MFR NARA- T1A- Saudi Arabia- Khalil Khalil a- 2-24-04- 01252
Practicing Invitational Rhetoric in the Writing Center by Zizi Khalil.
-
Upload
barry-johnston -
Category
Documents
-
view
221 -
download
0
description
Transcript of Practicing Invitational Rhetoric in the Writing Center by Zizi Khalil.
Practicing Invitational Rhetoric in the Writing
Center
by Zizi Khalil
What is rhetoric?– Rhetoric = persuasion ? – “the conscious intent to change others” -
Foss & Griffin
Persuasive Rhetoric vs. Invitational Rhetoric
“An invitation to understanding as a means to create a relationship rooted in equality, immanent value, and self-determination.”
Communication for sake of understanding, not persuasion or domination
Starting place of IR based on principles that challenge the immense value patriarchy accords to changing and dominating others
Equality– Elimination of dominance/elitism that characterizes most
relationships– Intimacy, mutuality, camaraderie
Immanent Value– Every being is a unique and necessary part of the pattern of
our world and thus has value– “Your life is worth something…You need be only what you are”
Self-Determination– Allows individuals to make their own decisions about how they
want to live their lives – Recognizes that others are authorities in their own lives
Prerequisites required for mutual understanding:
Safety– Others have rights to their own views; feeling of
security + freedom from danger from the audience
Value– Views different from one’s own are considered valuable
& worthy– Respectfully affirming others while also affirming
oneself
Freedom– Both parties have the ability to choose for themselves what options they find suitable– No restrictions in the interaction
Writing Centers as inherently feminist learning spaces
Sweetland Mission Statement “Collaborative writing process to instill confidence in fellow writers”
University of Colorado: Center operates “in support of writers” & “Brings writers together with readers”
Princeton: “Writing Center Fellows are there to listen, suggest, and advise. They serve as sounding boards, careful readers…are able to suggest possibilities implicit in a student's own thinking and writing.”
Mission statements address power imbalance in University (professors vs. undergrad students)
Recognizes student writers operating within University setting often lack confidence and authority
Writing center seeks to empower these student writers
Terms like “reader” and “fellow” attempt to equalize writers and WC employees
-Words like “coach, tutor, mentor” more loaded with implicit hierarchy
Writing center strives to deconstruct traditional authority roles through our spoken language
We “value collaboration” but recognize and “face the issues of control” which often arise - Andrea Lunsford
We “not only listen but draw [writers] out,” - Stephen North
Monitor balance of control in each session; – Resist becoming or seen as “little teachers”
Try to divest ourselves of authority; give that authority to writers
Classrooms at UM largely maintain traditional patriarchal power
University evaluates students by grading their work = retains power to label students by issuing grades
Not compatible with WCs because focuses attention on writing product and not the writers (i.e. quality of product determines the grade)
If peer tutors focus on grade, they will focus on product and not writer– Writers won’t take
control of writing process
“Writing centers, then, are equalizing spaces positioned within a larger hierarchical system” - Gabriel Seeley
WC spaces are already designed to utilize invitational rhetoric– Tutors taught to ask the writer to help set
goals during the session– Tutors ask questions of writers in the
session, not give answers
In PR, agency met by compelling others to change their thoughts or ideas
With IR, both parties have agency– No struggle to dominate or establish authority over
the other
In IR, the result may very well be change, but agency lies in the process of creating an environment of safety, value, freedom
PR vs. IR = What we “do to” another vs. what we “do with” another
“Change may be the result of invitational rhetoric, but change is not its purpose”
– Change occurs in the audience or rhetor or both as a result of new understanding and insights gained in the exchange of ideas
– Process of discovery and questioning through comparison
– Can help us raise our consciousness bygetting us to look at issues/subjects through others’ points of views
Offering Perspectives– “I tried this solution when that happened to me…I thought
it worked well.” or “What would happen if we introduced the idea of ____ in this problem?” instead of “You really ought to do…” or “Your idea is flawed because you fail to realize”
Providing Opportunities– Perspectives articulated as a means to increase options
(not limit options like traditional rhetoric)– Audience’s acceptance or rejection to perspective of the
rhetor makes no difference to the rhetor
Absolute-listening– “Our advice, reactions, encouragements, reassurements
and well-intentioned comments actually prevent people from feeling understood”
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Take it Easy