Entry 5

Knoblauch, Abby A. "A Textbook Argument: Definitions of Argument in Leading Composition Textbooks." College Composition and Communication 63.2 (2011): 244-68. Dec. 2011. Web. 15 Oct. 2016. <http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/stable/23131584>.

In “A Textbook Argument: Definitions of Argument in Leading Composition Textbooks” by A. Abby Knoblauch, Knoblauch aims to examine, define, and asses the way the idea of the ‘argument’ is laid out in the rhetoric and composition world. Immediately, Knoblauch turns to Jennifer Bay’s 2002 essay, and uses that as a springboard for her own inquisition. Bay, whose essay uses the September 11^th attacks as the centerpiece for her discourse on ‘argument,’ is adamant in saying that while pedagogy for arguments exist, the same stylistic practices are being taught throughout time while just being repackaged; furthermore, Bay stands to say that the ways in which arguments are taught and played out do not ever bring solutions or end-games to fruition. Knoblauch takes this idea and zeros it in on how argument is specifically taught in college composition textbooks. Based on the current lineage of textbooks, Knoblauch makes the observation that argument itself is being separated from other genres of composition as its own, thus making it seem that the intention of argumentative writing and composition no longer functions as a means to inform, but only to persuade. Knoblauch does not that, on the surface, some composition texts do frame argument as a means of inquiry and discovery, but delving deeper in, Knoblauch reveals that they still harken back to the older notions of argument. As Knoblauch continues her research, she finds that some texts do try to shift the idea of argument from persuasion to understanding, but ultimately it is persuasion that takes the precedence in the intellectual and academic discourse of composition.

I would indeed recommend this article to my fellow peers because as people in academia, and living in a social world where acts of writing are, in many respects, considered political, learning a more discursive foundation for argument seems paramount. In a time where information is being discussed and disseminated, keeping conversations and debates focused more on the exchange of information rather than forcing/conceding a point is a thing that should be understood by writers, teachers and student alike. I feel that if we stray too far from keeping arguments an exchange of information, we then stray from the core idea that language and writing is a tool of communication, not personal gain.