COMM 6440: Grounded Practical Theory
Professor: Robert T. Craig
Time: Tuesday 3:30-6:00
Place: Hellems 77
Course description:
Grounded practical theory (GPT) refers to a range of concepts and methods for theorizing communicative practices. The seminar will explore GPT through assigned background readings and individual research projects. Readings will include units on GPT methodology with applications to discourse analysis of group interaction (Craig, Tracy, et al.), the concept of social practice (Schatzki et al.), sociocultural activity theory and communities of practice (Lave & Wenger), reflexive practice theory (Bourdieu), and genealogy of social practices (Foucault). For the semester project, each student will select a sample of discourse (consisting of public documents, media texts, field observations, and/or recordings of interaction) from any field of social practice of interest to the student. Writing assignments will include short papers exploring the application of unit readings to the student’s discourse sample and a major paper developing a selected analytical approach in depth.
PSCI 7901: Topics in Political Science: Social Theory
Professor: Michaele Ferguson
Time: Tuesday 3:35-6:05
Place: Ketchum 116
Course description:
This course seeks to provide graduate students with the opportunity to read, discuss, and write about some of the major texts of 19th, 20th, and 21st century social theory. Despite the great differences among them, these texts share one thing in common: they represent attempts to understand the nature, inner dynamics, and future of the “modern world” ushered in by the French and Industrial Revolutions. As such, they frequently range far beyond the boundaries of political science narrowly defined. Nevertheless, these books are very often the original source for the analytic assumptions and concepts found in many of the discipline’s middle range theories. A deeper acquaintanceship with them cannot help but enrich the work of any social scientist.
EDUC 5615 - Second Language Acquisition
Professor: Kathy Escamilla
Time: Monday 4:30-7:00
Place: Hellems 141
Course description:
This course will examine the intricate web of variables that interact in the second language leaning process. These variables include linguistic, cognitive, social, cultural, and political factors. Learning a second language is both an individual and social experience. It includes linguistic, cultural, cognitive, social, psychological, and emotional elements. As such, second language learning involves complex interactions between the individual and the contexts in which s/he interacts. The emphasis in the course will be on examining each of these factors in turn and then attempting to understand how they work together to foster or inhibit successful second language learning and acquisition.
