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January 26, 2005
Man..I Got Lost Again!
Class Politics: The Movement ForThe Students Right To Their Own Language
This book examines the movement of SRTOL , and the various organizations that were involved within the movement. The NUC, CCCC, Black Panthers, William Labov, J.L. Dillard, and Geneva Smitherman are al mentioned in the introduction, and our esteemed Dr. Parks goes on to describe the roles that each of these entities played in the political controversy concerning Black English.
stance of researcher/writer
The research appears to be archival in nature, and while I didn't have a chance to talk to Prof. Parks directly, it seems to me that his examination included language development (including rhetoric), pedagogical issues, history, and the overall cultural experiences of African Americans.
His/her purpose
Since this book was authored by one of our own, I have to say I am hesitant to try to evaluate his purpose without having read the book in its entirety, but I'll give it a shot-
I believe the purpose is to alleviate the dis-ease regarding language practices, and perhaps to express that we place a burden on language that it is not meant to bear. we use it to decide level of intelligence, socio-economic status, and cultural affiliation. I think this book is meant to demonstrate that regardless of language, dialect, or any other difference that we may find among our students, everyone has a right to be understood and be taught-even if that means renegotiating our personal biases with regard to language.
method of data collection
Most of the data came from archives, but also books concerning culture, language, and linguistics. I did not see any evidence of personal interviews.
method of analysis
Ah...the tricky question. This is difficult to touch upon, because I think it was very much like what we do when we are trying to answer a compelling question. We read, research, and ultimately decide what is important and what isn't. I don't see how this book could have been written any other way.
method of representation
This book is presented as a compilation of facts, quotes, and opinions about linguistic constraints.
apparent disciplinary aim
I think the aim is to become familiar with language in a way that will allow the reader to be more objective about Black English.
Posted by dvaldesd at January 26, 2005 10:56 PM
Comments
Steve would be the first one to tell you to take his work to school (or, to give it a good critical overview). When I was in his class last semester, he kept having twin reactions - a bit of suprise that we had read his book, and an invitation to critique as we saw fit. He's still a student, in that respect. Spend some time with him, if you haven't already. he's cool.
Posted by: Chris Geyer at January 26, 2005 11:27 PM
Nice work, Denise. Two more things: go back into your entry and add the other categories; and also italicize your title.
Posted by: senioritis at January 27, 2005 06:06 AM