CL 2/18

The Mismeasure of Man

• Prompt one: In your opinion, how do the activities of the individuals discussed in last night’s reading match Swales’s benchmarks for a discourse community?
  • I recommend you look over the six criteria Swales lists in his essay (pages 471-473).
  • You can focus on one, two, or all six of the benchmarks for your answer.
• Prompt two: Based on your understanding of the reading you chose to write about in the question above, how did this discourse community spread the “knowledge” they were responsible for creating?
• Prompt three: How do you think the thinking/writing/talking (the discourse) of the special interest group you chose to write about set the foundation for American Jim Crow laws?

Prompt One:

The activities, actions, and thoughts of the people inside of The Mismeasure of Man, had many things that aligned with Swales’s benchmarks for a discourse community. They include a specific lexis, especially when using words/terms such as ‘soft-liners’, and ‘hard-liners. They do have texts/ doctrines/ and theories presented towards their subject. They have a common thought/ belief that white men are the superior race, especially when compared to other races, such as ‘Indians’ and ‘Blacks’. Throughout the text, we are shown numerous examples such as doctrines, theories, and texts that several members in the group had read from, and wrote, to further their goal in establishing that whites were the superior race. Also when doing this, they were trying to establish a ranking system, and furthermore were trying to put ‘blacks’ below chimpanzees.

Prompt Two:

They spread the goal of their community, by analyzing and writing scientific journals, texts, theories, and doctrines. Furthermore, by utilizing these texts, they were ‘teaching’ other scientists, and those in the political hierarchy at the time that these certain things were true, and pushing the idea that there should be a ranking system, and that mixing races would halt the ‘white’ power. Specifically referring to Agassiz, he feared the marriage of a white person with a black person the most.

Prompt Three:

The group I’m looking at played a major role in introducing and leading the way towards Jim crow laws. They pushed for white supremacy, and the degradation of those who were not white, mainly ‘blacks’, ‘Indians’, and the ‘enfeebled’ mixed people. By pushing for ranking systems, and so much degradation, they not only paved the path for these laws to come, but helped to establish this racial way of thinking into the political hierarchy of the time.