Craft and the corporeal in composition: embodied metaphors in writing practice
Graduation Date
2014
Document Type
Project
Program
Other
Program
Project (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, English: Teaching of Writing, 2014
Committee Chair Name
David Stacey
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Embodied pedagogies, Techne Craft, Composition studies, Mind-body connection, Embodied metaphor Embodiment, Metaphor, Humboldt State University -- Projects -- English, Containment model, Collaborative learning
Abstract
The pervasive container metaphor of language used in writing classes carries connotations that writing is a product containing meaning, rather than a process of meaning-making, inquiry, and discovery. This framework is both problematic and harmful as it fails to capture the embodied nature of writing, ignoring the body as a crucial part of composing. As an alternative, this project moves towards a view of writing as technē in which craft and technique are deeply intertwined through the dynamic relationship between text, body, and context. Working from this concept of technē, this project suggests metaphors can be extended into the physical realm for use in the classroom. Through the construction of embodied metaphors, or physical table-top models that make figurative expressions or concepts tangible, students can reflect on the writing process via a material engagement that stresses the mess of composing and its value as a social, lived experience.
Recommended Citation
MacDonald, Lauren, "Craft and the corporeal in composition: embodied metaphors in writing practice" (2014). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2011.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2011
https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/1c18dj389