Fluent Essays

Week 9 - Assignment A - Writing Project 2 - Analysis of Rhetorical Artifact Second Draft Due Make sure you’re working with your latest draft with the revised thesis. Revise the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion paragraph based on the reading and handout tips discussed in class Friday. From Introductions to Conclusions - Handout (from From Inquiry to Academic Writing) Paragraphs - https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/paragraphs/ (Links to an external site.) Introductions - https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/introductions/ (Links to an external site.) Conclusions - https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/ (Links to an external site.) Be sure you’re working with your third draft with the revised thesis and creative title draft. Make sure the essay is saved as a Third Draft. This is the essay I’ll give you feedback on. Post here. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Working Project #2  The Discourse Community that was used in the first WP#1 is Volleyball Discourse Community. there is a word document to WP#1 that you can use to connect WP#2 with WP#1 Requirements For WP#2: 5 pages, MLA format (with Works Cited page) and in Google Docs In Writing Project #1, we selected and explored a discourse community, using Swales’ 6 characteristics of a discourse community.  WP #1 provides a foundation upon which we can build our next three projects.  Our larger goal, through our work with the concept of a discourse community, is to develop audience awareness and rhetorical effectiveness. In this project, you will analyze a text that was created by your chosen discourse community.  You will select an article, infographic, Tweet, advertisement, youtube video, song, mission statement, slogan, motto, etc. that “is aware of...the audience, and is dealing with [the audience] in some way” (Rosenwasser).  It is important that the artifact originates within the discourse community and not outside of it.  For example, the documentary “Going Clear” is a film about the religion of Scientology, but it was not created by the community itself.  If a student selected Scientology as their discourse community, it would not be appropriate to select  “Going Clear” as an artifact of Scientology. You need to analyze the text rhetorically, via “situating the reading rhetorically” and the Aristotelian appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos.  You cannot make an argument about what the text means unless you provide the data (observations) from that artifact, so you may also need to use our 3-step analysis: observation, interpretation, and conclusion.  Because some of the aspects of both STRR and the Aristotelian appeals may overlap, feel free to order your analysis in any way it makes sense for your project. Helpful hint: if you can select a text that is a “mechanism of communication” that employs, at least in part, that community’s “lexis,” it might be easier to analyze. WP #2 is an es.say, so you will need a working thesis statement.  Your thesis has to do with the purpose of your es.say, which is to determine the meaning and effectiveness of the text.  Your thesis statement will likely be the answer to this question: what does the text mean, how it is used, and why does the text resonate within the discourse community? English 10, Fall 2021 Jennifer Mayer, Instructor Working Thesis, Using the Four Models Four Models of Working Thesis: Misinterpretations Model “Although many scholars have argued about A and B, a careful examination suggests C.” Gap Model “Although scholars have noted A and B, they have missed the importance of C.” Modifications Model “Although I agree with the A and B ideas of other writers, it is important to extend / refine /limit their ideas with C.” Hypothesis-testing Model “Some people explain A by suggesting B, but a close analysis of the problem reveals the possibility of several competing / complementary explanations such as C, D, and E.” Use the table below (copy and paste into a new Google doc) to help revise your thesis statement, using one (or two!) of the thesis models above. You will submit your completed table via Canvas by 11:59 PM on Friday, October 15. Purpose of Writing Project #2 The purpose of writing was to illustrate the mental skills that are required so as to excel in a game of volleyball. It was to show that playing volleyball is not only about physical merits but mental capabilities as well. Original thesis Mental skills are therefore important in ensuring that players execute successfully when under a challenge. Working Thesis model best for purpose/thesis The best model is the hypothesis testing model. Why is this model best, per purpose/thesis? The reason why it is the best model is because it will draw the attention of the reader towards the other skills that are required so as to excel at the game of volleyball. Rewrite your working thesis, based on selected model Some people attribute success at a volley ball game only to physical traits but there are mental skills that are required such as confidence, mental toughness, effective communication, imagery skills, concentration, sports intelligence and demonstration of independence and team orientation. 246 CHAPTERs FROM ETHOS TO LOGOS: APPEALING TO YOUR READERS FIGURE 8.ó Health Care PSA A tongue depressor appears against a plain white background next to a headline that reads: open up and say anything. The text underneath it reads: want better health care? start asking more questions. to your doctor. to your pharmacist. to your nurse. what are the test results? what about side effects? dont fully understand your prescriptions? dont leave confused. because the most important question is the one you should have asked. go to wvvw. ahrq. gov / que stio ns aretheansw er or call I - I 0 0 - 9 3 I - AH RQ (2477) for the 10 questions every patient should ask. questions are the answer. The sponsors appear at the bottom of the ad: Ad Council, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and AHRQ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. oæn upand say anything wldüf lulh cru? tlü Nd(b moqüclG. b F {hcr. bFrnH;ffi. þturrup.t¡lr¡l3le*r#lü¡¡etüedwldûflfrlder¡ldn¡ Füþrr?rut beo¡d H.slfÞr¡cttncüf qgnbllÞ¡rptt!ü rr* Îdgr, co b @ d*gn-90t*no Øt4 h ìof0ç¡esdmoE ffi süüüd,rfdrrnü.ffi. m Gtæ From lntroductions to Conclusions Drofting an Essoy I n this chapte4 we describe strategies for crafting introductions thar set up I your argument. we then describe the characteristics of well-formulated paragraphs that will help you build your argument. Finally, we provide you with some strategies for writing conclusions that reinforce what is new about your argument, what is at stake, and what readers should do with the knowledge you convey. DRAFTI NG I NTRODUCTIONS The introduction is where you set up your argument. Its where you identify a widely held assumption, challenge that assumption, and state your the- sis. writers use a number of strategies to set up their arguments. In this section we look at five of them: . Moving from a general topic to a specific thesis (inverted-triangle intro- duction) . Introducing the topic with a story (narrative introduction) . Beginning with a question (interrogative introduction) . capturing readers attention with something unexpected (paradoxical introduction) . Identifying a gap in knowledge (minding-rhe-gap introduction) Remember that an introduction need not be limited to a single paragraph. It may take several paragraphs to effectively set up your argument. 248 cHAaTER 9 | FRoM tNTRoDUcTtoNs To coNcLUStoNS: DRAFTTNG AN ESSAv Keep in mind that you have to make these strategies your own. That is, we can suggest models, but you must make them work for your own argu- ment. You must imagine your readers and what will engage them. What tone do you want to take? Playful? Serious? Formal? Urgent? The attitude you want to convey will depend on your purpose, your argument, and the needs ofyour audience. r The lnverfed-Triongle lntroduction An inverted-triangle introduction, like an upside-down triangle, is broad at the top and pointed at the base. It begins with a general statement of the topic and then narrows its focus, ending with the point of the paragraph (and the triangle), the writers thesis. we can see this strategy at work in the following introduction from a students essay. The student writer (1) begins with a broad description of the problem she will address, (2) then focuses on a set of widely held but troublesome assumptions, and (3) finaily, responding to what she sees as a pervasive problem, presents her thesis. In todays wortd, many believe that educations sole purpose is to communicate information for students to store and draw on as necessary. By storing this information, students hope to per- form we[[ on tests. Good test scores assure good grades. Good grades eventuaLþ tead to acceptances into good coil.eges, which uttimateLy guarantee good jobs. Many teachers and students, convinced that education exists as a tool to secure good jobs, rely on the banking system. In her essay Teaching to Transgress,, be[[ hooks defines the bonking system as an approach to learn- ing that is rooted in the notion that att students need to do is consume information fed to them by a professor and be abte to memorize and store if (185). Through the banking system, stu- dents focus solely on facts, missing the important themes and life lessons availab[e in classes and school materiats. The banking sys- tem misdirects the fundamental goats of education. Education,s true purpose is to prepare students for the real wortd by attowing them access to pertinent life knowLedge available in their stud- ies. Education shoutd then entice students to appþ this pertinent life knowledge to daity life struggles through praxis. In addition to her definition of the banking system, hooks offers the idea of praxis from the work of Pauto Frejre. When incorporated into edu- cation, praxis, or action and reflection upon the world in order to change it (185), offers an advantageous educationaI tooI that enhances the true purpose of education and overcomes the bank- ing system. The øtuàent beqins with a general øet of aseumptions about. eàuaation that ahe belíeves people reaà- íly accept. he then c¡tee author bell hooks, to identify an approaah that makes use oftheøe asaump- tíons-the banking system of eàuca- tion, a term hooka borrows from eàuca- þor Paulo Freire. The atuàentthen poínto to the þank- ínø system a6 the problem. Thíç øets up her theaís about the true purpose of eàuoaþíon. DRAFTING INTRODUCTIONS 249 The strategy of writing an introduction as an inverted triangle entails first identifying an idea, an argument, or a concept that people appear to accept as tme; next, pointing out the problems with that idea, argument, or concept; and then, in a few sentences, setting out a thesis-how those problems can be resolved. r The Norrolive lntroduction Opening with a short narrative, or story, is a strategy many writers use successfully to draw readers into a topic. A narrative introduction relates a sequence of events and can be especially effective if you think you need to coax indifferent or reluctant readers into taking an interest in the topic. Of course, a narrative introduction delays the declaration of your argu- ment, so its wise to choose a short story that clearly connects to your argu- ment, and get to the thesis as quickly as possible (within a few paragraphs) before your readers start wondering Whats the point of this story? Notice how the student writer uses a narrative introduction to her argument in her essay titled Throwing a Punch at Gender Roles: How Womens Boxing Empowers Women. The aþuàents entire firøt paragraph is a narrat¡ve that takes uo ¡nto the worlà of womenb boxing anà foreshaàows her theais. Wîth her narratíve aø a backàrop, the stuàent íàentifreç a problem, uaing the þransítíon wor¿ yet to mark her chal- lenge to the aonàÞ þíons she observea ín the uníversítye womenb boxing Proøram. Glancing at my watch, I ran into the gym, noting to myselfthat being late to the first day of boxing practice was not the right way to make a good first impression. I flew down the stairs into the basement, to the room the boxers have lovingly dubbed The Pit. What greeted me when I got there was more than I could ever have imagined. Picture a room fitted with boxing gloves of atl sizes covering an entire wat[, a mirror covering another, a boxing ring in a corner, and an awesome collection of framed newspaper and magazine artictes chronicling the boxers whose pictures were hanging on every wa[[. Now picture that room with seventy-ptus girls on the ftoor doing push-ups, sweat dripping down their faces. I was immediately struck by the disciptine this sport would take from me, but I had no idea I woutd take so much more from it. The university offers the only nonmititary-based co[[ege-[eve[ womens boxing program in America, and it atso offers women the chance to push their physicat limits in a regutated environment. Yet the program is plagued with disappointments. I have expe- rienced for myself the stereotypes female boxers face and have deatt with the harsh reality that boxing is stitt wideLy recognized as on[y a mens sport. This paper wi[[ show that the womens box- ing program at Notre Dame serves as a much-needed outlet for females to come face-to-face with aspects of themsetves they The writer then states her thes¡ (what her paper wíll ohow): Despite the problems of ate reotypíng, womenb boxíng offera women 5îøníñcant opportu nitieo for growth. Spain øeta up her arqument by aøkíng a questíon anà then tentatively answer ínø ¡t w¡þh a refer enae to a publ¡áheà øtuày. In the þhirà çen- þen6e, she sþâte, her thesiø-that men anà women have very líttle contaat ín the workplaae. Fínally, ahe outlineø the effeôts that this lack of aontact has on women. 25O CHApTER 9 | FROM INTRODUCTIONS TO CONCLUSIONS: DRAFTING AN ESSAY would not typicatly get a chance to explore. It witl also examine how viewing this sport as a positive opportunity for women at ND indicates that there is growing hope that very soon more activi- ties similar to womens boxing may be better received by society in generat. I wi[[ accomplish these goats by analyzing scholarly journats, old )bserver [the schooI newspaper] articles, and survey questions answered by the captains of the 2003 womens boxing team of ND. The student writer uses a visually descriptive narTative to introduce us to the world of womens college boxing; then, in the second paragraph, she steers us toward the purpose of the paper and the methods she will use to develop her argument about what womens boxing offers to young women and to the changing world of sports. r The lnterrogotive lntroduction An interrogative introduction invites readers into the conversation of your essay by asking one or more questions, which the essay goes on to answer. You want to think of a question that will pique your readersinter- est, enticing them to read on to discover how your insights shed light on the issue. Notice the question Daphne Spain, a professor of urban and environmental planning, uses to open her essay spatial Segregation and Gender Stratification in the Workplace. To what extent do women and men who work in different occupations also work in different space? Baran and Teegar- den propose that occupational segregation in the insurance industry is tantamount to spatial segregation by gender since managers are overwhelmingly male and clericaì staff are predominantly female. This essay examines the spatial conditions of womens work and mens work and proposes that working women and men come into daily contact with one another very infrequently. Further, womens jobs can be classified as open floot but mens jobs are more likely to be closed door. That is, women work in a more public envi- ronment with less control of their space than men. This lack of spatial control both reflects and contributes to womens lower occupational status by limiting opportunities for the transfer of knowledge from men to women. By the end of this introductory paragraph, Spain has explained some of the terms she will use in her essay (open floor and closed door) and l¡as offered in her final sentence a clear statement of her thesis. In Harry Potter and the Technology of Magic, Iiterature scholar Elizabeth Teare begins by contextualizing the Harry Potter publishing DRAFTINGINTRODUCTIONS 25I phenomenon. Then she raises a question about what is fueling this success story. ln her ñrst four øentenceg, Teare àeacríbea aome- thinq she îs curi- ouâ about and she hopes readers will be aurioua aboul.-the growing popularíty ofthe Harry Potter books. ln the ñfth sen- tenae, Teare a9k5 the queøtíon she wíll try to answer ín the rest of the essay, Fînally, ín the last sentence, Teare of- ferø a parbíal anøwer to her queatíon- her theaío. The July/August 2001 issue of Book lists J. K. Rowling as one of the ten most influential people in publishing. She shares space on this list with John Grisham and Oprah Winfrey, along with less famous but equally powerful insiders in the book industry. What these industry leaders have in common is an almost magical power to make books succeed in the marketplace, and this magic, in addition to that performed with wands, Rowlings novels appear to practice. Opening weekend sales charted like those of a blockbuster movie (not to mention the blockbuster movie itselÐ, the reconstruction of the venerable New York Tïmes bestseller lists, the cre- ation of a new nationt worth of web sites in the territory of cyberspace, and of course the legendary inspiration oftens of millions of child readers-the Harry Potter books have transformed both the technologies of reading and the way we understand those technologies. What is it that makes these books-about a lonely boy whose first act on learning he is awizard is to go shopping for a wand-not only an interna- tional phenomenon among children and parents and teach- ers but also a topic of compelling interest to literary social, and cultural critics? I will argue that the stories the books tell, as well as the stories were telling about them, enact both our fantasies and our fears of childrent literature and pub- lishing in the context of twenty-first-century commercial and technological culture. In the final two sentences of the introduction, Teare raises her question about the root of this international phenomenon and then offers her the- sis. By the end of the opening paragraph, then, the reader knows exactly what question is driving Teares essay and the answer she proposes to explain throughout the essay. r The Porodoxicol lntroduction - A paradoxical introduction appeals to readers curiosity by pointing out an aspect of the topic that rLrns counter to their expectations. Just as an interrogative introduction draws readers in by asking a question, a para- doxical introduction draws readers in by saying, in effect, Heres some- thing completely surprising and unlikely about this issue, but my essay will go on to show you how it is true. In this passage from Holding Back: Negotiating a Glass Ceiling on Womens Muscular Strength, sociologist 252 CHAPTER 9 | FRoM lNTRoDUcTloNs To coNcLUsloNS: DRAFTING AN EssAY Shari L. Dworkin points to a paradox in our commonsense understanding ofbodies as the product ofbiology, not culture. Current work in gender studies points to how when exam- ined closely, much of what we take for granted about gender and its causes and effects either does not hold up, or can be explained differently. These arguments become especially contentious when confronting nature/culture debates on gendered bodies. After all, common sense frequently tells us that flesh and blood bodies are about biology. However, bodies are also shaped and constrained through cumulative social practices, structures of opportunity, wider cultural meanings, and more. Paradoxically, then, when we think that we are really seeing naturally sexed bodies, perhaps we are seeing the effect of internalizing gender ideologies-carry- ing out social practices-and this constructs our vision of sexed bodies. Dworkins strategy in the first three sentences is to describe com- mon practice, the understanding that bodies are biological. Then, in the sentences beginning However and Paradoxically, she advances the surprising idea that ourbodies-not just the clothes we wea4 for example- carryr cultural gender markers. Her essay then goes on to examine womens weight lifting and the complex motives driving many women to create a body that is perceived as muscular but not masculine. r The Minding+he-Gop lntroduction This type of introduction takes its name from the British train system, the voice on the loudspeaker that intones Mind the gap! at every stop, to call riders attention to the gap between the train car and the platform. In a minding-the-gap introduction, a writer calls readersattention to a gap in the research on an issue and then uses the rest of the essay to fill in the gap. A minding-the-gap introduction says, in effect, Wait a minute. Theres something missing from this conversation, and my research and ideas will fill in this gap. For example, in the introductory paragraphs to their book Mens Lives, Michael S. Kimmel and Michael A. Messner explain how the book is differ- ent from other books that discuss mens lives, and how it serves a different purpose. This is a book about men. But, unlike other books about men, which line countless library shelves, this is a book about men as men. It is a book in which mens experiences are not taken for granted as we explore the real and significant accom- plishments of men, but a book in which those experiences are treated as significant and important in themselves. ln the frrst aen tence, Dworkín quotes from a atuày to íàentífy the ihink íng thaÞ ahe is 6oîng to challenge. Noþíce how Dworkín aígnalø her own poeiþ¡on However relative to aommonly helà â6eumptîons, Dworkin enàa by atating her theøíø, notín4 a paraàox that wíll surprìae reaàers, fhe authors be1in wíÞh an assumption anà then challenge íþ. A transitíon worà (but) aignals the challenge, The authorø follow with a queotion thât. provokes reaàers ¡nþeresþ an¿ pointe to þhe gap theJl surfimarîze ¡n the Iast sentence, DRAFTING INTRODUCTIONS 253 But what does it mean to examine men as men? Most courses in a college curriculum are about men, arent they? But these courses routinely deal with men only in their public roles, so we come to know and understand men as scientists, poìiticians, military figures, writers, and philosophers. Rarely, if eve4 are men understood through the prism of gender. Kimmel and Messner use these opening paragraphs to highlight both what they find problematic about the existing literature on men and to intro- duce readers to their own approach. A Proctice Sequence: Drofting qn lntroduclion Write or rewrite your introduction (which, as youie seen, may involve more than one paragraph), using one of the strategies described above. Then share your introduction with one of your peers and ask the following questions: o To what extent dii the strategy compel you to want to read further? o To what extent is my thesis clear? o How effectively do I draw a distinction between what I believe others assume to be true and my own approach? . Is there another way that I might have made my introduction more compelling? After listening to the responses, try a second strategy and then ask your peer which introduction is more effective. ll Use an inverted triangle. Begin with a broad situation, concept, or idea, and narrow the focus to your thesis. B Begin with a narrative. Capture readersimagination and interest with a story that sets the stage for your argument. p Ask a question that you will answer. Provoke readersinterest with a question, and then use your thesis to answer the question. !l Present a paradox. Begin with an assumption that readers accept as true, and formulate a thesis that not only challenges that assumption but may very well seem paradoxical. p Mind the gap. Identify what readers know and then what they dont know (or what you believe they need to know). Sreps fo Drofiing lntroductions: F¡ye Strotegies 254 CHAPTER 9 I FRoM INTRoDUCTIONS TO CONCLUSIONS: DRAFTING AN ESSAY 2 If you do not have your own introduction to work on, revise the introduction below from one of our students essays, combining two of the strategies we describe above. News correspondent Pauline Frederick once commented, When a man gets up to speak people listen then [ook. When a woman gets up, peopte [ook; then, if they Like what they see, they listen. Ironicalty, the harsh reality of this statement is gìven [ife by the ongoing controversy over Americas most recognizab[e and sometimes notorious toy, Barbie. Cele- brating her 40th birthday this year, Barbie has become this nations most beleaguered sotdier (a woman no [ess) of idol,atry who has been to the front [ines and back more times than the average Joe. This dot[, a piece of plastic, a toy, incurs both criticism and praise spanning both ends of the ideotogicaI spectrum. Barbies curyaceous and basicatty unreatistic body piques the ire of both liberals and conservatives, each contending that Barbie stands for the distinct view of the other. One hundred and eighty degrees south, others praise Barbies (curves and atL) ability to untock youthful imagination and potentìal. M. G. Lord explains Barbie best To study Barbie, one sometimes has to hold seeming[y contradic- tory ideas in ones head at the same time. . . . The dotl functions [ike a Rorschach test: people project witdLy dissimilar and often opposing meanings on it. . . . And her meaning, [ike her face, has not been static over time. In spite of the extreme potarity, a sole unconscious consen- sus manifests itself about Barbie. Barbie ìs the icon of womanhood and the twentieth century. She is the American dream. Barbie is us. The question is atways the same: What message does Barbie send? Barbie is a toy. She is the image of what we see. DEVETOPING PARAGRAPHS In your introduction, you set forth your thesis. Then, in subsequent para- graphs, you have to develop your argument. Remember our metaphor: If your thesis, or main claim, is the skewer that runs through each paragraph in your essay, then these paragraphs are the meat of your argument. The paragraphs that follow your introduction carry the burden of evidence in your argument. After all, a claim cannot stand on its own without support- ing evidence. Generally speaking, each paragraph should include a topic sentence that brings the main idea of the paragraph into focus, be unified around the main idea of the topic sentence, and adequately develop the idea. At the same time, a paragraph does not stand on its own; as part of your overall argument, it can refer to what youîe said earlier, gesture toward where you are heading, and connect to the larger conversation to which you are contributing. We now ask you to read an excerpt from Reinventing America: Call for a New National ldentity, by Elizabeth Martínez, and answer some MARTíNEZ I nflNvrNÏNo AMER|CA 255 questions about how you think the author develops her argument, para- graph by paragraph. Then we discuss her work in the context of the three key elements of paragraphs. topic sentences, unity, and adequate develop- ment. As you read, pay attention to hoq sentence by sentence, Martínez develops her paragraphs. We also ask that you consider how she makes her argument provocative, impassioned, and urgent for her audience. ELIZABETHMARTINEZ From Reinventing America: Call for a New National Identity Elizabeth lyrartínez is a Chicana activist who since 19ó0 has worked in and documented different movements for change, including the civil rights, womens, and Chicano movements. She is the author of six books and nu- merous articles. Her best-known work is 500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures (1,991), which became the basis of a two-part video she scripted and codirected. Her latest book is De Colores Means AII of Us: IatinaViews for a Multi-Colored Century (1998). In ReinventingAmerica, Mattinez argues that Americanswillingness to accept a m)th as the basis for [the] nations self-defined identity has brought the country to a crisis. Eo. some frfteen years, starting in 1940, 85 percent of all U.S. elemen- l t^t-v schools used the Dick and Jane series to teach children how to .ud. ih. series starred Dick, Jane, their white middle-class parents, their dog Spot, and their life together in a home with a white picket fence. Look, Jane, look! See Spot mn! chirped the two kids. It was a house full of glorious family values, where Mom cooked while Daddy went to work in a suit and mowed the lawn on weekends. The Dick and Jane books also taught that you should do your job and help others. All this afñrmed an equation of middle-class whiteness with virtue. In the mid-1990s, museums, libraries, and eighty Public Broadcast- ing Service (PBS) stations across the country had exhibits and programs commemorating the series. At one museum, an attendant commented, When you hear someone crying, you know they are looking at the Dick and Jane books. It seems nostalgia rum rampant among many Euro- Americans: a nostalgia for the days of unchaìlenged White Suprem- acy-both moral and material-when life was simple. Weïe seen that nostalgia before in the nations history. But today it sig- nifies a problem reaching a new intensity. It suggests a national identity crisis that promises to bring in its wake an unprecedented nervous break- down for the dominant societys psyche. Nowhere is this more apparent than in California, which has long been on the cutting edge of the nations present and future reality. Warning 2 3 I sirens have sounded repeatedly in the 1990s such as the fierce battle over ** ftirrory textbooks io. pUiit schools Proposition 187s ugty denial of human rights to immigrants, the 199ó assault on affirmative action that culminated in Proposiii on Zng, and the 1997 move to abolish bilingual education. Attempts to copycat these reactionarymeasures havebeen seen in other states. Theattackonafñrmativeactionisntreallyaboutafñrmativeaction. Essentially it is another tactic in todays war on the gains of the 1960s a tactic rooied in Anglo resentment and fear A major source of that fear: the fact that California will almost surely have a majority of people of color in 20 to 30 years at most, with the nation as a whole not far behind check our rh; February 3, lgg2, issue of sports lllustrated with its double_spread ad for nmi rnagazine. The ad showed hundreds of new- born baúies in their hospital c¡bs, all of them Black or brown except for a rare white face here and there. The headline says, Hey, whitey! Its your turn at the back of the bus! The ad then tells you, read Tíme magazine to t .p,rp with todays hot issues That manipulative image could have been p.rúnrt a today; its implication of shìfting power appears to be the recur- .rrt .right.nare of too many potential Anglo allies Euro-Americananxietyoftenfocusesonthesenseofavanishingna- tional identity. Behind thã attacks on immigrants, affirmative action, and multiculturalism, behind the demand for English Only laws and the re- jection of bilingual education, lies the question: with all these new people, iungrrtgr, u.rã rrltrrrr, what will it mean to be an American? If that question once seemed, to many people, to have an obvious universally ap- pti.uleanswe4todaynewdefinitionsmustbefound.ButtoooftenAmer- icans, with ,tpporá scholars in the lead, refuse to face that need and instead rr.rrr. á nostalgia for some bygone clarity They remain trapped in denial. An array of such ostriches, heads in the sand, began flapping their feathers .,åirily with rhe publication of Allan Blooms 1987 best-selling iook, rhe cloirng of the Aàerican Mind Bloom bemoaned the decline of our ,.commorr.,rJrrr as a society, meaning the decline of Euro-american cultural centricify (shall we just call it cultural imperialism?). since then we have seen constant sniping at diversity goals across the ìand The assault has often focused o.t ho* U.S. history is taught And with reason for this countrys identity rests on a particular narrative about the histori- cal origins of the United States as a nation 256 CHAPTERgIFRoMINTRoDUCTIoNSTocoNcLUSIoNS:DRAFÍINGANESSAY The Great White Origin MYth Everysocietyhasanoriginnarrativethatexplainsthatsocietytoitself und the roild *ith u ,eJ … Surname 1 Surname 3 Othman Bajunaid Jennifer Mayer ENGL 10 WP#1 9/19/2021 Discourse Community: Volleyball Since the beginning of the world, humans have always operated in groups or communities whereby they share common goals, values, and interests. A highly recognized expert in linguistics from the University of Michigan Professor John Swales introduced the concept of a discourse community and identified six major characteristics that define this communities. The characteristics are developed based on the agreed upon common goals. They include, “broadly agreed set of common public goals, mechanisms of intercommunication among its members, the use of its participatory mechanisms to provide information and feedback, utilizes and possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims, acquired some specific lexis, and has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discourse expertise” (Swales, 4). The volleyball team perfectly matches the category of a discourse community. Just as communication plays a huge role in any discourse community, communication is also very essential in volleyball. There are many different aspects of the volleyball team that members have to follow such as the terminologies used in the game, goals, and the rules of the game. The volleyball community brings together different volleyball players to improve their lives, achieve success which is the main goal of the team, and prepare the next generation of football players. The volleyball discourse community defines Swales (1990)’s concept of discourse community. The first characteristic Swales associates with a discourse community is a set of common goals. The volleyball team’s main mission is to emerge victorious in all their games while connecting the members of the team to one another and promoting professional development. Every member of the team learns how to communicate and be closer to one another because this is the only way through which the team can achieve their goals. There are rules that guide the volleyball community which every member including the coaches must abide by. By learning and understanding the rules from the experts of the game, the players know how to play the game perfectly and they too become experts as time goes by. The success of the team relies on how well members can collaborate and follow the rules. Aside from the goals and regulations in the volleyball community, there are terminologies and a language that only participants of the game can understand. For example, some of the terminologies in a volleyball game include pass, serve, set, and hit. Someone who does not understand or have experience of this terms will not know what is going on in the game, what routes to take when playing, or even what the couch or referee is saying. If someone does not get the point “serve the court zone”, they are likely to decrease their chance of passing the ball correctly or accurately pass the ball to the right hitters who can make a successful attack. A volleyball team must contain a certain number of participants. The sixth and last characteristic Swales (1990) associates to a discourse community is “a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise” (4). For instance, a volleyball game contains two teams of 6 players on each side. The members in a volleyball team must meet the required expertise for them to participate in the game. With expertise, every player understands their role in the game and every individual focuses on their task, making the achievement of goals easy. The players take both responsibility and pride in their roles through communicating, sharing ideas, and completing every task successfully. The goals of the team have a positive impact both on the players and the couches. When someone is coming into the volleyball discourse community, they expect a couple of things such as new information, experiences from experts, and rules of the team. Personally, I am not a member of the volleyball discourse community but am a big fun of the game. This is why I chose the volleyball discourse community in my project so that I can be able to determine whether or not to join the community. I have goals to achieve in life and one thing I have learnt from the volleyball team is that you must have goals to succeed in life. The team is more of a school for many life lessons. For instance, I have to learn to work in a team, communicate, and collaborate in order to be part of the team. This are important life lessons we need in our different communities today. I want to explore the volleyball discourse community and understand the importance of skills such as taking responsibility. This is something that will help me not only in the volleyball team but also in my entire life. One thing I usually see in the game is players communicating back and forth and coordinating to score. Volleyball is a very loud and communicative sport. The skills of the game are the same skills we need to successfully thrive in our communities. Works Cited Swales, J. M. (2016). Reflections on the concept of discourse community. ASp. la revue du GERAS, (69), 7-19.