Designing Interculturally: Adopting a Social Justice Research Framework for "Seeing Difference". (January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pennell, Therese I.
• Other Names: DeTora Lisa guest-editor.; Hinson Katrina guest-editor.; Williams Joseph guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of technical writing & communication. Volume 53:Number 1(2023)
• Page Start: 33
• Page End: 49
• Publication Date: 2023-01
• Subjects: visual rhetoric -- intercultural communication -- design -- intercultural design -- technical communication pedagogy -- social justice research framework; Technical writing -- Periodicals; 808.0666
• DOI: 10.1177/00472816221125191
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0047-2816

Abstract

This paper suggests adding a social justice framework to the questions that Kostelnick suggests to help students investigate culture in "Seeing Difference." Using visual rhetoric to teach technical communication is beneficial for students; however, problematic representations of culture may unintentionally appear in visual design and are easy to overlook. Using a social justice framework that promotes a contextual study of culture should allow technical communication instructors to prepare students to investigate the social and political aspects of culture. This paper, therefore, revisits "Seeing Difference" and asks that technical communication instructors guide students to research sociopolitical aspects of culture and visuals to develop designs that are interculturally appropriate.