COMM 399 Metaphors and meaning in everyday talk, crn 44705 SRTC155 MW 10:00-12:00

Dr. David Ritchie, UCB 440B. http://web.pdx.edu/~cgrd/; e-mail: cgrd@pdx.edu.

Office Hours: MW 2:00-4:00 or by appointment.

Reading assignments are listed week by week. The chapters are taken from a discussion draft of a forthcoming book, Metaphor, and will be available on-line for use in this class only.

Journal articles can be accessed through the PSU Library web page, “Find it at PSU.”

Course Objectives: This course is intended as an introduction to the study of metaphor in various forms of communication. No prior exposure to the metaphor literature is assumed.

Course Format. This course combines lectures with in-class and on-line discussion.

Attendance, full attention, and active participation are required. One point will be deducted for each unexcused absence. Absences may be excused only for religious holidays, illness, or genuine emergencies. You must notify me as soon as you know that there is a problem.

Classroom Demeanor. Students are expected to be in their seats and ready to participate fully at the beginning of the class period: Arriving late or leaving early will be treated as an absence. Distracting behavior will not be tolerated.

• Laptops may be used for note-taking only; other electronic devices must be off.
• No side conversations. If you have a question, please ask it publicly. I welcome questions about any course-related topic at any time, including during a lecture.
• Drinks are okay, but please, no food.
• If you must chew gum, keep it silent and in your mouth.

A dictionary may be used at any time.

On-line assignments.

1. Every student will be expected to post on-line at least 10 times during the quarter (1 point each). At least one post (no later than Jan. 28) must be a detailed description of a metaphor you have encountered in naturally-occurring discourse, along with a discussion of how you interpret it and how it contributed to the discourse. Examples may come from conversations, speeches, or non-fiction writing, including on-line texts. You may use examples from your term paper research. At least two posts must be detailed responses and discussion based on other students’ previous posting. The other posts may be any combination of these formats. Credit will be given for no more than two posts during any one week (no end-of-term panic catch-up, please), and no posts will receive credit after March14.

2. Students may receive extra credit, up to an amount sufficient to compensate for unexcused absences, for participation in research projects or for on-line participation significantly beyond the required posts.

Summary and reading notes on each assignment. Summarize and discuss key points in your own words, using the format you will find on D2L, under “Assigned Readings.” (1-2 pages per reading, 1 point per reading. Due at or before the beginning of class on Mondays; may be e-mailed.) You will be allowed to use these notes in the midterm and final exam.

Midterm exam. In-class, 15 points, format to be determined; probably short answer. There may also be unannounced in-class quizzes from time to time.

Final exam (Wed., March 21, 10:00-12:00). 25 points, comprehensive, short answer & essay.

Term Paper. Due in two stages. Detailed description at the end of the syllabus.

You will analyze metaphors either from a sample of discourse or pertaining to a common topic.

Stage 1, due Feb. 13. 10 points. Identify the metaphors in your sample, and analyze them using theories discussed in Chapters 3 and 4.

Stage 2, due March 5. 25 points Revise Stage 1 according to my comments, and add an analysis of how some of the metaphors might be understood in terms of Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Perceptual Simulation Theory, and revise both stages into a single coherent essay.

Writing is important and will be factored into your grade. To receive a passing grade, essays must be coherent, clearly organized, and in grammatically correct English.

Grade disputes: I will not discuss grades in class; you must see me in my office. You must provide a written explanation of why you believe your assignment deserved a higher grade, with reference to the syllabus and other course materials, and attach a copy of the assignment. It is not my job to justify why you did not get a higher grade; it is your job to provide evidence why you deserve a higher grade. The grade earned by another student is irrelevant and I will not discuss other students’ work with you.

Keep dated copies of all work including on-line postings in case something gets lost.

Late assignments, extensions and incompletes. Work is due at the beginning of class on the date due. I do not accept late assignments. I do not give extensions or incompletes except in the case of a genuine emergency, defined as a situation which is beyond the student’s control, and which could not have been anticipated and planned for. Written assignments may always be submitted early.

Grading:

Weekly reading notes: 15 On-line posts: 10 Mid-term 15 Final 25 Paper, Stage 1 10 Paper, Stage 2 25 100

Grade scale: 90-100 = A- to A 80-89 = B- to B+ 70-79 = C to C+ 60-69 = D.

A note about plagiarism. This is an upper-division class; by now you are all fully aware of the rules. If you copy anything use quotes and a complete cite. If you paraphrase you must also give a complete cite. If in doubt, cite. Evidence of plagiarism will lead to a zero on the assignment with no make-up, no excuses, no discussion, and no negotiation. Identical passages appearing in two or more students’ work is prima facie evidence of plagiarism and all students involved will receive a zero. If you believe another student may have copied your work, notify me before I grade the assignment. If plagiarism appears to have been intentional, I will refer the matter to the Student Conduct Office.

If you are uncertain about the rules, ask me!

COMM 399 Metaphors and meaning in everyday talk

1. Jan. 9 & 11. Introduction to the class and the topic.

Due by Wednesday, beginning of class: Reading notes for Metaphor, Chapter 1.

You are responsible for reading this syllabus in detail, but need not write reading notes.

2. Jan. 16 & 18. Substitution & Attribution theories.

Due by Monday, beginning of class: Reading notes for:

Metaphor, Chapter 2.

O’Brien, Gerald V. (2003). Indigestible food, conquering hordes, and waste materials: Metaphors of immigrants and early immigration restriction debate in the United States. Metaphor and Symbol, 18, 33-47.

3. Jan. 23 & 25. Categorization theories:

Due by Monday, beginning of class: Reading notes for:

Metaphor, Chapter 3.

Wilson, D., and Carston, R. (2006). Metaphor, relevance and the ‘emergent property’ issue. Mind & Language, 21, 404-433.

4. Jan. 30 & Feb. 1. Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT)

Due by Monday, beginning of class: Reading notes for Metaphor, Chapter 4, and for

Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. Metaphors We Live By (Chapters 1-6). U. Chicago Press. You can get inexpensive used copies of this from Amazon; Powell’s usually had several on hand. I will also put a copy on 2 hour reserve in the PSU library.

5. Feb. 6 & 8. Perceptual Simulation Theory

Due by Monday, beginning of class: Reading notes for: Metaphor, Chapter 5, and for

Semino, Elena (2010). Descriptions of pain, metaphor, and embodied simulations. Metaphor and Symbol, 25, 205-226.

6. Feb. 13 & 15. Midterm (Monday); Framing. Mid-term will not include Ch. 6.

Due by Wednesday, beginning of class: Reading notes for Metaphor, Chapter 6 (1 pt.)

7. Feb. 20 & 22. Playful metaphors; metaphors in stories & humor; Metaphors in conversation

Due by Monday, beginning of class: Reading notes for Metaphor, Chapter 7 &8.

8. Feb. 27 & 29. Metaphors in political discourse.

Due by Monday, beginning of class: Reading notes for Metaphor, Chapter 9.

9. March 5 & 7. Metaphors in the arts.

Due by Monday, beginning of class: Reading notes for Metaphor, Chapter 10.

Term paper is due by the beginning of class on Monday.

10. March 12 & 14. Summing up; review for final exam.

Due by Monday, beginning of class: Reading notes for: Metaphor, Chapter 11.

Final exam Wed., March 21, 10:00-12:00

Term Paper Assignment: Metaphor research paper

You will select a sample of discourse to analyze. You may select a particular text to analyze, or you may survey a larger body of texts looking for metaphors about a particular topic. Be sure to review the sample before committing yourself to it! Metaphors are not always used, and some samples have very few metaphors. If you choose to analyze a text, it may be a political speech, a transcript of a discussion program, or any other non-fiction text.

Alternatively, you may select an abstract topic area such as friendships, romantic relationships, family, health or illness, or a particular political issue. For this option you will survey a wider range of relevant texts to find examples. (For example, for romantic relationships you might survey advice columns; talk shows and on-line discussions might provide interesting material for many topics.)

In either case you should cite several refereed journal articles relevant to your topic in support of your analysis and interpretation (at least three per team member, in addition to relevant passages from readings assigned for this course).

If you have any doubts about the suitability of your topic, I suggest you consult me before beginning.

You may work individually or in groups of 2-3 persons. Groups will be expected to produce longer and more detailed papers with more external references.

Stage 1, due Feb. 13. Identify the metaphors in your sample, using procedures discussed in Chapter 1, and discuss how some or all of the metaphors might be understood in terms of one or more of the theories discussed in Chapters 2 and 3. Your paper should begin with a brief description of your discourse sample and a summary of how you went about identifying and analyzing the metaphors. Either attach a transcript of your sample to the end of your paper or provide a complete citation and be prepared to provide a transcript if requested. Be sure to attach a List of References in APA style.

Stage 2, due March 5. Revise Stage 1 according to my comments, and attach a brief description of how you revised it. Also incorporate (1) an analysis of how some of the metaphors might be understood in terms of one or more of the theories discussed in Chapters 4-6, (2) a discussion of how the metaphors interact with each other and with other aspects of the discourse to create meaning, and (3) summary in your own words of relevant supporting material from assigned readings and other refereed journal articles. Revise and consolidate the entire paper into a coherent research paper, including an expanded introduction and a “Summary and conclusions.” You may of course delete passages from the first stage that no longer seem relevant, and move passages around during the final rewriting process in Stage 2. If a passage from Stage 1 would fit better later in the paper, by all means move it. Your objective is to end up with a single, coherent paper. A title page is required, and a header with your name and page numbers. Be sure to attach a List of References in APA style.

Length: Stage 1 will be in the range of 6-8 pages. The complete paper, including both stages, but not including the title page, list of references, or appendices, will be in the range of 12-20 pages, not counting title page and references. (Remember, group projects will be longer and more detailed than single-authored projects.) If your paper is much shorter than this, your analysis and discussion are probably not sufficiently detailed.

I recommend that you pattern your paper after one of the assigned articles. The main body of your paper will consist of your analysis. You will quote passages (usually only a sentence or so) that include some metaphors, then discuss the metaphors, including how your analysis using one or more of the theories we have discussed, and how they fit into and contribute to the context in which they are used. In general, you should quote only as much of your sample as you need to support your argument, and your own writing should constitute at least ¾ of the analysis section of the paper. A common error is simply to quote a passage, state what you think it illustrates, and leave it to the reader (me) to figure it out. This is obviously not satisfactory: It is your job to explain how the passage illustrates the idea, propose an interpretation, and convince the reader (me) that your interpretation is valid.

You should express ideas from secondary sources (assigned readings and refereed journal articles) in your own words, rather than quoting them, and of course cite the sources in proper APA format. A paper that is more than 10% quotations is unlikely to receive a passing grade. The papers by Semino and Wilson & Carston provide good examples of how your own paper should be structured.

You will probably find it useful to use headings and sub-headings to organize your paper, and at the end of each section, summarize what you accomplished in that section. Then, in the Summary and Conclusions section, pull together the major themes from the entire paper and tell me what it all means.

Writing style matters: incomplete sentences, proof-reading lapses, rambling sentences and paragraphs, word usage and spelling problems, etc. will lead to a lower grade – very many writing errors and the grade will not be a passing grade. You should follow APA style throughout: Citations are always in the form of Surname (date), with no first name or initial and no incidental information about the author. Follow Semino’s example in this regard.