WRITING FOR CIVIC

ENGAGEMENT

CASE STUDY: BOSTON

Elizabeth ParfittFirst-Year Writing Program

Writing, Literature and Publishing DepartmentEmerson College

AAUP Conference -- June 12, 2010

Elizabeth Parfitt

As we enter into the conversation…

“Smartphones, GPS, wireless technology, and a resurgent spirit of civic engagement mean that all of us are eyes and ears on the streets, that neighbors are our greatest source of data, and our citizens the best civic entrepreneurs.

-- Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino

January 4, 2010 Inaugural Address

Elizabeth Parfitt

The Research Questions?

How do you design an education in civic engagement? (Instructor)

What does it mean to be civically engaged? (Student)

What are our roles as citizens and scholars? (Instructor and Students)

The HypothesisWR121 Research WritingWriting for Civic Engagement, Case Study: Boston

After this course you should be able to…

  Understand the civic roles you play as a scholar and citizen in the Boston

community.

Make informed choices about genre presentation based on given rhetorical situations.

Implement multiple research methodologies, including: field work, visual documentation, theoretical analysis, and rhetorical interpretations of texts.

Use research to create professional public documents in a variety of genres including: rhetorical analysis, personal memoir, commentary, letters, informed reports and fact sheets.

Elizabeth Parfitt

Research Methods

Student Work

Civic Reflections Volunteer Projects Class readings Writing Assignments Magazine Project

Student Roles

Facilitators

Volunteers

Students

Reporters, Memoirists, Scholars, Citizens…

Magazine writers, editors, photographers, designers

Elizabeth Parfitt

Civic Reflections Student-facilitated discussions based on intellectual and

artistic readings meant to foster an open dialogue about what it means to be civically engaged, an active citizen, and a community leader. These conversations promoted inquiry into one of our biggest research questions this semester: what does it mean to be civically engaged?

Sample Readings: “The Drum Major Instinct,” Martin Luther King, Jr. “The Unknown Citizen,” W.H. Auden “ A Bed For The Night,” Bertolt Brecht “Fellowship,” Franz Kafka “Theme for English B,” Langston Hughes

Elizabeth Parfitt

Boston Cares

“Boston Cares is a member of the HandsOn Network and Points of Light Institute, an international organization which inspires, equips, and mobilizes people to take action that changes the world. At the center of the network are 250 affiliates serving 83% of the American population and 12 international communities.”

Elizabeth Parfitt

Town and Gown PartnershipsEmerson College First-Year Writing Program

Writing, Literature and Publishing Department

Boston Cares Volunteering and Project Management

Emerson College Office of Service Learning and Community Action Seed Grant

Jeannie Harrell, Emerson College Senior, Publication Design and Production Editor.

Elizabeth Parfitt

Education in Civic Engagement

Community Involvement

Reflection

Class

Writing

Elizabeth Parfitt

By the Numbers:Research Components and Constraints

14 semester weeks 7 Formal Writing Projects 3 Service Projects per student 3 Written Reflections per student 1 Community Partner for hundreds of

non-profit needs 1 Civic Reflection 10-12 hours of service per student

Elizabeth Parfitt

A genre-based approach to writing that emphasizes

purposeful rhetorical choices

Message

(logos)

Audience

(pathos)

Research

Purpose

Context

Writer

(ethos)

Genre: Memoir, Personal Essay,

Research Report, Review, Testimonial,

Fact Sheet

Readers: Peers, Boston

Cares, First-Year Writing students,

Future Employers, Parents, Friends,

Boston Community

Writing Persona:Formal,

Conversational, Sarcastic,

Compassionate, Informative, Intellectual, Humorous

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Our on-going conversation…

http://www.wordle.net/. Images of Wordles are licensed Creative Commons License.

Elizabeth Parfitt

The Research ResultsWhat does an education in Civic Engagement Look Like?

Elizabeth Parfitt

The Sky is Wicked Huge

Elizabeth Parfitt

Student-driven editorial choices

“Exploration involves going to a new place, material or otherwise, and existing there, if only for a few minutes. You’ll come away having not necessarily learned something, but having felt something.

In here you will find a report from each of us about our first year at Emerson. Dr. Seuss’s Oh The Places You’ll Go ain’t got nuffin’ on us. Liz looks at bathrooms, Carson explores a film archive, Brendan stares at the sky.

All this and more.”

Elizabeth Parfitt

Volunteer Reflections

“At Xcel GED math tutoring, I got to pass on some of my knowledge to those in need. My class of 15 adult students looked to me for answers, a person only about half their age.”

“I really felt connected to the group of people at the event, as I am from the area and Drumlin Farm was part of my childhood. It really confirmed for me how important Drumlin Farm is to the community that I come from and it felt really rewarding to me to give back to a place that had nurtured me when I was young.”

Elizabeth Parfitt

City Explorations

 “Certain aspects of Chinatown almost make the area seem like a portal between every city that one can travel into and out of at his or her own will… Finding places like Chinatown where I can feel a little more comfortable is integral to my survival here in Boston.”

“I always figured Boston was too conventional a city to cater to my most obscure tastes. I figured I needed to get out of American for that. But of course I was wrong, and The Archive was a place that perfectly fit the radical cinematic exploration that I like to partake in.”

Elizabeth Parfitt

One student’s journey through civic engagement…

“On the surface, I didn’t think playing Trivial Pursuit with senior citizens at the Hale House would be rewarding. I really should know better by now than to underestimate the value of service…

Out the gate, I felt I was at a critical disadvantage. The Trivial Pursuit edition we played with was from 1985, five years before I was born…

This is why we root for the underdog, because they make us feel like anything is possible. One can create the illusion of imperviousness to time. That night the lesson was reinforced for me, that it is easily done, with compassion.”

Elizabeth Parfitt

Boston Cares Component for Community Partners

…A journey through what it means to be American, my culture, and my profession.

I learned a lot about myself and got to meet new people.

…Make my own change in my community…

…they will become inspired to make a difference.

Elizabeth Parfitt

What we accomplished…

On-going Reflection

40 page online

magazine

90+ Volunteer

Hours

Knowledge of Research, Writing,

Rhetorical Awareness, Community Relations,

Citizenship, Volunteering, Collaboration

Elizabeth Parfitt

As we continue working to straddle the line between scholars

and citizens…

“We would like to differentiate between what we feel is civic engagement and effective civic engagement…

There has been a tendency among our generation to become what is known as the “me generation.” We implore you to strive to be the “us generation.”

We are not asking you to become an activist. We are not asking you to go out and change the world single handedly. But we as the writers are convinced that by reflecting on the work that we do, you can create a more effective, civically engaged community.”