The teaching of cultural studies and compostition have the common thread of communication. All our readings this week make mention of the ability to communicate through the written word.
There are two different uses of composition within cultural studies I would like to mention as a form of communication within specific groups. One is the use of composition as a written rhetoric connected to mass media and the popular culture. There is a kool commercial where a father and son go to Norway to trace their roots. After much tourist activity, the truth of their heritage is found in a library. They are Swedes not Norwegians. Well, the words that relate to composition in a bizarre consumer driven society are..."What is your story? Citibank will help you write it".
The other teaching of composition is found in a summer class offered through Maine Media Workshops. The title of the week long class is titled, " Writing for Photographers". Who would have figured they would be taught to "grasp the power of the written word and how it's used in photography today". "This workshop focuses (no pun intended) on characterizing meaningful ways (to make a statement, apply for a grant, or make a pitch for a storyline) rather than with needlessly ornate language". As always the teacher of the class comes with wonderful credentials.
These are just two more ways cultural studies has appropriated Composition Studies in our current world. Our readings address the appropriation and the effectiveness of the teaching in modern, popular culture. I will not discuss the clash between the elite and the masses today, but that is a common thread in all our theories.. Who writes? Who reads? Why is writing and reading important in our world today?
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1 comment:
Mary you've made me think about cultural studies in a new way. I like the idea of cultural studies using writing, I'm just not comfortable with the idea of bringing cultural studies into the writing classroom.
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