Page 149 - The Language of Composition 4e Teacher Edition Sample.indd

Most important, I am the author of my own 4
destiny, sometimes for the better and some-
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, © Shyama Kuver. Courtesy of Amplifier
DIFFERENTIATION
times for the worse, but always unconstrained DIFFERENTIA TION chapter 4
by whatever limitations someone else may think
Scaffolding
I inherited. I am not defined by any one of those Scaffolding
things. Rather, I am all those things at once and Ramaswamy uses many definitions and
Ramaswamy uses many definitions and
counterarguments to develop his line of
a great deal more. Each of those identities is part Other Voices / Vivek Ramaswamy counterar guments to develop his line of
easoning, and you could have students
r
of my personal mosaic — the mosaic that reasoning, and you could have students
trace them and perhaps assess them. You
together makes up who I am as an American. trace them and perhaps assess them. Y ou
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs have been used for this sample chapter.
could have students highlight the essay in
Some people think of pluralism as getting a could have students highlight the essay in
dif
fer
ent colors or use a graphic or
ganizer
bunch of different-looking people together in different colors or use a graphic organizer
gu-
to identify definitions and counterar
the same place and then celebrating the visible to identify definitions and counterargu-
ebuttals, and then the types of
ments or r
tableau of diversity. That’s just putting lipstick ments or rebuttals, and then the types of
evidence he uses to support each of them.
on essentialism. True pluralism isn’t about evidence he uses to support each of them.
For instance, in paragraph 5 he rejects the
celebrating the differences between us as people. For instance, in paragraph 5 he r ejects the
essentialism he pr
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.
eviously defined and in
essentialism he previously defined and in
True pluralism is about the diversity of identities
[LC-DIG-ppss-01133]. within each of us — rich identities that go paragraphs 6 and 7 offers personal evi-
paragraphs 6 and 7 of
fers personal evi-
dence to counter it. He begins paragraph 7
dence to counter it. He begins paragraph 7
beyond the color of our skin or the number of
countering one view of pluralism. Y
countering one view of pluralism. You might
ou might
our X chromosomes. Pluralism means rising
e, looking at his
use Stasis Theory her
Claims of Definition, Claims of Value,
Claims of Definition, Claims of V
alue,
This poster, created by artist Shyama Kuver in above the siren song of woke culture to recog- use Stasis Theory here, looking at his
nize that there’s more to each of us than our
2020, draws inspiration from Works Progress immutable characteristics. To be sure, our inher- Claims of Policy , and Claims of Fact
Claims of Policy, and Claims of Fact
Administration posters from the Great ited traits and abilities and circumstances will (see Chapter 2, pp. 62–64, and Purdue’s
s
(see Chapter 2, pp. 62–64, and Pur
due’
Depression and World War II in its call for Online Writing Lab for an overview of Stasis
Online W
riting Lab for an overview of Stasis
social distancing during the COVID-19 influence what we can achieve in life. As a kid,
Theory). The next step here could be for
pandemic. I dreamed of becoming an NBA player; it wasn’t Theory). The next step her e could be for
students to respond to his arguments and
How does the message of this poster relate meant to be, and no amount of training would students to r espond to his ar guments and
decide whether they find them persuasive.
to Vivek Ramaswamy's claim that have changed that. But that’s the exception decide whether they find them persuasive.
"essentialism . . . forecloses the possibility rather than the rule: the notion that basic facts of By using counterarguments, Ramaswamy
guments, Ramaswamy
By using counterar
of shared solidarity" (par. 9)?
invites debate, and students could, if so
our genetic makeup determine all that we can invites debate, and students could, if so
guing
inclined, work on their own counterar
achieve denies what it means to be American. inclined, work on their own counterarguing
skills in r
esponse.
The fundamental problem with essentialism skills in response.
isn’t just that it offers the wrong answer to the
to anticipate his worldview and lived experi- question of identity. The bigger problem is
ence based on his skin color.
This narrative of identity is becoming domi- 5 that it forecloses the possibility of shared soli-
nant in our country’s psyche. But I reject the darity. If we see each other as defined by a
narrative, and I think every American bears a narrow set of attributes — the color of our skin,
responsibility to soundly reject it too. our gender, the sex of the person we’re attracted
to, or even, for that matter, the size of our bank
I am not just a man — I am a proud father, a
loyal husband, and a grateful son. I am not just account — then it becomes difficult to find
commonality with those who don’t share those
a person of color — I am a Hindu, a child of
immigrants, an American citizen, a native of characteristics.
Ohio. I am a CEO, but I am also a scientist and But if we define ourselves by a plurality of 10
an entrepreneur. attributes — the pluralism of identities within
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DIFFERENTIATION DIFFERENTIATION
Connections to World Inquiry
Students might respond to Ramaswamy’s If you want to broaden the social context of
claim in paragraph 5: do they think that what Ramaswamy’s claims in paragraph 5, you
he defines as essentialism is “dominant in our could have students look up an academic
country’s psyche”? Ask them to support their definition of “identity politics” (for instance,
positions with evidence. If they do see it as on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
prominent, do they think it is a problematic site) and have them explore the history and
perspective (as Ramaswamy does)? some of the counterclaims. You could ask
them to assess to what extent Ramaswamy’s
perspectives fit within a tradition of
political-philosophical views. Later, in
paragraph 18, he refers directly to identity
politics.
Other Voices / Vivek Ramaswamy 255
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