April A. Kedrowicz

Gendered tensions: Exploring student's resistance to communication instruction.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to draw from the authors’ experiences, as women teaching Communication in a College of Engineering and mechanical engineering students’ evaluations, to highlight student resistance to both practices and bodies deemed “feminine.”Design/methodology/approach – The authors examine how the masculine discipline of engineering might construct a learning environment that is incompatible with feminist ideals. This is illuminated when engineering students are required to learn communication skills from female instructors.Findings – The authors’ analysis suggests that students’ resistance to communication instruction is gendered. Students often constructed hierarchical relationships where communication was considered “soft” in relation to the “hard” science of engineering instead of integral to the discipline and profession. Students resisted by expressing a lack of utility of information, devaluing feedback and instruction, degrading communication teachers, and questioning the...

Shifting Rhetorical Norms and Electronic Eloquence: TED Talks as Formal Presentations

Advances in digital media have made an impact on traditional rhetorical culture, thus shifting expectations and norms associated with orality and public presentation. Technology, entertainment, and design (TED) talks represent a new genre of presentation characteristic of Jamieson’s notion of electronic eloquence in that presenters weave together an engaging narrative complete with a strong visual presence. This study applies Bandura’s social cognitive learning theory to explore how students make sense of TED talks. Students responded to two questionnaires in two different classes: a basic public speaking course and a technical communication course. The results suggest that students learn vicariously through viewing mediated presentations, thus shaping their view of public speaking as a coproduced, networked, and engaging narrative. The authors offer recommendations for communication practitioners related to electronic eloquence and the rhetorical tradition.

(Re)Situating Communication in the Disciplines: Taking Gender into Account

Communication in the disciplines (CID) is a model of situated pedagogy that prepares students for the communication demands of their professional work. A defining feature of CID is its “situatedness.” Communication is meant to uphold, not disrupt, disciplinary norms surrounding communication outcomes, genres, and assessment. However, by upholding rather than critically examining and shifting disciplinary norms, CID runs the risk of being an unwitting ally in the maintenance of gendered inequities in the disciplines and professions. We argue that CID, as both situated and representative of contradiction, can highlight tensions internal to disciplinary activities, thus positioning CID to be an agent of expansion. We draw from feminist theory and socialization and genre research to show how CID instructors and instruction can facilitate engagement with the contradictions and tensions characterizing the CID classroom to promote a more inclusive community of practice.

Do All Dogs Go to Heaven? Investigating the Association between Demographic Characteristics and Beliefs about Animal Afterlife

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research was to explore American’s beliefs about animal afterlife based on key demographic factors such as sex, race/ethnicity, age, geographic region, religion/faith, and pet ownership. We attained a large and diverse sample of respondents (n = 800) using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, and attempted to make the data fairly representative of the United States population by applying post-stratification weights based on auxiliary statistics obtained from US Census data. Results of the study suggest that many people perceive animal lives as similarly sacred as human lives. Evidence also suggests that one’s membership in a particular demographic category may have considerable bearing on views about animal afterlife. The authors recommend veterinarians remain cognizant that some people extend their own views on issues such as spirituality to their pets and those beliefs and values can impact veterinary care and decision-making.

Survey of Diplomates of the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology Regarding Perceptions of the Value of This Certification

An anonymous, online questionnaire was sent to active diplomates of the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology (DABVTs; n = 95) to determine the attitudes of veterinary toxicologists toward their ABVT certification and the adequacy of the training programs in this discipline. We gathered information related to demographics, educational and work history, and other specialty board membership. Ten questions sought the respondent’s opinion related to the economic value of the specialty, whether workforce shortages for DABVT exist, and whether DABVTs should complete a residency or graduate program. Fifty-one (54%) DABVTs responded. Their mean age was 58 and most (88%) held a graduate degree. When respondents were asked to rate their level of agreement (strongly disagree = 1; strongly agree = 5), most (73%) agreed or strongly agreed (median = 4) that there was a shortage of DABVTs. Fourteen (27%) participants strongly disagreed that the ABVT certification was required for their position, while 15 (29%) strongly agreed with this statement (median = 3). Most respondents agreed that the ABVT certification has been critical to their career (median = 4), in addition to a financial benefit to being a DABVT (median = 4). Most (67%) participants strongly or somewhat disagreed that current training programs are adequate to meet the shortage of DABVT (median = 2). Our findings indicate there is concern about the number of DABVTs and the adequacy of training programs to meet this perceived need. These findings improve our understanding of current attitudes of DABVTs toward their specialty.