Flatten the Hierarchy

Introduction

For my potential MATW project I will argue that the English curriculum must avoid focusing on globalization and commercialization in favor of a community based collaborative curriculum. Yet this change in focus cannot succeed in the classroom without first being supported and used by professors of composition within their own department. The current trend of professor specialization and research promotes a hierarchy of leaders and followers in which professors strive to augment their position in the hierarchy for prestige and commercial gain rather than collaborate with faculty to construct a better learning environment for students. By analyzing the historical and postcolonial implications of English and composition in relation to modern-day practices, I will show that a hierarchical system of education is not an effective structure for teaching. Until a collaborative environment can be accepted in a capitalistic teaching model, collaborative learning will not be able to encourage significant changes in curriculum.

Useful Links

For those who desire additional articles related to my research, I suggest viewing my Useful Links menu. The links I have referenced are also listed here:

• "A Note from Robert Connors about Rhetoric and English Departments"
• Beyond English, Inc: Curricular Reform in a Global Economy (Chapter 1)
• "Composition as Management Science"