Reflection:

One of the assignments we had in the ENGL 400 course, was to write journal entries that pertained to the course concepts contained in each chapter of our textbook. We were assigned to make connections between the text examples and our own examples to show we had a better understanding of what the concepts meant and how they were utilized in rhetoric. We were also asked to include visual content as well as verbal. I had faced some challenges finding something to write about at times, however when I started by looking up visual content that I could relate to, it made writing my entries a little easier.

Journal Entry #1 – January 25th, 2018

According, to rhetorical critic, Kenneth Burke, “the primary aspect of rhetoric as symbolic action is identification,” which is a communicative process through which people are unified into a whole on the basis of common interests or characteristics. (Paleczewski, Ice, and Fritch, pg. 8) The textbook uses the example of the United States “melting pot” in which the people who come here are blended into a single mass which creates a sense of unity. (Paleczewski, Ice, and Fritch, pg. 9) In 1838, abolitionist, Angelina Grimke Weld, used identification when faced with mob violence over her antislavery speech in Philadelphia. The mob had done everything possible to stop her from speaking but she used their violence as an example to shed some light on conditions slaves have endured and to show how are we all one group of people. (Paleczewski, Ice, and Fritch, pg. 10)

In October 2017, the #MeToo movement swept through all social media and went viral instantly. Civil rights activist, Tarana Burke founded the movement and after a 1997 conversation with a 13-year old girl who was a victim of sexual assault.  Since 1998, a total of 17,700,000 women have reported sexual assault. While Tarana Burke had coined the term, actress, Alyssa Milano had launched the movement in October 2017 amongst a wave of women coming forth with the Harvey Weinstein allegations. This movement shed some light and awareness on sexual assault and was used to unify men and women to vocalize their experiences. For some, the movement gave people strength to come to terms with things they had experienced and to support those who have. The movement created a shared identity for victims and survivors.

Journal Entry #2 – February 1st, 2018 

Language has such great power, that it can elicit change and affect meaning and social change. Resignification is defined as the process in which people reject the connotation of a symbol, expose how the meaning of the symbol is constructed, and attempt to change its connotation.  The textbook uses the example of how the connotation of “queer” negatively affected the LGBTQ community and how it was then turned around and used positively in the form of a chant. To me, resignification is a term or phrase that is used positively or negatively and reclaimed by a group or the public and turned around to best suit their agenda whether it be positive or negative.

Another example used in the textbook are the SlutWalks that happen across the country. When a police officer said women should stop dressing like “sluts” if they wanted to avoid sexual assault, women banded together to support and take action to show what they might have been wearing when they were sexually assaulted. Women embraced the label and made it their own to unify women. Disabled people and those who have intellectual disability (ID), once called mental retardation, also experience the negative connotation of “special” and “retarded.” Although each group may suffer from ridicule, disabled people learn to embrace their disability and own up to being “special.”

Journal Entry #3 – February 14th, 2018

Philosopher Stephen Toulmin defines the first component of an argument, a claim, as “the conclusion whose merits we are seeking to establish.” The text discusses the four types of claims: fact, definition, value, and policy.  In the movie Dead Poet’s Society, John Keating, played by Robin Williams, discusses with his students the reason we read and write poetry. His answer being that we read and write poetry because we are human beings. He goes on to explain that human beings are filled with so much passion and we express this passion with many noble pursuits and poetry. Keating explains that poetry is one of the reasons we stay alive for. I believe Keating is utilizing a claim of value with his speech. A claim of value is defined as “a claim that advances a statement about what is worthy.” A claim is not proven to be true but are based on the judgments of an audience. In this example, Keating inspires his students to be individuals with poetry. On his second day of class, Keating instructs his students to rip out the introduction of their textbooks. He explains that poetry cannot be described with a certain process. His method of teaching proves to his students the significance of poetry by showing his students that poetry is not a norm to be followed from a book, but the unique expressed emotions of an individual.

Journal Entry #4 – February 27th, 2018

Identity is defined as referring to the physical and/or behavioral attributes that make a person recognizable as a member of a group. Identity is important because it provides a better understanding of who and what individuals are.  There is intersectionality that legal scholar, Adrien Katherine Wing defines as, the nature of identity as “multiplicative” rather than additive. (pg.170) Identity is complex and composed of interlocking facets. The text uses the example of a woman’s identity as a “mother.” Motherhood shows the intersection of a woman’s race and class. Each mother is not identified by one race or one class, a mother’s race and class together influence their identity.

Another example of intersectionality would be in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air when Will Smith and his cousin Carlton go to rush for a fraternity. The president of the fraternity tells Will that he would be accepted into the fraternity but Carlton would not because he considers Carlton as a “sellout.” Will tells his cousin that he didn’t get into the fraternity and Carlton goes to confront the president about why he wasn’t accepted into the fraternity. Carlton learns that the president considers him a sell out because he isn’t the president’s idea of what it means to be African American. Carlton responds with:

“You think I’m a sellout, why? Because I live in a big house or I dress a certain way? … Being black isn’t what I’m trying to be, it’s what I am. I’m running the same race and jumping the same hurdles you are, so why are you tripping me up? You said we need to stick together but you don’t even know what that means. If you ask me, you’re the real sellout.”

Carlton explains that he is no different than the president. He argues that his identity, in terms of intersectionality, does not make him any less fitting for the fraternity. Just because he might be in the upper-class and does not face the same struggles as someone of lower-class status would, does not make him any less deserving of identifying with his race.