Considering Constructs About Writing Assignment

Our third essay is about writing constructs, which are mental frameworks people build so they can make sense of the world around them. Typically, these constructs are common to the point that they seem inevitable rather than made up. To exemplify this, consider how cultural inflections impact the constructedness of writing. For example, the acceptable ways of writing an essay by an undergraduate student in Qingdao, China will follow different conventions than an essay written by an undergraduate at UCF. Through studying constructs, we can see that conventions are dictated by outside factors and are malleable. One key feature of writing constructs is that they appear to be natural or inevitable rather than made up or created.

For this assignment, your task is to examine and analyze a writing construct and deliver an argument about the dynamism of the said construct. There are many constructs to choose from ranging from considerations of what constitutes error to what is considered to be "good writing". Some may choose to examine specific modes of essays you were taught in other school situations (the five paragraph essay or the idea of starting a paper with a 'catchy' introduction that grabs the reader's attention). There are, of course, many other constructs that you might examine, such as the rule that no contractions are allowed in formal writing.

Whatever construct you choose to analyze, be sure to brainstorm by mining your own experiences. What kinds of experiences can you remember with regard to the construct. If you are looking at the five paragraph essay, you might ask yourself when you first came across this format. How, for example, was the five paragraph essay framed by different teachers who taught it? Were there some learning situations you were in where instructors decided not to utilize the five paragraph essay? 

Next, conduct some outside research to understand the dynamics of the construct. For example, to investigating the five paragraph essay, one might explore the history of the essay to see how the format came to be. Since the construct of the five paragraph essay seems to be culturally imbedded in American/British culture, you might see if there are other comparable 'blanket formats' that come up in other cultural settings. For example, do Brazilians use a five paragraph essay? Another idea involves asking questions of peers and former teachers to find out how they view the five paragraph essay. Is there divergence in the way people interpret the purpose of the five paragraph essay? Are there different sensibilities regarding its value?

After brainstorming and collecting some outside research, you must adopt a rhetorical situation and purpose. You might write a blog on a teaching website that underscores the pitfalls of the five paragraph format. You might create a video log that you post to a podcast about the tenants of how essays are developed. You might choose to write an email to a former teacher or a letter to the US Department of Education. You might write a letter to the principal of the high school you attended. No matter what you choose to do, you cannot write this as a simple paper to be turned in to me. You must adopt some kind of genre and utilize that genre to make some kind of point to a specific audience.

Once you have thought about whom you want to reach with your message, and you have selected your genre, you should collect examples of that genre. If you are writing a letter to the principal where you attended high school, you should look at several examples of formal letters. What kinds of styles and approaches are prominent in letter writing.

After looking through genres and considering the purpose of your undertaking and the audience you want to reach, you should consider what kinds of evidence will work to reach the particular audience you are addressing. For example, if you take your rhetorical situation to be a publication in a student run newspaper, with the purpose of exploring how the five paragraph essay can sometimes foster misguided writing practices, the evidence you will need to support your claim will be different than if you were writing a letter to the principle of your former school.

What makes this essay good? A good construct essay will call your intended audience to reconsider the dynamism of a writing related construct. The goal, in essence is to have the reader come to a new understanding regarding the construct you explore. The best construct essays will demonstrate an understanding of rhetorical awareness (which means you are using a genre, reaching an audience, and making a point). Furthermore, the best pieces will actively consider and employ a style, tone, and approach that suits the rhetorical situation as well.