Developing identity + building community

identity encouraged; reality acknowledged

I find the idea of forming identities through writing as an intriguing and pedagogically informative concept. Students do in fact shape their identities through writing, though I would argue more so in the academic environment, where identity is sometimes given an elevated emphasis over function and purpose. Students do not have the constraints of form-based elements of applied writing that envelops grant writing, public information, business, and scientific/technical writing.

I concur with Kevin Roozen that identity is best explained inside a realm of relationships. Roozen argues in 3.1 that writers (students) develop their identities through writing as part of a relationship with the communities that they engage with. He continues, "The act of writing, then, is not so much about using a particular set of skills as it is about becoming a particular kind of person, about developing a sense of who we are"(50). Writing has a way of finding our true self. It forces us to explore our values, our beliefs, our artistic leanings, and our understanding of our country and world.

Students begin college with a partially formed identity. Secondary education (and school activities) develops their identity inside a reality that is framed in large part by powers like parents, advisors, principals, and coaches. When traditional students step on campus, their identity travels at warp speed from Identity 1.0 (pre-college) to Identity 2.0 (in-college). As an FYC teacher I will encourage students, through instruction and in-class engagement, to build their identity at Kennesaw State University, with all of its opportunities for self-discovery and reflection.

As much as I value identity, few graduates will write personal narratives and other identity-forming papers in their careers. Most will write emails, formal letters, budgets, memos, press releases (PR/journalism), program evaluations (political science/public admin), audits (accounting), and structural analyses (engineering) among other types of workplace writing. My hope as an FYC instructor is to encourage students to develop their identity through writing but prepare them for the reality of workplace writing.

As I reflect on my (non-creative, applied) writing career, I realize my identity generally was secondary to form and function. The press release: do not tamper with the format! The formulaic structure of grant writing: proposals are funded based on clearly writing outcomes, outputs, and quantifying every project goal. Or writing a summary of state historic preservation laws governing human remains: describe the law exactly as it is, no more, no less. My identity was almost invisible, and I was fine with that. In fact, focusing on my identity would have hindered most of my writing.

community matters

Students want to feel like they are part of a community. Dan Melzer's essay, Understanding Discourse Communities, speaks to the value of college students creating communities. The UNC Writing Center offers a good primer on how students can build their writing community. The UNC article provides practical examples of how students can develop their identity in college via writing. I have seen this community concept firsthand working as a writing assistant at the Kennesaw State Writing Center. When students enter our center, they instantly become part of an all-inclusive community of writers from all walks of life and majors. Students see other students seeking support, they see fellow students (writing assistants) providing that support, and their writing and confidence increases with each session.

Roozen illustrates this community component of writing well: It also means recognizing that the difficulties people (students) have with writing are not necessarily due to a lack of intelligence or a diminished level of literacy but rather to whether they can see themselves as participants in a particular community (51). As I begin my FYC teaching journey, I want to make students feel like they are a member of a valuable writing community. One that includes my class, but also extends to their academic interests and personal life.

Works Cited

Melzer, Dan. “Understanding Discourse Communities.” Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Parlor Press, Anderson, SC, 2020.

Roozen, Kevin. “3.1: Writing is Linked to Identity.” Naming What We Know: Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies - Classroom Edition, edited by Linda Adler-Kassner and Elizabeth Wardle, Utah State University Press, Boulder, CO, 2016, pp. 50-52.