I attended the “Making Meaning” conference this past Friday where I heard two graduate students speak about rhetoric in healthcare and law. The first speaker I listened to was Elizabeth Brewer, who is a Ph. D student from Ohio State University studying Disability Studies. Her talk was entitled “What is so ‘Schizophrenic’ About that Text? A Disability Studies Approach to the Usage of ‘Schizophrenic’ in Critical Theory and Academic Discourse”. I have chosen to complete my rhetorical analysis paper on this talk, so I will go into much more detail about the effectiveness of her argument in my paper. Her talk did inspire a few thoughts in my mind about how to effectively use language to convey a message to an intended audience. Something that stood out to me about Elizabeth’s paper was her structure. She used a lot of direct quotes to introduce new points. For instance, her paper began with a quote from N. Katherine Hale about discerning between metaphors that enlighten and metaphors that disillusion. This tied into the topic she was discussing, which was a criticism of using the term “schizophrenic” as a universal metaphor. Using a quote was a thought provoking way to grab the attention of the audience, which was mostly graduate and undergraduate students interested in rhetoric. It allowed the audience to think about their own interpretation of the quote, and compare it to Elizabeth’s analysis. I thought this was a useful technique in reaching out to audiences and it allowed me to see the importance of language in rhetoric.
In addition to language, I have been thinking about what types of evidence would be the strongest way to reach out to the intended audience to persuade them of the speaker’s view. Would it be best to use case studies, expert opinions, or statistics? The second speaker, Patrick Barry, who is a graduate student in English at the University of Michigan, and also a law student at the University of Chicago, gave a talk entitled “What is Henry David Thoreau doing in the Supreme Court Opinion of the Amish? The Role of Literary Allusions in Judicial Opinions”. I thought Patrick had a great use of examples to argue his point and qualifiers. He gave an example of a Supreme Court case evaluating whether the Amish could stop going to school at age 16 for religious purposes. This led the court to closely examine the meaning of the word “religion”. Is it merely a group of people who follow a set of beliefs that distinguish them from the remaining population? What about Thoreau, in Walden, when he isolated himself and lived in the woods? Would this be considered a religion? These questions asked in the court ruling related to the class discussion I mentioned in a previous post about finding a common definition for ambiguous words before reaching an opinion about them. In the case of Patrick’s argument, this was a case where a literary allusion was not correctly used to qualify a definition.
Going back to Elizabeth’s argument, I began to think more about identity and what it is comprised of. If someone has a disability, meaning a physical handicap, is that a part of his or her identity? According to Elizabeth, it is. But doesn’t that raise some moral concerns as to what we really seek from people? We are going to perceive a person in a certain way if we see that he is disabled, and sometimes we do not look further than the physical disability and can’t move past our preconceived notion. Usually, when we see disabled people we feel sympathy, instead of recognizing that they too, are human beings just like us. Although they are physically disabled, there are still aspects of them, such as their thoughts and personalities, that can relate to those who are not disabled. So, going back to my previous post on the question posed by William James, after attending this lecture, I would have to agree with Elizabeth. That, yes, our bodies do determine our identities, whether consciously or unconsciously.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
New revelations on identity and inquiry
Over the past 2 weeks, I have listened to several intensive discussions on identity in my class. These discussions, along with reading the theories of several philosophers have changed my perception of identity. Previously, I considered identity to consist of the characteristics a person used to define himself. It was something I thought to remain constant in all situations. For instance, if someone was an athlete, he would express himself as an athlete regardless of his social surroundings. However, I have come to learn that identity is much more complicated than what I previously defined it to be, and that it cannot concretely be defined. A person’s identity may depend on the audience, and could constantly be changing according to the social surroundings. This is exemplified in the theory of William James, who discusses the empirical social self. James says “a man has as many social selves as there are individuals who recognize him” (The Self We Live By, 24). He is saying that social identity does not consist of what one thinks of himself, but also of what others perceive him to be. Recognition from others is the key factor in determining identity. For example, an individual may be recognized as a husband, a father, a coach, a scientist, or a religious zealot depending on who he is interacting with. James says this man’s identity is the sum of all that he can be, and is a combination of who he is around others. I guess one could say that identity is a combination of one’s own self concept and how others view him. James also breaks social identity into “me” (the essence of a person that makes him who he is) and “mine” (the possessions a person owns). I am still a bit unsure about the differences between these two concepts. From my understanding, James says a man’s identity is determined by all that he possesses, which would essentially make all that is “mine” into “me”. Yet he questions if our bodies are “ours” or “us”? I too wonder if our physical appearances (bodies) are part of our identity, or if our identities are solely based on the essence of our thoughts, actions, and souls. Are our bodies part of how we perceive ourselves and others perceive us, or are they simply something we own, but serve as a shell to coat our actual identities?
Skimming the remainder of “The Self We Live By”, I am curious to read some of the chapters on self narration. I have seen the socially constructed side of identity, and I would like to learn about the other side, about how an individual narrates and expresses his own identity. I would think that these chapters would delve into the mind of an individual and how he is trying to portray himself in society.
It is a little difficult for me to connect my ideas about identity to my major, which is biomedical engineering. In class today, we were discussing arguing to inquire. This taught me to look deeper into an argument and probe for questions within the argument to learn more. I am all for clarifying terms and thinking deeper into a situation, but I feel that some facts need to be accepted to serve as a foundation, and only then can further questions be raised. The example used in class, which questioned whether Columbus discovered America, had a lot of ambiguity to it that had to be defined, and therefore was a subject for inquiry. However, from an engineering standpoint, there are some facts that we learn as scientists and mathematicians that are taken for granted. For instance, two plus two is four, always was four, and always will be four. No question about it. Similarly, an atom will always be an atom regardless of what context one is in. However, after the basics are learned, a person can inquire about future ideas. Biomedical engineering is not really a social profession; however, it does encompass a lot of teamwork. One’s identity in a group could be constructed by how he perceives himself (i.e. a diligent and dependable worker) and the traits his teammates recognize in him (i.e. a strong communicator and leader). Arguing to inquire can also tie into biomedical engineering because it is a profession based on innovation and constantly revamping ideas to release the highest quality of products to consumers. If a biomedical engineer was developing a dialysis machine that was used in cases of renal failure, and argued that it was the best of its kind, several questions could be posed to inquire more about the product. Some questions may include the increase in life expectancy, side effects, patient safety concerns, cost/benefit ratios, who has access to the product, etc. Although science and philosophy are completely different fields, I suppose there is a way to tie in identity and inquiry into an engineering discipline.
Skimming the remainder of “The Self We Live By”, I am curious to read some of the chapters on self narration. I have seen the socially constructed side of identity, and I would like to learn about the other side, about how an individual narrates and expresses his own identity. I would think that these chapters would delve into the mind of an individual and how he is trying to portray himself in society.
It is a little difficult for me to connect my ideas about identity to my major, which is biomedical engineering. In class today, we were discussing arguing to inquire. This taught me to look deeper into an argument and probe for questions within the argument to learn more. I am all for clarifying terms and thinking deeper into a situation, but I feel that some facts need to be accepted to serve as a foundation, and only then can further questions be raised. The example used in class, which questioned whether Columbus discovered America, had a lot of ambiguity to it that had to be defined, and therefore was a subject for inquiry. However, from an engineering standpoint, there are some facts that we learn as scientists and mathematicians that are taken for granted. For instance, two plus two is four, always was four, and always will be four. No question about it. Similarly, an atom will always be an atom regardless of what context one is in. However, after the basics are learned, a person can inquire about future ideas. Biomedical engineering is not really a social profession; however, it does encompass a lot of teamwork. One’s identity in a group could be constructed by how he perceives himself (i.e. a diligent and dependable worker) and the traits his teammates recognize in him (i.e. a strong communicator and leader). Arguing to inquire can also tie into biomedical engineering because it is a profession based on innovation and constantly revamping ideas to release the highest quality of products to consumers. If a biomedical engineer was developing a dialysis machine that was used in cases of renal failure, and argued that it was the best of its kind, several questions could be posed to inquire more about the product. Some questions may include the increase in life expectancy, side effects, patient safety concerns, cost/benefit ratios, who has access to the product, etc. Although science and philosophy are completely different fields, I suppose there is a way to tie in identity and inquiry into an engineering discipline.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Analyzing the effectiveness of an argument
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/opinion/15tue2.html
I have looked into an editorial published in the New York Times last week entitled “Medical Inattention in New York Prisons”. Since I am interested in the healthcare professional field, this editorial caught my eye. The first thing I searched for was the author, but there is no name given, so I assume that the author is an ordinary citizen of New York expressing his opinions to fellow New Yorkers and government officials who have the power to pass or veto bills. The central claim made in this article is that prisoners generally bear higher infection rates than the rest of the population, and therefore, a bill should be passed to ensure testing and treatment for prisoners that meet state guidelines. This claim is qualified in the first paragraph, by stating that “prison inmates are the sickest people in society”. This sentence is an absolute claim, but it is necessary to grab the reader’s attention. Furthermore, the author recognizes exceptions when he says that failure to treat these inmates will make it more likely that they spread infection, which insinuates that these inmates may not always spread their diseases. One question that comes to my mind after reading the first sentence is, what makes prisoners the sickest out the entire population? Do they contract blood-borne diseases by sharing intravenous needles in prison? Was it the prison environment that led to the disease, or did the prisoners already have diseases before they were locked up? Some more clarification as to how these diseases were contracted by the prisoners may make the claim more credible.
The rest of the argument discusses the current situation regarding treatment and diagnosis of prisoners, and what effect passing the new bill to improve these prisoner services would have. The author blatantly states his opinion when he says Governor Paterson should “ignore them [correction officials] and sign it [the bill]”. The reasoning behind his claim is that, if left untreated, prisoners can rapidly spread their diseases to the population once they are released, which is a relevant reason for concern. To support his opinion about passing the new bill, the author discusses how the current prisoner medical care system is inconsistent, and therefore, it needs to be standardized and meet state guidelines. He gives evidence for his reasoning by citing a report from the Correctional Association of New York, stating that testing has not been thorough and not all infected prisoners have been treated. This evidence is relevant to the reasoning. However, the evidence given in the report is estimated, and some more concrete statistics and numbers would increase the report’s credibility to readers. The author also examines opposing viewpoints and refutes them. For instance, he says that prison medical officials see no problem with the current system. Some elaboration as to why they feel this way would make a stronger opposing claim. The author then goes on to cite more authorities, such as the critics in Legislature, who agree with his view that a standardized change needs to be made in the system. The author’s final opposing viewpoint is that the cost of improving prisoner medical services is one that cannot be afforded by the state, which he nicely refutes by stating that in the long run, this new bill could cut several healthcare costs.
Overall, the author presents a convincing argument for standardizing and improving medical care for prisoners by citing credible evidence and refuting opposing viewpoints. However, the main weakness in this editorial is failure to provide background information as to why the claim is being made. Understanding how and why prisoners are the sickest of all people will make readers realize what a serious problem this is. Additionally, some more numerical statistics, such as the number of prisoners who are left untreated every year, would better convey the magnitude of the situation to readers and make them more inclined to seek a solution for change.
I have looked into an editorial published in the New York Times last week entitled “Medical Inattention in New York Prisons”. Since I am interested in the healthcare professional field, this editorial caught my eye. The first thing I searched for was the author, but there is no name given, so I assume that the author is an ordinary citizen of New York expressing his opinions to fellow New Yorkers and government officials who have the power to pass or veto bills. The central claim made in this article is that prisoners generally bear higher infection rates than the rest of the population, and therefore, a bill should be passed to ensure testing and treatment for prisoners that meet state guidelines. This claim is qualified in the first paragraph, by stating that “prison inmates are the sickest people in society”. This sentence is an absolute claim, but it is necessary to grab the reader’s attention. Furthermore, the author recognizes exceptions when he says that failure to treat these inmates will make it more likely that they spread infection, which insinuates that these inmates may not always spread their diseases. One question that comes to my mind after reading the first sentence is, what makes prisoners the sickest out the entire population? Do they contract blood-borne diseases by sharing intravenous needles in prison? Was it the prison environment that led to the disease, or did the prisoners already have diseases before they were locked up? Some more clarification as to how these diseases were contracted by the prisoners may make the claim more credible.
The rest of the argument discusses the current situation regarding treatment and diagnosis of prisoners, and what effect passing the new bill to improve these prisoner services would have. The author blatantly states his opinion when he says Governor Paterson should “ignore them [correction officials] and sign it [the bill]”. The reasoning behind his claim is that, if left untreated, prisoners can rapidly spread their diseases to the population once they are released, which is a relevant reason for concern. To support his opinion about passing the new bill, the author discusses how the current prisoner medical care system is inconsistent, and therefore, it needs to be standardized and meet state guidelines. He gives evidence for his reasoning by citing a report from the Correctional Association of New York, stating that testing has not been thorough and not all infected prisoners have been treated. This evidence is relevant to the reasoning. However, the evidence given in the report is estimated, and some more concrete statistics and numbers would increase the report’s credibility to readers. The author also examines opposing viewpoints and refutes them. For instance, he says that prison medical officials see no problem with the current system. Some elaboration as to why they feel this way would make a stronger opposing claim. The author then goes on to cite more authorities, such as the critics in Legislature, who agree with his view that a standardized change needs to be made in the system. The author’s final opposing viewpoint is that the cost of improving prisoner medical services is one that cannot be afforded by the state, which he nicely refutes by stating that in the long run, this new bill could cut several healthcare costs.
Overall, the author presents a convincing argument for standardizing and improving medical care for prisoners by citing credible evidence and refuting opposing viewpoints. However, the main weakness in this editorial is failure to provide background information as to why the claim is being made. Understanding how and why prisoners are the sickest of all people will make readers realize what a serious problem this is. Additionally, some more numerical statistics, such as the number of prisoners who are left untreated every year, would better convey the magnitude of the situation to readers and make them more inclined to seek a solution for change.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Tattoos-A form of rebellion or creative expression?
I have never considered getting a tattoo. Personally, I have not found something important enough in my life that I would want to indelibly symbolize on my body. However, moving past my personal beliefs, I think that tattoos are a form of creative expression that can allow individuals to differentiate themselves from others and convey characteristics that make them unique. It is commonly believed that adolescents obtain tattoos to rebel against social constraints and to express control over their own bodies, as stated in the essay “On Teenagers and Tattoos”. However, this is not the only motivation for teenagers to permanently mark their bodies. A tattoo may use abstract symbols to signify something the beholder considers dear to himself, and may be in memory of a loved one. An example given in “On Teenagers and Tattoos” is that of a man who tattooed a picture of his 4-month old baby girl onto his chest, so that the image of her smiling face would always be etched on his body. Even as his daughter grows, the tattoo would permanently remind the man of the beautiful child he dearly loved.
http://aura1.gaia.com/photos/20/199855/large/Om_Lotus.jpg
Another reason people might get tattoos is to pictorially display their beliefs. The tattoo I have looked into (check out the above link) holds a bit of a personal significance for me. The Hindu “om” symbol is recognized universally, but few people have actually analyzed its true meaning. I am not a particularly religious person; however, I am of Hindu descent and have great respect for the beliefs of my family. I find this tattoo interesting because it combines symbolism and color to convey beliefs in a supreme, divine power. The “om” symbol is derived from ancient Sanskrit, and represents the Brahman caste, a group of people considered closest to divinity. It symbolizes great faith in the divine beings, and serves to help humans through darkness and the unknown. The saffron color symbolizes fire. It is believed that if one has faith in the gods, he will find the light of the fire that guides him through the uncertainties in life. Overall, if someone were to have this tattoo on his body, it would show how that person has faith in divine beings, and respects those beings as supreme authority. It is a personal reminder of how an individual relies on divinity for guidance during times of adversity, and that the person should never give up hope when things are looking bad because the fire will steer the person in the right direction.
“The Decorated Body” states that marking one’s body is what distinguishes him from other individuals. It claims that the “absolute naked body is considered as brutish…where no distinction is made between man and beast”(41). The fact that humans ornament their bodies is what has historically separated civilizations from primitive beings. Whether a person tattoos words on his body, religious symbols, or fierce animals, that person is sketching the inner workings of his soul onto his body. He is taking his beliefs and ideas and constructing them into his social self. This follows an idea put forth by William James, that the social self is reflected in the way others recognize a person. Tattoo art allows a person to display what matters most to him in an artistic and permanent fashion, so that others can recognize the traits that make him unique.
http://aura1.gaia.com/photos/20/199855/large/Om_Lotus.jpg
Another reason people might get tattoos is to pictorially display their beliefs. The tattoo I have looked into (check out the above link) holds a bit of a personal significance for me. The Hindu “om” symbol is recognized universally, but few people have actually analyzed its true meaning. I am not a particularly religious person; however, I am of Hindu descent and have great respect for the beliefs of my family. I find this tattoo interesting because it combines symbolism and color to convey beliefs in a supreme, divine power. The “om” symbol is derived from ancient Sanskrit, and represents the Brahman caste, a group of people considered closest to divinity. It symbolizes great faith in the divine beings, and serves to help humans through darkness and the unknown. The saffron color symbolizes fire. It is believed that if one has faith in the gods, he will find the light of the fire that guides him through the uncertainties in life. Overall, if someone were to have this tattoo on his body, it would show how that person has faith in divine beings, and respects those beings as supreme authority. It is a personal reminder of how an individual relies on divinity for guidance during times of adversity, and that the person should never give up hope when things are looking bad because the fire will steer the person in the right direction.
“The Decorated Body” states that marking one’s body is what distinguishes him from other individuals. It claims that the “absolute naked body is considered as brutish…where no distinction is made between man and beast”(41). The fact that humans ornament their bodies is what has historically separated civilizations from primitive beings. Whether a person tattoos words on his body, religious symbols, or fierce animals, that person is sketching the inner workings of his soul onto his body. He is taking his beliefs and ideas and constructing them into his social self. This follows an idea put forth by William James, that the social self is reflected in the way others recognize a person. Tattoo art allows a person to display what matters most to him in an artistic and permanent fashion, so that others can recognize the traits that make him unique.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Merging of Identities
As an individual, I consider myself to have several social roles that integrate themselves into one identity, which makes me who I am. However, some parts of my identity become more prevalent depending on the situation I am in, and who my audience is. I am a student, a daughter, a sister, and a socialite, to name a few of my identities. Depending on the setting, I pick which identity I want to convey to those around me. For instance, in an academic setting, I exemplify a particular set of traits. I am somewhat demure, but voice my opinion when I have a strong one. I choose my words carefully, try to use formal language, and refrain from slang since it is an academic institution. I listen intently to my peers and the instructor, and treat the instructor like an authoritative figure. Although it sounds a bit frivolous, the reason that I do not say much unless I am absolutely sure of my statement is that I fear being wrong or being judged. If I make an observation that is inconsistent with the views of others, I am somewhat apprehensive of others judging my statement as incorrect, or looking like a fool for saying something unintelligent. Nevertheless, this does not stop me from speaking out if I feel strongly about something and want to enlighten others with my opinion. On the other hand, a completely different side of me comes out when I am in a purely social setting. For example, if I am at a party, or in a situation where my goal is to solely meet new people, I act a lot more extraverted. In these cases, I am a lot less cognizant of how others perceive me, and am more free with my words and actions. Perhaps it is because in the classroom or professional world, there is an imbalance of power, and I am trying to appeal to an authoritative figure. Therefore, I am more self conscious and want to make a good impression. However, at a party or social event, I see all the other people there as my peers and equals. For that reason, I am more willing to approach others and strike up a conversation.
As I have started college, I noticed that the two identities described above have slowly begun to merge. All throughout grade school, I was taught that I was the student and the teacher was the authoritative figure. However, having been through several smaller college classes, I have noticed that the classroom atmosphere is much more relaxed. Student-teacher interactions are much less formal. That being said, there is still an understanding that the instructor must be respected as an educator, but the student-oriented way in which the instructor teaches the class makes the atmosphere a lot less stifled. Because of this, I find it easier to be sociable in class and voice my opinion without being self conscious. I can bring in more of the person I am in social situations into the classroom.
For the most part, I imagine that my audience for this blog will be my English 225 instructor and peers from the class. Although, who knows? Since this blog is open to the public, maybe I will get a few readers who don’t know me and will find my thoughts interesting! I will write this blog in way so that those who don’t already know me will get to know me better. As I previously said, in person, people may perceive me as a passive individual. However, through this blog, I hope to persuade readers that I do have strong thoughts on some subjects, and that I can convey these thoughts through mature reasoning. I only form a strong opinion on a subject if I am very knowledgeable about it. Before I make a statement, I consult all resources, and try to find lots of evidence for my reasoning. I anticipate what others may say to counter my opinion, and try to think of ways to respond to their statements with persuasiveness. That being said, I am always open to criticism and suggestions on how I can improve my argumentative skills. Hopefully I can find an issue that I am passionate about to convince others of my view.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Starter
At first glance, people may form a certain impression of me. I appear to be timid, quiet, and passive. However, all these preconceived notions are incorrect, and as people get to know me, they slowly begin to realize that there is much more to me than the exterior implies. They find that I am a dedicated, passionate individual who puts her heart and soul into everything she truly cares about. And this, indeed, is very true. I am a perfectionist in many aspects of my life, and I hold high standards for myself. I put forth 110% effort into everything I do that truly matters to me, and perform tasks to the best of my abilities, meticulously finding ways to rule out all errors. This motivational ideology is applied in several areas of my life, ranging from academics to athletics to social relationships. For instance, I am an avid runner and ran competitively in track and cross country meets in high school. Although I no longer have the time to run inter-competitively, I still have made it a habit to run every day. Even though I run by myself for leisure, I approach my daily workout with a competitive attitude. I treat it as if I am still competing with someone: myself. I run the same route every day of the week, alternating routes each week, and make it a goal to improve my time every day, from Monday to Sunday. The passion for running and intense motivation that drove me to success in high school still fuels my athletic abilities even to this day. I am not pushing myself to run my hardest to prove anything to others, I am doing it to prove to myself that I have not lost my former abilities. Running is something I care about and therefore I put everything I have into it. Feeling a sense of personal fulfillment and satisfaction is what matters to me.
People might be reading this and thinking: ok, so what, who cares? They should care because the passion that I have for certain subjects is going to be conveyed in this blog. My focused nature and diligent work ethic can be projected into issues that I care about, which I will voice through this blog. The purpose of this blog is to outwardly project what I regularly wouldn’t in person. On the pages of this site, the quiet girl who lurks in the corner, overshadowed by others, no longer exists. I will be exposed for the opinionated, strong willed person that I am. Not to say that I have a strong opinion on every issue, but those that affect my daily life will be hit hard in my discussions. This blog will integrate the two personas I hold: the amicable, meek exterior, and the outspoken voice that lies within.
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