Last semester in literary criticism and theory is when I first began to think about power and privilege within the university, specifically the inclusion and exclusion of content and how we are appropriated to learn in a certain way. As students we must adhere to the conventions of our chosen discipline and mimic the established scholars in those fields. Like Bartholomae points out, we must pretend to be familiar with our audience and establish a false credibility. We have to speak the language of our audience. I particularly like the metaphor on page 9 where students are the shepard that has to be a member of the court in disguise to speak to a courtier (scholar).
I really enjoyed "Inventing the University" because it made me think about the university world in a larger context and in a different perspective. I realized I am the student who can imagine myself in a privileged place to pretend to be a professional -- a writer, researcher, rhetorician, critic -- to appeal to other professionals reading my work. I have thought for a while about how problematic it is academic articles discuss the most relevant issues but are incomprehensible to the layman, but I never questioned exclusion within the university itself. Bartholomae's point about university language excluding student populations struck me and made me think about how I would read 101 students' work if accepted for a teaching assistantship. The second paragraph on page 8 pretty much sums it up, the student speaks a language of defiance when they can't imagine themselves in that place of privilege so by default they "offer the wisdom of their own experience." I don't think we should penalize those students but instead encourage their voice with a blend of academic conventions but not commonplaces.
Hi Addie,
ReplyDeleteWhat do you understand Bartholomae to mean when he uses the word "commonplaces?"
Hi Addie, thanks for your post. I think greenhorn college students, especially English majors, love those early writing opportunities where we're asked to introduce ourselves as a warm-up. I often refer back to writing I've done earlier in my BSU career, and the whole place I'm in now is different. I used to be worried that every detail mattered and that there were so many rules which musn't be broken, or else I'd fail. I've found that there are very few solid 'rules' when it comes to writing. I'm not saying there aren't any at all, but they aren't what I once thought they were. Writing is really a freedom to create truth in non fiction, or all kind of truth mixed with non-truth in fiction - either way, we create and leave our own unique mark behind. When we near the time of wrapping our college careers, I think we have the experiences and skills to write confidently and credibly, focusing on writing well, as opposed to worrying about writing badly. There's only enough time in the day, and when it comes down to it, writers write better when they throw worry and fear out the window and insert time and revision, knowing that time and revision is what will make writing good. After we've been at it a while it is way easier to lose the anxiety and just write. The writing is often shitty, at first, but we have the founded confidence that we will have something worthy to present to our audience when the time comes. I particularly think of writing research style papers when I think about Bartholomae's ideas. Honestly, it has been too long since I've written a good old-fashioned research paper. I enjoy the opportunity to write personal nonfiction, with which I can spew my story and add richness to it by applying research if, and where appropriate.
ReplyDeleteJeff, thanks for sharing! I totally get what you mean when you say writing isn't what you once thought it was and I am the same way. The "rules" you refer to make me think of the rigid five paragraph academic essay that is ingrained in every students mind, but as a multifaceted writer working in a variety of genres it is so much more. It is interesting we are taught to write this way but in the end it is, like you say, about making our own unique mark in the world.
ReplyDeleteDr. Ballenger, I understand Bartholomae’ commonplaces as a “culturally or institutionally authorized concept or statement,” the specific set of expectations that “orient ourselves to the world.” (7). The only problem with commonplaces, or the common way of doing things, is it’s restrictive and allows only one view of the world or subject matter at hand. Commonplaces are dominating ideas rooted in authority and if there is one thing I have learned as an English writing student it is to question everything.