- Oct 2016
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techwritingf16.robinwharton.net techwritingf16.robinwharton.net
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All of these articles effectively and critically shed light on issues of race,ethnicity, and multiculturalism in technical communication. While theseissues often are overlooked, go unnoticed, or are silenced, the articlesincluded in this special issue ofJBTCdemonstrate the prominence, andmuch-needed analysis, of race, ethnicity, and multiculturalism in technicalcommunication. As guest editors, we look forward to the intellectual discus-sions and writings that respond to these articles
I too agree with "eryndesiree" and think it's important to embrace minorities. Race and ethnicity are important to embrace in technical communication because if the ideas of the minorities are left out, then so are the end users.
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With this research, these and other scholars move beyond argumentsabout the importance of multicultural issues in the United States and in tech-nical communication to highlight the unique ways that people of color in theUnited States use or invent technical communication.
This is important because this illuminates the idea that people of color are going to be brought to light. In addition it gives credit to where it is due just as the way women's name needed to have recognition in technical works this idea works the same for racial minorities.
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In 1994, Limaye editeda special issue ofJBTCon workforce diversity that was an effort towardembracing discussions of multiculturalism and technical communicationin the United States. Since then, we have seen an encouraging number ofacademic articles that discuss gender and international technical communi-cation; still, few discuss technical communication as it relates to race andethnicity within the United States
This relates to Durak as both articles express the few and far academic articles that details the minorities in technical communication. Maybe like Durak expresses maybe the idea is just the topic and the minorities works in technical communication are hidden, miscredited, or obscured, just like women's work was.
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The first article, ‘‘Race, Rhetoric, and Technology: A Case Studyof Decolonial Technical Communication Theory, Methodology, and Peda-gogy,’’ by Angela M. Haas, is a case study that examines the place of race,ethnicity, rhetoric, and technology in a graduate-level technical communi-cation classroom. This study demonstrates the importance of race and eth-nicity in the technical communication curriculum design and pedagogy.
This is the first of four articles the author "explicitly address race, ethnicity, or multiculturalism in technical communication. " It analyzes racism, ethnicism, and technology at the graduate curriculum in a class system. This is the best of the four articles because it results in randomness, and gives greater variations of study. There is less random error and bias in this study. In addition it views it race, ethnicity, and multiculturalism in technical communication through a public professional, and private professional lens.
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Thrush (1997) made this case 15 years ago in her seminal article ‘‘Multi-cultural Issues in Technical Communication.’’ She pointed out that ‘‘as lit-tle as we know about technical communication in other countries, it isstartling how little research has been done on subcultures within the
This claim provides support of the inequalities that minorities face in technical communication and works. Their is rarity of technical research done on minorities in the U.S.
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Thus, it is not surprising to find this same reticence to discuss such topicsin technical communication research and literature. In 1994, Limaye editeda special issue ofJBTCon workforce diversity that was an effort towardembracing discussions of multiculturalism and technical communicationin the United States. Since then, we have seen an encouraging number ofacademic articles that discuss gender and international technical communi-cation; still, few discuss technical communication as it relates to race andethnicity within the United States.
This claim raises importance to the dynamics of time. The early 90's was a time of embracement, and culturalism, right after the civil rights movement and the war on drugs. There were motives to bring people together one including the EEOC, Equal Employment Oppurunity Act, that enforced workplace fairness. It also raises the rarity of writings in the U.S. that discuss race and ethnicity in technical communication.
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Thus, despite electing its first African-American president and having agrowing Hispanic population, the United States is not a postracial society.Unfortunately, we still live in a society that produces racial constructs andwhere people live out racialized lives as part of their everyday experiences.Even though (or quite possibly because) race as a concept and therebyracism still exist, many people, if not color-blind, avoid topics of race, eth-nicity, and culture in their daily conversations.
This is something I too totally agree with. As a African American female sometimes I feel like there are odds and obstacles that I encounter that differ from those of whites and more directly white females of America. I often here race related comments in the workplace and sometimes even at school. However, I am one who avoids this conversation, viewing this as a life long problem with no solution, as well as creating a commotion of disruption. Racism, and discrimination are very touchy subjects, that some just will never come to understand due to social constructs. Although it is optimistic to believe that we are all created equal and have equal chances in life, the truth is that racism will always exist through inequalities of the present and future, making opportunities and resources less attainable for minorities as a whole.
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We acknowledge, though, that many, inside and outside of our field,believe that race is not a relevant concept in our society or field. Some arguethat we live in a nonracist society, and thus the need to acknowledge colorno longer exists. Gordon (2005) explained that color blindness ‘‘maintainsthat race does not exist as a meaningful category and posits that the benefitsaccrued to White people are earned by (gifted) individuals rather than sys-temically conferred’’ (p. 281). For example, in some technical communica-tion classes, as in most classes, instructors adopt a color-blind perspective,reiterating the sentiment that race has no place in the classroom (Hairston,1992). According to this perspective, to see or speak of race is to give life toa racist social system that has historically marginalized people of color andgiven unfair advantages to white European Americans (WEAs)
I agree with this statement in both ways that giving a blindness to race, creates a stigma that race is not important, as well as giving favorability/superiority to "WEA's" only by color. Although the idea acts to view each other as individuals it does not allow us to embrace who we are whether it be black or white. The color blindness perspective too, allows advantages based on color and not merit. This also relates to "White Privilege" which is unfair benefits that one receives just from the white color of their skin.
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While thenation has shown progress by electing its first African-American president,the education, employment, income, and health disparities between WhiteAmericans and historically marginalized groups still exist.
Starts the argument of inequality existing between white American and minorities. Although we have come far to overcome injustices of society, we still have yet to close the wide gaps of inequalities faced for minorities This statement gives an introduction of what is expected to be read about within the article.
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