La Perruque…

Authoring Selves and Language and Agency

The concepts of authoring oneself or Holoquist’s notion of “dialogism” based on Bakhtin’s work are relevant for our discussions of identity. Essentially, Holland et al. set out the parameters of authoring oneself based on his or her context (thus using the language in all its avenues of the culture and historical situatedness, or heteroglossia) in dialogue, whether as an inner voice (influenced by external voices and vocabulary) or a spoken dialogue. Consequently, identity is always developing, based on these dialogic relationships. Ahearn takes the issue of language further by illustrating how language affects agency (agency defined as “the socioculturally mediated capacity to act” p. 130), even looking at the grammar constructions of expressing self as the primary agent acting upon something/one else in different languages.

Holland et al. take great efforts to compare and contrast Vygotsky’s and Bakhtin’s ideas. One avenue I found interesting was the elucidation of Vygotsky’s “pull yourself up by your bootstrap through language” as criticized for lacking in addressing the power and privilege often embedded in language. Ahearn also addressed a similar concept with “symbolic violence” as coined by Bourdieu while connecting it to Bakhtin’s idea that there are “no neutral words” (p. 111). I like the quote from Bakhtin used by Ahearn (and possibly in the Holland et al. text) that uses the imagery of “taste” to illustrate how words are always nuanced with flavor or association beyond a sterile meaning.

In thinking of the self authoring the world based on what is already in existence reminds me a little of the old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg. Is a person’s identity completely bound to the language and social setting where one finds oneself? De Certeau’s explanation of “la perruque” begs the question of how much self-authoring can one do under the constraints of those in power of language, economics, and society? And as Ahearn questioned, “how [can] social reproduction become[s] social transformation” (p. 131)?

Agency and the absence of it

Just a thought..after reading the ahearn article, I really am questioning if there
is such a thing as agency ..I think some very important points were made about how agency is
situated and inextrivable from history, power relations, language and so on. I think of revolutionary figures in history and, to me, it makes more sense (concerning their agency) in that they went agianst frameworks of meaning (understanding agency in a different way) in that they realized adversity but that it was an opportunity to overcome ideologies/situations etc. that were socially constructed realities for certain people.
The "autonomous model" of literacy practices was pretty nuts...I guess when you want to rationalize things you find a way..

Language in a Social Perspective

I thought it was interesting the first part of this section how Firth and Malinowski are differentiated based on their interpretation of linguistics – the context of culture versus Firth who studied context of situation (and the generalized patterns of actual behavior) and how behavior potential and meaning potential are derived from them. First, it makes me think of a phrase we talked about in Qual I “bless your heart” and how it can mean different things in different contexts –or what can be referred to as “delicacy” on pg .49, so if language is so incredibly situated, how can we interpret meaning as researchers? This was a question I struggled with, because every situation we observe, comes with it inherent meanings, (gestures, winks etc. ) that people privy to that situation understand—I guess what I am asking is, can we ever understand the “social foundations” of behavioral meanings? (Pg 60 end of second paragraph proposes we can?).

This article also discusses the “grammatical system of adult language” (pg.61) as 1) ideational, 2) interpersonal and 3) textual. These refer to a persons (generally) experience, social interplay and within context and creating text. I thought that was a good start to understanding how language functions and is organized –but I wonder if it’s more complex than these idea suggest. On pg. 64, I agree with the statement that “some concept does underlie the approach of the school towards its responsibility for the pupils success in his mother tongue.”

I think I am beginning and *trying* to make sense of this field called “sociolinguistics” and its relation to the classroom, you see in the classroom that I have experienced, I had students with different dialects, different ways of speaking the normalized version of English and a subject that I was supposed to teach that was a whole new set of vocabulary. So I definitely understand the blending in of different cultures and “life worlds” but to a point where everyone understands what you are talking about is difficult. For example, the DNA example that they gave in the text—too explain the functioning of the protein complexes that modify DNA and the functioning of each to students is incredibly time consuming –I guess I am thinking of the practicality of teaching linguistics from a basic level, and I see it, in the current educational context, an *almost* insurmountable endeavor…

frame analysis and schemata

This was an interesting essay- I think it was an important introduction to understanding human intention, but can they completely explain this in terms of primary frameworks? I guess thats what I am grappling with here..I do agree there is a certain order and predicatablity of human behavior but, I guess are they overarching and can we depend on them to determine/predict (accurately maybe?) human behavior?
I am going to conduct my first observation of a PTA meeting next week for my qual class and this essay does help me to see that there are certain actions that are "natural", "social" and "causal" phenomena..but I guess it might be difficult to understand/determine in that short span of time which is which..especially when they might have underlying meanings I might not be aware of..
Great essay, cant wait to discuss in class..

Avatar Ad

I noticed that there was an ad on my facebook page to make an avatar. It seems like by using a picture of Angelina Joli juxtaposed to an avatar, Zwinky is trying to send the message "look like whoever you want" while simultaneously implying "be whoever you want."

Initial Thoughts on the Multimodality of Identity

Readings for this week's class on the intersections of technology and identity as a multimodal process were taken from:

--Philip Levine & Ron Scollon (Eds). (2004) Discourse & Technology: Multimodal Discourse Analysis. (Specifically, their introductory chapter and the chapter by Theo Van Leeuwen entitled "Ten Reasons Why Linguists Should Pay Attention to Visual Communication")
--Angela Thomas (2007) Youth Online: Identity and Literacy in the Digital Age.
--Anna de Fina, Deborah Schiffrin, & Michael Bamber (2006) Discourse and Identity.

In reading the selections for this week's class, and in reading your comments, the questions that emerged (for me) seemed to be grouped into three categories:

Identity
How are our identities shaped by different kinds of social spaces/practices?
How is this process in online interactions similar to or different from our identity-shaping face-to-face interactions?
How often do we engage in critical reflection regarding who we are--when do we engage in this reflection, and why?
What role does critical reflection on identity have to do with crafting an agentive self?

Identity as Multimodal
How does multimodal discourse analysis help us explore the concept of identity?
How does it shape our thinking and practice in helpful ways?
How can what we are learning about the multimodal fashioning of identity assist us in constructing a philosophical stance toward how to "take up" identity in our thinking? In relating research to the practice of education?

Identities On and Offline…Identities In and Out of School
How can we apply what's learned about identity in out-of-school contexts to our goals as educators working with teachers and students in school?
Does the identity work done in different technological/social spaces have bearing on the creation of selves that are agentive, active learners? If yes…how and in what contexts?

Epistemologically and methodologically, these questions--and the readings-- highlight how articulating one's understanding of identity is a critical foundation for any research that investigates identity as a multimodal discursive performance process. The importance of unearthing the specific understandings we have of what identity is and how it functions is undeniable. In our explorations of how identities are enacted in and out-of-school, our footprints reveal how heavily we have been pressed by various theories of identity and self. Erik Erikson. Kenneth Gergen. George Herbert Mead. Michel Foucault. Judith Butler...And since we are concerning ourselves with teaching and learning, what comes to mind immediately in considering how each of these individuals characterizes identity?

Agency.

Ce n'est pas mon nom

I'm not sure if there is predictability in "awkward yet funny" social situations within different professions. And yet, I must confess to liking the simultaneous embarressment and humor I feel when mispronouncing the names of certain scholars.


...I limped through French class in high school under the false assumption that, beyond ninth grade, my butchering of the language would have no repercussions. How was I to know that Foucault was only the beginning? But there is hope...


www.inogolo.com/pronunciation/

Now, I can comment on Baudrillard's simulacra without fear...or at least without the fear of mispronouncing his name. That goes for you too, Bourdieu.

I kind of liked being uncertain of my pronouciation. I think I'll stay with my C- version of French. And I'll get back to work...right after I click on Bourdieu again.