Myths about instrumental discourse: A response to Robert R. Johnson

Patrick Moore University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Abstract

Abstract of the original article Robert R. Johnson's “Complicating Technology: Interdesciplinary Method, the Burden of Comprehension, and the Ethical Space of the Technical Communicator,” published in the Winter 1998 issue of TCQ, points out that there is much for technical communicators to learn from the burgeoning field of technology studies. Technical communicators, however, have an obligation to exercise patience as they enter this arena of study. Using interdisciplinary theory, this article argues that technical communication must assume the “burden of comprehension”: the responsibility of understanding the ideologies, contexts, values, and histories of those disciplines from which we borrow before we begin using their methods and research findings. Three disciplines of technology study—history, sociology, and philosophy—are examined to investigate how these disciplines approach technology. The article concludes with speculation on how technical communicators, by virtue of their entrance into this interdisciplinary arena, might refashion both their practical roles and the scope of their ethical responsibilities.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
1999-03-01
DOI
10.1080/10572259909364661
Open Access
Closed

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (12)

  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
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  1. Pedagogy
  2. Pedagogy
  3. Pedagogy
  4. Pedagogy
  5. Pedagogy
  6. Pedagogy
  7. Journal of Business and Technical Communication

Cites in this index (6)

  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Show all 6 →
  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
CrossRef global citation count: 12 View in citation network →