COM 390 - Special Topics: Debate and Deliberation in Civic Life (Fall 2017)

Special topics course titles and descriptions may change. May be repeated for credit.
Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric distribution requirements.
Satisfies a Communication Studies interdisciplinary minor requirement.

Fall 2017: Debate and Deliberation in Civic Life
Instructor
Hogan

Debate and deliberation are essential mechanisms of democratic governance. Since ancient times, theorists have prescribed ethical and practical “rules” for democratic debate and deliberation, but in recent years the decline of civil, reasoned, and productive civic deliberations in the U.S. has raised new concerns about the health of America’s democratic republic. In this class, we will reflect on the role of debate and deliberation in civic life, taking a historical approach to understanding how changing rhetorical norms and conventions, increasing cultural diversity, and new media technologies have impacted the character and quality of public discourse. There are no prerequisites and the course is open to students from all classes and majors.