Reminiscing over the past semester, I realized that I have not just grown as a writer but I have grown as a person. It would be easy to boost my confidence and self-esteem by talking about the first few assignments and how they demonstrate the outcome of this course. These assignments, however, do not represent my growth and development in this class. Although they received high marks, they were pieces that were similar to ones that I have previously done in high school, therefore requiring not much effort and just reiteration. I want to focus more on my literature review since I struggled with this assignment. I had to work and produce multiple drafts in order to convey my message in a way that was appropriate and effective. What I have learned in this class is that sometimes the best work does not go by the rules. Although it is important to encompass all the requirements, in order to be successful you do not have to be just like everyone else. Writing is unique to each person, and it's important to represent yourself and take pride in what you're producing rather than just writing to get a grade.
Without having this realization I do not think I would have ever been able to fully demonstrate outcome four. In order to produce complex, analytic, persuasive arguments that matter in academic contexts, you have to think differently then all the research done before you. I feel like I encompass this in my research topic itself. I contradict most of the previous research that has been done on heavy metal music. Although I am aware that I am not the only person in the world that loves heavy metal, I had to think differently in my approach because I did not want my paper to be one long rant. I realized shortly after reading multiple arguments that not much has been from the actual fans point of view. If I did not think differently and merely extended the conversation using the same forms of research previous studies have done, I do not think I would have effectively created a complex, analytic, persuasive argument.
Outcome five is clearly demonstrated in my literature review. When glancing at the first two drafts, it is apparent that the second barely resembles the first. It was obvious that the first draft was not adequate and did not convey my messages in the right way, therefore I had to rewrite nearly the entire paper. A section that clearly demonstrated this outcome is the section entitled heavy metal and its culture. Here is an excerpt from one of the early drafts :
My literature review also demonstrates outcome three. In order to discuss the stigma against heavy metal music I needed to find multiple studies that had the same outcome. I had to synthesize this information so I could form a centralized idea in order to form ideas of my own. The section titled heavy metal and depression takes multiple studies and combines them to create one main idea:
This semester has improved not only my writing itself, but the way I go about producing my work. I realize it takes a lot more effort and focus to write a piece that effectively adds to a discourse community's conversation. It's important to think differently, and to produce work that represents yourself. Writing is not about mimicking other successful work, but encompassing different techniques and ideas to form an writing identity of your own. I've also learned that it's important to not give up on a piece of work, and that it can always improve. I could have easily stopped after the second draft of my literature review, but instead I was determined to make it the best it could be. I am grateful for this course, and how it made me a better writer, a better student, and a better person.
Without having this realization I do not think I would have ever been able to fully demonstrate outcome four. In order to produce complex, analytic, persuasive arguments that matter in academic contexts, you have to think differently then all the research done before you. I feel like I encompass this in my research topic itself. I contradict most of the previous research that has been done on heavy metal music. Although I am aware that I am not the only person in the world that loves heavy metal, I had to think differently in my approach because I did not want my paper to be one long rant. I realized shortly after reading multiple arguments that not much has been from the actual fans point of view. If I did not think differently and merely extended the conversation using the same forms of research previous studies have done, I do not think I would have effectively created a complex, analytic, persuasive argument.
Outcome five is clearly demonstrated in my literature review. When glancing at the first two drafts, it is apparent that the second barely resembles the first. It was obvious that the first draft was not adequate and did not convey my messages in the right way, therefore I had to rewrite nearly the entire paper. A section that clearly demonstrated this outcome is the section entitled heavy metal and its culture. Here is an excerpt from one of the early drafts :
“The media is a biased medium that tells the public how to feel and what to think. Studies show, “two thirds of all music-is-harmful frames about heavy metal were a danger to children while two thirds of the rap pieces were a danger to society” (Binder, 753). Since the media is framing the music in this way, the public assumes that they are correct and will look down on these genres of music. Although rap is also said to be a negative influence, it is still more widely accepted than heavy metal music. Does the media frame the music to be more harmful than what it truly is?”
After receiving feedback from the teacher, it was obvious that there was no context developed that led to my later claims. I revised this section of my literature review multiple times, which is something that I do not normally do for papers. The final product is a lot better than the first draft, however I realize that there is always room for improvement:
“The media is a biased medium that tells the public how to feel and what to think. Binder, a researcher at UC San Diego that specializes in culture, conservative social movements, education, and organization, says: “two thirds of all 'music-is-harmful' frames about heavy metal were a danger to children while two thirds of the rap pieces were a danger to society” (753). Since the media is framing the music in this way, the public assumes that they are correct and will look down on these genres of music. Although rap is also said to be a negative influence, it is still more widely accepted than heavy metal music. Media gives heavy metal a negative connotation which creates two huge problems for this genre. First, children are not exposed to the music in the educational system because of parents and educator's being brainwashed by the media. As for the heavy metal society, they are constantly being stereotyped and generalized into one entity. People within the culture lose all sense of individuality, because those on the outside just assume that the media's portrayal of the dirty, dangerous, drug loving heavy metal listener pertains to every fan.”
This course taught me that the first draft is never perfect, and that reviewing and editing is crucial for an effective piece.
My literature review also demonstrates outcome three. In order to discuss the stigma against heavy metal music I needed to find multiple studies that had the same outcome. I had to synthesize this information so I could form a centralized idea in order to form ideas of my own. The section titled heavy metal and depression takes multiple studies and combines them to create one main idea:
“Some researchers believe there is a strong correlation between heavy metal music and depression. These researchers further claim that the music negatively impacts its listeners, causing adolescent depression (Ekinici et al; Shafron). Listening to heavy metal music at any time is said to be related with a history or background of emotional problems (Ekinici, 574). Also, those who preferred heavy metal music indicated “somewhat higher levels of emotional dysphoria, specifically higher levels on all three measures of dysphoric mood (depression, anxiety, and trait anger)” (Shafron, 83). More specifically, “female listeners suffer from lower self-esteem compared with the male counterparts” ( Arnett, 585).”I used ideas from three different research studies and combine them to form the general claim that heavy metal is correlated with depression. This clearly shows that I analyzed the general conversation about heavy metal music in order to support my own research.
This semester has improved not only my writing itself, but the way I go about producing my work. I realize it takes a lot more effort and focus to write a piece that effectively adds to a discourse community's conversation. It's important to think differently, and to produce work that represents yourself. Writing is not about mimicking other successful work, but encompassing different techniques and ideas to form an writing identity of your own. I've also learned that it's important to not give up on a piece of work, and that it can always improve. I could have easily stopped after the second draft of my literature review, but instead I was determined to make it the best it could be. I am grateful for this course, and how it made me a better writer, a better student, and a better person.
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