Identity, authority, and learning to write in new workplaces

Throughout Elizabeth Wardle’s writing, she makes certain points that addresses learning to write in new and different workplaces. She explains how our identity and authority affects how we write when we are in different and new workplaces that we are not used to. Wardle conducts research on two different groups and gathers information on how writing in new workplaces affects how they write. Some research she found was compositionists focus on culture and historic theories can affect their writing, while she also found that sociologists study background. Throughout her writing, she works with a sociologist who explains that there are three different modes that someone in a new workplace will try to make themselves feel welcomed and as if they have been there before. The three modes that are mentioned are engagement, imagination, and alignment. Wardle states that engagement “refers to a newcomers interactions with insiders of the community building interpersonal relationships with them.” Imagination “is the next step after and engagement, and usually refers to the beginning of a newcomer to form their identity.” And alignment “includes these newcomers who begin to align their ideas with the old timer’s point of view. Alignment can lead to their loss of identity.” In other words, Wardle describes how writers can gain the comfortability in new workspaces and how they can gain confidence to fit in and feel welcomed. By trying to study in new workspaces, this offers a sense of learning the environment and the people around you, and being able to gain a sense of acceptance in the new workspace.