1 working class students develop academic identities by writing about their lives multigenre researc

Working-Class Students Develop Academic Identities

by Writing about Their Lives: Multigenre Research Projects

Students must adopt an academic identity in their writing in order to be successful in their coursework.

Language is a class marker that exposes inferiority with one error in pronunciation, word choice, or punctuation.

The fear that their language skills are unacceptable causes many marginalized students to feel that they do not belong in college.

(Penrose, Adair, White).

Expecting working-class students to simply adopt an elite academic identity is problematic.

Even successful working-class students feel that home and school are positioned as oppositional, causing various types of stress and alienation.

Working-class students tend to take one of three positions in relation to school :

 loyalist to their roots,  renegades who desire acceptance by a more elite group,  double agents who try to please both groups (Hurst).

The emotional labor of feeling like an imposter, traitor, or an outsider never completely goes away for working-class students and professors.

Expecting students to reject their home identities is “cultural suicide� (Gilyard ).

Instead, students can begin the process of creating a hybrid academic identity that respects their lives outside of school while gaining essential academic skills.

Working-class and/or first-generation college students frequently feel that they are representing their families and communities by entering academic life.

The multigenre research assignment has students interview, research and write about family or community members

Academic skills can be taught by having students write about the real people and places that are meaningful to them

FAMILY STORIES

COAL MINER

FAMILY STORIES

NAVY HERO

COMMUNITY HISTORY LOVELAND CASTLE

COMMUNITY HISTORY

CINERAMA

COMMUNITY HISTORY

TORNADO

LOCAL INTEREST GROUP MILITARY NURSES

LOCAL INTEREST GROUP VOLUNTEERS

HOSPICE

Table of Contents:

 Collage with quotations from hospice volunteers and patients.  Poem- Patient Two  Phone Log  Menu- Clyde’s Bar-B-Cue Barn  Diary of a hospice nurse  Birthday Party Invitation  Obituary- Timmy Clark  Help Wanted Ad  Conclusion- letter from a hospice volunteer

Reports contain both: ď‚— Primary interview information from two different people.

ď‚— Secondary textual information from academic articles, books, websites, newspapers etc.

Reports have:  A total of Five or more different genres.  One must be a longer narrative story.  One must be nonfiction with significant quotes from an academic source.  A total of ten or more pages.

During the interviewing process, students discover interesting local stories.

While students are completing interviews, we begin by drafting, revising, and publishing several poetry genres.

Students begin their academic research.

List of five social issues that could be researched such as differences, preferences, or discrimination.

Consider gender, race, social class, sexuality, physical ability, generation, and location.

Consider economics, nationality, politics, immigration, religious beliefs, health, Consider traditions, morals, ethics, identity, ethnic group, family values, superstitions Consider personality type, communication styles, learning style, birth order, appearance, mental health, codependence, abuse Consider education, career, power, status

The project is broken down into smaller goals that are checked each class period.

Students prewrite and draft several different genres and then decide whether to revise or not for a polished piece.

Choice is important, but without several drafts there is nothing from which to choose.

In-Class Prewriting and Drafting Topics  Poems of Several Types  Writing in the Voice of Another  Allegory  Photo Write  Narrative Genre  Nonfiction Genre  Two Voice Poem (Conflict)  Cover Letter

ď‚— Students read nonfiction genre examples written by other students, so they are introduced tohow quotes can be used in genres like advice columns and news articles.

ď‚— We go over what makes a good quote and they bring in three quotes with their sources.

Colormark the quoted experts’ words in one color.

Make a color key: • Quote • Introduction • Commentary

Stems for composing introductory sentences for quotes: The scholar's name (S), area of expertise (E), topic (T), and evaluative verb can all be included in a sentence stem that precedes the quote.

Here are some examples of various ways that the introduction could be worded:



S, a E who has studied T, suggests . . .



S, who is a E, condemns T in this statement . . .



According to S, a E scholar, research about T indicates . . .



A E scholar who studies T, S claims . . .



A E researcher S has studied T and finds that . . .



The effects of T have been studied by S, a E, who reports that . . .



Addressing the problems of T, S, a E scholar, explains . . .

Commentary should follow the quote and explain it.

Freewrite about three of the following:

1.

Tell why you selected this quote.

2.

Retell the basics of what the author is trying to say.

3.

Tell how accurately this quote relates to your person or place by giving an example or an exception.

4.

Tell why people should pay attention to and understand this information.

5.

Explain the ways that this quote is unrealistic or an oversimplification of the problem.

6.

Expand on the expert’s point by adding your own ideas.

Commentary Signal Words You can use various phrases to indicate that you are connecting your quote to the case that you are discussing. Be sure to use a phrase that suits your purpose.

A transitional phrase is used with the scholar’s name (S) and/or the topic (T) of the quote to connect to the person or place (P) being discussed. Here are some examples of various ways that the transition to the commentary could be worded: To agree with the quote:

    

Just as S stated, P has . . .

As S suggests, P has . . .

As a result of this T problem, P has . . .

In the P's case, the issue of T has . . .

Indeed, P has had problems with T . . .

To disagree with the quote:

    

In opposition to what S claims, P has . . .

Although S makes a valid point about T, P has not . .

Instead, T has not been a problem for P because . . .

However, P is an exception to S’s claims about T . . , Unfortunately, P has not had the benefit of T . . .

How to Sandwich a Quote Fill this out For one of your quotes.

Nonfiction Genres for Direct Quotes

 Advice Column  Editorial  Human Interest Article  Award Nomination  Grant Proposal  Counselor Report  Social Worker Report  Textbook Entry  Newsletter Article  Magazine Article  Documentary Script  Letter of Complaint  Self Help Article

Sharing

 What assignments encourage students to write about their families and home communities?

 What writing projects can you envision, using multiple genres?  What problems do you foresee with this approach?  What questions do you have?

Engaging Writers with Multigenre Research Projects Teachers College Press

Forthcoming Chapter Class in the Composition Classroom: Pedagogy and the Working Class Utah State University Press

“Emotional Labor as Imposters: Working-Class Literacy Narratives and Academic Identities�