Before I enrolled in English 225, Academic Argumentation, I thought I understood the writing process. However, two weeks into the class I realized I was completely wrong in this assumption. Slowly, throughout the semester I learned through the study of identity, about rhetoric, the art of argument, and how different rhetorical situations can be created in order to argue in very specific ways. I have come to understand the rhetorical situation of inquiry to focus on writing about the exploration of ideas and sources. Inquiry seems to allow the writer to explore a field of interest by evaluating what different sources think and then formulating an opinion based on all of the findings, leading to the formulation of a thesis. The writing process fully describes the writers thought process and details their comparisons amongst sources, their opinions on sources, and the progression of their ideas. Ultimately this type of paper gives a writer a free space to write about how they came to their thesis or conclusion on an issue. I learned that in this type of rhetorical format it is important to have strong transitions in order for the reader to clearly follow your thought process.
The writing process for the next rhetorical situation, convincing, was very different. This strategy required the formulation of a thesis, the defining of a specific target audience that needed to be convinced, and different academic sources to constitute the reasons and evidence of the argument. This process is unique because it only employs ethos and logos, and aims to convince the audience of the writers claim. However, the rhetorical situation of persuasion added the component of pathos, in order to appeal to the reader’s emotions. Once again in this writing process it was essential to clarify and define a specific target audience that needed to be persuaded in order to persuade them based on their common belief system. The combination of ethos, pathos, and logos can persuade an audience to not only agree with the writer but want to take an action. In each rhetorical situation the elements of clear transitions, defining an audience, and making revisions to drafts are essential components in the writing process.
Overall, the way I think about the writing process has vastly and dramatically changed after taking this class. Before this class I felt bound to the five paragraph essay format and had never written a paper longer than six pages. I also was afraid of writing and dreaded it. Now I feel I have acquired new knowledge that has allowed me to become comfortable writing longer papers that employ different rhetorical situations. I have also gained an awareness of my audience which allows me to more accurately write for them and create effective arguments. In addition, I feel my transitions and grammar have greatly improved, which allow my reader to follow my thought process with greater ease. The methods that we learned in class, such as theme/ new theme and nominalizations have allowed me to make my writing clearer and more concise, which make it more effective because the audience is better able to understand me. I feel that despite my thoughts prior to beginning the class, I have in fact greatly improved as a writer throughout the course of the semester, and am extremely grateful for this.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Semester Reflection
At the beginning of the semester I was extremely hesitant about writing blogs because I really did not quite understand what they were or what their purpose was. I began the semester by strictly following Brett's guidelines with the goal of trying to get a good grade in the class. I originally thought blogs were busy work and would become frustrated when trying to think of ideas to write about. I had a poor attitude about the class in general because of the bad experiences I have had in my other English classes, and could not understand why English 225 was needed for a movement science major and to gain admissions into medical school. However, after a short period of time my attitude changed. I am not quite sure what triggered this transition, whether it was Brett's enthusiasm about writing and the ways she presented the material that emphasized its relevance in all fields of study, or if it was the excitement of getting to research and write about topics that actually interested me and I desired to learn more about, but either way I began to enjoy the class. I actually began to enjoy asking questions and trying to use identity theorists to help me answer them. I think at this point in the semester my blogs became more enjoyable and I think this can be seen in the content and writing. I began to ask questions that were of sincere interest to me and used the blog as an avenue to explore ideas. I never before had found writing as therapeutic and satisfying as I do now. I find that I am now perfectly comfortable sitting down and just writing what is on my mind or analyzing the rhetorical elements of a paper or idea or presentation.
I think one of the most important things I have learned from this class is the importance of knowing your audience, or according to Charland, calling or creating an audience. I never before realized the crucial role that one's audience plays in one's argument, but essentially you need an audience to argue with and by defining and understanding your audience you are more effectively able to argue a point of view and take a stance. My writing has greatly changed as a result of this knowledge. I began my blogs by writing about things without providing explanations and assuming that whoever was reading my blog understood what I was talking about, which is entirely not true. However, now that I understand the importance of audience I feel I can draw on the common knowledge that I share with them in order to create an appealing and persuasive argument. I learned in my inquiry and convincing paper that I need to explain to the reader what my thought process is and explain how I go from one idea to the next, something I had previously just assumed that they knew. I have also learned how to draw from multiple credible sources to support my arguments and of the rhetorical significance of doing so. Overall, I feel I have learned so much from this semester and feel my writing has greatly improved and I feel more comfortable writing. I would like to thank Brett and my classmates for this.
I think one of the most important things I have learned from this class is the importance of knowing your audience, or according to Charland, calling or creating an audience. I never before realized the crucial role that one's audience plays in one's argument, but essentially you need an audience to argue with and by defining and understanding your audience you are more effectively able to argue a point of view and take a stance. My writing has greatly changed as a result of this knowledge. I began my blogs by writing about things without providing explanations and assuming that whoever was reading my blog understood what I was talking about, which is entirely not true. However, now that I understand the importance of audience I feel I can draw on the common knowledge that I share with them in order to create an appealing and persuasive argument. I learned in my inquiry and convincing paper that I need to explain to the reader what my thought process is and explain how I go from one idea to the next, something I had previously just assumed that they knew. I have also learned how to draw from multiple credible sources to support my arguments and of the rhetorical significance of doing so. Overall, I feel I have learned so much from this semester and feel my writing has greatly improved and I feel more comfortable writing. I would like to thank Brett and my classmates for this.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
The Importance of Physician Patient Understanding
Today in English 225 class, Payel gave a presentation on the importance of medical school students using the biopsychosocial approach when treating patients. I thought she both persuasively and effectively explained how physicians need to be educated on how to learn about both the physical and emotional aspects of their patients in order to give a proper diagnosis and effectively treat them. I found that her presentation and my presentation were similar in respect to the fact that we feel if doctors understand their patients they can provide more effective treatment. All the research I have done on my topic has explained that physicians who have a disease or have experience being a patient can relate and empathize more with their patients, making them more understanding and more able to connect and help them. It seems that another option to attaining a more personable physician-patient relationship when the physicians do not have experience being a patient or I have a disease may be using this approach that Payel argues for. In order for physicians to fully understand their patients they should use a biopsychosocial approach. This method allows a physician to really get to know the patient and the person and not just the person's disease and physical ailments.
The most appealing aspect of this biopsychosocial approach is that it facilitates a stronger relationship between the physician and the patient. I think this occurs because patients see that their doctors are making a strong attempt to get to know them and understand what other aspects; psychological, emotional, or social, are playing a role in their lives and may possibly be contributing to the disease state that their patients find themselves in. In using this approach patients become more comfortable with their doctors by having the opportunity to talk to them and explain themselves without just having to get examined and diagnosed within ten minutes. The approach also provides the doctors with a broader knowledge of their patients and the things that they do, which allows the doctor to better understand where the physical ailments are coming from. By getting to know all aspects about their patients and their lives, physicians can connect with their patients and make them feel comfortable and secure that they are receiving the best possible treatment since the doctors know everything in their lives that could be leading to a symptom. Both Payel's presentation and my presentation explained the necessity for physician understanding of where their patients are coming from in an effort to provide more effective treatment. Physicians need to really understand their patients and to do so need to devote time and energy to getting to know them, rather than just seeing them for ten minutes, giving hem medication, and sending them on their way to deal with the adverse effects their new conditions will have on their identities. They should take the time to get to know the different aspects of their patients lives so that they know how to more effectively and efficiently treat them. The understanding that doctors seek in this case proves to lead to more effective treatment options for patients, and can be best employed by using the biopsychosocial approach when visiting with and treating patients.
The most appealing aspect of this biopsychosocial approach is that it facilitates a stronger relationship between the physician and the patient. I think this occurs because patients see that their doctors are making a strong attempt to get to know them and understand what other aspects; psychological, emotional, or social, are playing a role in their lives and may possibly be contributing to the disease state that their patients find themselves in. In using this approach patients become more comfortable with their doctors by having the opportunity to talk to them and explain themselves without just having to get examined and diagnosed within ten minutes. The approach also provides the doctors with a broader knowledge of their patients and the things that they do, which allows the doctor to better understand where the physical ailments are coming from. By getting to know all aspects about their patients and their lives, physicians can connect with their patients and make them feel comfortable and secure that they are receiving the best possible treatment since the doctors know everything in their lives that could be leading to a symptom. Both Payel's presentation and my presentation explained the necessity for physician understanding of where their patients are coming from in an effort to provide more effective treatment. Physicians need to really understand their patients and to do so need to devote time and energy to getting to know them, rather than just seeing them for ten minutes, giving hem medication, and sending them on their way to deal with the adverse effects their new conditions will have on their identities. They should take the time to get to know the different aspects of their patients lives so that they know how to more effectively and efficiently treat them. The understanding that doctors seek in this case proves to lead to more effective treatment options for patients, and can be best employed by using the biopsychosocial approach when visiting with and treating patients.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Home Care for elderly patients vs. Residential Care Facilities
In English 225 class yesterday one of my fellow students gave a presentation arguing for increased use of home care treatment for Alzheimer's patients. She gave a persuasive argument which really made me think about the available treatment options for elderly patients who are slowly losing their motor skills, memories, and the ability to properly and adequately perform basic tasks and care for themselves. Although I found the presentation to be very effective, I feel that the decision to enter a residential care facility or pursue home care is situational and is largely dependent on the family of the elderly person and the person with the condition as well. Although home care is a great way to keep families together, it is not always the best or most convenient plan for some families.
For one, some families that consist of full time working parents and young children may find it difficult to care for a sick parent and find enough time to complete all of their daily tasks in addition to caring for and providing the proper medical and emotional attention for their loved one. Although I think this sounds terrible and do not think I would personally ever find it to be the case, some families can not find the time to care for their loved ones because of the strains and pressures of raising and feeding a family and paying the bills. In these familial situations having to care and look after an ill loved one causes extra pressure and stress and may thus lead to negative results and conflict within the family. In these scenarios residential care facilities provide a helpful and resourceful option for families.
However, there are families that being together is the most important thing. In this case they would reek the benefits of the advantages of home care for their sick loved ones. For instance, when my great grandmother became ill, my grandmother opted to have her live with her and my grandpa and mom and uncle. My great grandmother lived with them for years and they had hired home care to come and help take care of her. My grandma also devoted a great deal of her time caring and providing the medical attention my great grandmother needed. In this situation home care proved to be extremely beneficial since it fulfilled what was important to my family, being together all the time.
Overall, I think home care is equally effective as residential care facilities but the option to chose one over the other is extremely situational, and is dependent on the families of the ill loved one and their morals, values, and situation.
For one, some families that consist of full time working parents and young children may find it difficult to care for a sick parent and find enough time to complete all of their daily tasks in addition to caring for and providing the proper medical and emotional attention for their loved one. Although I think this sounds terrible and do not think I would personally ever find it to be the case, some families can not find the time to care for their loved ones because of the strains and pressures of raising and feeding a family and paying the bills. In these familial situations having to care and look after an ill loved one causes extra pressure and stress and may thus lead to negative results and conflict within the family. In these scenarios residential care facilities provide a helpful and resourceful option for families.
However, there are families that being together is the most important thing. In this case they would reek the benefits of the advantages of home care for their sick loved ones. For instance, when my great grandmother became ill, my grandmother opted to have her live with her and my grandpa and mom and uncle. My great grandmother lived with them for years and they had hired home care to come and help take care of her. My grandma also devoted a great deal of her time caring and providing the medical attention my great grandmother needed. In this situation home care proved to be extremely beneficial since it fulfilled what was important to my family, being together all the time.
Overall, I think home care is equally effective as residential care facilities but the option to chose one over the other is extremely situational, and is dependent on the families of the ill loved one and their morals, values, and situation.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Social and Persuasive Effects of Crying
I just came across the article Why We Cry: The Truth About Tearing Up
The lowdown on tears: Why some cry easily, others don't cry, and how to handle all those tears, by Kathleen Doheny on WebMD. The article can be found at http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/why-we-cry-the-truth-about-tearing-up.
Interestingly, the article explores why people cry, who cries, the benefits of a good cry,coping with crying, trying not to cry, and the downside of not crying. Overall, crying seems to have a biochemical beneficial effect on humans by releasing stress hormones or toxins from the body while psychologically it allows one to acknowledge one's feelings. While the article discusses how it is good to cry when you can and harmful to suppress emotions the part of the article that really caught my attention was the section on who cries. Women are more often associated with crying and crying is more acceptable of women than of men in society. This is probably directly linked to the idea that women are more emotional, and therefore crying is more acceptable. Yet often crying is associated with vulnerability. Are women really more vulnerable then men? It is true that if you were walking down the street and saw a woman crying as she walked by, you probably wouldn't think twice about it, but instead just assume she was having a bad day. But yet, if you walked by a man crying, you would definitely notice it and probably be so surprised by it that you might say something to your friend. For instance, " That was so strange, I just walked by a man crying." Although it is true that women tend to be more open with their emotions, this does not mean that men do not have them too, they just feel some society pressure to suppress these feelings. However, according to Doheny, it would be better to express them.
Another interesting aspect the article brings up is crying to persuade an audience. The author says, "Lastly, crying has a purely social function, Bylsma says. It often wins support from those who watch you cry. Sometimes, crying may be manipulative -- a way to get what you want, whether you're asking a friend to go shopping with you, your spouse to agree to a luxurious vacation, or your child to get their math homework done." In these situations crying is effectively used as a persuasive element. Crying would contribute largely to the pathos of an argument and cause the audience to empathize with the speaker and want to help him or her. The audience then realizes they can help criers by doing what the crier is asking. Thus the crying is an emotional appeal that has a powerfully persuasive effect. Little children do this all the time, and I am sure adults employ this method occasionally as well. However, using it in an academic field might not be appropriate because of existing social values that do not allow emotion in the workplace, despite the fact that it is an entirely human phenomena.
The lowdown on tears: Why some cry easily, others don't cry, and how to handle all those tears, by Kathleen Doheny on WebMD. The article can be found at http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/why-we-cry-the-truth-about-tearing-up.
Interestingly, the article explores why people cry, who cries, the benefits of a good cry,coping with crying, trying not to cry, and the downside of not crying. Overall, crying seems to have a biochemical beneficial effect on humans by releasing stress hormones or toxins from the body while psychologically it allows one to acknowledge one's feelings. While the article discusses how it is good to cry when you can and harmful to suppress emotions the part of the article that really caught my attention was the section on who cries. Women are more often associated with crying and crying is more acceptable of women than of men in society. This is probably directly linked to the idea that women are more emotional, and therefore crying is more acceptable. Yet often crying is associated with vulnerability. Are women really more vulnerable then men? It is true that if you were walking down the street and saw a woman crying as she walked by, you probably wouldn't think twice about it, but instead just assume she was having a bad day. But yet, if you walked by a man crying, you would definitely notice it and probably be so surprised by it that you might say something to your friend. For instance, " That was so strange, I just walked by a man crying." Although it is true that women tend to be more open with their emotions, this does not mean that men do not have them too, they just feel some society pressure to suppress these feelings. However, according to Doheny, it would be better to express them.
Another interesting aspect the article brings up is crying to persuade an audience. The author says, "Lastly, crying has a purely social function, Bylsma says. It often wins support from those who watch you cry. Sometimes, crying may be manipulative -- a way to get what you want, whether you're asking a friend to go shopping with you, your spouse to agree to a luxurious vacation, or your child to get their math homework done." In these situations crying is effectively used as a persuasive element. Crying would contribute largely to the pathos of an argument and cause the audience to empathize with the speaker and want to help him or her. The audience then realizes they can help criers by doing what the crier is asking. Thus the crying is an emotional appeal that has a powerfully persuasive effect. Little children do this all the time, and I am sure adults employ this method occasionally as well. However, using it in an academic field might not be appropriate because of existing social values that do not allow emotion in the workplace, despite the fact that it is an entirely human phenomena.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Is exploration of a new continent really something of the past?
One of my friends is taking a history class on the Latin America. She was explaining some of the early explorations to me today. One in particular was a voyage by Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca. His ship crashed in what is present day Florida. Once he was shipwrecked he was forced to explore the continent and befriend the native Americans that occupied the land. This seems scary, to be on stranded on a foreign country, not knowing the language of the natives, unfamiliar with the culture, and unsure of how to get by. Vaca traveled across the country with the Native Americans and soon enough learned how to survive while exploring the vast continent. Every time I hear stories similar to this one I am amazed and extremely impressed that there were people brave enough to complete these expeditions. My friend and I marveled in the courage that it must have took. We determined that when one saw foreign foods the only to find out if they were eatable was to try them to determine thier effect. We said that we couldn't imagine this.
However, five minutes into our conversation, as we were thinking of all the challenges these voyagers would have had to overcome, we both paused and looked at each other, and realized that these do not sound very different from the experience we had this past summer, when we both lived in Madrid, Spain for a month. We then laughed, because we speak in such a glorified and amazed way about these past explorers but our experience was not remarkably different besides the fact that we knew that there was civilization in the continent we chose to voyage to, and we were able to fly. However, we still needed to adjust to a completely different culture and way of living, different time schedule, different people, different foods, and a different language. After a week or two we had adjusted quite nicely and were able to discern which foods we liked and which ones upset our stomachs, whether the water was alright to drink, were it was clean to buy food, and how to learn how to survive in the bustling Madrid city where everything was in Spanish. The experience was fun and exciting and we learned so much about the Spanish culture and way of life. Besides working and studying during the week, we were able to travel around Spain on the weekends, just like Vaca, learning so much with each footstep we took. Overall, the experience of traveling abroad is not that different from the early explorations. Are we not still exploring a new culture, people, and way of life, that we do not know anything about?
However, five minutes into our conversation, as we were thinking of all the challenges these voyagers would have had to overcome, we both paused and looked at each other, and realized that these do not sound very different from the experience we had this past summer, when we both lived in Madrid, Spain for a month. We then laughed, because we speak in such a glorified and amazed way about these past explorers but our experience was not remarkably different besides the fact that we knew that there was civilization in the continent we chose to voyage to, and we were able to fly. However, we still needed to adjust to a completely different culture and way of living, different time schedule, different people, different foods, and a different language. After a week or two we had adjusted quite nicely and were able to discern which foods we liked and which ones upset our stomachs, whether the water was alright to drink, were it was clean to buy food, and how to learn how to survive in the bustling Madrid city where everything was in Spanish. The experience was fun and exciting and we learned so much about the Spanish culture and way of life. Besides working and studying during the week, we were able to travel around Spain on the weekends, just like Vaca, learning so much with each footstep we took. Overall, the experience of traveling abroad is not that different from the early explorations. Are we not still exploring a new culture, people, and way of life, that we do not know anything about?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Reflection of my fellow Students blogs
I began the semester not really knowing what a blog was. Now after a few months of blogging and reading my peers blogs in my English 225 class, I have become more familiar with the idea and have really come to enjoy reading the other students blogs. A would like to bring attention to a few that I feel are particularly interesting to read because of the rhetorical techniques they employ.
The first is Amanda's blog, "Amanda's take on Argumentative Writing." I enjoy reading her blog for several reasons. For one her format is always organized which makes it easy to follow. She successfully divides up her arguments into short paragraphs which allow the reader to easily follow her thought process. She also writes in a way that you can hear her voice and understand her opinions and where she is coming from. With each entry she clearly makes her point and provides reasoning and evidence for it. One of her blogs, "Persuade. Yes We Can.", effectively argues for the persuasive elements in one of the campaign's for President Obama, she even inserts the link so everyone can watch and follow along with her blog, very effective. I also find that she effectively incorporates class material and theorists into general everyday ideas, which are both entertaining and insightful. For instance in "The Opposite Claim." Amanda disproves Foucault by discussing the unique history in Catalonia. I find her blogs to be worthwhile to read. Take a look: http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/~apdonnel/
Another blog that I enjoy reading is Heather's. The colors of Heather's blog alone draw the reader's attention. The vivid green is fun and makes you want to read her blog. Heather's blog's are also well organized into small paragraphs that are easy to read and easy to follow with her thought process. She effectively incorporates ideas discussed in class to everyday situations that she encounters when she is not in English class. These blogs show us how the knowledge we are gaining in class can be applied to our everyday lives, which is nice to see. For instance, Heather uses personal experience to write about conflicting identities in her blog "Conflicting Identities," "Identity of a Soldier," and "Connections." She also uses identity theories to explore Alzheimer's patients. These blogs are very interesting and worth reading as well. Her blog can be found at : http://hpat225.blogspot.com/.
The first is Amanda's blog, "Amanda's take on Argumentative Writing." I enjoy reading her blog for several reasons. For one her format is always organized which makes it easy to follow. She successfully divides up her arguments into short paragraphs which allow the reader to easily follow her thought process. She also writes in a way that you can hear her voice and understand her opinions and where she is coming from. With each entry she clearly makes her point and provides reasoning and evidence for it. One of her blogs, "Persuade. Yes We Can.", effectively argues for the persuasive elements in one of the campaign's for President Obama, she even inserts the link so everyone can watch and follow along with her blog, very effective. I also find that she effectively incorporates class material and theorists into general everyday ideas, which are both entertaining and insightful. For instance in "The Opposite Claim." Amanda disproves Foucault by discussing the unique history in Catalonia. I find her blogs to be worthwhile to read. Take a look: http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/~apdonnel/
Another blog that I enjoy reading is Heather's. The colors of Heather's blog alone draw the reader's attention. The vivid green is fun and makes you want to read her blog. Heather's blog's are also well organized into small paragraphs that are easy to read and easy to follow with her thought process. She effectively incorporates ideas discussed in class to everyday situations that she encounters when she is not in English class. These blogs show us how the knowledge we are gaining in class can be applied to our everyday lives, which is nice to see. For instance, Heather uses personal experience to write about conflicting identities in her blog "Conflicting Identities," "Identity of a Soldier," and "Connections." She also uses identity theories to explore Alzheimer's patients. These blogs are very interesting and worth reading as well. Her blog can be found at : http://hpat225.blogspot.com/.
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