People In A Contact Zone Analysis

Mary Louise Pratt originated the phrase, “contact zone”. She is a writer and professor of Spanish and Portuguese languages and literatures. She states that contact zones are the “social spaces where cultures meet, clash, and grapple with each other, often in contexts of highly asymmetrical relations of power, such as colonialism, slavery, or their aftermaths as they are lived out in many parts of the world today” 1. People in a contact zone have the opportunity to develop a wider view and a new perspective because they are able to communicate with others from a culture different from their own. However, unless people in a contact zone are willing to confront differences in the way people understand the world, they may not accept the value

The class lured many students from different backgrounds. Each student, saw how the other students described their ideas, values and cultures. The students showed rage and disbelief, but at the same time, they also experienced the delight of the contact zone.

Pratt mentions that a contact zone can benefit students in a classroom. In a classroom, students are from diverse backgrounds. Through a contact zone they can gain knowledge of other backgrounds and cultures. On the other hand, Pratt says that at some point the contact zone can also be negative, as in the case of colonialism. In colonialism a county oppresses indigenous groups. Rather than exchanging ideas the colonial power forces the natives to

This class focuses on engaging students as writers and building awareness needed for success in the future. In the class we write consistently, give feedback to others and receive feedback from own oun writing. In composition 101 students are frequently put at the center of the discussion. This challenges us to express own ideas and to make our ideas compelling to other students. By the end of this course there should be several outcomes. Students should be able to apply strategies for creating ideas for writing, organizing material, provide feedback to peers, and merge evidence from experience into their writing. This class functions as a contact zone because students are constantly debating issues in the classroom. For some students they always want to be the one who’s right, and to be the one who influences their peers. But, students also gain a new perspective from communicating with others about the topic. The classroom contact zone is a place where students can develop and widen their world view. They can express their own personal viewpoints. They can listen to the viewpoints of others. Students are able to learn to recognize the words and phrases embedded in different cultures. Because these words and phrases are shortcuts to understanding a shared history, culture and emotions, recognizing them paints a better picture of understanding of oneself and