Hi! I have a million essays to grade tonight (okay, only 80, but still). I've accepted that I will not get them all done, and have come up with a back-up plan. But I still need to get half of them done as I really need to spend next week working on my own research.
Now, here's a question for teacher-like-people. How do you handle sexist and racist comments in papers? I usually just point out the logical fallacies and remind the students that offending their readers is bad rhetoric. But it is getting ridiculous in one class. It's not just that I find their opinions offensive (this I can handle); it's that they are clearly making sexist and racist comments and don't seem to understand that they are doing so.
4 comments:
i have had this discussion this semester also. depends on the paper, but i make them take up their claim-whatever they are stating and attempt to prove it to me, find backing,etc (that DOES NOT include any news casters, etc) but i find that once you ask them to 'own' their claims and back their answers, it gives it a new light.
--ilnizza
Pass copies of their papers out to women and minorities with their prejudiced comments highlighted. That would shut them up or least be entertaining for you.
(just kidding)
-sister
I sometimes discuss it with students in terms of how they are addressing their potential audience. Especially, in terms of how effective their argument will be to readers if they write in that way. I would also ask them why they don't think these things are offensive, particularly in terms of the rhetorical situation of the academic paper. While I can't stop them using this approach in their personal correspondence, I can teach them the reasons why this isn't appropriate for school or work, for that matter.
I use a Miss Manners approach. "I'm sure you don't realize this, but when you say X, it would make readers think that you you really think Y. This may not make you look as good as you can..."
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