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Writing for Social Change: Exploring Perspectives
Beth Oyler Nathan Sacks Brittany Kallman-Arneson Anne Shiell
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Housekeeping
• Type your questions in the Q&A box • Download the PowerPoint slides (at any point) and view the recording (later): http://writingcenter.waldenu.
edu/415.htm
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Agenda
Social change at Walden What is social change? How does writing relate to social change? Writing for social change toolbox 3
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Social Change at Walden
MISSION
Walden University provides a diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity to transform themselves as scholar-practitioners so that they can effect positive social change.
VISION
Walden University envisions a distinctively different 21st-century learning community where knowledge is judged worthy to the degree that it can be applied by its graduates to the immediate solutions of critical societal challenges, thereby advancing the greater global good.
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Social Change at Walden
WALDEN SERVICE NETWORK Volunteer opportunities Volunteer resources CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE ANNUAL MEETING Webinars held in late September SCHOLARS OF CHANGE Contest for students who have made contributions to social change COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL CHANGE SCHOLARSHIP “Available for new students who demonstrate the capacity to effect positive social change” JOURNAL OF SOCIAL CHANGE “Welcomes manuscripts focusing on interdisciplinary research in social change that improves the human condition and moves people, groups, organizations, cultures, and society toward a more positive future.” 5
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What is social change?
social justice social activism civic engagement community development community building social capital civic dialogue
positive
social change 6
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Definition might depend on your: Culture Community Purpose
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Defining Social Change
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What is social change to you?
– How do you achieve social change through writing?
– What does your writing for social change look like?
– Who is the audience for your social change writing?
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Let’s discuss!
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A Writing for Social Change Toolbox
Freewriting
Audience
Word Choice
Revising
Feedback
10 “Louise Dunlap’s Undoing the Silence accomplishes what other books on writing do not: it links our writing to our beliefs, our activism, our voice” (p. ix).
“I began to picture the silencing of our voices as a huge stifling knot, layered together with tangled strands from many aspects of our culture.” (p. 16) 10
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Undoing the Silence
Pressures from institutions: family, schools, churches, media, workplace Fear of sounding different and thinking through something new Culture of judgment and “authoritarian” attitudes 11
12 “The written word drives social change for the long haul” (p. 25).
Volunteering for Social Change
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Five Tools for Social Change Writing
Freewriting Audience Word Choice Revising Feedback 13
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Freewriting Writing without inhibitions
Purpose • Brainstorm • Explore ideas • Discover connections Types • Focused: Question or topic to explore • Unfocused: Whatever is on your mind 14
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Freewriting
Writing for social change can require thinking outside of the box and discussing complex, difficult topics.
Can help you overcome that “silence” Allows you to explore ideas you might not normally approach May allow you to create connections Could create questions you can explore 15
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Audience
Businesses Community members Academic community Employees in the field Who will be reading your writing?
Management /leaders in the field Government officials/ employees 16
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Audience
Consider: • Tone • Word choice • Information • Research • Organization 17
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Audience
Academic Community • In 2013, only 39% of U.S. high school graduates were adequately prepared for college-level academics as measured by ACT standards (Adams, 2013).
Community Members • • • • Recent research has shown that nationally, students aren’t prepared for college, which should inform our local after school programs.
Citation 18 Employees in the Field • Teachers should • take note of recent research that showed 39% of U.S. high school students are not ready for college. • No citation
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Word Choice
• • • • Repetitive and redundant words Slang, expressions, and informal language Active versus passive Logical transitions 19
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Repetitive, Redundant Words
Good example: “This study will contribute to social change by demonstrating which education methods are most effective in the classroom.” Bad example: “This study will contribute to social change by showing which education methods change society.” 20
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Active versus Passive Voice
Good example: “This study will show how prolonged exposure to chemicals causes cancer.” Bad example: “This study will show how cancer is caused by prolonged exposure to chemicals.” 21
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Logical Transitions
Good example: The government shutdown has led to a decrease in available public services; therefore, this study will discuss strategies to avoid shutdowns in the future.
Bad example: The government shutdown is an event that many people are concerned about; therefore, this study will discuss strategies to avert shutdowns in the future.
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Revising
• • • • • • Revision vs. proofreading Generalizations and opinionated language Focus and specificity Stronger evidence Whole-essay vs. paragraph-by-paragraph Proofing/checking for smaller errors 23
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Feedback
• • • • • Reflecting and improving Paper reviews Form and style Incorporating (and sometimes rejecting) feedback Planning for future improvement 24
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Questions?
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The Start of a Conversation
• • • • Books Blog and social media Walden websites Future webinars
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Books
Personal essays Downs, J. (2006). Why we write: The politics and practice of writing for social change. New York, NY: Routledge.
Practical tools Dunlap, L. (2007). Undoing the silence: Six tools for social change writing. Oakland, CA: New Village Press.
Theoretical discussion Dutta, M. J. (2011). Communicating social change: Structure, culture, and agency. New York, NY: Routledge.
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Blog and Social Media
http://waldenwritingcenter.
blogspot.com/ 28 28
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Walden Websites
WALDEN SERVICE NETWORK Volunteer opportunities Volunteer resources CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE ANNUAL MEETING Webinars held in late September SCHOLARS OF CHANGE Contest for students who have made contributions to social change COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL CHANGE SCHOLARSHIP “Available for new students who demonstrate the capacity to effect positive social change” JOURNAL OF SOCIAL CHANGE “Welcomes manuscripts focusing on interdisciplinary research in social change that improves the human condition and moves people, groups, organizations, cultures, and society toward a more positive future.” 29
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Future Webinars
Writing for Social Change: • Blogging • • • Engaging with your community Capstone studies Publishing Webinar calendar Monthly and weekly e-mails 30 Social media
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Questions?
Now: Type into the Q&A box Soon: Comment in the post-webinar survey Later: E-mail [email protected]
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