Throughout this semester, I’ve made semi-weekly reflections to reflect on my assignments and the FIQWS class. The Following are my reflections throughout the fall semester
Week 3- What have we done so far that has been helpful to your writing process? How might you apply this helpful information or tool? What has been confusing or what would you like to spend more time on? If the clarification/additional focus does not occur during class time, how will you acquire the knowledge?
I’ve so far noticed that a few elements of the writing process have helped to mold and enhance my work. The chance to consider peer or instructor input has proven to be one of the most useful resources. I now have particular areas to work on, including my writing’s organization, clarity, and even tone, thanks to this criticism. Reviewing writing techniques like brainstorming and outlining before beginning the drafting stage has also proved beneficial. By using these techniques, I’ve been able to better arrange my ideas and make sure that my writing is clear and cohesive right from the start. I can improve my drafts and provide a stronger basis for my arguments or narratives by using these techniques.
I would still like more attention in a few areas, though, where I still feel a little unsure. Finding the right balance between creativity and organization in my writing is one of the things I struggle with. I occasionally find it difficult to combine originality and my own voice with a clear, logical flow. I want to spend more time investigating how to strike that balance, especially when writing essays or other pieces where organization is crucial. I intend to look for extra materials, like writing manuals or videos, that concentrate on the fusion of creativity and structure in academic writing if I don’t get the chance to delve deeper into this in class. I intend to do this in order to increase my confidence in my ability to successfully combine these elements.
Week 5- Analyze the rhetorical situation of your Learning Analysis. Introduce your essay’s genre, purpose, audience, and context, and reflect on the extent to which you achieved the learning goals of the assignment as well as any goals you set for yourself.
My learning analysis is a reflective essay that examines how I pick up knowledge from a variety of situations and mentors. The essay’s goal is to show how I comprehend how learning occurs in many settings, whether it be through outside stimuli like music, personal experiences, or guidance from others. An instructor or fellow student who is curious about my learning process and how I use it in my daily life is probably my main audience for this essay. I am expected to critically evaluate my learning strategies and assess how they affect my personal development in an academic setting.
I think I was successful in expressing the various methods I learn, which helped me to meet the assignment’s learning objectives. I was able to demonstrate a range of learning scenarios by using personal tales, such as my driving experience, the soccer competition, and my cousin’s college experience. I was able to reflect on both the advantages and disadvantages of learning, which was one of the assignment’s objectives. In addition, I made it my personal mission to study more about how emotional control influences my learning process and how it functions, such as managing anxiety before a soccer match. Although I think I encapsulated this in my thought on music listening, I think this theme might have been expanded upon with additional understanding of the psychological component of learning. I intend to use more thorough examples and analysis of these experiences in the future to investigate how emotional and mental states affect my capacity to remember and apply knowledge.
Week 6: Annotate one article you plan to use in your research. Share what kind of information you wrote in your annotations. Did annotating help you? If yes, how? If no, why not? What else do you need to do to process this article?
I have chosen the article “Ways to kick out racism from soccer” by Naguib Sawiris, which appeared in The Daily Telegraph on February 17, 2022, for my research on combating racism in soccer. I highlighted important parts in my annotations where the author addresses several tactics to fight racism in soccer, like tougher sanctions, player involvement, and promoting inclusivity through educational initiatives. I also emphasized Sawiris’s use of data and real-world examples to support his claims, such as racist incidents during well-known sports. I also underlined passages in which he criticizes the current policies and makes recommendations for bettering the situation, like increased participation from sponsors and the soccer community.
I found that annotating this post helped me interact with the topic on a deeper level. It made it easier for me to distill the key points and pinpoint instances in which I may use particular quotations or data in my study. I was prompted to critically consider the efficacy of the suggested fixes and how they can support long-term change in the sport by the process of underlining, highlighting, and taking margin notes. I still need to analyze the article more, though, and find other sources that either bolster or refute Sawiris’ claims.The historical background of racism in soccer, which may not be thoroughly discussed in this essay, must also be investigated. Additionally, I must think about how the suggested tactics either support current regulations or fall short of addressing more fundamental systemic problems. In order to enhance my study and offer a more complex viewpoint, I will look for scholarly studies, player and coach interviews, and historical data to further analyze this piece.
Week 7: Select one learning objective or one component of a learning objective. How have you learned it? How have you developed in this arena so far this semester?
Creating drafting techniques is one aspect of the learning goal I’ve been concentrating on this semester. Through a combination of practice, criticism, and introspection, I have acquired this skill. I found drafting difficult at first because I was constantly overwhelmed by the pressure to write the “perfect” first draft. Since then, I’ve come to see drafting as an investigation and learning process. Since the initial draft is only meant to serve as a jumping off point for honing my thoughts, I’ve come to love writing numerous drafts. Freewriting is one technique that has aided me in this process; it allows me to write down my ideas without thinking about language or structure. This has made it possible for me to swiftly write down my ideas and then refine them in later drafts.
I’ve improved in this area this semester by being more accustomed to the repetitive process of drafting. Additionally, instead of waiting until later revisions, I’ve started incorporating peer or instructor criticism early in the drafting process. This has been beneficial since it enables me to deal with possible problems sooner, raising the caliber of my work overall. My drafts are now more structured and cohesive as a result of my increased attention to creating precise thesis statements and laying out the framework before I write. I intend to keep improving these strategies going forward by experimenting with various drafting methods, including thought mapping, to find fresh approaches to efficiently arrange and develop my ideas.
Week 8: What theory or theories are related to your proposal? How do they relate to your research? OR if absolutely no theories are related to your inquiry: What have we done so far that has been helpful to your writing process? How might you apply this helpful information or tool? What has been confusing or what would you like to spend more time on? If the clarification/additional focus does not occur during class time, how will you acquire the knowledge?
Several hypotheses are pertinent to my research in my proposal, which addresses racism in soccer. Critical Race Theory (CRT), which looks at how racism and race are ingrained in institutions and societal systems, including sports, is one of the major theories. CRT will assist me in investigating how, in spite of initiatives to foster an inclusive environment, structural racism still exists in soccer. This theory can direct my examination of the ways in which broader racial and social processes interact with policies, player activity, and public perceptions of racism in soccer. Social Identity Theory, which examines how people identify with social groupings and how these affiliations affect behavior, is another pertinent theory. This can help explain the group dynamics in soccer, such as the ways players, fans, and teams may respond to issues of racism within the sport. These theories will inform my research by offering frameworks through which I can analyze and understand the persistence of racism in soccer and evaluate the effectiveness of proposed solutions.
Because they offer a framework for exploring potential remedies as well as a lens through which to view the root causes of racism in soccer, these theories are highly relevant to my research. They will help me critically evaluate whether current solutions are sufficient or whether greater systemic changes are required by enabling me to relate more general social issues to the particular setting of soccer. The techniques we’ve covered in class, such as applying critical thinking techniques, closely examining sources, and considering many viewpoints, would have been very beneficial even if no theories had been directly relevant to my research. These techniques have helped me grow as a writer by highlighting how crucial source analysis, synthesis, and evaluation are. I still believe, though, that I need to put more effort into planning my study and using these theories well, especially in terms of how I may incorporate them into my argument. In order to improve my comprehension, I intend to read scholarly papers or books that go deeper into Critical Race Theory and Social Identity Theory in relation to sports if this isn’t explained in class.
Week 9: Discuss your research sources. What media are you using? How do these different
types of media support your topic/ideas? your writing work?
I’m using a variety of media formats, such as articles, reports, and panel discussions, to collect a broad range of viewpoints and information for my study on combating racism in soccer. An essay by Naguib Sawiris in The Daily Telegraph about methods for ending racism in soccer is one of the main sources. This article offers an opinion-based viewpoint on how soccer can change to fight racism, which makes it a helpful tool for comprehending suggested fixes and practical applications. Furthermore, the Tackling Systemic Racism in Soccer study from the U.S. The Soccer Foundation presents a thorough analysis of systemic problems in soccer along with practical suggestions that are essential for placing my research within the framework of institutional reform. This source will support my argument by offering practical, evidence-based strategies for improving the sport’s inclusivity.
Other sources include real-world case studies that illustrate the continuous difficulties in tackling racism in soccer, such as the panel debate on racism in football hosted by the United Nations Human Rights Office and the Associated Press piece about Vinícius Júnior’s racist insults. These resources add a human and emotional element to my research, highlighting the need of taking immediate action and increasing awareness of the negative effects racism has on both individuals and society as a whole. By providing insights into the cultural aspects of racism within European soccer—which is frequently viewed as a microcosm for the larger global issue—the FIFPRO paper, Understanding Racism in European Football Culture, enhances my research even more. The range of media formats, including news coverage, official reports, and opinion pieces, enables me to have a comprehensive grasp of the subject that I can use to uphold my writing and analysis.
Week 11: What’s the intended rhetorical situation of your Research essay? What do you need to do to make this situation a reality?
As I thought back on my research paper on systemic racism in soccer, I recognized how difficult it is to strike a balance between acknowledging the progress being done and recognizing how serious the problem is. I initially concentrated a lot on the drawbacks, but using campaigns and projects as examples helped demonstrate that change is achievable. This strengthened the case and showed how persistent anti-racism initiatives are.
I also discovered how critical it is to address how racism affects players emotionally. By relating systemic issues to personal experiences, Vinícius Júnior’s instance humanized the issue and bolstered my thesis.
Lastly, I concentrated on offering doable remedies like diversity, education, and more accountability. This made sure my argument was both critical and constructive, and it taught me the need of providing specific actions for change.
Week 12: As you have continued your research work, how has your argument evolved?
My position changed considerably as I conducted more research, especially in regards to how I presented the problem of systematic racism in soccer. My initial approach to the subject was to draw attention to the widespread racial prejudice in the sport, stressing the institutional and cultural obstacles that stand in the way of true equality. In order to demonstrate how deeply ingrained racism is in soccer’s systems, my early drafts focused primarily on the negative parts. But as I compiled more data and sources, I became aware that I was giving a biased perspective that would turn off readers who were more upbeat about the sport’s advancement or who thought change was already under way.
I changed my point of contention as a result of this insight. I began citing instances of progress, including the launch of anti-racism initiatives like “No Room for Racism” and “Kick It Out,” and the growing prominence of causes like Black Lives Matter in major league sports. This made it easier for me to make a more fair case that acknowledged the advancements made while highlighting the significance of ongoing work. I also started to see that the battle against racism in soccer was based on larger, systemic problems of media portrayal, fan culture, and government rather than just individual instances of discrimination. I was able to highlight that although there has been improvement, long-term transformation necessitates consistent dedication from all facets of the sport by expanding the breadth of my argument.
Furthermore, my developing argument shifted toward remedies. I initially concentrated mostly on diagnosing racism, but as time went on, I understood how critical it was to not just recognize the issue but also offer practical remedies. This prompted me to implement tactics like increased accountability for organizations, education initiatives for players and fans, and diversity in leadership. My argument changed from being solely critical to providing a positive route ahead as a result, which I think makes the essay more interesting and useful. In the end, this process made me realize how important it is to highlight both the challenges and the solutions when talking about complicated topics like racism in soccer.
Week 13: What is the relationship between your Research essay and your MMT? In your response, be sure to compare the rhetorical situation of each.
Although they have different formats and rhetorical strategies, my research essay and my MMT are related in that they both center on systematic racism in soccer. The essay is a thorough, scholarly investigation meant to educate and convince a scholarly audience. It appeals to pathos and logos to provide a comprehensive argument while using formal tone, logical reasoning, and extensive proof.
The MMT, on the other hand, is intended to reach a wider audience and is more succinct and graphic. With an emphasis on increasing awareness and creating emotional reactions, it condenses the main ideas of the essay into concise phrases and images. Solutions or key strategies to combat this situation in soccer. Although the essay is academic, the MMT is more approachable and interactive, thus both formats work well together to solve the problem.
Week 15: What have you learned that has proved most useful to your composition process?
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve taken away from my writing process is the significance of striking a balance between in-depth research and understandable, straightforward writing. Even though I had to go extensively into the subject of systematic racism in soccer for my research essay, I came to the conclusion that maintaining the reader’s interest requires presenting complicated concepts in an organized and logical manner. I developed my ability to synthesize several sources, evaluate them critically, and effectively and persuasively communicate my results.
Making my MMT also made me realize how important it is to distill information and make it visually appealing. I discovered that it was essential to condense important ideas into easily understood, targeted material without sacrificing the argument’s core ideas. I learned how to effectively communicate in a variety of formats, including academic and visual ones, and how each medium may enhance the others by focusing on distinct audiences. In conclusion, my composing process has greatly benefited from my ability to modify my message while preserving its depth and clarity.
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