Composing Research: A Contextualist Paradigm for Rhetoric and Composition

240 Pages·2000·0.739 MB·English

by  Cindy Johanek

COMPOSING RESEARCH

COMPOSING RESEARCH
A Contextualist Paradigm for
Rhetoric and Composition
CINDY JOHANEK
UTAH STATE
UNIVERSITY PRESS
Logan,Utah
ISBN 0-87421-322-3 (E-BOOK)
Utah State University Press
Logan,Utah 84322-7800
Copyright © 2000 Utah State University Press.
All rights reserved.
“The Writing Quality ofSeventh,Ninth,and Eleventh Graders,and College Freshmen”
copyright © 1995,National Council ofTeachers ofEnglish.Reprinted by permission
Manufactured in the United States ofAmerica.
Typography by WolfPack
Cover design by Barbara Yale-Read
04 03 02 01 00 5 4 3 2 1
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Johanek,Cindy,1964-
Composing research / Cindy Johanek.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.
ISBN 0-87421-292-8 (alk.paper)
1.English language—Rhetoric—Study and teaching—Research.
2.English language—Composition and exercises—Research.I.Title.
PE1404 .J58 2000
808'.042'071--dc21
00-008142
CIP
To my mother,
Jeanne Marie Hokkanen Johanek
(September 11,1942 - April 25,1999),
who read this as far as she could.

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1 Composition Research:Issues in Context 8
2 Research in Composition:Current Issues and a Brief
History 28
3 Numbers,Narratives,and He vs.She:Issues ofAudience in
Composition Research 56
4 From Epistemology to Epistemic Justification:
Toward a Contextualist Research Paradigm 87
5 A Contextualist Research Paradigm:An Illustration
(including reprint of“Writing Quality ofSeventh,Ninth,
and Eleventh Graders,and College Freshman,”by Eileen I.
Oliver) 119
6 A Contextualist Research Paradigm:A Demonstration 164
7 Predictor Variables:The Future of
Composition Research 190
8 Conclusion 205
References for Oliver Article 210
Works Cited 215
Index 226
About the Author 230

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Composing Researchbegan,in truth,when I was a curious undergrad-
uate guided and mentored by Dr.Judith Kilborn in the Write Place at
St.Cloud State University.Eventually,the mixture ofinquiry and text
along the way resulted in a dissertation,inspired in part by Dr.James
Treloar,(a former English teacher and) current statistics professor at
Ball State University,though the notion would surprise him,I’m sure.
That dissertation—critically read by readers like Linda Hanson and
Patti White and carefully guided, hammered, discussed, debated,
chewed,and ultimately,I hope,enjoyed by my advisor and disserta-
tion director Paul Ranieri—is now in book form. To all of these
inspiring teachers and colleagues,I express gratitude and a wish to be
“halfas good”as they are,halfas inspiring....
A special thanks to Eileen Oliver and Greg Siering for their partic-
ipation in the studies presented in Chapters 5 and 6.Without their
willing cooperation,much ofthe demonstration needed in this work
would have been impossible.
Thanks also to a special colleague and friend,Carmen Siering,for
her support in all things,and to my family for their constant love and
encouragement.