Week 1
I think the act of teaching is inherently persuasive or
rhetorical. While I’m still forming a
knowledge base of rhetorical principles, I can’t help but recognize the
significance of ethos, pathos, and logos in the classroom. Criminal justice courses are unique because
everyone who walks into my classroom has a preconceived notion about crime or
criminals. Therefore, much of my work at
an introductory level is about “unlearning.”
I’m asking people to give up long-held beliefs about the criminal
justice system, who criminals are, why they commit crimes, and effective
approaches to dealing with criminal behavior.
These beliefs have been formed over hours in front of television sets
watching crime dramas, news stories covering current events, political speeches
by bureaucrats with no CJ training but a vested interest in appearing “tough on
crime.” Perhaps, most significantly, many opinions are formed at the knees of
passionate but uninformed parents and other family members who all have
opinions about crime and criminals.
In other words, I have to challenge long-held beliefs (and
in some cases stereotypes) and in order to do so, I have to invoke the
rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos, and logos. I am a stranger to my students but I have to
establish credibility for myself and, more importantly, the CJ discipline. I have to present arguments and facts that appeal
and resonate with both their empathetic and logical natures to help them
unlearn some of the stereotypes so they can be open to learning the facts.
As we touched upon very briefly in class, many of the early
rhetors spent much time arguing and exploring issues of justice, along with the
nature of crime and punishment. Perhaps
this will be an area I delve into more deeply through the assignment in this
course.
Thanks, Casey. Most certainly, the act of teaching is rhetorical, including what we say, but also where we position ourselves, what we wear, how we strategize short and long-term work, etc. Nice thinking about challenging your own beliefs, as well as challenging others' beliefs, by breaking down assumptions and also rhetorical moves to render stereotypes less tacit. Nice thinking about strategies for learning the facts. Looking forward to seeing your take on specific rhetors' strategies, and perhaps how they can be useful in your own work as a teacher.
ReplyDeleteCasey, I found it very interesting that you said you have to help students "unlearn" their pre-conceived notions of criminals and the justice system. I never really thought about it before, but you are right about our assumptions. With all the attention the crime genre gets in television we almost take what we watch for entertainment and turn it into a probable truth. Most of us don't research it or are not directly involved with the system so we assume the writers of these stories we watch did the research for us and that it is close to reality. In actuality we are led down a misleading path. I can only imagine how difficult it is to change these assumptions and appeal to your student's empathetic and logical sides. Very interesting.
ReplyDeletePerhaps one thing we have to teach students to unlearn is speed. The writing process, done well, can take much time. It's important to put in the time, to break down thinking, like we're doing in our blogs, and to not rush to a final draft.
ReplyDeleteThank you Casey. Great post, I agree that teaching is always a rhetorical pursuit. I think your field is a really interesting example. You teach in a field where everyone has strong opinions. You may even be trying to overcome personal experience of your students. You are not just battling wrong information. You are often facing strongly held beliefs. I recall when I took an intro to CJ class 20 years ago. It was an eye opener.
ReplyDeleteHi Casey. While reading your post I could easily relate to the context of building beliefs through the stories broadcasted on televisions. I am easily influenced by those.
ReplyDeleteI don't have much idea about the Crime Justice course but I like the idea of unlearning and challenging one's belief that the course offered.
It is fascinating.