Theory Re/Building Project

Final Project (Theory Re/Building Project + Presentation)
There are many ways to "build theory," but what I have in mind to complement the investigative nature of our course is for you to reread, revisit, and re-synthesize. In fact, what I have in mind is that you might rebuild a critical strand or cut a new pathway through the course, and you could do this in different ways. You might argue for the regeneration of a neglected term based on how that term has taken on new intellectual capital. You might offer a new or enhanced reading of a single text or critical problem, by applying a different methodology to it. You might reset the conversation on a particular phenomenon by locating that phenomenon in a different starting point. If you are feeling very ambitious, you might even proffer a new theory for composition studies. In doing any of these things, you are doing more than simply explaining a complex problem or its causes.

In terms of the genre, it might be best to think of this theory re/building project as an extended conference-length text—a longer paper from which you would cull a shorter presentation, and which you might submit to the proceedings of a particular conference. To be viable, the project needs to be situated; to be conference-worthy, the project needs to be salient. In other words, you must invent a reason for writing it! Whatever you do, please note that the emphasis of this project is on the focused articulation of a greater promise, so your final project need not be longer than ~7 single-spaced pages, including works cited. You are free (and highly encouraged) to draw on our reading lists as you complete this project, since I want this to be an opportunity for you to re-combine our texts in a new way. However, you may also identify other source texts, so long as you don't feel as if you are starting completely from scratch. I will also ask you to transform that critical project into a more dynamic presentation (~15 minutes in length), whose format and content will be determined by you. We will share presentations on the last class day, so you should provide a handout or digital component for us to take away. 

In Week 12, I will ask for a ~2 page (single-spaced) prospectus, and a list of sources. In the true sense of the word (pro-spect-um), this is intended to be a projecting forward of the question(s) guiding your project—a statement of proposed aims or objectives, operating within a specific context, and accompanied by a detailed plan of work. Unlike a proposal, the prospectus typically forecasts the nature of a project, and begins to lay out its course, so it is intended to be a late-stage articulation of the project, rather than the first step in planning the project. I encourage you to look ahead to our required and supplemental reading lists, in case any of them can inspire you. I am happy to meet with you at any point throughout the semester to talk through ideas for this project, and it is never too early to do this.