Unannounced Quizzes: 50 points

To inspire you to read and retain the material we cover in this class, I will conduct several brief multiple-choice quizzes on a particular day's reading. Each quiz will be designed to test only that you've read and considered the reading for that day. I will only use your five top scores for this component.

Autoethnography: 100 points

This assignment provides you an opportunity to offer a critique or extension of ideas in this class as they relate to your personal and professional experiences. This is called an autoethnography because the primary source of analysis is your experience and perceptions of a particular event. Keep in mind that your perceptions are not being graded. Rather, I will focus on your ability to employ NVC concepts thoughtfully from our text and classroom discussions.

This autoethnography is composed of two main sections. First, describe in careful detail a "scene" from your life - a recent conversation, a fashion choice, or some other manifestation of your personality - in which another person misunderstood you. This section should constitute roughly one third of your paper. Second, employ appropriate NVC concepts to explain why your meaning was misperceived. Your analysis in this section should contain at least two dimensions (such as history, gender, ethnicity, ability/disability, religion, etc.). In other words, you might analyze the gendered and religious expectations that played a role in a misunderstanding about a choice of clothing. This section should constitute roughly two thirds of your paper. The goal of the autoethnography is not to "fix" the problem you describe, but to understand some of its underlying causes.

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Spatial Analysis: 100 points

This assignment provides you an opportunity to survey your "lived environment" - the collection of spatial, physical, and/or geographical indicators of identity and power that surround us. As with the autoethnography, your goal is to focus deep attention to your non-verbal surroundings to determine their effect on attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviors.

The spatial analysis is composed of three parts. First, describe in careful detail a specific locale such as your home, office, spiritual site, or favorite place to relax. Pay particular attention to the elements that compose this scene that an outsider might not notice. Second, conduct a semiotic analysis to demonstrate this locale's NVC. Note: we will discuss the process of semiotic analysis in class. Third, consider the "second order" meaning of this locale. That is, identify ways in which a person or group has altered the site's initial communicative meaning. Again, the concept of second order analysis will be fully demonstrated in class.

The Spatial analysis is designed to expand our conversation of NVC from the body and our interactions with people toward a clearer understanding of how physical location also serves as a site of power and mediator of identity and human relationships.

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Oral Presentation: 50 points

Early in the semester, I will pass out a list of oral presentation dates. On the date of your presentation, you will be asked to present a five to seven minute description of NVC in a particular context (company, culture, society, or other environment). This presentation should introduce your colleagues to communication patterns that are not adequately discussed in class. A good example of a presentation would entail a description of NVC at the company where you work.

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Midterm and Final Examination: 100 points each

The Midterm and Final offer an opportunity to demonstrate through multiple choice, true/false, short answer, and essay format your understanding of the material discussed in this class. I will offer a thorough review prior to both tests.