
class is cancelled today. All students are
expected to arrive in my office with a full draft
of their Research Statement, which we will
then discuss in my office.

Preparing
for Meetings
with Terri

To view:
Sophomore
approaches
Intellectual
Autobiograp
hy projects

Full Draft
(all
questions
answered,
or at least
attempted)
of Research
Statement

WEEK 8: OCTOBER
WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

Tuesday
CLASS 15

10/25
THE
GLOBAL
URBAN

Thursday
CLASS 16

10/27

Today we start on the final phase of

the semester: a consideration how
notions of the global urban fit in with
your own interests as a researcher. In
class, Ill give a short lecture on the
global urban, and then use a
worksheet designed to help you
brainstorm possible avenues for
research projects. Well end by looking
at work from some GLS seniors who
are currently considering the global
urban in their thesis projects.

Two weeks ago, you learned to do

scholarly research at the macro level
uncover overview, introduction and
summary texts for keyword list
building. Today you are going to learn
how to supplement this sort of material
with micro research: chapters and
articles that take a more specific and
focused approach than an introduction
or overview would.

READING
DUE

Intro chapter to
City: The
Basics

WRITING
DUE TODAY

Assignment
to come.

Pick an
appropriate
chapter in the
Global Urban

Scholarly
Researching:
Macro Level

Assignment
to come.

LEARN TO
DO MICRORESEARCH

WEEK 9 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER
WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

Tuesday
CLASS 17

11/1
SEARCH FOR
IMAGES, CASE
STUDIES &
ONLINE
CONVERSATIONS

Thursday
CLASS 18

11/3
PRIVATE MEETS

READING
DUE

WRITING
DUE TODAY

Academic publishing takes time, which

means that lots of case study material
hasnt made it into journals or books.
Today well learn ways to search the
web and social media sites for case
studies, images, video and other
materials that might serve you well as
your work on your research project

Read: Doing
Research with
Popular
Sources

Assignment
to come.

All week, Ill be holding private

meetings with students to discuss their
abstracts. In order to accommodate
students who can ONLY meet me
during this 1:15 of class time each
week, class is cancelled today. All
students are expected to post a full
draft of their abstract to Slack, which
we will then discuss in my office.

Preparing for
Meetings with
Terri

Full Draft (all

questions
answered, or
at least
attempted)
on Abstract,
and list of
sources you
plan to use
for this
project

WEEK 10: NOVEMBER

WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

READING
DUE

WRITING
DUE TODAY

Tuesday
CLASS 19

11/8
DRAFTING YOUR
NARRATIVE

Thursday
CLASS 20

11/10
SIGNPOSTING
YOUR THEORY

10

WEEK 11: NOVEMBER

WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

READING
DUE

WRITING
DUE
TODAY

Tuesday
CLASS 21

11/15
BRAIDING YOUR
THEORY

Thursday
CLASS 22

11/17
TALKING DRAFT

11

WEEK 12: NOVEMBER

WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

READING
DUE

WRITING
DUE TODAY

Tuesday
CLASS 23

11/22
ON GIVING
PRESENTATIONS

NO CLASS: HOLIDAY TODAY

Thursday
NO CLASS

11/24

12

WEEK 13: NOVEMBER-DECEMBER

WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

READIN
G DUE

WRITING DUE
TODAY

Tuesday
CLASS 24

11/29
PRIVATE MEETS

Thursday
CLASS 25

12/1
PRESENTATIONS

13

WEEK 14: DECEMBER

WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

READING
DUE

WRITING DUE
TODAY

Tuesday
CLASS 26

12/6
PRESENTATIONS

Thursday
CLASS 27

12/8
PRESENTATIONS

14

WEEK 15: DECEMBER

WHAT WELL COVER IN CLASS

READING
DUE

WRITING DUE
TODAY

Tuesday
CLASS 28

12/13
FINAL PEER
REVIEW

Thursday

12/15
WRAP UP

15

16