February 07, 2002
Scott Lyons-Speaker 2001
Scott Lyons
American Indian Rhetoric
What are some of the issues confronting those of us studying and developing the field of American Indian rhetoric? In my own work, I've argued that the notion of Indian sovereignty should be placed at the center of our research and teaching, so "sovereignty" will serve as our starting point. The concept of sovereignty has been picked up by a growing number of scholars in recent years, and for me it serves as a possible (and attractive) alternative to "identity" in the realms of politics and normative political theory. So instead of having "identity politics" in Indian country, we might instead see the logic of "sovereignty politics" operating in Native rhetoric. Of course, identity remains an important part of sovereignty—after all, who gets to be considered "sovereign" here, and why?—so we still need to understand the rhetoric of Indian identity, which is our second emphasis. Finally, both sovereignty and identity have traditionally been viewed as threatened by a third concept, the idea of "assimilation." Is it possible for a group to be forcibly assimilated into something else? How does the very attempt at such an endeavor affect one's own sense of identity—or a group's sense of sovereignty? Are there other ways of viewing the mechanics and effects of assimilation policies? These will be our guiding questions as we approach the scene of American Indian rhetoric.
Of course, considering our own position as rhetoric and composition scholars and teachers, I will attempt to ask these questions against the backdrop of our discipline or, vice-versa, we might very well examine our discipline against the backdrop of Indian colonization. Either way, I would like to begin by reading Amanda J. Cobb's new book, Listening to Our Grandmother's Stories: The Bloomfield Academy for Chickasaw Females, 1852-1949, since the work constitutes the first full-length study of Indian education, with special attention paid to literacy, produced by an American Indian scholar working in our discipline. In many ways, it locates discussion of sovereignty, identity, and assimilation in the context of our own workplace-school. It also raises a number of issues pertaining to our guiding questions and will provide a good central text for our discussion of the theory. From that point, we will read essays on the subjects of sovereignty and identity from a variety of disciplinary, cultural, and theoretical perspectives. Finally, I'd like to conclude with some focused attention paid to a cultural practice of my own people: Ojibwe hymn singing. The selections from Michael McNally's new and fascinating book will enable much discussion on the question of assimilation as it plays out in the political sphere of our culture.
Posted by mryonker at 02:52 PM | Comments (0)
Harriet Malinowitz-Speaker 2002
Harriet Malinowitz
As part of the Diversity Speaker Series, the Writing Program and Executive Vice Provost Howard C. Johnson are pleased to announce speaker Harriet Malinowitz, Associate Professor of English and former Director of Women's Studies at Long Island University. Professor Malinowitz will speak on "The Uses of Literacy in a Globalized Post-September 11 World" at 3:00, Friday, April 5, in Kittredge Auditorium, H.B. Crouse Hall. This talk is open to the SU community: all are welcome. An informal reception will follow.
In her published works, Harriet Malinowitz examines rhetorical theory and criticism, institutional and professional authority, and feminist theory, lesbian studies, and queer theory. Her publications include Textual Orientations: Lesbian and Gay Students and the Making of Discourse Communities (a book which was originally her dissertation and received the CCCC Best Dissertation award in 1994), and numerous essays and reviews in College English, Conditions, Frontiers, JAC, The New Lesbian Studies, New Directions of Women, the National Women's Studies Association Journal, Pre/Text, The Women's Review of Books, and The Right to Literacy.
Master Class Seminar
"The Uses of Literacy: Personally, Professionally, and Politically"
The Orwellian presumption that "ignorance is strength" is a key survival skill in the market-driven, post-September 11 world of the 21st century. The techniques of capturing our consumerist hearts and our voting minds are being practiced by a complex public relations apparatus—including major media, government agencies, corporations, think tanks, PR firms, universities, scientific journals—promoting what I have come to call mass "stupidification" as a cultural practice and cultural value. Living in this climate of "stupidification" affects us personally, professionally, and politically.
In this seminar, I would like to sketch some of the ways that my own life and career trajectories have been shaped by my attempts to respond to the effects of stupidification—from my earlier work in lesbian and gay, women's, labor, and race studies, through my interests in consumerism, the idea of "fairness" in liberal political discourse, "unmotherhood," queer pedagogy, and secular Jewishness, to my current interests in (as George W. Bush might dichotomize them) the "evils" of globalization, Sept. 11, and the War on Terrorism and the "good" of the pleasures afforded by literature and the personal essay. I hope to engage participants in a discussion of how they, too, might use the analytical skills in which they've been trained toward the erosion of mass stupidification and its discontents.
Posted by mryonker at 02:50 PM | Comments (0)