Focus on Do It Yourself (DIY) approaches in teaching writing.
DIY composition refers to a cultural rhetoric fostering creative and critical making, promoting an ethos of 'making do', and circulating within networks called "scenes".
DIY is not just a hobby; it involves a distinctive attitude towards non-standardized creation.
Defining DIY Composition
Distinction between DIY and traditional craft or making.
DIY is about cultural rhetoric, challenging readymade norms, and involving implicit politics.
DIY differs from simple crafting or making due to its political and transformative aspirations.
Why DIY?
DIY, craft, and making describe self-provisioning activities, distinct from industrial production.
DIY emphasizes community, tradition, politics, and necessity over efficiency.
Unlike craft or making, DIY embraces imperfection and is inherently political, promoting working with available resources.
Historical Context of DIY
DIY's history is intertwined with craft and making.
Historical examples include early advice manuals, pamphlets, and almanacs.
Emphasizes the Arts & Crafts Movement and its political aspects.
Punk culture and zines popularized DIY ethos in music and self-publication.
DIY in Rhetoric & Writing
DIY viewed as an alternative to corporate consumer culture.
Emphasis on amateur, non-professional approaches.
Scholars like Geoffrey Sirc have explored DIY in composition as a challenge to traditional pedagogy.
Toward a Theory of DIY Composition
DIY as a cultural rhetoric fostering creative making and critical engagement.
Importance of making do, utilizing available resources creatively.
DIY circulates within "scenes" that combine public spaces and communities.
DIY as a Cultural Rhetoric
Interaction between culture and rhetoric shapes DIY practices.
Emphasizes collective practices within specific communities.
DIY Makes Do
Ethos of making do permeates DIY, emphasizing creativity with limited resources.
Encourages experimentation and adaptation.
Sacrifices scale efficiency for individuality and risk in production.
DIY Emerges in Scenes
Scenes as interconnected networks of spaces and communities.
Scenes foster community and identity, often challenging mainstream norms.
Pedagogical Scenes of DIY Composition
DIY classrooms encourage postpedagogical encounters and inspired adhoccery.
Emphasis on play, experimentation, and learning from failure.
DIY extends beyond classrooms to makerspaces and community-based projects.
Conclusion
DIY composition offers a prompt for future possibilities in writing and pedagogy.
Encourages exploration of new methods and scenes for DIY-driven writing.
Highlights DIY's potential to rethink academic practices through creative play and imagination.