Livingston College Writing Program
Rutgers University
Fall 1998

EGL 102: Section M1
Expository Writing II: Research Writing

Dr. Peter K. Parides
Office & Phone #: LSH B106 445-5659
E-mail: Paridesp@aol.com
Office Hours: Tuesdays 11:30-12:30,
Fridays 11:30-12:30
and by appointment

Course Topic: The Family

Nature of the Course:
The ability to conduct research on a well-defined topic and to present that research clearly and with authority are two primary skills needed to succeed in any field. This course is designed to invest you with these abilities.

Course Work:
We will begin the course by reading segments of the two required text, Barrie Thorne and Marilyn Yalom's Rethinking the Family: Some Feminist Questions and Stephanie Coontz's The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap. We may also read some additional short articles, which I will had out in class. During the first six weeks of the course, you will be required to write two 5 page papers based on these required readings. These papers will be very similar to those you wrote in EGL 101. Over the remaining nine weeks of the semester, you will formulate your own research topic which deals in some way with a theory of the family which is based on the early course readings. You will research your topic using sources which you will find on your own. You will complete the course by writing a 10-12 page research paper. You will be required to hand in two rough drafts as well as the final draft of your paper. In order to pass the course, you will have to have written at least 20 total pages of final draft work by the end of the semester. As well, you cannot advance from this course unless you receive a C or higher.

Evaluation:
I will grade each paper based on the following criteria: How well is the paper structured? For example, are the paragraphs structured coherently? Do the paragraphs connect to convey intelligent thoughts? Overall, is the paper grammatically sound and well proofread? Most importantly, does the paper engage with your sources to illuminate your theory? And lastly, does it express a well-reasoned and well argued interpretation of your research sources?

These are the tasks that we will work to develop this semester. Good writing is a process that is developed through hard work and constant practice. For this reason, your final grade will largely be based on how well you have improved over the semester and how hard you have worked to improve.

Because much of our work will be done as a class and among small groups, attendance is vital. Any student with more than four unexcused absences will fail. Also, you must come to class with the assignment due that particular day. Late work will only hold you back.