The Human Mind Is a Pattern-Seeking, Story-Telling Device

MLD-717A

THE ARTS OF COMMUNICATION

Fall 2011

“The human mind is a pattern-seeking, story-telling device.”

Stephen Jay Gould

“Delight is in the details.”

Vladimir Nabokov

Instructor: Marie Danziger

Littauer 102 (617- 495-2686)

Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, 2:00pm-4:00pm and Friday, 10:00am-12:00pm

by appointment

Faculty Assistant: Alison Kommer

Taubman 271 (617- 495-1329)

Course Assistants: Jeff Burrell (MPA 2) , 415-318-6382

Lauren Koehler (MPP 2), , 713-303-3785

CLASS MEETINGS

Class sessions include a lecture/discussion each Monday and Wednesday from 4:10pm-6:00pm in L280, occasionally with guest practitioners. Starting in week 2 and continuing for the rest of the semester, students will be divided into two sections – one on Wednesdays, the other on Fridays – for oral presentations. Sections will be scheduled as follows:

RED Group – Wednesday, 4:10pm-6:00pm in L280

BLUE Group - Friday, 1:10pm – 3:00pm in RG 20

OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES

Today’s leaders must have an ability not only to analyze thoughtfully, but also to communicate clearly and persuasively. This course is designed for potential leaders in politics and public policy as well as other professions. Its primary goal is to strengthen the capacity of each student to speak and write well; secondarily, it is also intended to help leaders and advocates to communicate with the public either directly or via the press. Students will be expected to read a number of articles and watch sample videos in preparation for the lecture/discussion classes and, during the workshops, to stand in front of the class giving brief speeches that will then be critiqued and will be available in video streaming for later review.

COURSE OUTLINE

As a general proposition, the first session of each week (Monday) will be a large lecture/discussion class focusing on critical aspects of written opinion pieces and public persuasion in the context of difficult leadership situations. During the second hour of these lectures, selected students will deliver prepared speeches and receive class feedback. In the second weekly session, (Wednesdays and Fridays) students will divide into two smaller workshops of about 20 each to hone their speaking skills in the relevant areas covered by the lecture and readings. Guest practitioners will occasionally contribute both to lectures and to feedback in the workshops.

The first eight weeks of the course will emphasize written opinion pieces and public oratory – how to find one’s voice, employ the standard elements of written and oral persuasion, speak eloquently and express cultural values. The course will then focus on guidelines for debates, panel discussions, crisis communication and working with the press. Throughout the semester practical exercises will highlight rhetorical techniques such as mental models, narrative, visual imagery, and soundbites. Other exercises will cover inspirational speaking, crisis communication, and speeches that promote democratic dialogue and public accountability. All assignments will require that students develop important public messages that are substantive and also express passion and commitment. The final week of the course focuses on ceremonial speaking involving toasts, tributes and eulogies.

AUDIENCE

There is no prerequisite for this course. It should be useful to all students interested in public communication and with all levels of experience, both in American and international contexts. Please note that enrollment will be limited because of time limitations for workshop presentations.

EXPECTATIONS

Time requirements for this course are likely to be high. In addition to the readings, students will be required to participate actively in frequent written and oral exercises. Student presentations will be videotaped on a regular basis and made available as streamed video on the MLD-717A Course Webpage. Grades will be based on the oral and written presentations and on class participation. Note that contributing to constructive group feedback is an essential aspect of class participation. Since presentation and feedback are basic to course learning, regular attendance is required. Two or more unexcused absences will affect the final grade.

ASSIGNMENTS

There will be two written assignments--“op-ed” opinion pieces suitable for publication. During the remainder of the semester, each student will be required to give at least six oral presentations of 4 minutes each and several impromptu presentations as well. In addition, all students are expected to provide meaningful written and oral feedback to each presentation in their workshop group. There is no final exam. Note that all assignments are due on the date under which they are listed.

GRADING

Written assignments and oral presentations 90%

Class participation and written/oral feedback 10%

Note that it is each student’s responsibility to make arrangements to make up missed assignments. Any

assignment that remains unfulfilled receives a failing grade.

COURSE MATERIALS

Course packets will be available in two parts and will be distributed through the CMO. They will include both practical and theoretical readings. Packet ONE (CP1) contains all required materials (not including book) up to and including Wednesday, September 7. Packet TWO (CP2) contains all readings for the rest of the semester that are not available online. Packet THREE (CP3) is optional and contains all materials for the rest of the semester that are available online. In addition, students will view videotaped excerpts of selected speeches in class and will often be assigned to watch excerpts of famous speeches available online.

CP1 = Course Packet of all required materials (not including book) up to and including Wednesday, Sept. 7.

CP2 = Course packet containing Non Online materials.

CP3 = Course packet containing Online materials.

B = Entire books that students will probably wish to purchase at The Coop. One book is required reading for the course and four are recommended.

Required: Jay Allison and Dan Gediman, eds, This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women, (Holt Paperbacks, 2007.)

Recommended: Roger Ailes, You Are The Message: Getting What you Want by Being Who You Are,

(Currency Dover, 1999.)
Jay Heinrichs, Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion (Three Rivers Press, 2007)

Lewis Copeland, The World’s Great Speeches, 4th Edition (Dover, 2000)

V.A. Howard and J. H. Baron, Thinking on Paper (Quill, 1986)

Strunk & White, The Elements of Style, 4th Edition (Allyn & Bacon, 1999)

(Also available online at http://www.bartleby.com/141/)

Finally, the following websites contain links to a broad range of famous speeches--texts, audio, and sometimes video renditions--that students should find interesting and informative: www.americanrhetoric.com, http://www.youtube.com and http://www.ted.com.

WEEK 1 Communication for Leaders in a Democratic Society: Finding Your Voice

Wednesday Lecture in L280

August 31

Readings:

Stanley Fish, “Does Philosophy Matter?” New York Times, August 1, 2011. CP1

Marie Danziger, “10 Ways to Generate New Ideas.” CP1
Marie Danziger, “Finding Your Voice” CP1

Susan Faludi, “Speak for Yourself,” NY Times. CP1

Jay Allison, ed. This I Believe, pp. 1-57 and 260-273. B

Aristotle’s Rhetoric, Book 1, Chapters 2 and 3, as excerpted in americanrhetoric.com

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/aristotleonrhetoric.htm. CP1

Recommended Readings:

Roger Ailes, You Are the Message: Getting What You Want By Being Who You Are,
pp. 1-40. B

George Orwell, “Politics and the English Language,”

www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm.

JFK, 1st Inaugural, from World's Greatest Speeches, pp. 739-742.

MLK, "I Have a Dream," from World's Greatest Speeches, pp. 751-754.

Nelson Mandela, "On his Release from Prison," World's Greatest Speeches, pp. 882-884.

Ronald Reagan, 1st Inaugural, World's Greatest Speeches, pp. 853-858.

WEEK 2 Making Meaning with Mental Models

Monday NO CLASS – LABOR DAY

Sept. 5

Wednesday Lecture in L280

Sept. 7

Readings:

Fine, Cordelia, “Biased but Brilliant,” New York Times, 7/30/11. CP1

Wayne Parsons, “Models, Maps and Metaphor,” from Public Policy: An Introduction to the

Theory and Practice of Policy Analysis, pp. 57-64, CP1

Jay Allison, ed. This I Believe, pp. 58-111. B.

Marie Danziger, “Mental Models for Public Speaking.” CP1

Marie Danziger, “Markers for Public Speaking,” CP1

Gerald Zaltman, “How Listeners Think,” in How Customers Think CP1.

Marie Danziger, “Guidelines for More Effective Public Speaking,” pp. 1-15. CP1

Jason Salzman, “Develop a Simple Message,” in Making the News: A Guide for Nonprofits and Activists, 1998, pp. 9-10. CP1

Neil Postman, “The Information Age: A Blessing or a Curse?” CP1

Marie Danziger, “Criteria for Publishable Op-Eds.” CP1

David Shipley, “And Now a Word From Op-Ed,” New York Times, 2/1/04. CP1

WEEK 3 Op-Ed Pieces: What Makes Good Writing About Public Policy

Monday Lecture in L280

Sept. 12

Optional Written Assignment: email 1st paragraph or two of op-ed to Marie Danziger by 12 noon.

Readings:

Marshall Goldsmith, “Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback,” from Leader to Leader, No. 25, Summer 2002. CP2.

Marie Danziger, “Feedback Questions to Consider” CP3

URL from list of op-eds from HKS pressroom:

http://www.hks.harvard.edu/news-events/news/commentary

Starting this week read regularly the op-ed pages of:

The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com)

The Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com)

The Wall Street Journal, (http://online.wsj.com/public/us)

or The Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/news/globe)

Wednesday Workshop (Red 1), 4:10pm-6:00pm, L280
Sept. 14 Workshop assignment: 4-minute “mental model” speech

Friday Workshop (Blue 1), 1:10pm-3:00pm in RG 20

Sept. 16 Workshop assignment: 4-minute “mental model” speech

WEEK 4 Rhetoric, Persuasion and Public Deliberation

Monday Lecture in L280

Sept. 19

Written Assignment: 750 word op-ed due in class. (Details tba)

Readings:

Deborah Tannen, “The Power of Talk: Who Gets Heard and Why,” Harvard Business Review, Sept. Oct., 1995. CP3

Bill Clinton, Speech to American Legion Convention, Chicago, Il., August 25, 1992, from Karlyn Kohrs Campbell, The Rhetorical Act, 1996, pg. 138-149. CP2

Jay Conger, “The Necessary Art of Persuasion,” from The Harvard Business Review, May-June, 1998. CP3

James Humes, “Power Gesture” in Speak like Churchill, Stand like Lincoln, pps. 127-141. CP2

Madeleine Kunin, Living a Political Life, pp. 61-70. CP2

Jay Allison, Jay, ed. This I Believe, pp. 112-152. B

Online video to watch:

“Obama Speech to Republican Caucus” (Jan. 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTwiLnLipIY&feature=related

“Obama after Iowa,” January 3, 2008 on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqoFwZUp5vc

“Iowa Caucus – Huckabee Speech”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqPAsKZPH44

JFK on Religion and Politics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p0OMJbia4s

Mario Cuomo, “1984 Convention Speech”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOdIqKsv624

Sept. 21 workshop assignment: 4-minute controversial speech

Friday Workshop: (Blue 2), 1:10pm-3:00pm in RG 20
Sept. 23 Workshop assignment: 4-minute controversial speech

WEEK 5 Generating Emotional Impact: Storytelling I

Monday

Sept. 26 Readings

Marie Danziger, “Some Rhetorical Uses of Story.” CP3

Peter Guber, “The Four Truths of Storytelling,” Harvard Business Review, Dec. 2007. CP3

Howard Gardner, “The Leaders’ Stories,” in Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership, pp. 41-54. CP2

Roger Schank, “Preface” and “Knowledge is Stories” from Tell Me a Story: Narrative and Intelligence. CP2

Mario Cuomo, “E Pur Si Muove,” Chubb Fellowship Lecture, from More Than Words: The Speeches of Mario Cuomo, pp. 52-65.CP2

Jay Allison, ed. This I Believe, pp. 153-200. B

Video:

Jill Bolte Taylor’s Stroke of Insight, TED Speech, March 2008

http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html

Steve Jobs, “Stanford Commencement Speech 2005”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

Isabel Allende on Storytelling

http://www.ted.com/speakers/isabel_allende.html

Sept. 28 Workshop assignment: 4-minute storytelling speech

Friday Workshop: (Blue 1), 1:10pm-3:00pm in RG 20

Sept. 30 Workshop assignment: 4-minute storytelling speech

WEEK 6 Generating Emotional Impact: Storytelling II

Monday Lecture in L280

Oct. 3 Readings:

Lilyan Wilder, “The Key: Being Real,” Chapter 2 from Talk Your Way to Success. CP2

Arthur Miller, “American Playhouse: On Politics and the Art of Acting,” Harper’s Magazine, June, 2001. CP3

Jay Allison, ed., This I Believe, pp. 201-243. B.

Benjamin DeMott, “Junk Politics: A Voter’s Guide to the Post-Literate Election,” Harper’s Magazine, Nov. 2003, CP3.

Roger Rosenblatt, “Give Me A Corny Speech. Then I'll Listen,” Time, Aug. 14, 2000, pp. 92. CP3

Oct. 5 Workshop assignment: 4-minute storytelling speech

Friday Workshop: (Blue 2), 1:10pm-3:00pm in RG 20

Oct. 7 Workshop assignment: 4-minute storytelling speech

WEEK 7 Empathy: Your Personal Credibility and Trustworthiness

Monday NO CLASS – COLUMBUS DAY

Oct. 10

Readings:

Marie Danziger, “Building Trust,” CP3

Marie Danziger, “Delivering Bad News, “Facing a Highly Polarized Audience, “Responding to Allegations of Failure or Misconduct.” CP3

Gerry Spence, How to Argue and Win Every Time, pp. 135-147. CP2

Zimbardo and Leippe, “The Psychology of Attitude Change and Social Influence,” pp. 12-21. CP2

Jay Allison, ed. This I Believe, pp. 244-259. B

Brooks, David, “All Politics is Thymotic, New York Times, March 19, 2006 CP3

Video:

Act of Uniformity, speech from the movie “Elizabeth.”

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechelizabeth.html

Gandhi Advocates Policy of Nonviolence, speech from the movie, “Gandhi.”