Writing and Critical Reasoning

WRIT 150, Globalization: Fall 2021

Welcome to a new way of writing.

In Writing 150, there’s no more going for the “right answers.” Discovering what your ideas are, and whether
they are true, is what matters. No more writing “for the teacher.” You’ll be sharing your writing with a real
audience: your classmates as well as actual online readers. And finally, there’s no more need for total
certainty. It’s time to write to learn something, to take risks, to search for yet-unknown answers.

So why write this way? The simple answer is that it will help your future college writing, making it deeper
and more authentic to what you believe. But there’s more. Most of what we think actually comes from
others, not from our own, independent exploration of truth. Writing this way helps you examine what
you’ve been told, shake up long-held beliefs, and discover your own philosophy of the world.

Sapere aude: “Dare to know!” This is the goal of our work together.

I’m excited to be part of this journey with you, to see how your ideas develop, and I will do everything I can
to support you along the way.

Writing as Storytelling
So what’s the difference between most high school writing and college writing (also known as conceptual
writing)?

I think we can boil it down to thinking of writing as telling a convincing story to an audience, rather than simply
“proving your points.” To tell a convincing story, not only does it have to be true, you need to make
readers care about it and stay engaged. You need to explore problems, complications, and objections. You
need to think about what would make a reader see things the way you do. Therefore, the three goals of our
writing this semester will be to explain:

● Why your idea is true

● How you respond to those who disagree
● Why your perspective is important

For many students, learning a new way of writing means this is the most demanding writing class they’ve
ever taken. I get it. I know it might take a lot of effort. I care about my students, and I’m here to support
you along the way.

The good news is that a lot of students also findWriting 150 to be the most exciting writing class (or even
class) they’ve ever taken. You get to pursue your interests, figure out what you truly think, share it with real
people, and ultimately, help others (me included) see the world in new ways.

Writing Myths
Unfortunately, many myths surround the writing process. First is that there’s only one way to write or that
you have to sound formal and “smart.” While that style is fine for some, the truth is, your writing might
improve the more you incorporate your own voice in it. Remember, writing is about engaging audiences,
and our words and style should be adapted to whoever we’re talking to.
Along the same lines, some people think writers are geniuses or simply “born with it.” In fact, good writers
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use a variety of techniques that can be learnt and practiced, like those used to play basketball, cook, or
dance. Writing doesn’t come naturally, even to experienced writers. We work on it and at times, getting a
good paragraph can be as hard as hitting a thirty-foot three-pointer, making a delicious tagine, or landing
Simone-Biles-worthy triple spin.

Writing as Practical Skills

This class will offer you about 25-30 concrete, practical skills you can use in most of your future writing.
Some you may already be familiar with (topic sentences, thesis statements), and we’ll look to strengthen your
use of them. Others—like metacommentary, evoking pathos, or reverse outlines for editing—may be
completely new. I promise to share these skills as clearly as possible, give you feedback on your
implementation of them, and answer any questions along the way. The more you practice these skills, the
better writer you will become.

So what are these writing skills? We can break them into three categories.

First is experimentation. Contrary to what you may have been taught, it’s fine not to know what you think
when you start writing. Writing is a form of learning,testing things out. Writing always involves what’s called
invention or prewrting: brainstorming, conversations, exploring the city, reading, listing, asking questions, and
research. This is how you begin to figure out what you believe and how you should structure your essay.

Second are the rhetorical skills that guide the drafting of your essay. Rhetoric is, simply put, anything you
do to get your reader to identify with your perspective. Anything you do to make your story truly
convincing.

So how do you do that? You can get people angry or make them sympathize with your cause. You can
analyze Fortnite or financial data, cite Candide or Kendrick Lamar. You can respond to a counterargument
you’ve heard or discuss hypothetical scenarios. It’s anything you do to get your audience to identify with
your perspective, to say, “Wow—they really get it. That’s how the world really is.”

Finally, as no work of writing is perfect, we’ll focuson editing and revision. You’ll learn how to look at
your own writing critically, what questions to ask, understand the structure of paragraphs and sentencesin
relation to the total work, and how to make the essay flow better for readers.

Course Theme: Globalization

Read extended version on Medium:

https://medium.com/writ-150-at-usc-fall-2020/what-questions-can-we-ask-about-globalization-13474475fd
89

This section of WRIT 150 invites students to examine and write about issues of globalization. Since
globalization itself is a debated term, we will seek first to understand it as “the expansion and intensification
of social relations and consciousness across world-time and world-space,” or put more simply, “growing
worldwide interconnectivity” (Steger). In other words, globalization involves the rapid flow of people,
goods, ideas, and cultural practices across national boundaries.

But globalization itself raises many complex questions.Many think of globalization as an overall beneficial
trend, bringing capitalist growth, democracy, higher standards of living, and modern technologies to more
and more people, creating the possibility for a truly “global citizenship.” Skeptics argue that globalization
tends to homogenize people, replace local traditions for Western ones and impoverish workers.
Multinational corporations rule and everyday people—especially those in the Global South—suffer.

So I want you to ask the following questions (and any others that interest you), not in an abstract or
detached way, but in a way might change how we shape the world and the lives of earth’s 7 billion people:

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● How evenly are the benefits of globalization distributed, and, how might we change this inequality? ●
Does globalization threaten to make us all the same (wearing Nikes, using Samsung phones, shopping
on Amazon) or does it open new, hybrid forms of culture, from French-Algerian hip-hop to Korean
tacos and Thai Westerns?
● Should we strive toward a cosmopolitan, global political order or are social problems best
addressed nationally, or even locally?
● How will the rise of ethnonationalism exemplified by Brexit and the election of Donald Trump in
2016 shape the future of global integration?
● Uh, coronavirus?

There is a list of other topics in the “Syllabus,Rubric Overview” folder. Look over it tonight. I encourage
you to think about these topics, brainstorm others, and pursue the questions that excite you most.

Important Note: This is a writing class first and foremost. On the one hand, this means you do not need, nor
will I will assume that you have any previous experience with the topic. On the other hand, those with more
background in the subject should remember our primary goal is to produce quality writing and that the
majority of the class time will not be spent on the thematic content.

Required Texts and Materials

*Writing 150 Course Book (available online at
https://hmpublishing.redshelf.com/book/1586268/writing-150-1586268-9781533929228-the-writing-progr
am-university-of-southern-california)
*A notebook, pens, and pencils for in-class writing activities
*A laptop is required most days--let me know if you need help accessing one
* Most readings will be available on Blackboard in the “Writing Project” folder corresponding to the essay
assignment (WP1, WP2, WP3, or WP4).

Recommended Texts
*Cathy Birkenstein and Gerald Graff. They Say / I Say (any edition). Amazon, from $6 used. This book is
optional, but highly recommended, since it demystifies the key “moves” academic essays make and
includes a list of helpful templates for writing—from how to introduce quotations and mark cause and effect
to using qualification and disagreeing with others.

*Manfred Steger. Globalization: A Very Short Introduction. Amazon, from $12

Again, this book is optional, but explains several of the key concepts that we will work with in this class. If
you have any interest in the topic, it is well worth purchasing.

Writing Requirements
*Essays: You will write four argumentative essays of 4-8 pages each. A specific prompt,writing guidelines,
and schedule of relevant readings and assignments for each essay will be distributed on Blackboard.
Though everyone will be responding to the same prompt, you’ll have the freedom (more and more as the
semester progresses) to write on an issue of your own choosing. I encourage you to make each assignment
your own: write on what you care about, in your voice, and in a way that reflects your unique intellectual
journey. If you want to do a different prompt than what I assign, just email me and we’ll talk about it.

Formatting essays: The first few essays will be posted exclusively online on Medium. Use links to cite
sources. For your final essay, we will use MLA, a writing style used in the Humanities. See your WRIT
150 Course Book or the Purdue OWL, MLA section online for more information.

Submitting essays: Final drafts of essays will be submitted on Medium and a few minor assignments
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will be uploaded to Blackboard. Essays will generally be returned with endnote comments and a grade in
two weeks, give or take a few days. I will try to get them back as soon as I can.

*Ancillary Writing Activities: Real-world essay-writing involves lots of brainstorming, analysis of readings
and media, engagements with the world, and discussions with others. To that end, as you’re working on each
essay, you’ll write mini-assignments—ancillary writing activities—to help you develop your ideas. Some of
these will be done in class, and others will be assigned as homework to be posted on Blackboard, Google
Docs, or Medium.

Ancillary writing activities will be informal, low-stakes, and short, with the goal of helping you become
comfortable with imperfect writing. These assignments will take a number of different forms, including
journal entries, reading reflections, and peer critique letters written in response to your classmates’ writing.
As long as they are written with a good faith effort, you will receive full credit. Ancillary writing activities
not submitted by the due date will receive no credit.

*Portfolio: Your fourth essay will be submitted in a final portfolio at the end of the semester. The Portfolio
will also include an ancillary writing assignment to be announced near the end of the semester. The
portfolios will be graded collaboratively by me and instructors from the Writing Program to ensure
consistent grading across the various sections of WRIT 150.

*Writing Workshops
All writing can be thought of as a kind of rewriting: we rework ideas from others, experiences we’ve had,
and insights from our past. No first draft is perfect. Some aren’t that great. Some are just average. And a
lucky few are good. But what they all have in common is that they need rewriting. Even the most
experienced writers work their essays through three, four, five times.

Whenever an essay is due, we’ll hold writing workshops beforehand. The format of the workshops will vary
(some we’ll do together as a full class, while others will involve small groups) but the general idea is that you
will critique the work of your classmates and have your own essays critiqued. The goal is to help each other
improve, and your insights are extremely helpful for your classmates. If you are absent on a workshop day,
see me about a make-up peer critique.

Important Note: Unless stated otherwise, please consider all writing you do for the class “public” in that I may
ask you to share it or discuss it with others.

Other Policies
*Class Participation

I care about what everyone has to say. While I recognize that people have varying levels of comfort around
speaking in a room full of people, discussion is a crucial part of this class: the more freely we share our
thoughts, observations, and insights, the more interesting and productive our meetings will be. In short, we’ll
learn more—and have a more enjoyable time doing it—if everyone contributes. Let me know if there is
anything I can do to support you contributing more in class.

Additionally, we will undoubtedly touch on many subjects that evoke strong emotions and opinions
throughout the semester. Lively debate is encouraged and essential. As a class focused on globalization, it is
especially important that even when disagreeing you try your best to understand different experiences and
thoughts. I ask you to approach each other in a spirit of collaborative learning, discovery, and respect.

Use instances of disagreement to remember we are all learning something and to reflect on your own
assumptions. How do you know what you know? How can you be sure? Doing so will help you refine your
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own arguments and analyses, refute what you believe is false or misleading, and dialogue with other
perspectives to become a better writer.

*Communicating by Email
I’m more than happy to answer your questions over email. (During the week, I will usually respond in 24
hours; if you write to me over the weekend, I will generally answer on Monday morning.) I don’t,
however, read and respond to entire essay drafts over email—if you’re interested in discussing a draft, please
come to my office hours or email me to set up an appointment at a different time.

You can address me as Mr. Dochterman (he/him/his).

*Attendance: COVID Update

The class is discussion-based and runs as a workshop, so your attendance and participation are necessary for
optimal learning. This semester presents specific challenges related to COVID. All of us will be required to
do daily Trojan Checks and we will be required to wear a mask in-class. While no one prefers this setup, it is
for our communal safety and health.

Next, if you are ever feeling sick or showing symptoms,please stay home for your own sake and for that of
others. You will never be penalized for staying home sick if you suspect you have COVID and will be able
to make up all assignments. Generally, I try to be very flexible and understanding with missing class,
especially now. So just communicate with me!

However, if you miss more than9 classes for non-COVID related issues, especially without discussing it
with me, it will affect your course grade and you may be asked to withdraw.

Participation
Class participation includes arriving to class on time and staying for the entire class period. It also includes
actively participating in class discussions and group work by contributing, listening, and taking notes.

I don’t know everything and don’t expect my students to either. Asking questions is an essential part of
participation as well. You will never be penalized for a wrong answer or confusion concerning the material
we are discussing. I’d much rather hear your thoughts and questions—especially since others are probably
wondering the same thing—than not hear them.

*Conferences
For each writing project, we meet in conferences in lieu of one or two class periods. You will need to come
prepared to the conference with all of the prewriting materials you have at that point, including a draft. You
will set the agenda and goals for these conferences, so think about what questions you have and what ideas
you would like to explore. Conference attendance is required; missing your conference time equates to an
absence. Not coming with a draft of the required length and quality (or not sending me one if you must be
absent) also constitutes a lapse of professionalism.

Communication Tools and Policies

*Medium
All major assignments (Writing Project 1, 2, 3, and 4) will be posted on the online forum Medium. Some
Ancillary Assignments will be posted there as well. This site allows both your classmates and anyone on the
web to read your writing and respond to your ideas. I have chosen to do this to give you a sense of the stakes
of real-world writing and to help you think about your audience. Having your fellow students respond to
your writing can be one of the most exciting parts of this class!

If you are uncomfortable using your real name, please email me, and we can set up a pseudonym. If you
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have other concerns about using Medium, please email me about them.

*Blackboard
Our course Blackboard site will be where you find course announcements, readings, and assignment
prompts. You will also turn in your four Writing Projects through Blackboard’s Turnitin feature. I will often
ask you to upload process writing to Blackboard as well, so you can receive feedback from me or your peers.

*Google Docs
We will use Google docs as a collaboration tool both inside and outside of class. You must use your USC
email address to access our course Google docs folder.

*Cell Phones/Texting and Laptops

Please bring a laptop every day. Any use of cell phones,tablets, laptops, or headphones in class for purposes
when not required will count as a lapse in professionalism.

*Online Learning
While we expect to be doing in-person learning all semester, we may need to move to Zoom if the situation
with COVID changes. Conferences may be done over Zoom this semester.

Grading Contract for Writing 150: Fall 2021

Grading
This section of Writ 150 will use a contract grading model, part of a two-year pilot study of grading
contracts and feedback styles in USC Writing 150 courses. This study will assist the USC Writing Program
(and other college writing programs) to assess how different models of writing instruction best serve
student learning outcomes.

THIS CONTRACT guarantees a semester grade of “B” for all students who meet the following conditions:

1. Attendance: You can miss one week’s worth of class(3 classes) without incurring a penalty (two weeks if
all of the absences are excused via documentation from, e.g., a medical professional). “Excused absences”
also refers to absences that are related to university-sanctioned events (such as athletic contests or religious
holidays). Documentation having to do with excused absences needs to be submitted to me within one week
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of the absence. Work you miss while absent needs to be submitted at the beginning of the next class meeting
you attend.

2. Tardiness: Arriving to class later than 5 minutes after our scheduled starting time counts as a tardy; three
tardies counts as one absence.

3. Essays: You must complete all four of the major essay assignments for class, and they must be handed in
on time. Due dates are specified down to the minute (so, yes, if your essay is just one minute late, it will still
be counted as “late” and will constitute a breach of the contract). Bear in mind that you still must turn in all
the essays to pass the course. If one or more essays are missing on the last day of class (May 1st, at the start
of class), additional penalties will be applied: see the chart below for details. Ancillary work is late if you fail
to hand it in as a hard copy during our class meeting. (Emailed ancillary will be counted “late.”)

4. Ancillary work: You must complete all of the smaller writing assignments and tasks, including practice
heuristics, reading responses, stylistic exercises, and so on. This work needs to be turned in on time, too.

5. Professionalism: All your work needs to show signs that you are putting in serious and focused effort.
This means that you need to be an active participant in class and a good reading partner for your student
colleagues (especially during peer review activities), and that your written work should be carefully
copyedited, should meet the length requirements, and so on.

For Grades of B+, A-, and A: These grades will be given to students based on assessment
of the Final Portfolio. Starting in the 10th week of the semester, we will, as a class, review and
discuss the Grading and Evaluation Rubric in the Writing 150 Course Book and work towards
an agreement on how those standards should be applied to the Final Portfolios. The class will
vote to approve the final, revised rubric, which will be ratified via a 2/3 majority vote. If the
class fails to arrive at a consensus in a timely way, then we will rely on the rubric as written in
the Course Book.

Grading Breakdown:

This table shows what your semester grade will be if you don’t meet the terms of the
contract:
Grade Absences Late Essays Late Ancillary
Lapses in
Work
Professionalism

B or above 3 or less None 0-2 0-2

B- 4 33

C+ 5 144

C 6 55

C- 7 266

D+ 8 77
 D- 8 3 (1) 8 8

F 9 4 (2) 9 9

Note that penalties are cumulative. So, if you have 5 lapses in professionalism, plus a late
essay, your final grade will be a “D+.” Or, if you have 4 absences (grade drops to B-), plus 4
late ancillary assignments (grade lowered two steps), your final grade will be a “C.” Numbers
in parentheses in the “Late Essays” column refer to any essays that still haven’t been
submitted on the last day of class.

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Definition of Lapses in Professionalism
Lapses in professionalism include, but are not limited to: non-required cell phone, tablet, or computer use in
class, not having a complete first draft by your conference date, not bringing printed readings or drafts to
class when required, falling asleep in class, excessive lateness (over ten minutes) or disruptive talking and
behavior.

Feedback for Essays

For Writing Projects 1, 2, and 3, instructor feedback will consist of a written comment (an endnote) Youwill
not receive a formal grade on these papers. I will, try to give you an overall sense of to what extent you have
accomplished the writing goals of the assignment: “Good/Very Good/Excellent/Outstanding.”

No matter how you do on your first three papers, you can still get a B (or higher, based on your final
portfolio) in the class. Likewise, even if you write amazing papers on your first three papers, but have
excessive absences or lapses in professionalism, you can get lower than a B in the class.

“Free Pass”: Each student may have one (and only one) “Free Pass” card to use in the event that the terms
of the contract are violated. You may use it at any time during the semester, but only once, and it may only
be applied to the first infraction (meaning that, e.g., you cannot use it to erase 7 absences, or 5 late ancillary
assignments).

Extensions on Deadlines: I will negotiate new deadlines with individual students as needed, on a
case-by-case basis, if there is a good reason to doso. This should happen very rarely. Any new due dates that
you arrange with me must be spelled out in writing or they will not count, and you will be held to the
original terms of our grading contract. Due to WritingDepartment policy, there is no extension for the
Portfolio.

Learning Differences
I am more than willing to provide accommodations for students with learning differences. Please let me
know if you require specific academic accommodations for this class. Students requesting such
accommodations are required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A
letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP, which is located in STU 301
and is open 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.

Plagiarism
The Writing Program expects that all students are committed to intellectual honesty and integrity and to
respecting intellectual property. Students who plagiarize, that is, present another writer’s ideas or words as
their own, will receive an F on the assignment and/or the class. Please review the Writing 150 Course Book
(pp. 147-148) for more information. I’m always happy to answer any questions you have about avoiding
plagiarism in office hours or by email, so don’t hesitate to ask.

Final Note
If I change the syllabus or schedule, I will make sure to notify you and upload the most current version to
Blackboard. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions! 

Academic Resources
*Given coronavirus precautions, please double check to see whether these resources are available for in-person meetings.

-The Writing Center: The Writing Center is located in Taper Hall, second floor, and is open 9am-6pm,
Monday through Thursday, and 9am-3pm on Fridays, starting Monday, August 27th. The center is open to all
students of the university and offers free consultations for any type of writing assignment, at any stageof the
writing process. You can schedule an appointment with a writing consultant online at
https://usc.mywconline.com/ Be sure to bring the relevant assignment sheet, paper, or prepared questions
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to your session. The phone number for the Writing Center is 213-740-3691, and the website is
http://dornsife.usc.edu/writingcenter/

-Students with Disabilities: USC offers accommodations and support services for students with learning
disabilities. Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register
with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved
accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the
semester as possible. DSP is located in GFS 120 and is open 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The phone number for DSP is 213-740-0776.

-Kortschak Center for Learning and Creativity: The Kortschak Center offers individual coaching and
workshops to support students’ academic success. The Center provides mentoring on time management,
stress management, setting goals and following through on them, study skills, and test taking skills, and also
has many online resources on these topics. They also have a Quiet Study Room and Computer Lab. You can
make an academic coaching appointment at http://kortschakcenter.usc.edu/academic-coach-program/ and
access more information about the Center at http://kortschakcenter.usc.edu/ It is located on the third floor
of the Student Union (STU) in room 311. You can take the elevator up to the third floor or the stairs.

-Resources for Multilingual Language Learners: MLLs bring diverse linguistic and cultural knowledge
to our classroom and offer perspectives that make our class discussions and writing richer. For MLLs and
international students seeking support, the University offers resources for MLLs and international students
to address challenges related and unrelated to writing.

From the USC Writing Department MLL Orientation Document:

The Writing Center (https://dornsife.usc.edu/writingcenter/): See description above.

American Language Institute (http://ali.usc.edu/)

The ALI offers English language courses for those students who want to improve their English as
well as those who are required to take classes as a result of taking the International Student English
(ISE) exam.

Conversation Groups: The Conversation Groups Program has aims at promoting English conversation
between USC’s international and native English-speaking populations. This free resource (included in
tuition) is an excellent way for international students to supplement their studies; it provides a venue in
which they can practice their growing
English skills with a native English-speaking USC student in a casual environment.

One-on-One Conversation Partners: The One-on-One Partners page provides the opportunity to sign up
for one-on-one conversation partner sessions by filling out conversation partner request form. These
meetings give international USC students the opportunity to practice their oral skills one-on-one with a
native English speaker. The mandatory cost for these private sessions is $11 per hour (60 minutes) and is
nonnegotiable.

English tutors: The ALI also provides a list of recommendedEnglish tutors and their
rates here: http://ali.usc.edu/find-an-english-tutor/

Office of International Services(http://ois.usc.edu)

For questions about visa requirements, employment status, and information (finances; health insurance;
housing; etc.) geared specifically at international students, you can refer students to the Office of
International Services (OIS) at USC. Their contact information
is ois@usc.edu or (by phone) (213) 740-2666.
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Support Systems

Student Counseling Services and Mental Health Resources (213) 740-7711 – 24/7 on call
At times during the semester, you may experience mental health concerns or stressful events that may lead
to diminished academic performance and/or reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. Students
sometimes feel overwhelmed, lost, experience anxiety or depression, struggle with relationship difficulties or
diminished self-esteem. However, many of these issues can be effectively addressed with some support.
USC’s Engemann Student Health Center helps students cope with difficult emotions and life stressors
through a range of services, including individual and group counseling and the Stress Reduction Clinic. For
more information, please see:  https://engemannshc.usc.edu/counseling/

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255

Provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Services (RSVP) - (213) 740-4900 - 24/7 on call Free and confidential
therapy services, workshops, and training for situations related to gender-based harm.
https://engemannshc.usc.edu/rsvp/

Office of Equity and Diversity (OED)/Title IX Compliance– (213) 740-5086

Works with faculty, staff, visitors, applicants, and students around issues of protected class.
https://equity.usc.edu/

Bias Assessment Response and Support

Incidents of bias, hate crimes and microaggressions need to be reported allowing for appropriate
investigation and response. https://studentaffairs.usc.edu/bias-assessment-response-support/

The Office of Disability Services and Programs

Provides certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange relevant accommodations.
http://dsp.usc.edu
Student Support and Advocacy – (213) 821-4710
Assists students and families in resolving complex issues adversely affecting their success as a student EX:
personal, financial, and academic. https://studentaffairs.usc.edu/ssa/

Diversity at USC
Information on events, programs and training, the Diversity Task Force (including representatives for each
school), chronology, participation, and various resources for students. https://diversity.usc.edu/

I’m excited to hear your thoughts on globalization and see how your ideas
evolve throughout the semester. My hope is that your writing changes you
as a person and compels your readers—me included—to see the world in
exciting, new ways.

-Zen Dochterman

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