In Wardle’s article, “Identity, Authority, and Learning To Write In New Workplaces” we see the importance of identity and authority in writing, especially when writing in the workplace. Wardles’s article demonstrates sociologist Wenger’s theory of communities of practice being useful for describing enculturation in a workplace (Wardle.) The characteristics of his theories are engagement, imagination, and alignment. These are elements that are essential in adapting an identity in a new work environment. In engagement, the word speaks for itself. The key action is engaging in the workplace to develop “interpersonal relationships,” as stated in Wardle’s article. The second element is imagination, which is for newcomers in the workplace to look into a broader image that connects them to an extended identity. The third one is alignment, which talks about newcomers who align their ideas with the people who have worked in the workplace for a long time. This element is crucial because individuals can actually lose their identity by trying to adapt to the old comers’ ideas too much. One has to determine how to disperse all information being learned. What I was able to learn from Wegner’s theory is that newcomers have to adapt to the new Discourse community they will be working for. The newcomers must do what the old comers are doing to become part of that community. Even writing should be learned. Even though it may seem as if we are losing our identity, Wegner suggests that his theory is a way to learn new things and develop our identity.
Authority
As demonstrated in Wardle’s article, authority is a negotiated untangible privilege in the workplace. Newcomers automatically receive a certain amount of authority when entering the work environment, it is up to the individual to either execute it in the right or bad way. The story of Alan is presented to us as an example of how wrong authority can be exercised. Alan believed he had more authority than he had. He will send long unnecessary emails and believed he was like a “God” because of his position. In my opinion, Alan was very ignorant and imagined an authority that he never possessed. As a result of his arrogant behavior, the old comers in the workplace didn’t take him seriously and even mocked him. Alan ended up leaving his job after a year and a half. This is a prime example of how the use of authority is essential in knowing how to execute it. We have to be smart with the authority that we gain because if we use it poorly people can take advantage of us. If we do what Alan did then we can make ourselves suffer and eventually lose great opportunities.
Leave a Reply