Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in English Composition

Department

English

First Reader/Committee Chair

Jasmine Lee

Abstract

The concept of identity politics within Composition Studies acknowledge how a writer’s social identity (race, gender, sexuality, disabilities, etc.) influences their writing style and shapes their language. Understanding the relationship between social identity and writing practices means recognizing the diverse perspectives writers bring to the writing classroom. In alignment with this perspective, feminist composition studies emphasize the importance of centering marginalized voices and creating inclusive learning environments where students can safely express their identities through writing. However, research reveals that diverse perspectives haven’t always been welcomed in academic spaces. Feminist compositionists unveil how discourse around writing conventions and language norms uphold patriarchal structures and reinforce biases against marginalized groups.

In this thesis, I contribute to this conversation by suggesting ways in which we can apply Kimberlé Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality to discourse in feminist composition studies. Intersectional feminism depicts how racial microaggressions toward individuals’ social identities can manifest in the composition classroom. I argue that policing of language, stereotypes, and hegemonic cultural norms result in detrimental psychological consequences. These include feelings of invalidation, invisibility, and alienation. Such experiences interfere with the writing process and affect students’ mental well-being, self-esteem, and academic success. I convey my argument by looking at scholarship in feminist composition studies alongside intersectional feminism to unpack how marginalized writers’ multiple identities connect to their writing style and sense of belonging in academic discourse.

The first section of this thesis offers an introduction to my research and explores how I extend existing scholarship in feminist composition studies. My literature review discusses the discourse within feminist composition studies that has allowed me to develop a feminist lens. Next, I look to intersectionality to discuss how writers’ multiple identities manifest in the writing process. Using the knowledge I’ve gathered, I take a feminist intersectional lens to explore the relationship between writing and identity. I do so by conducting a focused examination of three episodes from California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) Writing Intensive Program’s How I Write podcast series. My analysis uncovers the politics embedded in the writing experiences of academics who have “made it” in their fields. This analysis further shows how marginalized writers’ overlapping identities have a significant influence on writing style, confidence, and experience writing for academia. I end this thesis by turning my research back to the writing classroom to make recommendations for writing practices that are supportive of diverse groups of students with overlapping identities. The methods I propose give marginalized students a sense of agency and validation during the writing process. This is significant because the elitist linguistic performance marginalized students encounter in academia diminishes their agency and sense of validation.

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