No one disputes that Detroit is an American icon, but what the city symbolizes is now a matter of fierce debate. Mention Motown and you might think of Stevie Wonder and classic American cars, or you might think of bankruptcy, ruin porn, and the deterioration of the American dream. In this section of ENGLISH 125 you will acquire the fundamental skills of college composition and argumentative writing by reading, thinking, and writing about the city of Detroit as both a symbol and a reality. We'll study the city and its inhabitants from a multitude of perspectives that align with academic disciplines offered at U of M, from economics and urban planning to public health and anthropology. By reading both academic articles and popular pieces from newspapers, magazines, and websites, you will acquire a working familiarity with the current state of the city and the historical forces that led to it, and in the process you’ll become proficient users of the university’s powerful resources for research and writing. In the three essays you will write for the course you will enter the ongoing conversation and offer a unique argument about specific issues ranging from the politics of representations of the city in the mainstream media to how Detroit should move forward in the wake of its bankruptcy. Finally, you’ll also be asked to write about the differences between reading about the city and experiencing it firsthand. Everyone who enrolls in the course is required to spend one day in the city with some of their classmates engaging in an activity selected for the way it speaks to the issues we will be discussing throughout the term.
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