Rogerian Rhetoric: Ethical Growth through Alternative Forms of Argumentation

Rogerian Rhetoric: Ethical Growth through Alternative Forms of Argumentation

 

by Doug Brent. An excerpt from Teaching Argument in the Composition Course, p297- The ideal rhetorical situation as described by Plato involves an audience that, like his hero Socrates, is "not less happy to be refuted than to refute" (Gorgias 17). Alas, this attitude is rare among real, vulnerable human beings who are not characters in a Platonic dialogue. -298 The therapist, in Rogers' view, is not a healer, but rather a facilitator of healing. -298 Rogerian rhetoric as recreated by Young, Becker and Pike is aimed at those situation in which more confrontational techniques are most apt to fail: that is, in highly emotional situations in which opposing sides fail to establish even provisional grounds for discussion. -299 As a form of arrangement, Rogerian rhetoric may not always be appropriate; if communicative bridges are already in place, it may not be necessary to build them, and in some forms of triadic communication it may be desirable to udnerline only one's own point of view. -307 [Discussing feminist objections to this] The problem, as lamb puts it, is that Rogerian rhetoric feels "feminine rather than feminist" (17). -308 [This rhetoric doesn't seem tied to the concept of female empowerment. Perhaps it is addressed at helping males with a typical male shortcoming.] [The next objection is to a presumption about language under Rogerian rhetoric] As developed by Young, Becker, and Pike under the influence of General Semantics (by way of Anatol Rappaport's studies in conflict resolution). Rogerian rhetoric insists on a nonevaluative, neutral language of pure description that modern language theory, even without reference to feminist insights, rejects as impossible (Brent "Reassessment"). -309 To deal with the second problem, "neutral" language must be valued not as a pure good in itself, but in a dialectical relationship with emotional language and the connection with self that emotion entails. -310

Revisiting "the idea of a writing center"

Revisiting "the idea of a writing center"

by Stephen North from The Writing center journal, vol 15, number 1, fall 1994 Four problems with his old piece: A. His description of the writer's motivation is naive. It isn't that writers aren't motivated, it is that they are not motivated to be great writers. They want great writing. B. the metaphor of tutor as participant observer is naive. Tutors can't drop their culture or pretend it doesn't exist. They can't simply join the writer in his/her process. They are working in a center, which in itself is a violation/transformation of that process. C. Our special perspective makes the injunction to never criticize a teacher or an assignment a little extreme. there are bad teachers and bad assignments, and being upfront about that fact can be helpful to tutor morale. This passage places a high burden on tutors D. The idea of making the center be the writing CENTER on campus is naive. Large campuses cannot possibly do that. There is too much change for him to predict the future of writing centers. His college is moving toward writing tracks in the English major. This will bring the self-motivated writers to the center. This will encourage long-term relationships. 3. Talk with teachers will be required.

Rogerian Argument

Rogerian Argument- Writing Theory

From Rhetoric: Discovery and Change with Communication: Its Blocking and Its Facilitation Richard E. Young, Alton L. Becker, Kenneth L. Pike, Carl R. Rogers This article is an excerpt from Teaching Argument in the Composition Course, 97-111. Abstract: In fact, Roger's theories, which are taken from small-group therapy, reverse the traditional order of things in argumentation; instead of the writer or speaker being the primary focus, the listener or reader is given first priority. It is up to rhetors to fully understand their interlocutor's point of view, no matter how foreign or complex, and, more importantly, to state this point of view to the audience's satisfaction before explaining their own. Rogerian argument rests on the assumption that out of a need to preserve the stability of his image, a person will refuse to consider alternatives that he feels are threatening, and hence that changing a person's image depends on eliminating this sense of threat. Much of men's resistance to economic argument seems explainable by this assumption. -97 Many people engaged in arguments ignore the effect that different context can have on a statement; they often say flatly, "It's true, and I can't imagine how any reasonable man could disagree with it." They might get further in an argument if they said, "If we consider it in such-and-such a context, or if we assume certain conditions, then it is true." -99 The statement is also true in a psychological context: Literature can help people become more perceptive about human problems and human conflict, and as a result more willing and able to deal with them intelligently. Opponents in an argument often, perhaps usually, disagree not because of fallacious reasoning or ignorance of the facts but because of the different contexts in which they see the problem. They may think that they are talking about the same subject when actually they aren't. -100 The threat-reducing acts we have already discussed can help to create trust; a more explicit and direct method, however it to show that writer and reader are similar in relevant ways. The writer can either build or discover bridges (e.g., shared attitudes, experiences, and values [. . .]) that will encourage trust and lead to further interaction. -102 ----------------------------------------

Signs of Truthfullness

Signs of Truthfulness is Witness Accounts
From Derren Brown's book, Tricks of the Mind, p246-249

1. Unstructured production- Truthful, unrehearsed stories, tend to jump forward and backward in time.
2. Quantity of details- the richer the details, the more likely it is true
3. Contextual embedding- If the story takes place within the context of daily life rather than within a vaccuum.
4. Descriptions of Interactions- True stories are more likely to involve interactions between the characters. (A reacting to B)
5. Reproduction of speech- few liars will reproduce parts of a dialogue in their stories
6. Unexpected complications during the incident. -If the story doesn't have them, it is less likely to be true.
7. Unusual details- Often superfluous to the main thrust of the story.
8. Accurately reported details misunderstood- Reporting facts where the meaning is lost on the teller.
9. Accounts of subjective mental state- Reference to feelings or thoughts during the story.
10. Attribution of the perpetrator's mental state.- For example, "he was clearly annoyed because of XXX..."
11. Spontaneous corrections- little corrections or dropped in additions
12. Admitting a lack of memory. - "I cant remember where we ate..."
13. Raising doubts about one's own testimony. - "I might have this wrong. My memory is hazy."
14. Self-deprecation- Referring to details that might incriminate himself or make him feel foolish.

Podcast about Introductions- writing center

Hello. I’m Jeff Cook, one of the tutors who works at the writing center in the Center for Access and Transition, and I’m about to give you my suggestions for writing an introduction for a college-level paper. First, get out a piece of paper and a writing instrument. At the top, I want you to write Introduction in big letters. Now you are going to spend a minute writing everything you know about introductions. I’m asking you to do this because this is the way that all learning works. You will understand more of what I say and remember it longer if you do this. The more you do, the more you know, and the longer you remember. This is the way all reading and listening works. If you tried this trick with all your reading assignments, you would be amazed how much more you remember when the test comes around. Ok. So I want you to pause this podcast and write everything you can think of about introductions. I’m going to pause for ten seconds, then I’ll start my explanation. [Pause] Since most of you aren’t finished writing, pause the podcast now and restart it once you are finished. Did you do it? Good. If you didn’t, you are probably wasting your time listening to me talk. People who listen to talks without applying them are like people who go to the gym and don’t work out. While I talk, I want you to take notes on anything that seems unfamiliar or anything that seems really clear. In other words, don’t try to remember everything from this, try to learn something from what I have to say. [Pause] Ok. Now imagine that you are in a public place. Maybe it’s a restaurant. Maybe it’s a shopping mall. Maybe it’s a baseball game or a church service. Now at this place, a stranger walks up to you to start a conversation. Other than whether that stranger is good looking, ask yourself this: what are the things that I want the stranger to do, in order to pull me into that conversation? Well, the stranger would have to get my interest in the subject, give me a little background, and let me know where the conversation was going. It has to be in that order. If the stranger can’t get my interest, I will ignore him. If the stranger gives no background, I’ll be confused. If the stranger gives too much background, I’ll get impatient. Have you ever listened to someone who made no attempt to talk about what interests you? Have you ever listened to a story where someone felt they had to explain WAY too much in order to understand a story? For me, this happens when my girlfriend tells me stories about the people at her work. Suddenly, I need to know someone’s whole dating history to understand a prank involving her car. Have you ever listened to someone talk about something and had no idea why they just told you that? Those situations aren’t fun when you’re face to face with a person. They are even less fun when you are dealing with writing. So English teachers got together in our secret island lair many years ago and created a simple set of ideas that cover how to write introductions. Not everyone of us uses the exact same words to describe the ideas, but the ideas are always the same. An introduction, in its simplest explanation requires three things. A hook. Background information. (and almost always) A Thesis The hook is where the writer grabs the reader’s attention. In the opening few sentences, the writer must convince the reader that the topic is important. There are dozens of techniques for doing this, and we’ll be covering some of them in another podcast. The background information section is where the writer builds context for his/her audience. Knowing what to include and what is unnecessary is an art. Is the paper intended for an audience that knows the subject? Or is the paper intended to introduce the audience to the subject? For example, a narrative about one’s own life will require a lot of background information because few readers directly know what the author’s life is like. However, a paper written about the Cincinnati Bengals will probably find a very knowledgeable audience here in Cincinnati, Ohio. The third part of the introduction is the most important, the thesis statement. The thesis statement is a single sentence that introduces the controlling+ idea of a paper. Finding an appropriate thesis statement is very tricky, and for this reason, it will be covered in its own podcast. Those are the main three concepts that you need in a piece of writing. Those are the same three concepts that a stranger needs to use when starting a conversation. If you notice, these concepts start with something broad, and then they get more and more specific until the paragraph reaches the thesis statement. And that’s all you need to know about introductions. The unfortunate thing is that, you guessed it, knowing is only half the battle. In order to get any use out of this information, you will have to apply it to something. Take the piece of paper with your notes on it, and turn it over. Imagine that you have been asked to write a persuasive paper about a topic of your choice. Spend a few minutes and ask yourself how you would write the three main sections of the introduction. Ask yourself, how am I going to interest the reader in my subject? Ask yourself, what does the reader need to know about my subject in order to understand the basics? Ask yourself, what do I want to convince the reader of? I’m not suggesting you write an introduction right now. What I am saying is that you need to immediately use this information in order to remember it. So simply write down an answer to those three questions. The topic can be anything you want. Ask yourself, how am I going to interest the reader in my subject? Ask yourself, what does the reader need to know about my subject in order to understand the basics? Ask yourself, what do I want to convince the reader of? I’ll wait. [Pause] Have you got your answers written down or in your head? If so, you have just done the hardest part of writing an introduction. Review what you wrote down before this podcast and see if your understanding of introductions has changed at all during these few minutes. If you need more practice, try examining old papers of your own to see what has gone wrong with your introductions. There are also additional resources and examples in this folder for those of you who want them. You only get better at things that you practice. So, once you practice this, the introductions to your papers will be more entertaining, more informative, and more convincing. And, oh yeah, Your teachers will love you for it.

Introduction to Podcasts

Introduction to Podcasts

Hello. My name is Jeff Cook, and I’m one of the tutors that works in the Center for Access and Transition, a place I will often refer to as the CAT.. I tutor writing, and I spend most of my time in Sander Hall room 110, the tutoring center.
In this podcast, I’ll be explaining…. Well… podcasts. I’ll tell what they are, what they are not, and how to get the most out of them.
So lets begin.

What is a podcast?
A podcast is a downloadable sound file that can be played on a computer or an mp3 player. The podcasts will cover topics in writing and mathematics that students in the CAT courses struggle with.
Each of these podcasts will include an explanation of a concept, the reason why the concept is important, and some instructions for students to follow while they listen. After listening to a podcast, opportunities to practice applying this concept will be given.
Ok. To review. We are going to explain a thing, tell you why it’s important, then give you a chance to practice it.

Now lets talk about what a podcast isn’t.
A podcast is not a homework helper. We will not be covering how to do a specific paper for a specific teacher. We will be covering general ideas in writing and math.
A podcast isn’t a teacher. You cannot ask it questions or receive feedback from it. Learning something new is almost impossible without the chance to do that.
A podcast isn’t a substitute for a professor’s explanation. Since your professor gives the grades in your class, you would be crazy to skip class and think this will make up for what you lost. We might not explain a concept the same way as a professor.
Do you hear me? you’d be crazy to think that is a substitute for a professor’s explanation.
A podcast is a way to get reminded of what you already know. When a professor covers a subject and you can’t remember how they explained it, turn on a podcast.

A podcast is like getting golf tips from tiger woods.
A podcast is like getting swimming tips from Michael Phelps.
A podcast is like getting guitar playing tips from Eric Clapton.
A podcast is some advice from an expert. Just listening to it won’t help you much.
Just listening to a podcast is like watching tiger woods play. It won’t make you a better golfer. It’s like watching other people exercise. It won’t help you lose weight.
In order to get the most out of these. You will need to do three things. You will need to remind yourself of what you already know about the topic. You will need to take notes while the podcast plays, then you’ll need to try to apply the concept to your specific class.
In other words, this is a recipe. But you have to do the cooking.
With these podcasts, you will have all the basic information you need to succeed in the CAT writing and math courses. It will be available to you at anytime, from anywhere with internet access.
So look over the list of available podcasts. Ask yourself, “ is this a concept I know well?”
Then get to work.

Audience Podcast- My notes

Audience Podcast- My notes

Audience: Why English Class is not like Math class. One of the most important things to understand about college level writing is writing for an appropriate audience. This means writing for college professors is going to different than the writing that was done in high school. This means writing for professor Jones is going to be slightly different than writing for professor Smith. You wouldn’t could the exact same meal for two people with different tastes. You can’t write the exact same paper for two different audiences and have it be effective. In English class, we work with words, and one of the main things to understand about words is that we judge them based on a)whether they are correct and b) whether they are effective What we mean when we say writing is correct, is that it follows the standard rules of written English. What we mean when we say writing is effective, is that it gets the desired response from the audience. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An example, 2+2= 4 You would write this the same way to an American and an Egyptian, a Brazilian, or South African. But you if you wanted to express thanks, you would write a different word to all four of these people. The point is that, in order to be effective, the words have to change when the audience changes. ------------------------------------------------------------ Because of this, it is smart to ask ourselves several questions about the audience for our particular paper when choosing a topic. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- AUDIENCE PODCAST Imagine that you are in the airport of a foreign country, and you suddenly realize that you need to go to the bathroom. You scan the section of the terminal, looking up and down the long corridors for signs. People hurry by in all directions, so you decide to stop one of them. Over and over you say, “where is the nearest bathroom?” But many of the travelers do not stop. And those that stop don’t speak English. Suddenly, at the last second, you remember that you are in Mexico, where the people speak Spanish. When you turn to the next person, you say, “donde esta el banjo?” He quickly responds by pointing down the hall, allowing you to dash off in time to avoid an embarrassing situation. [Pause] That anecdote is meant to prove a point, that smart people know that audience is important. In this podcast, I will explain why audience is important. Then I will cover the three main ways writing can be tailored to an audience. While I am explaining those things, I will give you a short list of concrete suggestions for how to tailor your writing for an academic audience. In order to gain something from listening to this, you will need to get out a pen and paper. When you hear me say the phrase: What You Need To Know, write down what I say. After listening, look at some of the examples and practice exercises, to get a better understanding. WHY AUDIENCE IS IMPORTANT Once of the most important things to understand about human communication is that we judge it differently than we judge mathematics. We judge communication according to the situation where it occurs. We call that situation the context. Since this is the case, a good communicator, a smooth talker tailors what he has to say to a specific audience. Since this is the case, a smart student or a successful employee does the same thing. There are lots of examples from daily life of judging words based on their contexts. If a person says something hurtful during an angry confrontation, we judge it differently than we would if it was said calmly over dinner. Comedians in comedy clubs say outrageous things that would get most people fired if the same statements were made at work. In other words, we judge whether a statement is appropriate by when and where it was said. We also judge it by whether it has its desired effect. Considering audience when speaking or writing is one of the most important things you can do to guarantee you are going to get the desired effect, whether you are writing a college essay or approaching a stranger to ask where the bathroom is. How TO CHANGE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING OR WRITING ACCORDING TO YOUR AUDIENCE There are three basic ways to adapt to an academic audience: choosing your words, choosing your examples, and choosing your presentation. These three methods are designed to give the audience the information they need in a way that they find convincing. Choosing words The first way we change our message to suit an audience is by changing the words we use to describe things. We use words that are familiar to the audience so that we avoid having to give unnecessary information. If I am talking to my grandmother, I say I sent a message to my friend. If I am talking to my girlfriend, I say that I texted them. This prevents my grandmother from becoming confused by a new word, and it keeps me from having to give an unwanted explanation. What you need to know is this: In academic papers, we avoid using words that are loaded with emotional connotations. We also try to use key terms from a subject in order to appeal to a specific audience. Choosing examples When writing a paper or trying to make a point, it is important to choose examples carefully. If you choose the wrong example, your audience might be confused, unconvinced, or offended. If you choose a truly terrible example, your audience might become all three. What you need to know is this: Different types of examples are considered to be more or less credible in a given subject. Within that subject, certain types of examples are going to be more or less effective. In academic writing, you want to find examples that are credible, comprehensible, and compelling to a wide audience. In general, this means avoiding pop culture references, personal experiences, and clichés. Pop culture references might not be understood. Personal experiences might not be believed, and clichés are not compelling. Some of the best examples to use are examples that relate to the personal lives of the members of your audience. Throughout these podcasts, I will be using a large number of examples about school, eating, work, and parents. I chose to do this because my audience is largely college students. Choosing your presentation Choosing the way you present your ideas is the third way to adapt to an audience, and it is the most difficult. It is much like choosing the outfit your wear to work or to school. Some people throw on the first thing that they see in their closet and walk out the door. If you’ve ever seen how I dress, you’ll know that I’m that type of guy. Other people plan out an entire outfit, making sure that the shoes match their shirt or their earrings match their necklace. When those people walk around, everyone who sees them gets the message, “I care about the way I look.” In college, choosing the way you present your ideas is all about sending the message that “I care about what I have to say in this paper.” What you need to know: In academic writing, your audience has certain expectations. There are different formats for different subjects, but you must be certain to follow those formats. Search online for a sample paper if you need help matching an MLA or an APA format paper. If your paper has specific requirements, you must be certain to meet those requirements. So let me recap the main points for you. For any audience, you will need to change the way you communicate in order to be effective. For an academic audience, you need to watch your word choices. Avoid slang. Include technical terms when you can be sure the audience will know them. Avoid terms with emotional connotations when possible. For an academic audience, you will need to watch your choice of examples. Usually this means no personal experiences, no pop culture references, and no clichés. And finally, for an academic audience, you will need to watch your presentation of ideas. If you are asked to do a certain type of paper, it is academic suicide not to follow the expected format.