Busting the Myth of the Communication Metaphor : How Technical Writing Conventions Perpetuate Injustice.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Read, Sarah.

Series:

SUNY Series, Studies in Technical Communication Series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Technical writing.

Communication--Philosophy.

Communication.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (252 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, 2025.

Summary:

This book critiques the 'Communication Metaphor' prevalent in technical writing, revealing how its conventions perpetuate systemic injustice. The author, Sarah Read, examines widely accepted beliefs such as clarity, conciseness, and objectivity in technical communication, arguing that these practices often exclude marginalized groups such as women and people of color. Through interdisciplinary analysis, the book explores the origins, implications, and perpetuation of the metaphor, offering alternative frameworks that embrace complexity and inclusivity. Intended for scientists, engineers, technical professionals, and educators, it challenges conventional wisdom and advocates for transformative approaches to writing and communication in professional and academic settings. Generated by AI.

Contents:

Contents

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgments

Preface

Chapter 1 Harm Is Being Done

“Better You Than Me!”

“Incorrect Writing Makes You Look Unprofessional”

“I Was Teaching Kids Who Grew Up on a Reservation, and in This Book There Are Assignments That Ask Them to Pretend Like They Are the CEO of Exxon, or Something …”

Everyone Says That Clarity Is All Important — What Is Clarity?

Conclusion: Why the “Communication Metaphor?”

Chapter 2 Making the Communication Metaphor Visible

Communication as a Black Box

Definition by Repeating Black Boxes

Communication as a Nominalization

Nominalization as an Issue of Style

Nominalization as Encoding Complex Processes into Single Terms

Communication as a Term in Historical Context

How Can We See the Communication Metaphor at Work?

Chapter 3 What Does the Communication Metaphor Mean?

Metaphor

Literary Metaphor — Creating Equations between Unrelated Ideas or Objects

Conceptual Metaphor — What Our Language Says about How We Think

The Container Metaphor for Language

The Conduit Metaphor for Communication

It’s not just passing apples

We talk about lines, not conduits, of communication

The Windowpane Theory of Language

Clarity Realized: Simplified Technical English

The Transmission Model: It’s Hard to Resist a Model That Confirms and Amplifies Your Biases and Values

Conclusion Generated by AI.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Part of the metadata in this record was created by AI, based on the text of the resource.

ISBN:

979-88-558-0287-0

OCLC:

1524422951