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Abstract
Drawing on the notion of the contact zone (Pratt, 1991), this qualitative case study investigates the construction of self in the academic writing of three Indonesian novice writers. Its aims are twofold: (a) to explore how students constructed self in academic writing, including the way they negotiated tensions between their expectations and their teachers, as well as the challenges posed to their writing self in the presence of the dominant discourse, and (b) to identify possible rhetorical postures of their texts. Data were obtained via writing conferences, field notes, and participant observations and analyzed using thematic coding. Results show that the self was constructed by (a) venerating established authorities, (b) depersonalizing knowledge, (c) personalizing knowledge, and (d) through discursivity and linearity. As for the rhetorical postures, different constructions of self in writing yield different rhetorical postures, which can be classified as either discordant or coherent potential. This study concludes that the self as the aspect of identity is invariably unstable, ambivalent, and even conflictual, as it always undergoes changes over time motivated by the dynamics of social contexts of writing. So construed, writing can no longer be treated as a value-free and autonomous activity devoid of one’s values, preferential biases, beliefs, and allegiances to realities.
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References
- Bizzell, P. (1986). Foundationalism and antifoundationalism in composition studies. Pre/Text, 7, 37-56.
- Brooke, R. (1987). Underlife and writing instruction, College Composition and Communication, 3, 141-153.
- Burke, S.B. (2010). The construction of identity in the academic writing of Korean ESL students: A qualitative study of six Korean students in the U.S. An unpublished dissertation.
- Burgess, A. & Ivanič, R. (2010). Writing and being written: Issues of identity across timescales. Written Communication, 27, 228-255.
- Canagarajah, A.S. (1997). Safe houses in contact zone: Coping strategies of African-American students in the academy. College Composition and Communication, 48, 173-196.
- Canagarajah, A.S. (1999). Resisting linguistic imperialism in English teaching. Oxford: University Press.
- Canagarajah, A.S. (2002). Critical academic writing and multilingual students. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
- Canagarajah, A.S. (2011). Codemeshing in academic writing: Identifying teachable strategies of translanguaging. The Modern Language Journal, 95, 401-417.
- Canagarajah, S. & Matsumoto, Y. (2016). Negotiating voice in translingual literacies: From literacy regimes to contact zone, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 38(5), 390-406.
- Elbow, P. (1991). Reflections on academic discourse: How it relates to freshmen and colleagues. College English 53, 135-155.
- Elbow, P. (1998). Writing with power (2nd Ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Geertz, C. (1988). Words and lives: The anthropologist as author. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press.
- Geisler, C. (1994). Academic literacy and the nature of expertise: Reading, writing, and knowing in academic philosophy. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum.
- Hyland, K. (2008). Persuasion, interaction and the construction of knowledge: Representing self and others in research writing. International Journal of English Studies, 8, 1-23.
- Hyland, K. (2009). Academic discourse. London: Continuum.
- Ivanič, R. (1998). Writing and identity: The discoursal construction of identity in academic writing. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
- Ivanič, R. & Camps, D. (2001). I am how I sound: Voice and self-representation in L2 writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 10, 3-33.
- Johns, A.M. (1990). L1 composition theories: Implications for developing theories of L2 composition. In B. Kroll (Ed.), Second language writing: Research insights for the classroom. (pp. 24-36). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Johns, A.M. (1997). Text, role, and context: Developing academic literacies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Pres.
- Kobayashi, H. & Rinnert, C. (2023). Developing Multilingual Writing: Agency, Audience, Identity. Switzerland: Springer.
- Kochman, T. (1981). Black and white style in conflict. Chicago: University of Illinois Press.
- Lam, E.W.S. (2000). L2 literacy and the design of the self: A case study of a teenager writing on the internet. TESOL Quarterly, 34, 457-482.
- Matsuda, A. & P.K. Matsuda (2010). World Englishes and the teaching of writing. TESOL Quarterly, 44, 369-374
- Matsuda, P.K. (2015). Identity in written discourse. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 35, 140-159.
- Matsuda, P.K., A.S. Canagarajah, L.Harklau, K.Hyland, & M. Warschauer. (2003). Changing currents in second language writing research: A colloquium. Journal of Second Language Writing, 12, 151-179.
- Park, J.Y. (2023). Agency, Identity, and Writing: Perspectives from First-Generation Students of Color in Their First Year of College, Research in the Teaching of English, 57(3), 227-247.
- Pratt, M.L. (1991). Arts of the contact zone. Profession, 91, 33-40.
- Reid, J. (1984). The radical outliner and the radical brainstormer. TESOL Quarterly, 18, 529-533.
- Scott, J.C. (1985). Weapons of the weak: Everyday forms of peasant resistance. New Haven: Yale University Press.
- Silva, T. (1990). Second language composition instruction: developments, issues, and directions in ESL. In B. Kroll (Ed.), Second language writing: research insights for the classroom (pp.11-23). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Shand, J., & Konza, D. (2016). Creating the student writer: A study of writing identities in non-academic senior English classes. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, The, 39(2), 149.
- Shaughnessy, M. (1977a). Errors and expectations: A guide for the teacher of basic writing. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Shaughnessy, M. (1977b). Some needed research on writing. College Composition and Communication, 28.
- Spack, R. (1997). The acquisition of academic literacy in a second language. Written Communication, 14, 3-62.
- Sugiharto, S. (2011). Struggling for Literacy in English: Voices from the Classroom, The Jakarta Post, July 31.
- Sugiharto, S. (2012). The construction of self in academic writing: A qualitative case study of three Indonesian undergraduate student writers. An unpublished dissertation.
- Tang, R. & John, S. (1999). The “I” in identity: Exploring writer identity in student academic writing through the first person pronoun, English for Specific Purposes, 18, 23-39.
- Tannen, D. (1982). Spoken and written language: Exploring orality and literacy. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
- Zamel, Vivian. (1983). The composing processes of advanced ESL students: six case studies. TESOL Quarterly, 17 (2), 165-187.
References
Bizzell, P. (1986). Foundationalism and antifoundationalism in composition studies. Pre/Text, 7, 37-56.
Brooke, R. (1987). Underlife and writing instruction, College Composition and Communication, 3, 141-153.
Burke, S.B. (2010). The construction of identity in the academic writing of Korean ESL students: A qualitative study of six Korean students in the U.S. An unpublished dissertation.
Burgess, A. & Ivanič, R. (2010). Writing and being written: Issues of identity across timescales. Written Communication, 27, 228-255.
Canagarajah, A.S. (1997). Safe houses in contact zone: Coping strategies of African-American students in the academy. College Composition and Communication, 48, 173-196.
Canagarajah, A.S. (1999). Resisting linguistic imperialism in English teaching. Oxford: University Press.
Canagarajah, A.S. (2002). Critical academic writing and multilingual students. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Canagarajah, A.S. (2011). Codemeshing in academic writing: Identifying teachable strategies of translanguaging. The Modern Language Journal, 95, 401-417.
Canagarajah, S. & Matsumoto, Y. (2016). Negotiating voice in translingual literacies: From literacy regimes to contact zone, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 38(5), 390-406.
Elbow, P. (1991). Reflections on academic discourse: How it relates to freshmen and colleagues. College English 53, 135-155.
Elbow, P. (1998). Writing with power (2nd Ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Geertz, C. (1988). Words and lives: The anthropologist as author. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press.
Geisler, C. (1994). Academic literacy and the nature of expertise: Reading, writing, and knowing in academic philosophy. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Hyland, K. (2008). Persuasion, interaction and the construction of knowledge: Representing self and others in research writing. International Journal of English Studies, 8, 1-23.
Hyland, K. (2009). Academic discourse. London: Continuum.
Ivanič, R. (1998). Writing and identity: The discoursal construction of identity in academic writing. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Ivanič, R. & Camps, D. (2001). I am how I sound: Voice and self-representation in L2 writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 10, 3-33.
Johns, A.M. (1990). L1 composition theories: Implications for developing theories of L2 composition. In B. Kroll (Ed.), Second language writing: Research insights for the classroom. (pp. 24-36). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Johns, A.M. (1997). Text, role, and context: Developing academic literacies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Pres.
Kobayashi, H. & Rinnert, C. (2023). Developing Multilingual Writing: Agency, Audience, Identity. Switzerland: Springer.
Kochman, T. (1981). Black and white style in conflict. Chicago: University of Illinois Press.
Lam, E.W.S. (2000). L2 literacy and the design of the self: A case study of a teenager writing on the internet. TESOL Quarterly, 34, 457-482.
Matsuda, A. & P.K. Matsuda (2010). World Englishes and the teaching of writing. TESOL Quarterly, 44, 369-374
Matsuda, P.K. (2015). Identity in written discourse. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 35, 140-159.
Matsuda, P.K., A.S. Canagarajah, L.Harklau, K.Hyland, & M. Warschauer. (2003). Changing currents in second language writing research: A colloquium. Journal of Second Language Writing, 12, 151-179.
Park, J.Y. (2023). Agency, Identity, and Writing: Perspectives from First-Generation Students of Color in Their First Year of College, Research in the Teaching of English, 57(3), 227-247.
Pratt, M.L. (1991). Arts of the contact zone. Profession, 91, 33-40.
Reid, J. (1984). The radical outliner and the radical brainstormer. TESOL Quarterly, 18, 529-533.
Scott, J.C. (1985). Weapons of the weak: Everyday forms of peasant resistance. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Silva, T. (1990). Second language composition instruction: developments, issues, and directions in ESL. In B. Kroll (Ed.), Second language writing: research insights for the classroom (pp.11-23). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Shand, J., & Konza, D. (2016). Creating the student writer: A study of writing identities in non-academic senior English classes. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, The, 39(2), 149.
Shaughnessy, M. (1977a). Errors and expectations: A guide for the teacher of basic writing. New York: Oxford University Press.
Shaughnessy, M. (1977b). Some needed research on writing. College Composition and Communication, 28.
Spack, R. (1997). The acquisition of academic literacy in a second language. Written Communication, 14, 3-62.
Sugiharto, S. (2011). Struggling for Literacy in English: Voices from the Classroom, The Jakarta Post, July 31.
Sugiharto, S. (2012). The construction of self in academic writing: A qualitative case study of three Indonesian undergraduate student writers. An unpublished dissertation.
Tang, R. & John, S. (1999). The “I” in identity: Exploring writer identity in student academic writing through the first person pronoun, English for Specific Purposes, 18, 23-39.
Tannen, D. (1982). Spoken and written language: Exploring orality and literacy. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Zamel, Vivian. (1983). The composing processes of advanced ESL students: six case studies. TESOL Quarterly, 17 (2), 165-187.