In the article, Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces by Elizabeth Wardle does a very good job in explaining the importance of Identity and Authority. The author thoroughly explains the research that has been done in which these two terms are important communication factors in office settings and identities are intricately linked to the genres they are expected to represent. As I was reading this article, I wasn’t 100% sure what the meaning of these terms were until Wardle explained it. Before I would have thought that “Authority and your Identification” wasn’t a big deal in the real world but according to this article and the experience that the author points out in this article it is a very big deal. Overall, these two terms was important because they have an impact on the author.
Everyone has an identity. But it can be influenced by your surroundings and the Discourse Community that you are in. According to Elizabeth Wardle, “Like other postmodern theories, socio-historic theories see identity—the “subject”—as a complex “construction of the various signifying practices . . . formed by the various dis-courses, sign systems, that surround her” (Berlin 18). Your identity changes due to this “Discourse Community” because you socialize yourself a lot with this group. By doing this you pick up their personality and in a lot of cases believe that your identity isn’t enough to fit in.
Within the aspect of identity, there are three types. The first one is Engagement. Engagement is defined as a relationship within the group. This can be helpful because let’s just say you’re new to the Discourse, if there is a form of “Engagement” you will feel more comfortable within the group and possibly outside the group. “Imagination” refers to the procedure of expanding. This can mean picturing something that you created in your head about the world. Lastly, alignment is searching for a “common ground.” This means finding where you belong and finding out your own identity.
As I was reading Wardle’s portion about Authority. It completely gave me a new sense of perspective and understanding. The author was speaking about how the term “Authority” is asymmetric among the speaker and audience. Meaning you as the speaker have to be the main focus and take control. This can also be referred to in your writing because if you use authority properly you will succeed in taking your readers with you into the journey of your paper or story. But if you do not take authority you will lose the reader in an instant. I have never thought of the word authority in this form until I read this article by Wardle.
In the article by Elizabeth Wardle, she mentions a person named Alan who worked as a computer support specialist. While he was in this workforce he wasn’t very happy because of certain things that had happened within the job which made him feel out of place. One of the reasons was feeling unnoticed and not receiving the opportunities that come with this job. Since all of this happened, he decided to find another job where it was the complete opposite of his previous job. In this job, he has gotten more respect and didn’t have to prove himself. This story proves his authority. As I was reading the story of Alan I contributed a lot of the same factors as he. For instance, if I’m in a workplace where I feel like I don’t belong and I am not using the skill that I have with me I would do the same thing as Alan.
In conclusion, Identity and Authority are two important factors to consider within your writing and who you are as a person. It is important to have some type of Authority but leave some room to continue to find your identity. With the story of Alan, it has truly inspired me. It inspires me to know where I stand and not settle for less in a way. Elizabeth Wardle has truly done a great job in distinguishing these two terms while also giving examples of where you can use them.
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