WRITING FOR NEW MEDIA
Module 3
Critical Thinking Towards Thoughtful Writing
Objectives
- Introduce critical thinking.
- Highlight the importance of opinion and voice.
- Highlight the value of self-reflexivity.
Methods
- Active reading of literary texts.
- Critical analysis of texts.
- Self-reflection.
- Video Lecture: Click here.
Introduction
“The Children’s Story” by James Clavell needed to happen in a pre-school classroom because it sought to highlight how easy it is to mold children’s thinking, given a set of conditions, and using the right set of words, with the right tone. The roles within that given setting were important in order to establish who had the power, but even more so to show how part of that power is knowing how to handle those who might disagree with what you say.
The story highlights how valuable words are and how it fashions our thinking. But also it reminds us that who we are as people is defined by words.
Using Words Better
This is of course a reminder as well of how significant words are: it is all we have to describe the world around us, and all we have to define our future. And at a time like the present, when the powerful use words in a particular way that justifies violence and injustice, when we are being told that some questions cannot be asked, when what we think is enough to make us targets, words—how we use them, to speak to whom, towards what end—are even more important.
How do we even start using words better? How do we know when we should use better words? How do we even know which words to use at any given moment?
Active Reading
Read the poems “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, and “Facts” by Thomas Carper. As you read, take note of the following:
(1) How was gender described by the words in the poems?
(2) How was violence described in the poems?
(3) What do you think is the context of each poem, given what it thinks of gender? What kind of world does it create for us?
(4) How do you describe your gender, and the gender of other people?
Critical thinking
Answering the above questions about the poems forces you not just to critically thinking about what you read, but also to relate it to your own use of words. After all, if words are all we have to describe the world, then our descriptions, the stories that we tell, undoubtedly carry with it our opinions and biases.
Critical thinking is about precisely that: it pushes you to be aware of the biases that you have, given the opinions that you keep. Critical thinking forces you to be self-reflexive: to be aware of where you come from when you speak, why you say what you say. Said simply: critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking it.
Yes, that’s a whole lot of thinking happening. The thing is though, this is also the only way in which we can be more responsible about the words that we use, the ways in which we think, and the future we want to fashion. It shouldn’t force us into silence, as it should push us to be more aware about where we stand on the issues that matter, and just as important, be able to explain why that is our stand.
Self-Reflexivity and Critical Thinking
Critical thinking starts with the self. You need to be aware of why you think the way you do, and where your opinions come from. Do they come from a keen sense of data and research? Are you repeating simply what the institutions around you have taught you? Are you in the process of fleshing things out, assessing the world, and your own opinions about it?
The aspects of yourself are important in figuring out why you think the way you do. These aspects include the following:
(1) Gender
(2) Nationality
(3) Generation
(4) Social Class
And these are the institutions that inform who you are:
(1) Family
(2) Religion
(3) School / Education
These seven things form parts of who you are, and it is important that we can ask ourselves questions that have to do with these concepts, what these mean to us, how we are struggling with these terms, and how we would like to fashion better words to describe ourselves, others, and the world with.
Reflection Exercise
Think of each of the three aspects of the self: gender, nationality, and generation. Pick one object for each aspect. Write about why you chose that object, and what about it reminds you of what you think about your gender, nationality, and generation. You’re doing three short pieces (300 to 400 words), all in one document. Follow format instructions. ***
