Amanda Anh Thu Pham

Dr. Angela Rounsaville

ENC 3521 15Spring0001
Final Seminar Project
April 30, 2015

Our societys dominant and subordinate ideologies transition overtime. The progression

of what is recognized to be social norms pushes our society to embrace a more open-

minded mentality that is essential towards its growth. For example, twenty-years ago, the

media would have never allowed television shows and movies to depict homosexuality as

it does today. Just as the idea of racial equality was slowly more recognized in the 1960s,

homosexuality is now rising more than ever, and along with that is the further

development of humankind. In the words of Cesar Chavez, Our language is the

reflection of ourselves. A language is an exact reflection of the character and growth of its

speakers. Our societys push toward acceptance and understanding is imperative in

formulating a strong community.

So how exactly does that happen? It is incredibly difficult to make any movements or

changes to deeply held beliefs. Differences are subject to the conditions of a persons

upbringing that makes each and every one unique when molded by their ethnicity,

language, country and culture. They are also molded differently by their religion, values,

morals and social norms.

In this context, differences are when two varying groups have opposing views. To ease

these differences, we must understand the degree to where there are differences between

the rhetor and the community, and then the degree to where we can reach an

understanding between the differences.

According to Mary Louise Pratts Arts of the Contact Zone, Ethnographers have used

the term transculturation to describe processes whereby members of subordinated or

marginal groups select and invent material transmitted by a dominant or metropolitan

cultureWhile subordinate peoples do not usually control what emanates from the

dominant culture, they do determine to varying extent what gets absorbed into their own

and what it gets used for. Transculturation, like autoethnography, is a phenomenon of the

contact zone (Page 36). If we have a situation where there is communication, we would

attempt to understand anothers commonplace through acquainting ourselves with the

community and research. We then can attempt to induce change. The idea is to find out

what people believe and how we can use that to make a change.

It is a kairotic moment for change with the increase in technology and insight of new

information overtime. The more information we gain and the more insight we have, the

more our perspective re-sculpts itself and becomes mutable, in turn, rhetoric also

becomes mutable.
We should also seek for change in effective and efficient techniques, such as through

invitational rhetoric. According to Sonja K. Foss and Cindy L. Griffin in Beyond

Persuasion: A Proposal for an Invitational Rhetoric, In presenting a particular

perspective, the invitational rhetor does not judge or denigrate others perspectives but is

open to and tries to appreciate and validate those perspectives, even if they differ

dramatically from the rhetors own (Page 5). In this way, there is a foundation of mutual

respect formed that would help establish a sense of understanding that incites

appreciation, value and equality. Also, resistance is not anticipated, and rhetors do not

adapt their communication to expected resistance in the audience. Instead, they identify

possible impediments to the creation of understanding and seek to minimize or neutralize

them so they do not remain impediments (Page 6, Foss and Griffin).

Overall, when we attempt to understand and embrace others differences by

communicating across differences, opportunities of a societys growth can occur. How

our society reacts to these opportunities determines if it will be fulfilling or impotent.

There have been many recent police brutality cases occurring within our nation. The

latest is the death of Freddie Gray Jr., 25, from Baltimore, Maryland, which ensued a

string of violent protests and riots. Baltimores black citizens initially only protested

Grays death, but in amidst of a peaceful protest, chaos erupted as some people became

violent. Rocks were thrown at police and at least five police vehicles were damaged.

However, using the hash tag #OneBaltimore, there were also a majority of black citizens
who protected their protectors (police). According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Forming

a line in front of officers clad in riot gear, dozens turned their backs, linked arms, and

moved like a sweeper into the crowd with a simple message: Go homeThe scene

capped a day when the corner of North and Pennsylvania drew throngs of people and

pulsed with energy, tension, community, and a bit of hope. This specific example

highlights how communicating across a difference can be rewarding, but can also be a

pitfall. The more we all learn how to effectively and efficiently communicate across

differences, the more we grow as individuals and affect others to also strive for growth.

We can successfully develop a high-trust environment with a strong sense of community -

only then can our nation as a whole grow to a transcendent level.