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ERIC Number: ED516086
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 177
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: ISBN-978-1-1240-1464-7
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
"I Feel Smarter when I Write": The Academic Writing Experiences of Five College Women
Parsons, Cherie
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Kent State University
As a way of examining how writing helps college students balance an understanding of subject matter with self and social understanding as well as develop their abilities to participate in the public realm, this qualitative study focused on the writing experiences of five college students, with particular attention paid to the assignments that allowed them to assert their ideas in response to the ideas of others. Women were selected for this study because members of traditionally marginalized or silenced populations stand to gain a great deal if their writing gives them the opportunity to experiment with dialogic argument. The five participants were interviewed over the course of two years about their college writing. The study also involved analyzing the participants' papers, interviewing their professors, and examining the assignments that prompted the papers. The study revealed that all five participants engaged in dialectical argumentation to some degree, but they were rarely required by the assignment to marshal evidence to support their views. The amount of page space devoted to their own convictions and ideas indicated that the vast majority of their writing was devoted to the subject matter and/or others' ideas. If the assignments did not demand that the participants put forth their ideas assertively and construct personally meaningful positions, they avoided doing so. It is important for educators to consider that students who are reticent to speak in class and/or socialized to avoid conflict can gain through their writing invaluable experience and confidence in articulating their views and putting forth their ideas assertively. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A