Chapter 3 – Writing Within & Across Subjectivities
Chapter 3 – Writing Within & Across Subjectivities
Many instructors and academics will tell you that “objectivity” is the main goal in college essay writing. But many of the same people will also tell you that true objectivity, in the abstract, is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. It is clear that the words we choose, the ideas we present, the ways we structure and organize these ideas, and our understanding of the world at large all help to define and inform the braided thread of our academic observations. These frequently subconscious choices shape our writing and thinking in ways that actually center our biases and showcase the subjective nature of our approach to essay writing. Only through addressing our subjectivities in relation to the “texts” we are exploring and creating can we provide a sense of objectivity. One that exists in an informed and evolving relationship to our subjective experience, not apart from it. Added to this mix is the recurring theme these days in many college composition courses to encourage students to write from the basis of their own lived experiences. From the very center of their entangled and living collection of personal subjectivities. We can see that the drive for “objectivity” must be carefully reconsidered if it is to be taken seriously in the modern college essay writing process.
There is also, however, a fear that we can indulge in our subjectivities to the extent that our arguments and research become flawed. If we only ever speak and write about ourselves, how can we grow beyond the potentially limited frames of our own perspectives? Sometimes writing from the subjective position makes it harder to see the world outside of our own limited frames of reference. But this is not necessarily true. Especially if we are aware and in charge of the process. We must learn how to use our subjectivity and lived experience to enhance our ability to engage, understand, and incorporate ideas and experiences unlike our own, not to reject or dismiss them. By harnessing our own position(s) in relation to the world we encounter, we can highlight our subjective position, demonstrate an awareness of our own perceptions in the shaping of our text, fill in the necessary spaces with relevant source materials that develop, challenge, or support our subjective frames, and ultimately present a thoughtful essay within which the reader can find an identifiable, engaged position to evaluate. This is because they will understand your perspective in a deeper way. The subjective/objective essay captures your voice, which helps to acknowledge the writer’s presence. But it also goes beyond your voice to create a conversation between your ideas and those of some relevant, reliable sources. Having this clear indication of the conversation that is present in academic writing then allows the writer-as-subject to step back and present the work with as much honesty as can be mustered.
It is vitally important to learn to embrace your o