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ExpressivismThis term is used in composition theory to designate a focus on writing in both research and teaching practice pushed towards “the individual, by teachers wanting students to find their ‘real voices’ and by researchers hoping to study the mental processes during the act of writing” (Harris, 1997, p. 17). The expressivism of the 1960s-70s was constructed based on pedagogical needs; this research strand engendered a debate (that continues today) on the nature of “self” in writing (p. 41). This dabate took the shape of an entrenched dichotomy: does the “self” exist outside of its social or linguistic construction, or is it entirely socially constructed? (see constructivism/social constructivism). The expressivist option is founded partly on a politics of resistance to institutions, the possibility of learning without being taught, the exploration of a discursive certainty created by self-confidence and personal language mastery. L. Faigley (1989), in his analysis of 25 student essays chosen by composition theorists deemed the most representative of “good student writing” observed at the time that almost all of the essays chosen were commented by their presenters as “sincere,” with “strong presence” and a clear ability to present a “meta-“ perspective built on self-reflection. |