Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Week 7
In this class we have learned what makes a piece of writing "everyday writing" and what the purpose of everyday writing is. Everyday writing is written not for an institution (i.e: university) but for the individual persons interest. The purpose of everyday writing may be as a necessity, communication, or as a form of expression. Everyday writing may be seen as necessary when writing notes. Everyday writing is a form of communication in emails, texts, or letters. And everyday writing is a form of individual expression in a blog post of journal. Tattoos are a way of expression and are not done for an institution (hmm, maybe fraternities?). Because it is expressive and done for the persons own interest, tattoos are a form of everyday writing. Now, if the law was passed that people that are infected with AIDS/HIV (as suggested in the article) it could and could not be a form of everyday writing. It could not be a form of everyday writing because the people that are infected are being forced, by the law of the nation, to get the tattoo. Those tattoos could be seen as a form of everyday writing because some people personalized what they got. For example, one person had a tattoo of a pink triangle that the nazi's marked on gay men to be able to tell them apart. A woman got a tattoo that said "silence=death." But, I believe that yes tattoos are a form of everyday writing because they are personal and done (mostly) through the persons own free will.
Week 7 Journal
I believe that the 3 most important concepts of the course so far include understanding genre, everyday writing in print media, and knowing what makes something a piece of everyday writing. In order to understand genre, we have to know what the main idea of the piece is. For example, if there is a song on the radio where someone is singing in a southern accent and strumming his or her guitar, the song is most likely under the genre of country. These three important concepts do align with tattoos. Tattoos can be separated into different genres, from cartoons to inspirational quotes. The writer/artist of the tattoo should know what he or she is doing, so it takes skill for the artist, but the person receiving the tattoo does not require any skill other than choosing the tattoo, where it will be placed, and sitting or lying very still. Tattooing can be considered everyday writing because it is a great example of people expressing something to others in writing or drawing. People get tattoos as a symbol of affection, everyday inspiration, a memorial, or to tell people something about themselves. In the article, the idea was for people with HIV/AIDS to get a tattoo to ensure other people know that they have these diseases. The tattoos would express this fact in whatever symbol the wearer wanted, like the people who got the international symbol for biohazardous waste and the Nazi’s marker for gay men during the Holocaust. While some people might take offense to having their disease made known to the world via the ink on their body, I think it is a good idea for those who would be put in danger by coming into contact with the bodily fluids of those who are infected. Protecting people with warnings, such as signs that tell you if a road is blocked off, saves lives and allows planning to make safe choices.
Week 7 Journal- Tattoos
The three most substantial concepts that I feel are important to this course and to everyday writing are the ability to communicate a message, a purpose or exigence for wanting to communicate the message, and a way to do it by using easily accessible materials. The ability to communicate a message is very important because communication is key to everything. Without a purpose or exigence, what is the point of writing whatever it is that you are writing? A purpose helps a writer stay on track and is the underlying reason they are able to communicate a message. Last, the use of accessible materials helps support the fact that everyday writing is casual and can be done anywhere at anytime.
I strongly believe that tattoos fall into these three ideas of everyday writing. For instance, the article gave a brief history of tattoos and explained that they were used as a stigma to emphasize an underlying issue that may not be visible without the tattoo. Those infected with HIV/AIDS had to get a tattoo to notify anyone before they participated in any kind of certain activity. When just looking at a person with HIV/AIDS they could seem very normal. These tattoos not only communicate the message that the people test positive, but the tattoos also serve a purpose for warning others before they get involved. That would be the exigence. Furthermore, like Amanda mentioned, tattoos are inked on the body and it doesn’t get as easily accessible as that!
While tattoos aren’t necessarily casual forms of writing, I would still consider them to be everyday writing because it follows the three important concepts I mentioned earlier. Yes, some adolescents ‘get tatted’ because it looks cool or everyone else does it and they may not truly think of what to get before they do, but the main purpose of tattoos is to convey a message whether it be private and hidden or visible to the public.
Week 7 Journal
In my
opinion, everyday writing involves using the available resources. Tattoos utilize
the most readily available surface we have, our bodies. As discussed in class, one
of the most important qualities of everyday writing is the use of common
materials, not necessarily the standard pen and paper. For example, the writing
on the walls of the Florida State radio station is another perfect example of
using a common surface to communicate and creatively express ideas. Tattoos are
similar to the wall writing in this way. Using human skin to communicate ideas
is not the most orthodox method, in fact there is a negative stigmatism
surrounding people with tattoos. Despite the opinions of some parts of society,
tattoos are still a resourceful method to communicate. Depending on the
location of the tattoo, visibility is high. Tattoos are a creative way to
communicate with the world and a form of self- expression. Another important
aspect of everyday writing is the fact that is serves a purpose. As definied in class, an important aspect of everywriting is rhetorical situation and exigence, or serving a purpose and providing a deeper meaning. For each
person, their tattoo has meaning specific to the owner. Tattoos are a life-long
commitment. Getting a tattoo is a decision that is not taken lightly and often
requires a lot of thought. Most tattoos utilize symbolism in order to express
an idea and efficiently use the surface. The meaning behind the tattoo is often very personal and highly valued by the owner. Finally, the last aspect of everyday
writing is the importance of place and scene. For tattoos, the place is very
unique, the human body, and the scene is open to wherever the person is. By
using the human body to express ideas, the scene can be virtually everywhere
and anywhere. Thus, the circulation of the idea conveyed by the tattoo is much
higher than most forms of other everyday writing. In this sense, tattoos are a
way to self-advertise an idea to the world in a creative almost radical manner.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Week 7
I think the three most important concepts that apply to this course is; rhetorical situation, rhetorical exigence, and a concept of what everyday writing is. A rhetorical situation and exigence describes the piece of everday writing. The situation describes the context in which the piece was written; it's the scene, time and place the writer tries to convey to the reader. The exigence is crucial to determining why the piece was written. It can be a problem the piece is addressing or the reason why it was written.
The article on tattoos relates to these concepts of everyday writing because tattoos have a rhetorical situation and exigence. People get tattoos because they have meaning and a purpose. They relate meaning and are created to convey this meaning either personally or publicly. Tattoos are not homemade though, which is a possible stipulation for a piece of everyday, but the materials to get a tattoo are very accessible. Tattoo parlors are often plentiful and once one is 18 it is very easy to get one.
The article on tattoos relates to these concepts of everyday writing because tattoos have a rhetorical situation and exigence. People get tattoos because they have meaning and a purpose. They relate meaning and are created to convey this meaning either personally or publicly. Tattoos are not homemade though, which is a possible stipulation for a piece of everyday, but the materials to get a tattoo are very accessible. Tattoo parlors are often plentiful and once one is 18 it is very easy to get one.
Week 7 Journal
What do you believe are the 3 most important concepts of the course so far? And do they align with tattoos? Can we consider tattooing everyday writing?
In my opinion, the three most important concepts of the course so far are rhetorical situation as it applies to everyday writing, the importance of informality as it pertains to an institution, and the purpose of a rhetorical exigence when applying to its specific rhetorical situation. I believe that these are important because without them everyday writing cannot exist. Everyday writing must have a situational problem or reason why it is being created. There must be a purpose behind why the writer is creating that certain text. This would be the rhetorical exigence. Without the exigence the situation does not occur. This is especially the case with rhetorical situation. Without the rhetorical exigence, the rhetorical situation cannot unfold. Rhetorical situation is an important concept when we speak of everyday writing as it is the situation in which we write about. It is the reason the scene, place, and message the writer tries to get across to their reader whether it is a brochure or a sticky note to one's roommate.
These concepts align directly with tattoos. Each individual that has a tattoo has it for a purpose (i.e. rhetorical exigence). They are essentially writing on themselves to tell others something about themselves. In this case, tattoos should in fact have a rhetorical situation about themselves. They are placed in specific spots, have a specific purpose to communicate to others, and do not, in any sense that I can think of, come from an institution. While they are created by tattoo artists who are employed with businesses, I do not consider these institutions because they are so far removed from what society deems an acceptable institution. Also each individual artist produces something very different than another whereas in an institution most of every thing created is created to be reproduced perfectly. In this way, I would consider tattoos and the art of tattooing as everyday writing because they are informal, they have a purpose, and they communicate to others.
In my opinion, the three most important concepts of the course so far are rhetorical situation as it applies to everyday writing, the importance of informality as it pertains to an institution, and the purpose of a rhetorical exigence when applying to its specific rhetorical situation. I believe that these are important because without them everyday writing cannot exist. Everyday writing must have a situational problem or reason why it is being created. There must be a purpose behind why the writer is creating that certain text. This would be the rhetorical exigence. Without the exigence the situation does not occur. This is especially the case with rhetorical situation. Without the rhetorical exigence, the rhetorical situation cannot unfold. Rhetorical situation is an important concept when we speak of everyday writing as it is the situation in which we write about. It is the reason the scene, place, and message the writer tries to get across to their reader whether it is a brochure or a sticky note to one's roommate.
These concepts align directly with tattoos. Each individual that has a tattoo has it for a purpose (i.e. rhetorical exigence). They are essentially writing on themselves to tell others something about themselves. In this case, tattoos should in fact have a rhetorical situation about themselves. They are placed in specific spots, have a specific purpose to communicate to others, and do not, in any sense that I can think of, come from an institution. While they are created by tattoo artists who are employed with businesses, I do not consider these institutions because they are so far removed from what society deems an acceptable institution. Also each individual artist produces something very different than another whereas in an institution most of every thing created is created to be reproduced perfectly. In this way, I would consider tattoos and the art of tattooing as everyday writing because they are informal, they have a purpose, and they communicate to others.
Week 7 Journal
Personally, I believe the most important concepts I have learned so far in this course are rhetoric, discourse, and context. Without any of these three concepts, everyday writing (let alone writing in general) would be very bland, and hardly even interesting. Rhetoric by itself is a unique concept because it involves almost everything that defines persuasiveness and effectiveness in writing, including memory, style, delivery, and arrangement. It is what truly gives any written work the spark that it needs to stick to the reader. Discourse is what allows everyday writing to truly communicate itself to us. Without such a concept, we would most likely be unable to comprehend any type of written work. Context is a concept that truly makes a name for itself in writing, proving that sometimes it's not all about exactly what you write, but where. Based on the impact of last week's reading, the context of writing can greatly dictate the strength of its impact to the world.
All three of these concepts also align with tattoos. Depending on how they look, some tattoos have the ability to catch our eye, whether they are expressed through pictures or words. The fact that tattoos have the tendency to catch our attention and occasionally mean something to us strongly signifies the use of rhetoric. Tattoos which resemble short but powerful quotes, or even things such as "R.I.P *name*" are types of tattoos in which rhetoric can casually be identified. Discourse can also be indicated within tattoos. This week's reading is a primary example, as tattoos can be used to send a strong or vital message to other people around them, such as indicating to others that you happen to be infected with a deadly virus, or you advocate for something, such as gay rights. tattoos are also a common way to communicate non-verbally in prisons, whether its to show how long someone has been in, or to symbolize how dangerous they are. Context is the concept that makes a tattoo truly unique. Considering that a tattoo is labeled onto your body, it has the potential to have a sort of impact on the people around you, depending whether or not the tattoo is located in a commonly revealing spot, such as the arm or neck. Considering that tattoos are capable of being applied to the major concepts of rhetoric, discourse, and context, I would agree that they are a form of everyday writing. Though some may disagree and claim that getting tattoos isn't a casual form of everyday writing, I personally see it as a unique casual form of everyday writing. People get tattoos more often than you would think, and almost all of them are created for a purpose, whether it is to visually catch the attention of the public, send a message, or even both.
All three of these concepts also align with tattoos. Depending on how they look, some tattoos have the ability to catch our eye, whether they are expressed through pictures or words. The fact that tattoos have the tendency to catch our attention and occasionally mean something to us strongly signifies the use of rhetoric. Tattoos which resemble short but powerful quotes, or even things such as "R.I.P *name*" are types of tattoos in which rhetoric can casually be identified. Discourse can also be indicated within tattoos. This week's reading is a primary example, as tattoos can be used to send a strong or vital message to other people around them, such as indicating to others that you happen to be infected with a deadly virus, or you advocate for something, such as gay rights. tattoos are also a common way to communicate non-verbally in prisons, whether its to show how long someone has been in, or to symbolize how dangerous they are. Context is the concept that makes a tattoo truly unique. Considering that a tattoo is labeled onto your body, it has the potential to have a sort of impact on the people around you, depending whether or not the tattoo is located in a commonly revealing spot, such as the arm or neck. Considering that tattoos are capable of being applied to the major concepts of rhetoric, discourse, and context, I would agree that they are a form of everyday writing. Though some may disagree and claim that getting tattoos isn't a casual form of everyday writing, I personally see it as a unique casual form of everyday writing. People get tattoos more often than you would think, and almost all of them are created for a purpose, whether it is to visually catch the attention of the public, send a message, or even both.
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