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Conservative and Liberal Views

Conservative and Liberal Views of Literature and Language Arts

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Conservative View of Literature and
Language Arts

Liberal View of Literature and Language

Arts

Study of literature and writing aims to transmit and

preserve existing cultural heritage, affirm traditional
values, and stabilize status quo social order (see Richter
5).

Study of literature and writing aims to extend and revise

existing cultural heritage, critically examine traditional
values, and challenge status quo social order.

Literature is a definable body of "worthy texts"

determined with reference to a uniform standard of
excellence that is valid across time and culture.

Literature is a variable and infinitely expandable body of

texts whose value is determined by a variety of cultural,
aesthetic, pedagogical, and political contexts and
circumstances.

Adherents value individual mastery of received

conventions and knowledge.

Adherents value communal or collaborative process in

which received conventions and knowledge are
critiqued, challenged, perhaps modified.

Writing is definable as a process through which the

writer discovers, develops, and explores his or her own
expressive potential in a variety of rhetorical contexts
Writing is definable as a set of established rhetorical and
and for a variety of possible audiences, including
expressive skills. The goal of writing instruction is to
himself or herself. Since it is impossible to anticipate the
apprise the student of the rules and standards of writing
infinite variety of individuals expressive potential or
excellence, and teach them to conform to those rules and
possible rhetorical contexts, it is difficult to formulate
standards. Emphasis is on constraints, rules,
rules or standards to serve as a valid universal point of
conventions.
reference. Emphasis is on freedom, rule-bending,
challenging or adapting conventions to suit the writers
immediate needs and purposes.
Theories about writing and / or literature need to be
foundational and universalthat is, they need to provide
universally applicable principles of description or
evaluation. In fact, "theory" is a bad word, since it
signifies something that goes beyond consensus and
"common sense."

Theories about writing and / or literature are rhetorical

and contingentthat is, they provide insights into
specific texts or issues in specific contexts; but there is
no "theory of everything" which is descriptively or
evaluatively valid in all cases. "Common sense" is
simply the tyranny of the majority.

Theories about writing and / or literature need to be

disinterestedthat is, committed to no specific groups
political, pedagogical, or other position.

Theories about writing and / or literature necessarily

reflect the political, pedagogical, or other position of the
people who practice them. This is true even of the
position that theory needs to be disinterested, since
this is in effect is a covert defense or acceptance of the
status quo as natural, universal, and disinterested.

"Community" is based on agreement upon, and

conformity to, shared rules, conventions, and values. The
function of literature and writing in an institutional setting
is to secure this agreement and conformity for the good
of the community. (See Spellmeyer 83-86)

"Community" is based on the recognition and ongoing

negotiation of diversity and disagreement among those
who share social space and social resources. The
function of literature and writing in an institutional
setting is to spark this recognition and to facilitate this
negotiation for the good of the community. (See
Spellmeyer 86-91)

The "aesthetic" goal of writing is to produce a unified,

coherent, and complex statement that stands on its own
terms, and thus speaks "universally" across time and
culture to an ideal representative reader. "Aesthetics" are
seen as the intrinsic property of the text--that is, texts
courseweb.stthomas.edu/ajscheiber/engl 380/conservative_and_liberal_views.htm

The "aesthetic" goal of writing is to produce rich, openended texts that illuminate and sustain ongoing
conversations about matters of shared interest within a
diverse human community. "Aesthetics" are seen as
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Conservative and Liberal Views

should be appreciated for their own sake as highly

designed and crafted art objects, and not read with
reference to any political or personal agenda, or
therapeutic or social goals.

transactive--that is, texts should provide an opportunity

for the reader to reflect upon the possibilities of
personal and social transformation.

Adherents prefer the study of literature and writing in its Adherents prefer the study of literature and writing in
"normal science" mode (see both Richter and Spellmeyer its "revolutionary science" mode (again, see both
on Thomas Kuhns theory of scientific revolution).
Richter and Spellmeyer on Kuhn).
Education is a process of striving toward uniform
excellence measured by uniform standards.

Education is a process of striving toward the fulfillment

of individual potential measured in terms derived from
appropriate local and specific circumstances, and of
preparing the individual to be an agent for social
transformation.

Study of literature should focus on concerns of text,

author (see Richter 4-5)

Study of literature should focus on concerns of reader

and reader's social community (see Richter 4-5).

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