How Diversity Shapes Knowledge and Politics in America

Response one pold-01
How Diversity Affects Knowledge and Political Life in America
This week’s readings have resulted in a definition of
diversity that is just as diverse as the term itself. Prior to
reading, I understood diversity to mean cultural differences
among groups of people within a community. However,
diversity is much larger in scope, and, in fact, can differ based
on each person’s individual worldview (Castania 1996, 1).
According to the combination of this week’s readings, a
“working definition” of diversity would be those differences
that set us apart—whether racial, gender, religion, age,
socioeconomic status, upbringing (how, where, in what
context), how we learn and our ability to do so, sexual
preferences, physical differences, and more. There is an added
nuance to this term, however, deriving from the significance we
place on these differences (Castania 1996, 2): after all, diversity
may not even be acknowledged in social settings in which
members do not perceive that there are differences (although,
admittedly, the diversity does still exist).
Diversity greatly effects our knowledge—both in fact and in
perceived understanding. The emergence of dominant culture
groups in America has led to a skewed history—one in which
minorities (or “subordinate groups” (Healey 2010, 9)) have
largely been ignored. This oversight has caused history to be
taught in the viewpoint of high levels of social dominance
orientation (Nauert 2012), which serves to perpetuate
inequalities in society—in turn perpetuating discrimination and
prejudice. Additionally, how individuals process information is
greatly affected by their life experiences, which includes all of
those elements in the definition of diversity. For this reason,
teacher familiarity with student diversity is crucial in
facilitating learning. Schools are failing at reaching minority
students, and an achievement gap continues to exist in public
schools, despite movements toward equality in the past 70+

years. Nearly a third of students in schools with high numbers
of minorities, and/or high numbers of impoverished students
will not graduate because they fail to make it past their first
year of high school (Saravia-Shore 2008, 41). As our nation
continues to diversify, these numbers may worsen if public
schools do not intervene by placing a greater priority on closing
the achievement gap. As Kathy Castania wrote in her report for
the Cornell Migrant Program, considering and acknowledging
the “historical power imbalance” that continues to pervade our
nation will bring about positive change that will lead to greater
equity in all aspects of society (1996, 2).
The diverse experiences, values, cultures, and physical traits of
American citizens also affects their political beliefs, priorities,
and participation. The divergent views on important policy
considerations—such as affirmative action, transgender
participation in the military, and immigration—are formed by
life experiences, which are viewed in context of our differences.
Dr. Joseph Healey, a scholar in the field of diversity, writes that
“group membership” greatly affects choices at the voting booth
because heritage and other factors shape how we view society,
ourselves, and others, and what it means to be “American”
(Healey 2010, 5). Therefore, the worldview of individuals
shapes policy stances and priorities. For instance, while 78% of
Blacks saw racism against Blacks as a widespread policy issue,
only 51% of Whites saw racism as a continued problem in
America (Healey 2010, 10). These perceptions and divergent
views have an impact at the polls, and therefore help form the
policy agenda of our nation.
Further, according to a study by Dr. Robert Putnam, there is a
direct correlation between the amount of diversity within a
community and civic activism—the more diverse, the less likely
individuals will vote (Jonas 2007). This explains in part why the
policy agenda and elected officials overwhelmingly tip in favor
of White males. However, a Census Bureau report released in
2015 projects that by 2060, some major changes will take place
in American society. First, only about one-third of the American

population is projected to be single-race. Secondly, the Bureau
anticipates that about 20% of the American population will be
foreign born. These major changes, along with the estimate that
2044 will be the year that minorities exceed the current
dominant White demographic (2015), will have considerable
implications on the political landscape. The mobilization of
White voters for a candidate running in the 2016 election on
what some consider a xenophobic platform demonstrates the
backlash of the core group as the dominant status begins to
diminish. Programs to help bridge gaps between social groups
through the development of “ally” and “empowered” identity
building (Castania 1996, 3) will be crucial in developing policy
agendas that more closely reflect the nation’s societal evolution.
Bibliography
Castania, Kathy. DIVERSITY: What is Diversity? Ithica, NY:
Cornell Cooperate Extension Office, 1996, 1-4.
Healey, Joseph. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity and
Gender. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, 2010.
Jonas, Michael. "The Downside of Diversity: A Harvard
Political Scientist finds that diveristy hurts civic life. What
happens when a liberal scholar unearths an inconvenient
truth?" The Boston Globe. August 5, 2007.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/.
Nauert, Rick. "Diversity Defined in Part by Ideology." Pysch
Central. March 2, 2012. ),
http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/03/02/diversity-defined-in-
part-by-ideology/35517.html.
"New Census Bureau Report Analyzes U.S. Population
Projections." United States Census Bureau. March 3, 2015.
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-
tps16.html.
Saravia-Shore, Marietta. "Diverse Teaching Strategies for
Diverse Learners." <copyitem>In Educating Everybody's
Children: Diverse Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners,
Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition, by Robert W. Cole, 41-97.

Alexandria, VA: ACSD, 2008.
Response two pold-01
According to this week’s readings, diversity can mean many
different things. The term has been over used and
mischaracterized to include people who have different views
and likes in any way, including personality traits and food
preferences. In order to talk about diversity, the conversation
needs to be directed at specific traits. For the purpose of this
class, we measure and define diversity as the demographic
differences within the American population. Demographics
focused on for this course include but are not limited to race,
ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. In modern politics, it
is important to understand diversity and its role in order to
recognize the benefits that come out of a country that includes
all minorities. With the demographics of America changing and
whites no longer going to be the racial majority by 2044, more
attention should be given to minorities because together they
will become the majority.
Michael Jonas writes about a study that recognizes too much
diversity can become a challenge. The study found that
communities that have a high diversity rating typically vote
less, volunteer less, give to charities less, and even trust each
other less. (Jonas, 2007) this outcome was understandably
surprising and many have steered away from it for fear of
political correctness. However, the study has opened doors for
researchers to address the challenges to diversity and be
proactive on finding ways to encourage diversity and increase
civic engagement. On the flip side, another stud was noted to
try to explain why some very diverse places such as New York,
London, Rio de Janiero, and LA were thriving with creativity
and leading the financial economy. It pretty much all boils
down to, “by hanging out with people different than you, you’re
likely to get more insights. Diverse teams tend to be more
productive.” (Jonas, 2007) With regards to politics, diversity is
very important in order to understand and represent solutions to
peoples’ needs that may not be obvious to everyone.

Castania, Kathy. “What is Diversity?” Cornell Cooperative
Extension, 1996,
http://extension.usu.edu/diversity/files/uploads/diversity704.pdf
(accessed March 8, 2018).
Jonas, Michael. “The Downside of Diversity.” The Boston
Globe, August 5, 2007, News section,
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/08/05/th
e_downside_of_diversity/?page=full (accessed March 8, 2018).
POLS512 Week 1 Lesson
Response three
According to the readings, the concept of “diversity” has
multiple definitions. However, at the root of diversity is the
idea of membership in different groups generally based on
demographic groups such as race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual
orientation. It is important to provide as much clarity as
possible to the concept of diversity because, as Nauert (2012)
discussed, diversity can be defined in such a broad, nebulous
manner that the entire concept loses meaning. The ambiguity
resulting from a broad, nebulous definition can be used to
justify preexisting preferences and prejudices.
Healey (2010) explores the relationship between different
groups, the characteristics that define those groups, and theories
that are useful in examining our understanding of diversity in
American politics. Concepts such as institutional
discrimination, the unequal treatment based on group
membership, that is built into the day-to-day functions of
society are necessary to understand disparities in knowledge
acquisition and political life.
Healey (2010) also discusses the importance of not treating
social labels as true labels for all groups. People do not always
think of themselves in the same terms society uses as
descriptors. Each level of a person’s identity has different
weight in their own understanding, simply stated, race may be

the most important descriptor for one member of a group but
another member may place more importance on their sexuality
as their dominant identifier. Demographic descriptors are useful
for loosely grouping people together but no person belongs to
only one group. There will be overlap and intersections that
increase the complex relationship between diversity and
American political life.
Diversity is approached in a number of ways, as discussed by
Castania (1996), people often approach diversity from the
perspective of tourists and seeking only the obvious differences
in a search for the exotic. However, diversity is very much a
domestic issue with differences not only evident between
groups, but among groups. These differences make most people
nervous and hesitant, as noted by Jonas (2007) but the gaps
between groups are eventually bridged creating an environment
of understanding rather than fear.
People do not approach American political life or knowledge in
a vacuum, life experiences inform how people utilize knowledge
and understand the political sphere. While no two people have
identical experiences, creating a multitude of ways to approach
knowledge and politics, it can be assumed that a broad enough
group would have a similar approach. The differences that
encourage an atmosphere of creativity and innovation (Lambert,
2016) can also be the basis for rifts in how people understand
and approach politics. While it is impossible for people to know
or understand exactly what motivates others in political life, or
any other area, it is possible to understand that all people
approach the same situations and issues from different places.
That being said, when people who are members of different
groups socialize and interact on a personal level, there is an
opportunity to learn about concepts like institutional
discrimination and how society maintains divisions at a
systemic level as they impact people with different experiences.
Socializing with people outside the normal comfort zone
provides a context in which people can have positive
interactions with one another without the institutional or

societal expectations blocking opportunities to make positive
individual changes in how diversity is viewed (Antonio, 2001).
Understanding how the concept of diversity impacts the way
people approach political life is necessary to begin bridging the
gaps in how American political life is understood, approached,
and applied. Diversity is important for creativity and
innovation, understanding the differences between groups is not
pursued to eliminate the differences but to find where and how
different groups can work together to complement and enhance
each other.
References
Antonio, A. L. (2001). The role of interracial interaction in the
development of leadership skills and cultural knowledge and
understanding. Research in Higher Education, 42(5), 593-617.
http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy2.apus.edu/10.1023/A:1011054427581
Retrieved from https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/docview/763669951?accountid=8289
Castania, Kathy. “What is Diversity?” Cornell Cooperative
Extension,
1996, http://extension.usu.edu/diversity/files/uploads/diversity7
04.pdf (accessed March 5, 2018).
Healey, Joseph F. “Diversity in the United States: Questions
and Concepts,” In Diversity and society: Race, Ethnicity and
Gender, Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press, 2010.
Jonas, Michael. “The Downside of Diversity.” The Boston
Globe, August 5, 2007, News
section, http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/
articles/2007/08/05/the_downside_of_diversity/?page=full (acce
ssed March 5, 2018).
Lambert, J. (2016). “Cultural Diversity as a Mechanism for
Innovation: Workplace Diversity and the Absorptive Capacity
Framework”. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal,
20(1), 68-77. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/docview/1851028857?accountid=8289.
Nauert, Rick. “Diversity Defined in Part by Ideology”. Psych
Central (March 2,

2012), http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/03/02/diversity-
defined-in-part-by-ideology/35517.html (accessed March 5,
2018).
Response four
Our notes define diversity as “the demographic differences
within the American population.” Dr. Nauert, who referenced
an article by Miguel Unzueta, identified diversity to mean
“inclusiveness toward historically disadvantaged
groups.” Webster’s dictionary defines diversity as “a point or
respect in which things differ.” Robert Putnam, author of
“Bowling Alone,” identified the opposite of what I thought
diversity to mean. Putnam says that greater diversity in
communities causes negative social effects. He found that more
diversity causes people to adopt what he termed a ‘turtle effect’
which makes communities less healthy. Putnam says, greater
diversity causes fewer people to vote, give less to charity,
volunteer less for community services, and produce less trust as
in most homogenous settings.” Diversity to me means
inclusiveness, it means that people should not be separated by
the color of law. It means actors of different disciplines can
work together towards a common goal, it means athletes
compete together or against each other fairly. It means equal
justice under the laws of our nation.
I was raised in the sixties when segregation was the law. Like
the lesson notes states, there is still a great fear of a racially
diverse nation in the Southern part of our country where I
reside. The local politics here are hindered with diversity
issues and a lack of trust among council members. The 2000
citizenship census report identified Latinos as the largest
minority group in the United States, a diversity issue in politics
today. Dr. Nauert says, “everyone is comfortable talking about
diversity, but not everyone is comfortable when it comes to
discussing the issues of race and gender.” I believe that to be
true in today’s environment, and in my experiences, our
American “social capital” has a distinct technological tone to it
now, called social media, which provides a cyber blanket for

diversity to be camouflaged even more. This technology
enables and facilitates new networks to organize and
communicate in real time either for or against issues of
diversity and has no physical barriers to infiltration. Diversity
is an evolving issue, continually expanding, and being used to
refer to people who are different in personality traits, their
tastes in foods, and their right to gender neutrality
decisions. The civil rights movement was a strong influence on
what I thought diversity to be. It was a time when the United
States and the Soviet Union were locked in a cold war for super
hegemon status. Communities of like color did not hunker
down as Robert Putnam states because of segregation laws
limiting interactions. Putman says, “people now, living in
ethnically diverse settings appear to ‘hunker down’ and retreat
inward like turtles,” and further states, “diversity, in the short
run, brings out the turtle in all of us.” Our nation has a history
of domestic and foreign political issues. On the foreign front,
we face evolving threats of Nuclear Warfare and nuclear
proliferation, just like our current international relations
situations around the world. Domestically, past and present
political presidencies were involved in scandals, and
segregation laws, both public and private were being challenged
by minority groups. Diversity was a race to put a man on the
moon before the USSR, and perhaps the most captivating
domestic political struggles involving diversity issues were the
assassinations of major political figures like President Kennedy,
and civil rights leaders Dr. King, and Malcolm X. It was
enough to effect change of laws that suppressed diversity. The
meaning of diversity was mainly racial when I was younger, but
as I’ve grown, it has become much more than the pigmentation
of skin. Military service was a major reason the meaning has
more to it than just a racial connotation. Diversity now means,
gender, housing, labor, religion, work, and many more things
that must be considered besides the obvious issues of race
relations. Michael Jonas, author of, “The Downside of
Diversity” says, “diversity makes us uncomfortable, but that

discomfort, isn’t always a bad thing.” He goes on to state that
“culture clashes can produce a dynamic give-and-take effect in
a work environment by producing competition to solve complex
problems before other groups or genders solve them first.
Even though I wore the same uniform as my comrades in arms
while serving, there were times when we were separated
politically by issues of diversity (a sort of give and take) that
were masked by uniformity. It taught me to see past the
obvious! My ‘social dominance orientation’ motivated me to
try to change the status quo, myself. Take our current political
climate concerning the rights of legal and illegal
immigration. Our countries Diversity Immigrant Visaprogram
is a program designed to give a permanent resident (green)
card. It’s a diversity lottery system operated by the State
Department. The immigration and nationality act (INA) makes
available 50,000 visas annually, with a goal of diversifying the
immigrant population in the United States. Immigrations
applicants can apply at the State Department’s website, free of
charge. Since Latinos have surpassed African-Americans as a
major minority group, then congressional action is
needed? Politically, how can a government allow illegal
immigration to get so out of control. It’s not lawful, and
constitutionally it creates a political problem for the nation on
both sides of the issue? The thirteenth amendment to the
constitution abolished slavery, and involuntary servitude. The
fourteenth amendment defined citizenship along with due
process, and equal protection. The fifteenth amendment
prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on race, color or
condition of servitude. Our constitution is a document that
deals with diversity issues of inclusiveness. It was created to
guard against tyrannous leaders who lacked the discipline to
diversify. I once believed that I had a good grasp of the
diversity issues, not! I’m still learning how to diversify my
portfolio, and we all know how important finances are, at least
to me!

References:
Nauert, Rick, Diversity Defined in Part by Ideology, March
2012, http://psychcentral.com/news/w012/03/02/diversity-
defined-in-part-by-ideology/35517.html
Jonas, Michael, The Downside of Diversity, The Boston Globe,
August 5, 2007, News
section, http://www.boston.com/news/globe/edeas/articles/2007/
08/05/the-dowside-ofdiversity/?
Castania, Kathy, what is Diversity, Comely Cooperative
Extension,
1996, http://extension usu.edu/diversity/files/uploads/diversity
704.pdf
< Previous ConversationNext Conversation >
ON ETHICS: YOU BE THE JUDGE
Indecent Proposal?
A contractor’s suggestion to a local engineering office may—or
may not—cross the line.
The Situation
Brocken Hardplace’s firm was hired by Clyint to provide
engineering design services in connection with the design and
construction of Clyint’s building. Part of the services
Hardplace’s firm performs includes assistance when seeking
construction bids from contractors. One of the steel fabrication
contractors, an out-of-state company proposing to submit a
construction bid, contacted one of Hardplace’s firm’s local
engineering offices to determine whether the office would be
interested in submitting a proposal to provide engineering
review services in connection with the steel fabrication process.
What Do You Think?

Would it be ethical for the local engineering office to submit a
proposal to provide engineering review services in connection
with the steel fabrication process for the steel fabrication
contractor? [footnoteRef:1] [1: from National Society of
Professional Engineers (NSPE) website, “On Ethics: YOU BE
THE JUDGE”
https://www.nspe.org/resources/pe-magazine/december-
2013/you-be-judge-indecent-proposal
]
Support your conclusions by consulting the NSPE Code of
Ethics for Engineers (posted under Course
Documents/Engineering Ethics) and citing the standards that
apply to this case. Also use the Engineering Ethics guide for
testing options in ethics issues (also posted under Course
Documents/Engineering Ethics).

What the Board of Ethical Review Said
Engineers are often called upon by various parties involved in
the design and construction process to provide engineering
services in a variety of capacities. These parties may include the
project owner, other design professionals, contractors,
subcontractors and suppliers, vendors, public agencies, and
other parties. When called upon to provide these engineering
services, engineers need to be mindful of a potential conflict of
interest that could arise when attempting to serve more than one
party on the project.
One of the most fundamental principles in the NSPE Code of
Ethics is the concept that an individual engineer should not be
in a position to perform a review of his/her own work for a
client unless the circumstances are fully disclosed and agreed to
by the client and/or other parties as appropriate. By serving as
an owner’s representative, in most circumstances an engineer
may be required to check a contractor or subcontractor’s work,
including possibly the work of an engineer retained by the
contractor or subcontractor. As the facts here suggest, this could
require an engineer to review the work of another engineer. If
the reviewed engineer is an employee within the reviewing
engineer’s own firm, albeit in a separate, out-of-state office,
this type of review could easily constitute an actual conflict of
interest.
At a minimum, an engineer would have an obligation to bring
this issue to the attention of all interested parties. However,
even if all of the parties consent to the proposed review, the
circumstance of an engineer reviewing the work of individuals
within the engineer’s own firm, at a minimum, raises the
appearance of a conflict of interest and also places the engineer

in a potentially untenable situation, should some issue or
disagreement arise between the client and the subcontractor.
As the expression goes, a party cannot serve two masters, and
an engineer should not place himself in a situation where the
engineer’s judgment will be called into question and could be
compromised.
Conclusion
Under the circumstances, it would be unethical for the local
engineering office to submit a proposal to provide engineering
review services in connection with the steel fabrication process
for the steel fabrication contractor.
NSPE Code References
Section I.5: Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional
duties, shall avoid deceptive acts.
Section II.4: Engineers shall act for each employer or client as
faithful agents or trustees.
Section II.4.a: Engineers shall disclose all known or potential
conflicts of interest that could influence or appear to influence
their judgment or the quality of their services.
Section II.4.b: Engineers shall not accept compensation,
financial or otherwise, from more than one party for services on
the same project, or for services pertaining to the same project,
unless the circumstances are fully disclosed and agreed to by all
interested parties.
Section III.5: Engineers shall not be influenced in their
professional duties by conflicting interests.[footnoteRef:1] [1:
from National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
website, “On Ethics: YOU BE THE JUDGE”
https://www.nspe.org/resources/pe-magazine/december-
2013/you-be-judge-indecent-proposal]

Effective Communication Skills for Engineers
April 1, 2016
Presenter: Beth Richards
Director, 1st and 2nd Year Writing
*
*
OverviewWhy Do Engineers Write?Speak?Essential Concepts:
Audience and PurposeAlso Essential: Effective Delivery
Format/design (for writing)Tone, gestures, etc. (for
speaking)Ways to Build Your Skills
*
*
Question #1
True or False: You can survive in today’s workplace with great
technical skills (no need for writing or teamwork skills)
*
*

Answer: FalseIn today’s job market, no. And you certainly
won’t thrive without communication and teamwork skills.Who
gets promoted?People with required technical skillsPeople who
understand relationship between design and costPeople who
communicate well, especially with non-engineers (and with
team members)
*
*
One Expert Says
“A lot of good ideas never see the light of day because the
engineers who have them are unable to communicate their
ideas.”
--John Rossiter, chemical engineer, consultant
Source: cagle.com
*
Source: cagle.com
*
Another Expert Says…
“Engineers may spend as much as 60% of their working hours
writing to diverse audiences to achieve a variety of purposes.”
Source: Texas A&M engineering handbook
*

Source: Texas A&M engineering handbook
*
Why Do Engineers Write? Reason #1To inform—share data with
engineers and non-engineersIdeas!Documentation of processes
(design, testing)Technical specificationsAnalysis of problem or
issueProgress reports
*
*
Why Do Engineers Write? Reason #2To persuade (ask for
action)Proposals/grantsFeasibility reportsAnalytical reports
(with conclusions)Cost-benefit analysis (this will pay for
itself)Best-practices analysis (best solution is…)Design analysis
(this design will work because…)White paper (argues a specific
position or solution to a problem)
*
*
Information + PersuasionInformative: Explaining a design
conceptPersuasive: Convincing decision maker that the concept

is worth developing ($$)Everything you write tells the reader
something about you:Detail orientedPreciseUnderstand more
than just data/technical information
*
*
Why Do Engineers Write?
Reason #3To cover their…liabilitiesDocumentation of work
processes, costs, design testing, etc. Writing is a record of your
informed, ethical, engineering decisions
*
*
Ask Yourself…
Why was Volkswagen trying to destroy all those emails and test
documents?
Source: Infographicsworld.com
*
*

So How to Build Writing That Works?It’s not magic!Learn
some basic conceptsUse some useful formatsWrite, revise,
repeat
*
*
Essential Concept 1: AudienceThe target of your writing or
presentationEffective writers learn everything they can about
the audience: Knowledge level/specializationPosition in
organizationEssential demographics (male, female,
age)Essential psychographics (attitudes, biases)Context in
which the audience will receive the information
*
*
Who Is the Audience?
65yo male patient admitted to ED 1330. Physical exam:
cyanosis, bilateral lower extrem edema. Auscultation revealed
tachycardia + crepitations. EKG 1400 revealed short Q waves.
Cardiac enzymes neg. DX: CHF. Rx: Lasix 40mg/dL IV,
5mg/dL bolus, 24 hr admit.
*

*
Technical Language Is GreatAs long as everyone reading it has
the expertise to understandReality: Most engineers work in a
“mixed” environment of engineering experts and experts in
other fields (finance, management, logistics, etc.)Engineers
must adapt their specialized language to be understood
*
*
Audience, continuedAudience analysis takes up-front time, but
it yields excellent resultsMakes writing more
accurateEliminates overwriting and underwritingMakes writing
process more efficient Key: Target audience, then use
vocabulary, amount of info., format, etc. to adapt material
specifically for that audience
*
*
Back to This Poor Guy…
How can you make this information accessible to a non-expert?
65yo male patient admitted to ED 1330. Physical exam:
cyanosis, bilateral lower extrem edema. Auscultation revealed

tachycardia + crepitations. EKG 1400 revealed short Q waves.
Cardiac enzymes neg. Dx: CHF. Rx: Lasix 40mg/dL IV, 5mg/dL
bolus, 24 hr admit.
*
*
CHF Stands for…Congestive heart failure or critical head
fracture to medical peopleSwiss franc to bankersCritical heat
flux to electronics expertsChildren’s Hospital Foundation to
philanthropistsCustom home furnishings to furniture
retailersCrazed Heidi Fangirl to…???
*
Essential Concept 2: PurposeEffective writing has a reason for
being writtenAsk yourself: what purpose do I want this
document to achieve?Show my instructor that I understand the
course conceptsPersuade a funder that the best course of action
is giving me money for my new designQuickly and effectively
inform my supervisor of a delay in a project deadline
*
*

Ways to “Check” Your Purpose—Ask Yourself:What do I want
reader to do after they’ve read my document?Is that stated
clearly early in the document?Do I have so much information
that my reader might be confused about what to do next?Useful
guiding formula: In this document I will do x so that my reader
will do y.
*
*
You May Or May Not Be ExplicitIn this analysis I will show the
benefits of modifying the prototype design so that my
supervisor will approve continued testingIn this trip report I
will explain the conference workshops I attended, what I
learned, and how they will help me do my job better, so that my
supervisor will agree to pay for another conference
*
*
Essential Concept 3: DesignAudiences/readers have
expectations about how documents look—their designWriter’s
job: meet those expectationsFormal report: front and back
matter, report body, appendices, graphicsInformal report: block
paragraphs, headings, memo or emailPresentation: PowerPoint
(with handouts, without handouts, with or without graphics,

video, etc.)
*
*
Yes, Make It Visually Appealing
You wouldn’t like to read a document like this that goes on
and on and on endlessly about stuff you really don’t understand
because after a while such a document gets incredibly boring
and your mind begins to drift and then you realize that you’ve
run your eyes over four or five pages but you haven’t
remembered anything and so you go back and read it again and
you fall asleep and so you read it again and try to concentrate
but there are no breaks in the page and no place for your eyes to
rest and you just give up.
Right?
*
*
Visual Appeal MeansEnough white space to “rest” the
eyesHeadings to break up text, organize, orientGraphics to
convey concepts or data that are laborious to convey in
wordsUse of standard typeface—and big enough to read from
back of roomAvoiding distracting elements (such as graphics
that don’t add meaning or typefaces like this).
*

*
Factoid
Source: Google Images
*
Source: Google Images
*
Design for PresentationsTwo parts:Presentation software
(PowerPoint, Prezi) is clear and readableSpeaker traits (eye
contact, gestures, voice pace and tone) add to contentBoth
should work together to make you
lookSmartFocusedProfessional
*
*
What About Grammar and Style?Correct grammar helps readers
navigate your writing quickly and easilyIncorrect grammar
distracts—and may make readers conclude that you’re (a)
careless or (b) not very brightStyle: think functional rather than
literaryShorter sentences—strong subjects and verbsConcrete

rather than abstract termsStraightforward, no nonsense, no fluff
*
*
Which Is Correct?
The average executive, vice-president level, has an attention
span of:5 minutes1 minute25 seconds3 minutes
*
*
The Writer’s Task Understand what the audience needs or
wants (including time constraints)Determine the writer’s
purpose for writing this document (or making this
presentation)Use the format that the audience expects
*
*
Ways to Build Your SkillsLearn concepts (audience, purpose,
etc.) so that you write with purpose rather than
accidentallyPractice as many types of writing as you can
(emails are writing!)Ask for and pay attention to

feedbackPractice some more
*
*
Questions? Comments?
*
Source: gettimelyblog.com
Source: gettimelyblog.com
*

How Diversity Shapes Knowledge and Politics in America

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