Technical Communication Quarterly Jan 2019

Matters of Form: Questions of Race, Identity, Design, and the U.S. Census

Deborah Balzhiser Texas State University ; Charise Pimentel Texas State University ; Amanda Scott Texas State University

Abstract

This case examines how functionalist approaches manifest culturally based on users’ contexts. The authors conduct a critical visual semiotic analysis of the race and Hispanic origin questions on the 2010 U.S. Census form, demonstrating how incongruities in design potentially harm people. This demonstrates a need for adding critical analyses to design and research and it refocuses the Society for Technical Communication’s value of promoting the public good on to design and documentation in order to fight injustice.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
2019-01-02
DOI
10.1080/10572252.2018.1539192
Open Access
Closed
Topics
multimodality race and writing

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (10)

  1. Tham (2026)
    Evolving Information Design: Insights from Senior Experts in Technical and Prof…
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  2. Rea (2025)
    Social Problems and Racial Agendas: Analyzing the Structural Racism of Historic…
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  3. Whitney (2025)
    Please Provide the Following Information: Enthymemes and the Logics of Individu…
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  4. Aguilar (2024)
    Rhetorically training students to generate with AI: Social justice applications…
    Computers and Composition
  5. Agbozo (2023)
    Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis for Technical Communication Research
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  1. Spinuzzi (2023)
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  2. Cardinal (2022)
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  3. Li (2022)
    Defining the racial and ethnic “other”: Constructing an American identity throu…
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  4. Williams (2022)
    Gun Control and Gun Rights: A Conceptual Framework for Analyzing Public Policy …
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  5. Winkle (2022)
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Cites in this index (9)

  1. Jones (2016)
    The Technical Communicator as Advocate
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Boedy (2015)
    The Evil in Technical Communication
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Varvas et al. (2013)
    Learning the Communication Lessons of the Port-Au-Prince Earthquake Relief Effort
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Cleary et al. (2012)
    Preparing Technical Communication Students to Function as User Advocates in a S…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Haas (2012)
    Race, Rhetoric, and Technology
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Show all 9 →
  1. Williams et al. (2012)
    Introduction
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Pimentel et al. (2012)
    The Double Occupancy of Hispanics
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  3. Fan (2006)
    Charles Morris's Semiotic Model and Analytical Studies of Visual and Verbal Rep…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Williams (2006)
    Tracing W. E. B. DuBois' “Color Line” in Government Regulations
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
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CrossRef global citation count: 13 View in citation network →

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