"Fighting for Our Lives" offers great insight into the current state of public dialogue. Deborah Tannen describes how our public interactions have increasingly become "warlike", in the way we discuss ideas, the way we cover the news, and the way we settle disputes. She observes that an adversarial approach has become the standard as much in public dialogue as it has in "just about anything we need to accomplish". Although she concedes that "conflict and opposition are as necessary as cooperation and agreement", she believes that the balance has been tipped in recent years. An "argument culture" has pervaded American culture, and the consequences are real.
This issue impacts my life in many different ways. First, it makes me pay closer attention to my personal interactions. How am I part of this problem? How much of what Dr. Tannen describes apply to the way I approach dialogue, the way I problem-solve, or the way I consume the news? It will certainly make me an even better listener. Knowing that assumptions are part of any given dialogue, I will be more in-tuned to assumptions underlying any given argument. I am also reminded to pay attention to metaphors. What metaphors are at play? Keeping in mind that "the terms in which we talk about something shape the way we think about it", I am invited to identify the metaphors operating within any discussion, and perhaps more importantly, choose my own words wisely.
In the public arena (there goes a "gladiator" metaphor), we can see the issue play out in politics and religion. The problem has become so big in Washington that President Obama found the need to address it in his recent State of the Union Address:
"But what frustrates the American people is a Was...
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...n American virtue!
History shows us what happens "when a society becomes so egocentric as to assume (its) point of view must be the ONLY correct point of view". And like much of history, the tales are cautionary. When taken to its extreme, an "egocentric" point of view gives justification to a whole host of human atrocities. Manifest Destiny (the injustices against Native Americans) was fueled by exactly that type of "point of view". So were the Crusades, religious wars waged by Christians over non-believers, which resulted in the deaths of millions during the Middle Ages. In the last century, it played its hand in two world wars, and the largest genocides in human existence. Arrogance can be a very destructive force. Coupled with a powerful and influential society such as ours, it can be catastrophic. Americans beware! (Or should I say, Beware Americans?)
Fiorina, Morris P., and Samuel J. Abrams. Culture war?: The Myth of a Polarized America. 2nd ed. New York: Pearson Education, 2006. Print.
There are many examples of strong argumentative writing in the second half of the book Everyday Arguments. Topics of writing examples include today’s college student, the internet, sports, earning your living, diet, and reading popular culture. Of the writings, two stood out as notable works to be critiqued; Who is a Teacher, and Thoughts on Facebook.
In his address, Obama claims that a “robust democracy” demands contentious debate in which people fight for their beliefs. In some respects, he is correct. However, if he includes dissent in this robust democracy, he is gravely mistaken. Dissent ostracizes and condemns individuals because of what they believe in, which is clearly not something a robust democracy demands. “We are part of the American family,” the president said. In order to be a part of this family, we cannot exclude its members from their freedom to speak and express their ideas. Dissent hinders those capabilities, and thus truly can be considered the cancer of democracy.
Deborah Tannen’s, “Fighting For Our Lives,” explores the ideas and concepts behind human sociology. She delves into the sociolinguistic relationship between women and men in conversation. Tannen amplifies the importance between language and gender and how they affect interpersonal relationships. Tannen showcases her analytical thinking processes by using rhetorical strategies to support her claim on conflicted communication within the argument culture. Specifically, focusing on politics, the law, education, spousal relationships, the media and within work environments. She gives many examples to support her claim by using figurative language and literary devices such as metaphors and logic and reasoning to accurately convey her message.
Firstly , Tannen introduces the term “culture of critique” by beginning three successive paragraphs with the term so that the reader will not forget it. Tannen then identifies the problem presented by the “culture of critique”, that is, a tendency to attack the person making an argument, or misrepresenting the issue, rather than arguing against their position itself. She points out that instead of listening to reason, people who are caught up in the culture of critique debate as i...
It is the belief that America expresses its cultural superiority through its wealth and dominance, and its superiority is measured in military strength. Using the appeal of logos, he states, “to the idea that its power is a sign of God 's favor, conferring upon it a special responsibility for other nations— to make them richer and happier and wiser, to remake them, that is, in its own shining image” (Fulbright 1). This belief that “the United States has a divinely ordained role to play in the sacred drama of the world history” (Lears 33) is one that Fulbright argues must not succeed. According to “The Arrogance of Power Revisited” by Jackson Lears, Fulbright was concerned that “America was losing its perspective on what was within its capacity to control and what was beyond it”
The debate team of Wiley College faced many colleges to be recognized and finally in the end winning a debate against the reigning debating champions, Harvard University. One of the debaters who caught my attention was James Farmer Jr., the youngest on the team that started out as an alternative. James Farmer sought recognition from adults and wanted to show everyone he was capable of debating. James Farmer incorporates a lot of Ethos and Pathos into his speech making, allowing him to leave his audience filled with emotions and in awe. Although James Farmer interested me, especially the way he presented his final speech, James Farmer and I are very different in the way we deliver our speeches.
Are there more than two sides to an argument? The Argument Culture was written by Deborah Tannen (Tannen, 1998). She would have us believing that there are more sides to an argument than just two. Professor Deborah Tannen is a best-selling author. She is a professor of linguistics at Georgetown University. She has written many books, articles, and educational essays. She would say that high-tech communication pulls us apart. She also states that argument culture shapes who we are. Tannen also believes that we can end the argument culture by looking at all sides of the story or situation. She seems to be very knowledgeable on the subject.
In her article “The Argument Culture,” professor of linguistics and author Deborah Tannen believes that we have collapsed into a society where arguing, criticizing, and debating is the solution to every problem. Tannen introduces this idea of society as the “argument culture”. The argument culture is a way of life that settles on the belief that the best way to get things done is to oppose everything. The way we freely and blatantly express problems is one of our society’s greatest strengths. People tend to express their beliefs and automatically expect someone to reply with their own view, therefore turning into an argument as to why each side is right and the other is wrong. We tend to look at both sides of an argument to side with the one
During the institution and emerging years of the United States of America to present, we have witnessed some questionable acts committed by the United States. Now days the United States condemn and prosecute nations that get involved in these kinds of tyrannous practices; practices that lead the United States to become the superpower nation today. Often times American people act like if the United States had the ultimate word when it comes to morals and principles. We will go back in time to talk about the massacre and displacement of millions of Natives Americans along with the semi-extinction of their lifestyle and heritage. It is also important to look at the indentured servitude slavery to which the African people were subject to. Another example was the convenient exploitation of the foreign Chinese, Irish and Mexican labor forces and a double standard emigration policy. Lastly the use of intimidation and force for the appropriation of foreign territories such as Hawaii, Philippines. There is help of rising rebels in other countries in order to achieve United States goals. Humans are supposed to learn from past mistakes so they do not commit them again. There is a great irony in calling other governments tyrannous and then imposing our own agenda on their society. The United States have historically and presently demonstrated what could be considered “tyrannous” behavior towards other nations and societies. The United States history has a stain in every page and therefore we are not a good candidate to intervene in other nations affairs.
...is interaction takes place and does not stop; it self perpetuates until reality is altered no matter if the belief is a truth or not. The phenomena of self perpetuating subjectivity in our society is being exploited and has lead to a homogenous hive mind that has convinced itself of its autonomy. This hive mind limits growth in a society as it strikes down new ideas that, while unfavorable in the societies eyes, may be breakthroughs in human thought and life.
The conflicting ideas are the scientific facts disproving facilitated speech and the belief by individuals that they have seen it work. In order to reconcile the conflict and ease the dissonance, the people in the examples given have begun to use both the confirmation bias and belief perseverance. While neither of these fallacies are consciously chosen, each allows the experienced dissonance to be eased.
Permissiveness coupled with a self-righteous entitlement is not considered very flattering on anyone, much less a developing young country. The loose handle the US government had in the 1800s on its land-hungry constituents contributed to the worst (but among the most overlooked) genocide in recorded history. The few preventative actions taken by the federation to slow the quickening roll of excessive expansion were overruled or overlooked by the citizens. Deciding that the east coast was no longer enough to satiate their appetite for possession, they looked to the west. Imagining themselves to be Moses, claiming their promised land, the settlers surged westward, citing Manifest Destiny, a concept that suggested providence had intended the
Tannen uses imagery in her description of examples, she talks about situations where you would also argue and then this places a mental image in your mind. ““Road rage" shows how dangerous the argument culture---and especially today 's technologically enhanced aggression ----can be” (Tannen 406). Tannen backs up these examples with evidence that was found by experts, Tannen was also a well- known linguistics professor. Elizabeth Loftus and Deborah Lipstadt both contributed to Tannen’s article which makes it more credible and understandable. “This accounts, in part, for the bizarre phenomenon of Holocausts denial. Deniers, as Emory University professor Deborah Lipstadt shows, have been successful in gaining TV airtime and campus newspaper coverage by masquerading as "the other side "in a debate" (Tannen 405) Credibility gives Tannen the ability to persuade the audience because the more something is credible the more likely it is for someone to believe it. Every tool Tannen used worked in its own way to affectively inform and persuade the
History has proven over time that the arrogance of a country can be its greatest down fall. America has risen to became a great power in a short period of time, but their contagious ways could become its potential downfall from their own arrogant ways. The author's use of logos helps define the article by the means of describing the faults that he sees with America's arrogant ways. The world sees Americans differently and this changes depending on, if we are at home or abroad. The evidence is in the past, in that America is at a crossroad and should evaluate this necessary arrogance before it collapses.