Re: unusual language [postmodernism]
Pat Courts (courts@AIT.FREDONIA.EDU)
Fri, 11 Oct 1996 16:07:41 +0100
I've taught facutly develoment for wome years, mostly directed at Writing
Acros the Curriculum, so I've been involved with many teachers from
different disciplines. In terms of the "language, rhetoric, and Discourse"
structure of pomo, I suspect those who use it would say what teachers in
various disciplines say: my specialized language is specialized because it
has special meanings for those in the discourse. Or, in my own terms, one
person's (area of study) specialized language is another person's jargon.
IMO, it is only offensive when purposely used to keep outsiders
outside. That is, when teachers use it with students who have already
entered the discourse, the purpose seems to me to be purposely offensive and
destructive (not in a Heidegerrean sense but in a military sense!).
Pat
Patrick L. Courts
Department of English
State University College at Fredonia
Fredonia, NY 14063
courts@ait.fredonia.edu
716-672-5768 (home)