literacy ethnography draft #1

7/30/2019 Literacy Ethnography draft #1

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Ethnography Rough Draft #1

Within the AROTC many ideas are stressed as more important than others one in

particular being the role of leadership its importance. This paper will address how leaders engage

with literacy within the AROTC in order to lead affectively. On the Battlefield stress, anxiety,

depression and many other feelings kick in. Its important to stick with your team you have been

training with and follow the direction of your leader. Almost all leaders follow a strict set of

guidelines called the Decision-Making-Process. One of the most important decisions according

to CPT Daniel Morgan is always maintaining an offensive spirit. Look for the enemies to shoot

at you, shoot back, and kill or capture them. Bold Leaders are dangerous and that is what you

want in them as you fight this fight. The purpose of my essay is to view AROTCs leadership

roles under the microscope and examine how it engages with literacy. I will reach this purpose

by using interviews conducted with cadets as well as observations of AROTCs classes in order

to describe the AROTCs leadership roles. In doing so, others can gain more understanding on

the importance of leadership within the army but also how it can be useful in everyday life. The

Qualities AROTC prefers in their leaders arent just relevant to the AROTC but, can be the

foundation for a great leader in many different fields of leadership.

Believe it or not, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte was originally a military

academy prior to becoming a University. With this kind of foundation one can only look for

success in the AROTC program once the academy became a university. AROTC is designed to

prepare cadets for their encounter against enemy combatants. There is no doubt that combat is an

extremely traumatic experience for individuals who are involved. Some Main conversations

within AROTC deal with stress levels imposed on cadets and leaders within the AROTC. How to

deal with this stress is important especially if you are a leader who constantly has to make


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stressful decisions. When occupying the leader position, one small error or mistake could cost

the lives of troops. Cadets are trained however in the AROTC a special set of literary skills that

will help them become a more successful and knowledgeable leader. With these literary skills

they are able to perform their tasks more efficiently with time elapsed being a key factor. On the

battlefield the overall consensus seems to be the quicker tasks are completed the better.

Like most programs the AROTC has a simple goal that it strives to reach. The goal is

develop competent and confident leaders imbued with warrior ethos, grounded in field craft,

and skilled in leading soldiers, training subordinates, and employing and maintaining

equipment. This process begins by making sure the cadets carry themselves out in the right

mindset and with the right attitude. Cadets represent the AROTC in every action and decision

they choose to make. They live by a code of ethics and morals with which reflects character and

integrity from each of the cadets. There are different levels of command within the AROTC;

cadets abide by these levels through showing respect and following orders given by higher

ranking officers.

The environment is very important and plays a pivotal role within this community both in

AROTC and in the classroom. When I made observations in the classroom I noticed that the

desks were organized in a way so that all cadets would be facing the instructor. Cadets wore

matching uniforms and on these uniforms were the patches that indicated their ranking and

name. Leadership was displayed during reading exercises. When the instructor asked for

someone to read a segment in a loud voice a cadet began reading without hesitation showing

initiative, a good quality to have as a leader. On the battlefield the environment is very important

for leaders. When leaders are planning military operations it is imperative that they obtain the

information regarding the terrain, weather, and time of day. Even the minutest environmental


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factors can affect military observations. This process is known as Terrain Analysis. Once

Leaders are engaged in military operations it is key that they have a simple way through which

they can communicate with their troops.

Communication is one of the primary qualities of a leader. Being able to communicate a

purpose as a leader is important in completing tasks affectively. Conveying a message is

important and leaders within the AROTC use specific methods to maximize the comprehension

of messages. One of the more important steps is to focus your message and make sure that the

intent you wish to create is clear to the reader or audience of your message. When attempting to

communicate, a common obstacle that can get in the way is called noise. Noise is everything that

interferes with the original message being conveyed. By maybe having the receiver of the

message confirm what they heard or using more descriptive language when conveying a

message, you will be able to decrease the potential for noise. Another key is to stay away from

complicated words, it is important that the use of simple words is utilized frequently. Use words

that you would use when interacting within a conversation opposed to the words used within an

essay.

Within the community of the AROTC literacy is used and defined in a different way than

that which you would read out of a dictionary. However it still revolves around the same three

main aspects of literacy which are reading, writing, and speaking. Leaders use literacy in many

different ways. Communication skills are important to leaders, without this skill set leaders could

not effectively perform tasks with the troops under their control. Leaders are also often issued

orders and must be able to gather the intent of messages so they can act on the order. Leaders use

literacy skills in the form of map reading to their advantage when navigating an unfamiliar area.

When a leader is ordered to reach a certain objective with their troops they must be able to


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properly analyze the terrain in order to navigate the land and reach the designated objective. The

picture below is an example of the symbols involved in map reading and how specific patterns

correlate with specific meanings. During my observations I viewed Cadets within a class setting

that dealt entirely with literacy. Subjects were read about and analyzed from an in combat

POV by an experienced veteran within the army. Through my interview I learned that it is

important to address higher

ranking officers in a way that

shows your respect towards their

authority. There is also what

would be viewed as a hierarchy

within the AROTC among cadets

and leaders.

These leadership characteristics and requirements are not solely important to AROTC

but, can be helpful within leadership roles of various groups and communities. The

understanding of how literacy ties into leadership within one community can help formulate

thoughts regarding other discourse communities involving leadership. Also with this knowledge

one can gain a new and different understanding regarding individuals within the AROTC. There

is a lot more to being a soldier than strength and brute force. Being able to perform literary acts

is definitely a characteristic of a well trained soldier. Everything from communication to

navigation is performed in a strict format that maximizes efficiency and minimizes potential

error. Through the leadership aspect of the AROTC are other areas of study in which one could

research. An additional idea could be the importance of team work and team building skills

within the AROTC. However, lets save that topic for the next ethnography. Good information is


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information with which you can walk away with. This paper provided you with a more detailed

account of what goes into becoming a leader within the AROTC and the importance of literacy

within that role. Being capable of understanding the literacy within the AROTC will also allow

you to use examples and make comparisons upon encountering other discourse communities

involving literacy.

literacy ethnography draft #1

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