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Writing for Social Change:Exploring Perspectives
Beth Oyler
Nathan Sacks
Brittany Kallman-Arneson
Anne Shiell
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Housekeeping
• Type your questions in the Q&A box
• Download the PowerPoint slides (at any point)
and view the recording (later): http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/415.htm
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Agenda
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MISSIONWalden University provides a diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity to transform themselves as scholar-practitioners so that they can effect positive social change.
VISIONWalden University envisions a distinctively different 21st-century learning community where knowledge is judged worthy to the degree that it can be applied by its graduates to the immediate solutions of critical societal challenges, thereby advancing the greater global good.
Social Change at Walden
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Social Change at WaldenWALDEN SERVICE NETWORKVolunteer opportunitiesVolunteer resources
SCHOLARS OF CHANGEContest for students who have made contributions to social change
COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL CHANGE SCHOLARSHIP“Available for new students who demonstrate the capacity to effect positive social change”
JOURNAL OF SOCIAL CHANGE“Welcomes manuscripts focusing on interdisciplinary research in social change that improves the human condition and moves people, groups, organizations, cultures, and society toward a more positive future.”
CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE ANNUAL MEETINGWebinars held in late September
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What is social change?
social justicesocial justice
social activism
social activism
civic engagemen
t
civic engagemen
t
civic dialogue
civic dialogue
social capitalsocial capital
community building
community building
positive social change
positive social change
community developmen
t
community developmen
t
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Definition might depend on your:
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Defining Social Change
•What is social change to you?–How do you achieve social change
through writing?–What does your writing for social change
look like?–Who is the audience for your social
change writing?
Let’s discuss!Let’s discuss!
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A Writing for Social Change Toolbox
Freewriting
Audience
Word Choice
Revising
Feedback
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“Louise Dunlap’s Undoing the Silence accomplishes what other books on writing do not:
it links our writing to our beliefs, our activism, our voice” (p. ix).
“I began to picture the silencing of our voices as a huge stifling knot,
layered together with tangled strands from many aspects of our
culture.” (p. 16)
1111
Undoing the Silence
Pressures from institutions: family, schools, churches, media, workplace
Fear of sounding different and thinking through something new
Culture of judgment and “authoritarian” attitudes
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“The written word drives social change for the long haul” (p. 25).
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Five Tools for Social Change Writing
Freewriting
Audience
Word Choice
Revising
Feedback
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Freewriting
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FreewritingWriting for
social change can require
thinking outside of the
box and discussing complex,
difficult topics.
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Audience
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Audience
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Audience
• Note of specific year for data
• Use of more formal words
• Citation
• Use of more informal phrasing:• “Nationally”• Contraction• “Our”
• No citation
• Specific population addressed
• Call for action
• No citation
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Word Choice
• Repetitive and redundant words• Slang, expressions, and informal language• Active versus passive• Logical transitions
2020
Repetitive, Redundant Words
Good example: “This study will contribute to social change by demonstrating which education methods are most effective in the classroom.”
Bad example: “This study will contribute to social change by showing which education methods change society.”
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Active versus Passive Voice
Good example: “This study will show how prolonged exposure to chemicals causes cancer.”
Bad example: “This study will show how cancer is caused by prolonged exposure to chemicals.”
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Logical Transitions
Good example: The government shutdown has led to a decrease in available public services; therefore, this study will discuss strategies to avoid shutdowns in the future.
Bad example: The government shutdown is an event that many people are concerned about; therefore, this study will discuss strategies to avert shutdowns in the future.
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Revising
• Revision vs. proofreading• Generalizations and opinionated language• Focus and specificity• Stronger evidence• Whole-essay vs. paragraph-by-paragraph• Proofing/checking for smaller errors
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Feedback
• Reflecting and improving• Paper reviews• Form and style• Incorporating (and sometimes rejecting)
feedback• Planning for future improvement
2525
Questions?
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The Start of a Conversation
• Books• Blog and social media• Walden websites• Future webinars
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BooksDowns, J. (2006). Why we write: The politics and practice
of writing for social change. New York, NY: Routledge.
Dunlap, L. (2007). Undoing the silence: Six tools for social change writing. Oakland, CA: New Village Press.
Dutta, M. J. (2011). Communicating social change: Structure, culture, and agency. New York, NY: Routledge.
Personal essays
Practical tools
Theoretical discussion
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Blog and Social Media http://
waldenwritingcenter.blogspot.com/
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Walden WebsitesWALDEN SERVICE NETWORKVolunteer opportunitiesVolunteer resources
SCHOLARS OF CHANGEContest for students who have made contributions to social change
COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL CHANGE SCHOLARSHIP“Available for new students who demonstrate the capacity to effect positive social change”
JOURNAL OF SOCIAL CHANGE“Welcomes manuscripts focusing on interdisciplinary research in social change that improves the human condition and moves people, groups, organizations, cultures, and society toward a more positive future.”
CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE ANNUAL MEETINGWebinars held in late September
3030
Future Webinars
Writing for Social Change:•Blogging•Engaging with your community•Capstone studies•Publishing
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Questions?
Now: Type into the Q&A box
Soon: Comment in the post-webinar survey
Later: E-mail writingsupport@waldenu.edu wcwebinars@waldenu.edu
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