Inquiry Contract

Inquiry Contract

Developing Your Own Voice

1. The issue I am thinking about researching is that of voice; specifically the implications and results of people oftentimes having to assume authority in situations in which they cannot or do not actually have that authority. What I want to know about this topic is how voice is developed and how it can be used in the most beneficial manner possible. The motivating factor for me to know more about this topic is that I think voice is the key to writing. It gives it style and personality, but when someone takes on a voice that is not theirs to assume, I believe many communication errors occur and that creates dissonance between the writer and audience. I want to look at the repercussions of doing just that. How does one feel when they must assume a voice in a certain discourse community that is not particularly their own, and how do the people of that community feel as a result? I also want to try to decide whether this is unnecessary, or a necessary part of the learning process. On a more general level, I want to look at how writers start to develop their own voice, given that they oftentimes have to mock another’s voice in the beginning stages of writing.

2. I think that when someone assumes a role that is not theirs already, they end up coming to conclusions based upon stereotypes and generalizations because we tend to fill in the unknown with our own perceptions based on past experiences. Therefore, everyone’s view is uniquely their own and might be based upon or influenced by misconceptions. Based upon my own past experiences in classroom settings, I know that when someone makes a comment which is not the majority view of the rest of the class, it oftentimes tends to create a lot of tension within the classroom and some people feel provoked to talk and defend their own views, while others become quiet and do not want to communicate their feelings with the rest of the class, even though they may have strong opinions, nonetheless. Furthermore, I believe that we are constantly asked to assume another’s voice, as students, trying to fit into an academic discourse community in which we might not feel as accustomed to. I think that in writing, however, some people feel more open to communicate their views than they would in an open discussion. Still, others might be more worried about their audience when writing than when the audience is a classroom of peers. Oftentimes, too, classroom discussion provides a springboard for writing.

3. Two questions I would like to answer in my paper include: When one assumes authority of a discourse community (in discussion or writing) in which they are not a part, does it create unnecessary tension, or is it a necessary part of the learning process? Also, how does one really develop his or her own voice, given that we are asked to assume the position of another so often in the learning process?

**Possible Sources include: Royster’s essay in Cross Talk, Bartholomae’s essay in Cross Talk, Journals printed from J-Stor (I have a few printed but will look into more as well), books concerning the topic of voice and developing voice in writing, and even possibly interviews with students or teachers about classroom situations. I know that I could interview students in my honors capstone course because we often have heated discussions that prompt us to assume a role in which we could not actually have (i.e. that of an African American experiencing racism, or a minority feeling stereotyped). I think another valuable source might be to talk to our instructors for that course and see their point of view, as they generally facilitate the discussion and then see how it relates to our writing since they are the only two who read what the entire class writes in their papers.