Changing the Subject in English Class
Changing the Subject in English Class
Southern Illinois University Press | March 20, 2002 | ISBN-10: 080932427X | 168 pages | PDF | 1.7 MB
Southern Illinois University Press | March 20, 2002 | ISBN-10: 080932427X | 168 pages | PDF | 1.7 MB
Drawing on the theoretical work of Jacques Lacan, Marshall W. Alcorn Jr. formulates a systematic explanation of the function and value of desire in writing instruction.Alcorn argues that in changing the subject matter of writing instruction in order to change student opinions, composition instructors have come to adopt an insufficiently complex understanding of subjectivity. This oversimplification hinders attempts to foster cultural change. Alcorn proposes an alternative mode of instruction that makes effective use of students’ knowledge and desire.