Blog #3: Let's Get Used to Subjective Writing!

The line of when to include your opinions into an essay vs. when not to has been unclear at times for me. As a sophomore in college I'd like to think I now can easily differentiate when and when not to, with objectivity the main goal of most my assignments. Writings allowing subjectivity are sparse in college. Therefore this transition from objectivity to subjectivity with the op-ed assignment will feel uncomfortable and unnatural for me. I will have to constantly check myself as I write to make sure I am consistently incorporating my own voice and opinions. I agree with Flewelling's quoting of Devitt stating, "when we take up a genre, we subconsciously take up the values reinforced with that type of writing." I believe this takes time with any new genre that a writer is learning. The more someone practices writing in a new genre, the more the values of the genre are reinforced and lamented into the writer's subconscious. 

Blogs respond to rhetorical situations in a number of different ways in which the authors' distinct voices are incorporated. Blogs can essentially act as a collection of opinion pieces, and can even be similar to op-eds. Bloggers often address current rhetorical situations taking place. For example, events in politics, music, art, sports, etc. They incorporate their opinions and views on the current topic, crafting a specific voice that allows them to seem relevant. Some current rhetorical situations I might respond to could be about the after effects of the government shutdown and different people declaring their plans to run in the 2020 presidential race. It can be any important issue, usually controversial, that the author wants to share their opinions about and persuade their readers.




There are many distinct features and guidelines of an op-ed. One of the articles from the Tips for Writing an Op-Ed section of the RWS 305 Blackboard from Harvard "How to Write An Op-Ed Or Column" (https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/hks-communications-program/files/new_js_how_to_oped_2_pgs_11_30_17.pdf) discusses some of these features. Some of them I listed on my common op-ed characteristics chart. The article explains the importance of having a topic and theme, researching, having strong openings and endings, and having a distinct voice throughout the op-ed. An article I found online (https://www.thebalancesmb.com/oped-what-is-it-and-how-to-write-it-1360714) discusses more features of an op-ed. The article discusses how "These opinion pieces are relevant articles written to address a piece of news or in response to another opinion expressed in the newspaper, or, online." They often respond to other opinion pieces, therefore op-eds are tailored towards specific audiences. Often controversial news topics will be discussed, with a conservative, liberal, etc. preaching to their own choir through their op-ed. Overall, op-eds allow for an author to write subjectively about a current issue through the use of their own distinctive voice. 

Blog #2: Faking It

There have been countless times I have had to mushfake a Discourse. One time in particular was when I was an intern at a courthouse over last summer. Five days a week I had to switch between different pairs of black shoes, black pants, and a few button up shirts or blouses. I styled my hair and wore a moderate amount of makeup. At the courthouse, I helped people seeking free family law assistance. My supervisors/family law attorneys constantly used legal jargon that I either eventually learned, or mostly faked my knowledge of. As I helped those coming in for legal assistance, I would present myself, with help from my professional attire, as a legally educated individual capable of answering all their questions. Under this calm and put together persona, I had a minimal amount of legal knowledge and would do basic secretarial work before handing them off to the attorneys. Even talking with attorneys and other people working at the courthouse, I was constantly mushfaking their Discourse. I was no where close to being an authentic member of their Discourse. However I managed to fake it and gained a decent amount of legal knowledge and experience.

Gee's article analyzes the importance of Discourses and their role in linguistics and society. He discusses the differences between primary and secondary, and dominant and non dominant Discourses. You can find more information from Christian Hennessey's article "James Gee and The Idea Behind Discourse", in which he mentions Amy Cuddy's Ted Talk on the topic: https://medium.com/literacy-discourse/james-gee-and-the-idea-behind-discourse-86dde02639d8. Christian explains that Cuddy's Ted Talk covers the importance of body language in Discourses. It is one of the main tools of a Discourse, and therefore extremely important to those trying to mushfake.

Gee discusses how different Discourses can interact and conflict with one another. More often it is information from a secondary Discourse transferring to a primary Discourse. For example someone trying to assimilate in an English speaking country might transfer certain words from English to their language, and/or traditions from one to the other. Gee also explains how someone must have grown up in a Discourse in order to see themselves as fully fluent in it and a part of it. There are only those who are fluent, and those trying to learn the Discourse. People who mushfake are considered the latter as they are attempting to learn the Discourse.

A last topic discussed by Gee is the use of sympathetic fallacies. I found the term online referred to rather as pathetic fallacies, and with the same meaning. As described by Gee and from an article online: https://study.com/academy/lesson/pathetic-fallacy-in-literature-definition-examples-quiz.html, the term means to connect human emotions to those of natural conditions such as rain and thunder. It is a central organizational device used in Gee's 9 stanza story told by the little girl. It works to make it so the emotions of the characters in the story are natural because their connected to elements of nature.