A Play on Occlusion: Uptake of Letters to the University President

Thieme, Katja

doi:10.1080/07350198.2022.2038510

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 18 publications

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“…Genres are often guided by unwritten rules about what can and cannot be said, and the social practices surrounding genres can sometimes be hidden or only accessible to specific audiences, such as genres that are used in confidential, high-stakes decisions and processes like LORs for resident selection. 31,32 Genre theory has been used in previous medical education studies to demonstrate how unwritten rules and inaccessible practices can present challenges for new or peripheral members of a community to learn and effectively engage in these genres. 33,34 Given the connection between language and practices, research that draws on genre theory focuses on analysing language and practices within their specific contexts of use.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reading between the lines: exploring the unwritten rules of letters of recommendation in the Canadian resident selection process

Rachul,

Collins,

Porhownik

et al. 2024

Can. Med. Ed. J

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Background: Efforts to better understand and improve letters of recommendation (LORs) in the resident selection process have identified unwritten rules and hidden practices that may limit their effectiveness. The objective of our study is to explore these unwritten rules and hidden practices more fully in one Canadian academic medical community. Methods: We conducted semi-structured, discourse-based interviews with 18 faculty members from the departments of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba, Canada. Interviews were guided by sample LORs and were focused on experiences with either writing or reading LORs. We analyzed interviews using key concepts from genre theory and Aristotle’s appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos. Results: Participants described how the practices surrounding LORs are guided by unwritten rules. These practices contributed to writers’ use of visible strategies and textual silence to establish credibility, build a strong case, and appeal to readers. Readers rely on similar strategies, but not always as intended by the writers. Conclusions: The unwritten rules of one academic community can impede a nationally-facilitated resident selection process. Our findings highlight how critiques and potential improvements to LORs could benefit from considering the use of visible and invisible rhetorical strategies in specific contexts.

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Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reading between the lines: exploring the unwritten rules of letters of recommendation in the Canadian resident selection process

Rachul,

Collins,

Porhownik

et al. 2024

Can. Med. Ed. J

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Misinformation As Genre Function: Insights on the Infodemic from a Genre-Theoretical Perspective

Mehlenbacher,

Mehlenbacher

2024

Technical Communication Quarterly

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Expressive Freedom and Ethical Responsibility at Canadian Universities

Thieme

2024

atlantis

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<p>This article reviews recent government incursions on questions of free speech at universities and colleges in Ontario and Alberta and presents the challenge they pose to university autonomy. Inherent in university autonomy is the possibility—or the obligation—that universities make decisions based on ethical responsibilities that can extend beyond the limits of current law. As a case study of university autonomy in matters of expressive freedom, I highlight events at the University of British Columbia, which leads me to a discussion of how questions of ethical responsibility have been raised particularly in relation to the speech protection of transgender members of the university. A central issue is the need for universities to adjudicate when free speech rights meet related responsibilities with which they can conflict. I detail how, for instance, the invitation of some anti-trans speakers can pose such a conflict and should lead university communities to consider adjusting their responses in extreme cases so as to be able to more autonomously regulate hateful speech beyond applicable law.</p>

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A Play on Occlusion: Uptake of Letters to the University President

Cited by 3 publications

References 18 publications

Reading between the lines: exploring the unwritten rules of letters of recommendation in the Canadian resident selection process

Reading between the lines: exploring the unwritten rules of letters of recommendation in the Canadian resident selection process

Misinformation As Genre Function: Insights on the Infodemic from a Genre-Theoretical Perspective

Expressive Freedom and Ethical Responsibility at Canadian Universities

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