Dr. Steve Grubman-Black
Roosevelt Hall Room 314
Open Office Hours for COM 103 Students: Mondays, 11:00 to 12:00 and 1:30 to
2:30; Fridays, 1:30 to 2:30.
Other times by appointment.
Phone: 874-7066
email: shalom@uri.edu
Required Text: Wood, Interpersonal Communication Everyday Encounters (Second Edition).
The University's Department of Communication Studies (located in Independence Hall) offers this course that is relevant, experiential, and critical to undergraduate students. Together, in large group, small groups, and in dyads, we will explore your potential to refine and apply listening skills, self-identity, responsible verbal and nonverbal communication, and alliance building. I emphasize these skills in the context of respect for diversity (Refer to Hand-out on R-E-S-P-E-C-T.)
This syllabus is short to save a tree. I have a website to which I will direct you and we will rely a lot on e-mail. YOU are responsible for keeping a hard copy of work you submit to me.
Beginning with the week of January 28, 2002 we will cover each chapter of the text in sequential order, so, for example, Chapter 1 will be addressed the week of the 28th, Chapter 3, the week of February 11th, ETC.
WEEK 1.
We start the course recognizing Mary Harris "Mother" Jones. She used her knowledge and skills in interpersonal communication to raise awareness of social inequities. This nation owes her a place in history for the passage of the Owens-Keating Child Labor Law (cf. Lunardini, What Every American Should Know About Women's History, 1997, pp. 149-150).
Please come to class having read Chapter 1 in the required text. This chapter helps create a foundation for the theory and practice of Interpersonal Communication. We will consider the First Amendment as we examine the responsibilities we have to respect and to refine interpersonal communication.
WEEK 2.
Anne Hutchinson is an intriguing and significant person to recognize, especially at the Rhode Island's University. She held a most "dangerous" principle -- namely, the notion of independent thinking! (Cf. Lunardini, op. cit., pp.2-4).
Chapter 2 discussion will be augmented with notes from 'Interviewing Tips for Smarties' from What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles (2002).
We will work in earnest to consider your goals for self-change in interpersonal communication.
WEEK 3.
How do you perceive Dorothea Dix as you read this statement delivered by her before the Massachusetts State legislature in 1843? "I come to place before the Legislature of Massachusetts the condition of the miserable, the desolate, the outcast" (Lunardini, op. cit., p, 57). She established a movement for changing perceptions about the mentally ill citizens.
Chapter 3 reading will be supplemented by our considerations for improving perception and communication (cf. Guidelines ………).
WEEK 4.
The week of Februray 18 opens with our enjoyment and appreciation of Toni Morrison, the 1993 recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature. She is a Black American who helps us "understand how forgetting the past can irrevocably alter present sensibilities about race, culture and life" (Lunardini, op.cit., p.365). Toni Morrison's gifts for creating a world of words guides us to reclaim our own "historical and mythological heritage" for the sake of identity (Lunardini, loc. cit.).
So, read Chapter 4 and learn more about the beauty and complexity of verbal communication among our sisters and brothers.
WEEK 5.
I will not be here for class on Monday, February 25, so use class time to explore the website for Judy Chicago. Write a one-page, double-spaced paper highlighting your reactions to a particular show/exhibit by Judy Chicago. This is to be submitted on email and it is due before 8:00 AM on Wednesday, February 27. This is your first take-home exam.
Chapter 5 is a fascinating discussion of nonverbal communication. This is especially relevant as we reconsider a principle of interpersonal communication that 'we cannot not communicate'. Careful attention will be made to the Guidelines for Improving Nonverbal Communication. Each of us will bring with us to class on Friday, March 1 a tangible example of our own nonverbal communication. Be prepared to offer a one-minute explanation of the significance of your choice for the latter. And I can let you know why I choose to wear my hair long.
Week 6. Yes, this is the week BEFORE Spring Break and NO, we do not begin celebrating it early, so we will meet on Friday, March 8.
Why should Florence Kelley have been so pleased with the passage of the Shepard-Towner Act of 1921? What interpersonal communication skills had Florence Kelley demonstrated that are relevant to 'mindful listening'? Bring your answers on Wednesday, March 6 for a small group discussion.
Chapter 6 taps one of my favorite topics in COM 103. We will explore the Lost Art of Listening and, on Friday, March 8 we will participate in some different listening experiences. I invite you to bring a poem, song (NO expletives, thank-you-very-much) or short passage to be shared with us on Friday. I plan to bring a copy of the poem Rivers by Langston Hughes.
Week 7.
There are many reasons to study emotions and communication, which is why Chapter 7 is assigned to coincide with your return from Spring Break on Monday, March 18. An issue that was prominently addressed during the "Hill-Thomas Hearings" in 1991 was sexual harassment. In October 1991, Law Professor Anita Hill "testified at Senate Confirmation Hearings for Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, charging that Thomas had sexually harassed her during his tenure as chairman of the EEOC" (Lunardini, op. cit., p. 361).
What constitutes sexual harassment? Consider the consequences of homophobia and heterosexism when you think about this. Begin to consider participating in the upcoming conference at URI that addresses some of these problems.
Students in COM 103 have a lot to offer as we study communicating emotions effectively. As we read and discuss the issues in Chapter 7, think about what triggers for you an 'emotional' response. Here we have great opportunities to explore gender-specific biases in interpersonal communication.
WEEK 8.
Can you imagine the communication climate for Belva Lockwood in 1876? According to Lunardini (op. cit.), Belva Lockwood's petition to plead a case before the U.S. Supreme Court was denied "on the grounds of custom" (p. 107). Let us learn from this case more about working in defensive and supporting climates.
Chapter 8 introduces us to the area of 'communication climate'.
Here is an example for us to hypothesize: I know that Friday, March 29 is significant for some people -- namely, it is Good Friday, a commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus. It also comes in the early days of Passover -- the celebration of the Jews' freedom from slavery in Egypt (first Seder begins on Wednesday, March 27 at sunset).
We learn in a secular community, so classes meet and we are expected to attend this class all week.
What will I do to meet my professional commitments to us in COM 103 and to sustain a healthy climate for diverse people?
This of course is a great segue to Chapter 9 (Week 9), another personal and professional favorite of mine.
WEEK 9.
Please note that the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Queer Studies Colloquium (GLBT) is planned for Thursday, April 4 through Saturday, April 6.
The second take-home exam is due on Wednesday, April 3 by 4:00 PM. It is to be submitted to me on e-mail. It has to be a minimum of two pages, double-spaced. Here is your task: Select cultural background, gender, OR sexual orientation and discuss its influence on conflict (see pp. 316 to 320 in text for course). If you have an opinion, make it an informed one. I will not accept any response that reflects racism, heterosexism or homophobia. I am happy to be available and accessible for specific guidelines here.
On March 11, 1959, Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theater on Broadway. Why does Christine Lunardini claim that American theatre was transformed forever? Let me remember to make a copy of the poem by Langston Hughes available to you that contains the line 'a raisin in the sun.'
I recommend that we read Chapter 9 a minimum of two times before our first discussion of conflict management on Monday, April 1. Why is it better to learn how to express disagreement well? Why is conflict considered a natural process in all relationships? How is conflict good for each of us and for our relationship in the classroom? What conflicts exist in the world today that fit 'lose-lose', win-lose', and 'win-win'? We will examine evidence from a videotape that features experts in conflict discussing bin Laden.
We will also consider Margaret Chase Smith and Lillian Hellman. Who delivered her 'declaration of conscience' in the Senate? How do you imagine her to feel as she rose to speak out against the 'witch hunt' tactics of Senator McCarthy? And, who testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee and refused to participate in the activities of the latter? Talk about conflict management!
Week 10.
Friendships and alliances are so important. On Tuesday, April 9 we designate this day as Yom Ha'shoah, the Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust for the 12 Million Lives taken from humanity and for those who were never born. Visit the Library's Media Room and borrow the 4-pack DVD on Heritage: Civilization and the Jews. Write a four-page personal reaction to the information and to your interactions on the DVD. This is a bonus opportunity to earn 10 points toward final grade. Your work is due on e-mail to me by 4:00 PM on Friday, April 12. Your reaction is based on the following assumption: Your best friend is being persecuted because she or he is different.
I am available and accessible to discuss this with you so that you maximize your learning this aspect of interpersonal communication.
An exemplar for friendship and alliance in our lives is Clara Lemlich, a founding member of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) Local no. 25 in 1903.
Chapter 10 is a basis for serious learning about the tapestry of friends in our lives. This is a powerful theme for me. Over the years I have developed and strengthened my own family of friends. Each sister and brother is a lifeline of unconditional love and support. Students in COM 103 bring rich and beautiful tales of friendships and other significant alliances that nurture them and each other.
We ask and consider whether we can cross boundaries and form bridges so we can be friends with a diverse group of individuals - women and men, men and men, women and women, gays and straights, Black and white, Latino and white, Native American and Black and Yellow and Brown and Mixed. et al., able-bodied and challenged, and more.
Take the time to recognize Asian American Month (May), Beltane (Festival of Fertility, Wiccan and Pagan), Cinco de Mayo, for example. Continue to learn from the Multicultural Center.
WEEK 11 and WEEk 12.
Gloria Steinem wrote of Marilyn Monroe that the latter represented to us - especially to women - "the fear of having to meet her impossible standards of always giving -- and asking nothing in return" (Lunardini, op. cit., p. 286). Is that a basis for a committed romantic relationship? What is?
Having read Chapter 11, How do we learn to communicate between romantic partners? How do we each feel about 'navigating' and 'negotiating'? What is important between romantic partners? Who is important?
We start with a working hypothesis: We have to talk. This topic is so critical that I use two weeks on the Chapter. Where else do we need the time and personal commitment to exploring some of the challenges to developing and sustaining romantic relationships? Many of our decisions are based on discovering, developing and maintaining these relationships.
WEEK 13 and Week 14 (Last class meeting for semester is Monday, May 6.).
Read Epilogue and we will develop list of topics to which to return.
Requirements: ALL WORK IS DUE ON TIME IN MY HANDS OR ON EMAIL. I DO NOT ACCEPT WORK THAT IS LATE. THE CREDIT OF ZERO (0) WILL BE RECORDED FOR YOU.
Regular and complete class attendance (10 points) Late arrivals and early departures will not give you credit. Two or more officially unexcused absences or incomplete stays in class result in loss of 10 points from final grade.
Active and relevant class participation (10 points) so be prepared to listen and speak in class.
Submission of completed Class Participants sheets at the end of each class meeting (15 points). ALL WRITTEN WORK SUBMITTED MUST BE LEGIBLE AND MUST BE GRAMMATICALLY, STRUCTURALLY, AND LITERALLY ERROR-FREE.
Two take-home exams submitted on e-mail (20 points)
Final exam submitted on e-mail (10 points)
Analysis of an alliance building experience submitted on e-mail. (10 points)
Self-assessment in the role of interpersonal communication on e-mail. (5 points)
A portfolio of alliance building among diverse groups. A minimum of 10 articles is required. (10 points)
Participation in Martin Luther King Week activity, the report of which to be submitted on e-mail. (5 points)
Participation in a program sponsored by the Department of Communication Studies or the Women's Studies Program, the report of which to be submitted on e-mail. (5 points)
Please note: I will notify you through my Address Book on e-mail what constitutes an acceptable program for assignments related to alliance building, activities for the Martin Luther King week, Department of Communication Studies, and the Women's Studies Program.
Ways to contact me and keep up with course:
Stephen D. Grubman-Black, Ph.D.
Professor and Interim Director
Women's Studies Program And Professor of Communication Studies
University of Rhode Island
Room 314 Eleanor Roosevelt Hall
90 Lower College Road
Kingston, RI 02881
401.874.7066
FAX: 401.874.4527
shalom@uri.edu
http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/gb/gb.html