W. Ross Winterowd | |
---|---|
Born | 24 January, 1930 Salt Lake City, Utah |
Died | 18 October, 2011 Los Angeles, California |
Nationality | American |
Occupation(s) | Professor of English and rhetoric at USC and a scholar and writer in the fields of rhetoric and composition. |
Known for | Rhetoric, Composition Studies, Writing Pedagogy |
Academic background | |
Alma mater | Utah State University (B.A.), University of Utah (Ph.D.) |
Academic work | |
Discipline | Rhetoric,Composition,Literary Theory |
Notable works | The Rhetoric of the "Other" Literature,*Writing and Teaching Writing |
W. Ross Winterowd was a rhetorician and literary theorist from the United States. He was born on January 24,1930,in Salt Lake City,Utah. He earned his B.S. from Utah State University in 1952. [1] During his undergraduate years at Utah State University,Winterowd showed an early interest in literature and rhetoric,which shaped his future academic focus. [2] After finishing his undergraduate education,Winterowd served in the United States Army for three years,from 1952 to 1955. [2] Following his military service,he pursued higher education at the University of Utah,where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1965 at the age of 35. [1] His academic journey led him to focus on the interdisciplinary connections between rhetoric,linguistics,and education,which then became the foundation of his work. [3] Winterowd passed away on January 21,2011,leaving a lasting legacy in rhetoric and composition studies. [2]
Winterowd’s teaching career was both long and illustrious. He began his academic journey as an instructor at Carson College from 1955 to 1956,followed by roles as a teaching assistant at Kansas University from 1956 to 1957 and the University of Utah from 1957 to 1960. He then served as an instructor and assistant professor at the University of Montana from 1962 to 1966. Majority of Winterowd’s career was spent at the University of Southern California,where he held positions as an associate professor and professor from 1966 to 1971. [4] [5]
During his time at USC,Winterowd was the founder and Director of the Ph.D. program in Rhetoric,Linguistics,and Literature and was honored with the prestigious Bruce R. McElderry Professorship in 1971. [4] During Winterowd’s career,he mentored many graduate students while working on their dissertations. [5] Winterowd's personal insight and teaching experiences he was able to empathize the importance of preparing students for critical and reflective thinking. [6]
He also examined the evolution of the English departments,addressing the tensions between traditional literary studies and emerging disciplines like rhetoric,composition,and literacy analysis. His work highlighted the shift within English departments from classical studies to modern focuses,such as rhetoric and composition,positioning him as a pivotal figure in the development of these disciplines. [4] [7] [8]
At the University of Southern California,Winterowd was instrumental in developing one of the first interdisciplinary doctoral programs combining rhetoric,linguistics,and literature in the United States. [2] Throughout his tenure,Winterowd authored and edited numerous influential textbooks on composition and rhetoric,which were widely adopted in academic institutions. [9]
Beyond his academic pursuits,Winterowd led writing workshops for senior citizens,culminating in the publication of Senior Citizens Writing:A Workshop and Anthology (2007). [10]
Throughout his academic career,Winterowd authored,co-authored,or edited over a dozen books and more than 50 articles. Notable works include The Contemporary Writer (1975),The English Department:A Personal and Institutional History (1998),and Attitudes:Selected Prose and Poetry (2010). [11]
Winterowd's scholarship has been foundational in advancing the study of coherence,style,and pedagogy in composition. His structuralist approach emphasized the importance of coherence in writing. Winterowd proposed that textual relationships such as coordinate,obversative,and sequential transitions function as a grammar of discourse,extending principles of syntax to broader rhetorical contexts. His work in "The Grammar of Coherence" highlighted the interplay between linguistic structures and rhetorical clarity,bridging theoretical linguistics with practical classroom applications. [12]
Winterowd’s contributions also extended to syntactic fluency and pedagogical stylistics,as demonstrated in his "Prolegomenon to Pedagogical Stylistics." He advocated for sentence-combining exercises as a means to cultivate rhetorical effectiveness,showcasing his commitment to teaching approaches that integrate theoretical insights with tangible learning strategies. [13] His exploration of coherence in multimodal contexts further reflects the adaptability of his principles,aligning traditional literacy frameworks with contemporary digital modes of communication. [14] [15]
Through his numerous publications and teaching innovations,Winterowd shaped composition studies by combining rigorous theoretical frameworks with pragmatic pedagogical methods,leaving a lasting impact on the field. [16]
Computers and writing is a sub-field of college English studies about how computers and digital technologies affect literacy and the writing process. The range of inquiry in this field is broad including discussions on ethics when using computers in writing programs,how discourse can be produced through technologies,software development,and computer-aided literacy instruction. Some topics include hypertext theory,visual rhetoric,multimedia authoring,distance learning,digital rhetoric,usability studies,the patterns of online communities,how various media change reading and writing practices,textual conventions,and genres. Other topics examine social or critical issues in computer technology and literacy,such as the issues of the "digital divide",equitable access to computer-writing resources,and critical technological literacies. Many studies by scientists have shown that writing on computer is better than writing in a book
A writing process is a set of mental and physical steps that someone takes to create any type of text. Almost always,these activities require inscription equipment,either digital or physical:chisels,pencils,brushes,chalk,dyes,keyboards,touchscreens,etc.;each of these tools has unique affordances that influence writers' workflows. Writing processes are very individualized and task-specific;they frequently incorporate activities such as talking,drawing,reading,browsing,and other activities that are not typically associated with writing.
Cognitive rhetoric refers to an approach to rhetoric,composition,and pedagogy as well as a method for language and literary studies drawing from,or contributing to,cognitive science.
Composition studies is the professional field of writing,research,and instruction,focusing especially on writing at the college level in the United States.
Linda Flower is a composition theorist. She is best known for her emphasis on cognitive rhetoric,but has more recently published in the field of service learning. Flower currently serves Carnegie Mellon University as a professor of rhetoric.
Basic writing,or developmental writing,is a subdiscipline of composition studies which focuses on the writing of students sometimes otherwise called "remedial" or "underprepared",usually freshman college students.
First-year composition is an introductory core curriculum writing course in US colleges and universities. This course focuses on improving students' abilities to write in a university setting and introduces students to writing practices in the disciplines and professions. These courses are traditionally required of incoming students,thus the previous name,"Freshman Composition." Scholars working within the field of composition studies often have teaching first-year composition (FYC) courses as the practical focus of their scholarly work.
Rhetorical stance refers to the deliberate choices made by a communicator in shaping and presenting their message. It encompasses the strategic decisions regarding language,style,and tone that are employed to achieve a specific communicative purpose. This concept is deeply rooted in rhetorical theory and is a fundamental aspect of effective communication across various disciplines,including literature,public speaking,and academic writing.
Cognitive science and linguistic theory have played an important role in providing empirical research into the writing process and serving the teaching of composition. As for composition theories,there is some dispute concerning the appropriateness of tying these two schools of thought together into one theory of composition. However,their empirical basis for research and ties to the process theory of composition and cognitive science can be thought to warrant some connection.
Feminist theory in composition studies examines how gender,language,and cultural studies affect the teaching and practice of writing. It challenges the traditional assumptions and methods of composition studies and proposes alternative approaches that are informed by feminist perspectives. Feminist theory in composition studies covers a range of topics,such as the history and development of women's writing,the role of gender in rhetorical situations,the representation and identity of writers,and the pedagogical implications of feminist theory for writing instruction. Feminist theory in composition studies also explores how writing can be used as a tool for empowerment,resistance,and social change. Feminist theory in composition studies emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a response to the male-dominated field of composition and rhetoric. It has been influenced by various feminist movements and disciplines,such as second-wave feminism,poststructuralism,psychoanalysis,critical race theory,and queer theory. Feminist theory in composition studies has contributed to the revision of traditional rhetorical concepts,the recognition of diverse voices and genres,the promotion of collaborative and ethical communication,and the integration of personal and political issues in writing.
Jimmie Wayne Corder was a scholar of rhetoric.
Diane Davis is a post-structuralist rhetorician and professor of Rhetoric and Writing,English,and Communication Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. She was the Director of the Digital Writing and Research Lab at UT from 2009 to 2017,and is now the chair of the Department of Rhetoric and Writing. She holds the Kenneth Burke Chair of Rhetoric and Philosophy at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee,Switzerland,where she teaches intensive summer seminars on Jacques Derrida and Emmanuel Levinas.
Theories of rhetoric and composition pedagogy encompass a wide range of interdisciplinary fields centered on the instruction of writing. Noteworthy to the discipline is the influence of classical Ancient Greece and its treatment of rhetoric as a persuasive tool. Derived from the Greek work for public speaking,rhetoric's original concern dealt primarily with the spoken word. In the treatise De Inventione, Cicero identifies five Canons of the field of rhetoric:invention,arrangement,style,memory,and delivery. Since its inception in the spoken word,theories of rhetoric and composition have focused primarily on writing
The study and practice of visual rhetoric took a more prominent role in the field of composition studies towards the end of the twentieth century and onward. Proponents of its inclusion in composition typically point to the increasingly visual nature of society,and the increasing presence of visual texts. Literacy,they argue,can no longer be limited only to written text and must also include an understanding of the visual.
Collaborative pedagogy stems from the process theory of rhetoric and composition. Collaborative pedagogy believes that students will better engage with writing,critical thinking,and revision if they engage with others. Collaborative pedagogy pushes back against the Current-Traditional model of writing,as well as other earlier theories explaining rhetoric and composition;earlier theories of writing,especially current-traditional,emphasizes writing as a final product. In contrast,collaborative pedagogy rejects the notion that students think,learn,and write in isolation. Collaborative pedagogy strives to maximize critical thinking,learning,and writing skills through interaction and interpersonal engagement. Collaborative pedagogy also connects to the broader theory of collaborative learning,which encompasses other disciplines including,but not limited to,education,psychology,and sociology.
Gertrude Buck was one of a group of powerful female rhetoricians of her time. She strived to inspire young women to take on leadership roles within the democracy using the written word. She wrote many books,plays,articles,and poems relating to her cause. Buck dedicated her life to "challenging the patriarchal paradigm with her reformist views of pedagogy and rhetoric".
Asao B. Inoue is a Japanese American academic writer and professor of rhetoric and composition in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at Arizona State University whose research and teaching focus on anti-racist writing assessment. In 2019,Inoue was elected the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) Chair. He delivered the keynote presentation for the 2019 CCCC Annual Convention,entitled "How Do We Language So People Stop Killing Each Other,Or What Do We Do About White Language Supremacy?" Inoue is the recipient of multiple disciplinary and institutional academic awards,including the 2017 CCCC Outstanding Book Award,the 2017 Council of Writing Program Administrators (CWPA) Best Book Award,and the 2012 Provost's Award for Teaching Excellence at California State University,Fresno.
Jacqueline Jones Royster is an American academic,author,and scholar of rhetoric,literacy,and cultural studies. She is a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the former Dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.
Janice M. Lauer Rice was an American scholar of composition,rhetoric,and linguistics. She was a founding member of the Rhetoric Society of America. She founded one of the first doctoral programs in rhetoric and composition at Purdue University in 1980. The Lauer Series in Rhetoric and Composition from Parlor Press is named in her honor,as well as the Rhetoric Society of America's Janice Lauer Fund for Graduate Student Support and the Purdue Foundation Janice M. Lauer Dissertation Award.
Multimodal pedagogy is an approach to the teaching of writing that implements different modes of communication. Multimodality refers to the use of visual,aural,linguistic,spatial,and gestural modes in differing pieces of media,each necessary to properly convey the information it presents.