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.

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.

3. Two questions I would like to answer in my paper include: When one assumes authority of a discourse community 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 their 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, Journals printed from J-Stor, books concerning the topic of voice and developing voice in writing, and even possibly interviews with students or teachers about classroom situations.