Hernandez Cruz 1

Lauren Hernandez Cruz

Dr. Camille Langston
EN 7334
3 May 2015
The Importance of Social Epistemic Ideology in Rhetoric and Composition
In his essay Rhetoric and Ideology in the Writing Classroom (1988), James Berlin
writes about social epistemic rhetoric in contrast to other ideologies that are currently used in the
composition classroom. Social epistemic rhetoric looks at the relationship between the writer, the
material world, and the discourse community as dialectic, requiring participation by all parties
rather than emphasizing any one above the others. To discover truth the three must remain in
constant communication; language is the medium through which the interaction takes place,
generating truths throughout the dialogue. Because of the fluidity of language, the truths that are
generated are ever-evolving, so absolutes are inconsistent with social epistemic rhetoric.
These ideas are major divergences from more traditional rhetorical ideologies. Prior
theories were rooted in the assumption that truth precedes language, whereas Berlin asserts that
language precedes truth. He argues in Rhetoric and Ideology in the Writing Class that truth is
relative to historical context; as societal and material conditions change so do the truths that arise
from the dialogue between the writer, the world, and the discourse community. Individual and
group consciousness are influenced by these truths that develop over time, so it is important to
remember that with different groups come different truths, beliefs, and language usages. If any
group is unable to see the pliability of truths, then oppressive systems are never broken down; in
order to evolve with time and to reconstruct social structures accordingly, individuals have to
accept the historicity of language and truths.

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Berlins work on social epistemic rhetoric is influential in its recognition that all parts
(the writer, the discourse community, and the material world) must use language and work
together to arrive at new truths. What this means for rhetoric and composition pedagogy is that
students need a teaching style that will help them break from oppressive power structures by
using an ideology similar to that of social epistemic rhetoric. Berlin proposes approaches like
Paulo Freires liberatory pedagogy, which suggest that education systems need to teach students
to develop a critical consciousness. This consciousness allows students to examine the way
language and traditional power structures (including education) reinforce oppressive power
structures. More importantly, however, students will be given the tools to recognize differences
among cultures and effect positive change.
This ability can only be possible if writing teachers (all teachers, for that matter) instruct
students to become aware of the relativity of language, encouraging them to question norms they
encounter daily. When students are given these tools, they can engage social epistemic ideology;
they can engage in dialogue with the discourse community and society, arrive at evolved truths,
and ensure that measures are taken to reconfigure oppressive systems.