Readings on Writing
Reading Response
Flynn Articles
Summary:
In
“Composing as a Woman,” Elizabeth Flynn attempts to explore the differences
between men and women in composition and writing. She calls for a feminist
approach to composition studies. This approach would focus on questions of
disparity and power in written language. Flynn surveys the research of
Chodorow, Gilligan, and Belenky et al, to explore the social and psychological
development of men versus women. Flynn then uses that research to relate to
works from her own students. She details the stories of two men and two women
and claims that the students’ use different ways of writing based on their
gender. Flynn’s main argument is that ignoring the different compositions of
women would “silence women” because the current practices and models are
designed for teaching males.
“Contextualizing
‘Composing as a Woman’” was just a reflection by Flynn on her past article. She
states that even when writing the article she was uneasy on some of its contents.
She also said that her previous article was pivotal in the research of
feministic composition at that time period even though some of its claims have
been contradicted. Flynn talked about how the article has been reprinted
several times and she hopes that readers value its historical context and
recognize its importance.
Synthesis:
This
article can be related to the work of Berger, Elbow, and Porter. Berger’s
article encompassed old European Art of women and
that the social presence of men and women is very different. It has evolved to
be that way. He states that, “Men act and women appear.” Berger also explains
that the way we view things is determined by what we already know- thus he
questions if the true meaning of an image has been disguised over time (because
of photographic reproduction and changing cultural construction). Flynn also
distinguishes the social differences between men and women and their different
ways of writing. Flynn talks about writing being a product of what we already understand,
just as Berger says the same determines our view.
Elbow’s
article detailed using “voice” in paper. Flynn stated, in response of the work
of Belenky et al., “They found that the quest for self and voice plays a
central role in transformations of women’s ways of knowing” (159). Flynn’s
article touched upon the ways in which women write and how their way of knowing
the world influences that practice. Voice, as Elbow explained can make or break
a paper- thus a particular way of knowing, and expressing such, can greatly
influence women’s composition.
Porter’s
article was about intertextuality, or how other texts are combined to make a
new argument in text. Flynn’s article actually demonstrates this since she
frequently refers to the works of several feministic pioneers, such as Chodorow
and Gilligan. She uses the texts of other authors within her own work to frame
her ideas. Also, Flynn’s actual argument can be related to Porter’s work
because she describes how women’s composition can differ from that of men
simply due to the fact that they have different ways of knowing the world and
learn in different ways. In this sense, it is not the actual texts that are
being entwined to make a new text, but it is the history and characteristics of
the writer that are entwined to make an original text.
Stephanie--
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. Flynn's article also references her first.
Do you see any connections to Malinowitz?
ReplyDeleteYes, I do.
ReplyDeleteMalinowitz’s main argument is that sexual identity and homosexual studies should be incorporated into the classroom because it ultimately discourages discrimination, and because otherwise -it denies students the opportunity to learn how “sexual identity is constructed through language” and writing discourse. Flynn's text is similar in the sense that she discusses gender identity and how feminine writing should be explored further. Not doing so denies female students the opportunity to learn in manner more suited to them.