I thought that the basic aim of Enoch's "Becoming Symbol-Wise" was to talk about another writers idea of teaching students how to be better consumers of discourse. What I mean is that it is teach students to become very aware of the type of language used in discourse, especially news media, and to be able to break that down, and get a real understanding of it. She says, "...an aim that asks students to adopt an attitude of patient reflection and to identify with one another as language users who are both symbol-wise and symbol-foolish." I thought that statement really helped me to sum up the article on a whole. I was thinking about my paper that we just handed in and I analyzed the letter to Hu Jintao. This is the article in which Lung, a Taiwanese writer, writes a letter to the leader of China reprimanding his leadership, and the strict control of the media. A part of Enoch's article is that she tells us how Burke uses a process of indexing and picking out key language terms to show how an argument is constructed in a way that is good or bad, or socially inferior or superior. Lung does this with her use of language, such as "Internet police" and "cutting the throat of China". This is in part to a reaction to the abrupt closure of the publication "Freezing Point" in China. Enoch's essay would encourage students to be patient and look carefully and closely at the type of language used. If students were looking at a general word like leadership there could be good connotations and bad ones associated with that, if you look at the point of view of Lang or Hu Jintao. The point was to make the students more "symbol wise".
I am thinking about an idea that has to do with the fact that there are too many children who do not have any understanding about homosexuality, and that this breeds ignorance, and that if we introduce this sexual orientation earlier on with the help of children's literature children would be less apt to be ignorant and hateful. I think the best "real" form would be either a informative TV commercial, or a magazine ad campaign. The genre form will need to mostly entice parents or educators. I believe that children should be present in the ads but obviously young children will not be the ones we have to persuade into action. The audience would be adults who have the same desire to educate our children, and to stop ignorance. I think that I do not create a genre that alienates anyone though. This is a slightly radical ideal for some, and it needs to be tasteful, understated, and direct. It must portray the reason or need for this, and the effects.
-AJ
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2 comments:
AJ- I like your topic idea- mainly because it is risky, and who doesn't want to be a risk taker. Because homosexuality is such a controversial topic, and educating young children about it is even more controversal, I think that the most important part of rhetoric that you will need to focus on is audience construction. You will want your audience to see the importance of the education that you are trying to sell.
Best of Luck- Tiffany
I agree with Tiffany wholeheartedly. This issue is one that I find to be very important in future generations, but you may come across strong opposition from others. In developing your audience, it would be important to realize you would have people from all backgrounds and biases viewing your project.
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