For some of us, this situation can feel overwhelming, making us apathetic or leaving us questioning whether any change is possible. Others of us end up looking for someone to blame or believing the worst of our fellow community members. How do we combat such feelings and build connections that make a difference? How do we build democratic power and mutual respect across difference? This class examines how local leaders and groups have worked to overcome such divides to bring change to their communities. By building partnerships between religious communities, citizen groups, labor unions and the like, people are making democracy work and bridging divides. Through class dialogue, writing projects, and students’ own research, we will explore together how we can bridge divides in the many communities and groups we are a part of and how rhetorical and writing knowledge can play a role in it.
This is an SNF Paideia-designated writing seminar, designed to examine and encourage dialogue across differences. Students and faculty participating in the Paideia writing seminar cluster will have an opportunity to meet once a month for dinner, dialogue, and a keynote speaker or facilitator, as well as engage in other cross seminar community building activities. SNF Paideia-designated courses are noted on student transcripts. This seminar fulfills the writing requirement, follows the same curriculum, and has the same workload, assessment process, and standards as all other critical writing seminars at Penn. Seminar topics vary in academic discipline but each relates back to the SNF Paideia program’s core values of informed civil discourse and deliberation.
Only first-year students are eligible to enroll in SNF Paideia-designated writing seminars.