What I Gotta Say: Male Motivation to Write

• In Event: 41.084 - Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: 41.084-2 - Literacy and the Social Contexts of Education

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to understand young male college students' perception of academic writing and how that perception caused males to either engage or disengage with academic writing. Findings indicate that males have a paradoxical view of writing as extremely personal yet public. Despite fear of being "seen," males needed to have their writing seen. Writing as product, focusing on the public "rules" and “skills” seemed to foster a sense of confidence and control to engage with academic writing more so than a focus on writing as thinking and idea generation. In addition, the male perception of writing aided in their identity formation as both male and as a college student, affecting their engagement with academic writing.

Author

• JeanMarie Farrow, Temple University