Composition and the Rhetoric of Science : Engaging the Dominant Discourse

Zerbe, Michael J.

ISBN 10: 0809327406 / ISBN 13: 9780809327409

Published by Southern Illinois University Press, 2007

About this Item

Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.

Seller Inventory # 42693047-6

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Composition and the Rhetoric of Science : Engaging the Dominant Discourse
• Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press
• Publication Date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0809327406
• ISBN 13: 9780809327409
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Very Good
• Weight: 0.706 pounds

About this title

Synopsis

Composition and the Rhetoric of Science: Engaging the Dominant Discourse calls for instructors of first-year writing courses to employ primary scientific discourse in their teaching and for rhetoricians of science to think about teaching scientific discourse as a literacy skill. Author Michael J. Zerbe argues that inclusion of scientific discourse is crucial because of this rhetoric’s status as the dominant discourse in western culture.



The volume draws on Lyotard, Žižek, Foucault, and Althusser to argue that while important theorists such as these have recognized the dominance of scientific discourse, rhetoric and composition has not—to its detriment. The textillustrates that scientific discourse remains a miniscule part of the enterprise of rhetoric and composition and thus the field is not fulfilling its mission of providing students with the writing and reading skills they need to live and work in a science- and technology-dependent society.




Zerbe provides an analysis of science popularizations and demonstrates how these works can be used to contextualize primary scientific research. He also presents three pedagogical scenarios, each built around a carefully chosen, accessible example of scientific discourse, that demonstrate how articles from scientific journals can be used in writing courses.




Only by gaining a meaningful fluency in this discourse—one that is not offered by science textbooks—can a more sophisticated scientific literacy be assured. Composition and the Rhetoric of Science effectively explores the relatively limited amount of work done in rhetoric and composition on scientific discourse and questions this state of affairs. Zerbe presents for the first time cultural studies and science literacy as gateways for incorporating scientific discourse into first-year writing courses.

About the Author

Michael J. Zerbe, an assistant professor of English at York College of Pennsylvania, has published articles in the Journal of Technical Writing and Communication andin several edited collections. He formerly was a consulting editor and Health Communications Fellow at the National Cancer Institute.