"Novelty or Replication: A Pedagogical Foray into the Technical Communication Class"
About the AuthorJosephine Walwema received her MA in Rhetoric and Writing from the University of New Mexico. She is now a doctoral candidate in the Rhetorics, Communication and Information Design Program at Clemson University. Her research interests include the history of rhetoric, rhetorical theory, technology as human capacity, and mechanical technology. Contents
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EthosThe term ethos (in the classics) meant a place of understanding, a position from which one could comfortably execute a task with knowledge and intent. Indeed, Miller's position that ethos means "the arena where someone is truly at home" or what Pierre Bourdieu has called habitus (cf. Hillier and Rooksby) suggests the a sense of knowing (139). This position (of knowledge) establishes the ability of an author's competence and expertise in a technical writing situation. In technical communication, ethos is integral to persuasion when the (would-be) imitator goes beyond the form and structure to actualize the intent of the "originary" artist. The resulting work may not differ (as is typical of résumés), but it must appear different. In this way, ethos is indicative of a grasp of the essential elements pertaining to, in this case, the résumé. To portend ethos, one has to be versatile in projecting knowledge of colors and hues, sizes and shapes, white space and proportions in the visual design. Ethos then becomes an integral part of the visual design process as a techne. Ethos is reflected in the student's ability to act wisely and to develop a persuasive argument that is not deceptive. While scholars agree that documents reflect the ethos of the writer, which in turn contributes positively or negatively to its ability to persuade, Scott Sanders asserts that "two documents may contain the same information, but their ethos –their ethical appeal—is very different" (108). Ethos can contribute to the integrity of the rhetor, and, in this case, the document's persuasiveness or lack thereof. And given that the intent of the résumé to persuade, Sanders writes that "persuasion comes from the mutual understanding of authors and readers; it values rhetorical strategies that communicate understanding" (61). In the language of technical communication and résumés, it is about quality of the content, potential benefit to the audience, and the integrity of the author. In technical writing the content is very much embedded into the form—its structure is as much content as it is writing. Technical writers select and write texts and give them form through other material ways. This is where the technical communicator exercises her muscle of authorship, translating her ethos. It is where she expands on the design as called for by the process. Visual design is both a physical and cerebral act; it is conceptually and concretely enacted. When technical communicators use words, images, and structure in which discernable patterns emerge, they fulfill a form of reliability and the trustworthiness. It is important that they pursue excellence in visually designing documents. To better understand the essence of ethos, Christine Sutherland subdivides ethos into three elements: "intelligence, integrity and goodwill," suggesting that communicators have to "do good," within the context and display intelligence and integrity. Because rhetoric has the advantage of applying principles from "the general to the specific," a technical communicator can take into account such ethical considerations as alluded to by Aristotle who speaks of epiekeia meaning fair-mindedness as the most authoritative form of persuasion (cf. Carey "Nomos in Attic Rhetoric and Oratory")(4). An individual, faced with a contingent situation, works from a place of knowledge to attain a desired end, which reflects the ethical judgment of the individual concerned. Students have the tendency to take the easier road. It is often necessary to point out to students that visually designing documents serve a more communicative purpose than simple additives. In fact, the act of visual design builds knowledge in technical writing in which the content is very much instantiated by the form. They further exhibit ethos, which speaks to the individual's intellect and her ability to exercise good judgment. As Gross writes "by reasoning ethically…we transcend this unacceptable indifference, the moral neutrality of practical reasoning" (31). Thinking ethically, then, allows us to actualize practical judgment in a contingent situation which we can be proud of when we exercise good judgment. |