Constructing Knowledges: The Politics of Theory-Building and Pedagogy in Composition

by Sidney I. Dobrin

In this thought-provoking and gracefully written new book, Sidney Dobrin examines current debates over the relative value of theoretical and practical knowledges, both in the academy in general and in the discipline of rhetoric and composition. He explores arguments about whether theorizing is an appropriate mode of scholarly inquiry for a field that is primarily informed by practical knowledge, whether theory-building in general speaks to local concerns, and whether the production of theory in composition leads to scholarship that is more obfuscating than illuminating. Ultimately, Dobrin argues that theoretical investigation should be an indispensable form of knowledge-making in composition and that theory and practice must necessarily inform one another.

Paperback

First published March 1, 1997

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dobrin basically wrote this book to fight against what he calls the "pedagogical imperative," otherwise known as the idea that if a theory cannot be immediately translated into practice in the classroom, it has no place in composition studies. I agree with Dobrin's idea, but the book is very repetitive. Each of the content chapters is a lengthy example of the problems of the pedagogical imperative based on a different theory.