Blog Post #11

Assignment: Write about how you will revise your argument in Essay 4 for a different medium and audience and what you learned by doing so.
· Remind readers of the context and give an overview of your argument for Essay 4
o In my essay, Diagnosing Male Nurses, I addressed the stereotypes and misconceptions that the American public faces. It is oftentimes the patients who are not accepting of male nurses, so it is important that they are the audience. I argued the different theories in making moral decisions, the affect that media has in portraying nursing as a field not fit for men and inferior to doctors, and general gender difference that the society creates. I argued that men are just as capable as women in the nursing field in terms of caring and making moral decisions despite psychologists’ theories, cultural independencies, and gender intensification.
· Describe what medium you have chosen for the rhetorical revision
o I have chosen a medium that will affect the general public. I have chosen a billboard that flips and shows a different image every five seconds. These billboards have been seen on the side of trucks or by bus stops. On one side of the billboard will be a picture of Florence Nightingale and a group of female nurses in old nursing uniform and the pictures and font will be in black and white. It will read, “Nurses… Providing Care Since 1860.” On the flipped image will be male and female nurses working together in an accepting environment that says, “Welcome to the 21st Century… Nursing… Let’s Unite and Work Together.” Some of these words will be in bold for emphasis, but this side of the billboard will be in color and eye-catching. I need enough time for the audience to see both images, and to think about what they just saw, as opposed to driving on the interstate which would not allow enough time to get my point across.
· Explain in detail the choices you made in turning this into a visual ad for mainstream culture (as opposed to a more academic setting)
o I have decided that for this add, I need to incorporate the history of nursing. I want to briefly educate the general public (the audience) that strictly females in nursing is a thing of the past. In today’s modern world, male nurses are needed and valued. The works unite and together will indicate equality. Equality among men and women. I know that a picture is worth one thousand words, so perhaps this visual aide will be even more effective than my essay!
· What did you learn about the rhetorical process (issues of audience—including location, form, visual appeals, etc.) from making these changes
o Layout- the pictures are going to be centered and are going to be the main point of the billboard. The layout will also include fonts and sayings that get the point across with as few words as possible. Also, certain words will be bolded to get the point across.
o Images- One side showing Florence Nightingale and the other having nurses (of different genders, race, backgrounds) working together to provide care.
o Color- the “history” side will be in black and white and will convey that this is in the past. The other side will be in bright colors, showing today’s modern world.
o Typefaces and Fonts- The ‘history side’ will also probably be in old font, indicating the past.
· Plan an oral presentation for your class in which you will share your rhetorical revision with a visual aid.
o I imagine my oral presentation with me addressing the issues of the board and what certain parts of the board emphasized (as discussed above). I also would be interested in dressing up in nursing scrubs to portray that this is what I plan to get my degree in, so this is something that I am passionate about and something that I will see every day. (pathos) I will also answer any questions that the audience has about my display. My purpose is to address the incorrect stereotypes to the American Culture about men’s position in society as a male nurse. The end result would be a change in the public’s perspective of male nurses to avoid criticism as a patient and to be intolerant of other’s stereotypical comments.

Presentation Thoughts...

Presentation Thoughts….

For my presentation, I really want to emphasize all of the ways that nursing is portrayed in the media and our American culture. I was thinking about maybe doing a presentation with pictures, because I know that pictures are so effective in how nursing is portrayed in the media. In class, Ms. Patrick presented how a picture can lead the audience a certain way or can make them feel certain emotions based on how the picture is cropped, where the title is placed, or even the saturation of color have a huge affect. Also, word choice and the color used are extremely important to convey certain feelings. In my argument paper, I emphasized the comedy, Meet the Parents. To really make my point evident, maybe I can actually retrieve this movie clip and play it for the class on a power point slide show, and then address the issues I presented in my paper. I also thought of the idea of dressing up in class in legitimate nursing scrubs and then presenting pictures of the Halloween costumes of nursing. These pictures will certainly get the point across (if I can find any that are not too suggestive) that nursing is incorrectly portrayed among our peers and larger culture. These are just a few ideas that I have ‘brewing’ in my head.

Topic for Essay 4

Blog
4/4/08
Topic- Females in the United States emphasize a stronger “ethic of care” in making moral decisions in comparison to those moral decisions of U.S. males.
Interest: I am interested in this subject because I stumbled upon the topic in reading. I do not already hold strong convictions, but I am interested in learning and developing more open-ended questions and inquiring about the topic. I have always been intrigued about gender roles and differences in cultural values for genders, so I have an interest- but not my mind is not completely made up about the conclusion.
Brevity: This topic is focusing more on how women and men differ in their ethics of care and emotional attributes in making moral decisions. It focuses more on the decisions the individual makes based on his or her emotional and cultural attributes that affect their ethic of care and therefore how they make moral decisions.
Disagreement: The topic generates and leads to an argumentative standpoint. It generates questions and different viewpoints; it is not just a fact that all people agree upon. The reader can agree with the statement, disagree, or even accept points from both arguments.
Information: There are a plethora of theories concerning moral development of humans through the development of the lifespan. Such theories of Kohlberg and Gilligan can be further explored through research, but I may also incorporate my own experiences. I can even perhaps use primary research through studies that ask opinions of others to support my claim.
Question: The topic will not lead me to answer the question, but it will generate other ideas on what the reader believes, which is not just black and white. There are a variety of other factors that account for moral decisions, such as family, social structures, and cultural environments that can shape what one believes.
This topic interests me, and I am excited to explore this issue!