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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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