Revolutionary Road to Everyday Writing Center

초록

This paper explores the postmodern condition of writing center theory and praxis and its complicatedlysituated discourses to reveal the meaning of true collaboration in writing center practice by delving intoethico-ontological dimension hidden in it. This paper utilizes two personal narratives as exemplary cases withtheoretical scaffoldings such as imaginary-symbolic-Real schema, Emmanuel Levinas’ ethics and ontology,Ernesto Laclau’s idea of hegemonic articulation, etc. alongside various writing center theories, especially NancyGrimm’s postmodern writing center theory. First, the paper critically engage in debate on theory vs. praxis inwriting centers to conclude that theory is not separate from praxis. After elaborating on the author’s first narrativeand its polemics, this paper suggests ethico-ontological understanding of Ohterness in the postmodernwriting center using Levinas’ theories. Recounting the author’s second personal narrative, this paper also discloseshidden super-capitalistic logic in previous writing center discourse by examining the ontological meaningof L2 consultant in the U.S. academia. Finally, the paper envisions a radical democracy in writing centers by arguingfor hegemonic articulation and Foucualt’s idea of heterotopia in everyday writing center practice.

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