LIBS 125: Apathy to Action

The class will examine American citizenship as understood and practiced in a variety of arenas of public life. We will study both historical and contemporary perspectives on citizenship, including the ways in which public discourse helps Americans understand the idea of citizenship and the practice of democracy. In addition to exploring citizenship as it operates in the political arena and civil society, we will emphasize the role of higher education in nurturing active citizenship. As part of the seminar, students will be expected to participate in some form of civic activity (e.g., volunteerism, democratic participation, public advocacy) that will highlight different models of citizenship in practice.

Troy Murphy is an Associate Professor of Communication, teaching courses in the discipline’s Public Communication and Culture Studies and Speech Communication areas of study. Before receiving his Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh in 1998, he was involved in several political campaigns and worked in Washington D.C. as a press secretary and speechwriter for a U.S. Senator. His research investigates public advocacy from within the arenas of civil society and examines the rhetorical dimensions of democratic citizenship in both historical and contemporary contexts. He teaches courses on Persuasion and Social Movements, Public Argument and Advocacy, and 20 th Century Public Argument. He is also a member of the American Studies Faculty and the Civic Engagement Project at UMD.

This course may be used to satisfy the CASL distribution requirement in Letters.