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Authors and citizens: sociological imagination and the writing of evidence‐based argument
Author(s) -
Jaeger Elizabeth L.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
literacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.649
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1741-4369
pISSN - 1741-4350
DOI - 10.1111/lit.12078
Subject(s) - craft , argument (complex analysis) , rhetorical question , reading (process) , sociology , power (physics) , sociological theory , democracy , affect (linguistics) , epistemology , sociological imagination , order (exchange) , pedagogy , aesthetics , social science , linguistics , visual arts , politics , law , political science , biochemistry , chemistry , philosophy , art , physics , communication , finance , quantum mechanics , economics
Educational standards documents worldwide include reading and writing of evidence‐based argument as a major focus. In order to help students craft arguments that will be considered seriously by those with the power to make changes that affect them, educators need to cultivate within students their sociological imagination ‐ that is, an understanding of the ways in which they are influenced by, but can also influence social structures. This article describes a study in which fourth‐grade students (ages 9–10 years) considered issues that were of concern to them and to which audiences they might best address these concerns. They also learned the rhetorical structures required to effectively communicate their recommendations. Data collected include planning documents, rough and final drafts and interview transcripts. Students demonstrated success in a range of areas: grasping the concept of sociological imagination, mastering genre format and assuming roles as citizens of a democracy.