Marxism, Ideology, Power and Scientific and Technical Writing

Dan Ding Illinois State University

Abstract

This article claims that the primary determinant of how texts are structured and produced in scientific and technical communication is the ideology of the ruling force. Scholars concerned with ideology in scientific and technical communication have treated ideology as a competing approach to writing not as the determinant of writing. Thus, they have not been able to suggest how texts are structured and produced. Scientific and technical writing actually belongs to a tradition in which science and scientific activities have always been used to create and transmit the ideology of the ruling force. An examination of several cases of scientific and technical communication suggests that ideology of the ruling force indeed determines how a text is structured and produced. The immediate implication is that we should perhaps avoid resistant pedagogy and try what I call the “revelation pedagogy,” which is aimed at dialogue rather than resistance.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
1998-04-01
DOI
10.2190/c4d3-6lb2-19q3-fv02
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (5)

  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

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