Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Oct 2014

The Scientist, Philosopher, and Rhetorician: The Three Dimensions of Technical Communication and Technology

Kevin Garrison Angelo State University

Abstract

Technical communication's attempt to prioritize theories of scholarship and pedagogy has resulted in several authors contributing a three-dimensional framework to approach technology: the instrumental perspective, the critical humanist perspective, and the user-centered perspective [1–3]. This article traces connections between this framework for technical communication and the philosophies of Michel de Certeau [4] and Andrew Feenberg [5], suggesting that the primary connection is a turn toward “rhetoric” as a mediator between scientific and philosophical communication. The article concludes that the current paradigm for understanding technology can be best understood by exploring three conjoined, yet competing, mentalities between a scientific, philosophical, and rhetorical worldview. While this three-dimensional approach provides a strong foundation for technical communication pedagogy and scholarship, it should continue to be re-examined for potential anomalies as the field continues to develop an identity.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2014-10-01
DOI
10.2190/tw.44.4.b
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
rhetorical criticism writing pedagogy technical communication
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Opel et al. (2018)
    Beyond Student as User: Rhetoric, Multimodality, and User-Centered Design
    Computers and Composition

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