Florence 1
Kyle Florence
answers to these questions may lead us to
Lecturer Jennifer Sager
rethink our definition of error in
RWS 305W, Section 15
contemporary society and the way in which
20 June 2007
the American education system is teaching
our students. However, to answer these
THE DAILY DIATRIBE
A bi-weekly publication for intellectuals,
The Daily Diatribe seeks to examine and
challenge social norms for a better
understanding of our ever-changing world.
The “War” on Error:
Conformity may be winning the battle,
but it will certainly lose the war.
By Kyle Florence
Error: a word that has become ripe
with negative connotations. But what does
it truly mean to err? According to The
American Heritage Dictionary, an error is
“an act, assertion, or belief that
unintentionally deviates from what is
correct, right, or true.” So would an error
not depend upon what one believes to be
correct, right or true? And in what
situations would one be justifiable in
establishing an error as wrong?
In the ongoing debate about error
and its social consequences in America, the
questions, we must first understand the role
error plays in mainstream America and how
it differs from other social contexts.
We will start by examining an essay
about the Amish values of literacy and how
they clash with the values of mainstream
education. To further strengthen these
claims, we shall turn to interviews from
individuals of different cultural and
educational backgrounds to see if Fishman’s
observations can extend beyond the Amish.
Counterproductive Education
Andrea R. Fishman, an author and
teacher, in her essay entitled “Becoming
Literate: A Lesson from the Amish,”
suggests that teachers, in a classroom
environment, need to realize that their role
may not be to prepare students to enter a
Florence 2
mainstream society, but rather to help them
Through these observations, Fishman
see what mainstream society offers and
is able to inform her readers of the problems
takes away, what they may gain from
of cross-cultural teaching in order to
entering that society, and what they may
persuade them that it is unfair and
lose in the process (247). She supports her
unnecessary to demand that public schools
claims not only by contrasting the
make students conform to teacher’s
mainstream and Amish values of literacy,
demands or values because it deprecates the
but also by presenting insight into how
values of the student’s parents and
children “read” and assimilate into their
community and may be counterproductive
environments.
or destructive to the student’s development.
Fishman employs the use of several
She conveys her message in a tone of
rhetorical strategies to firmly establish her
concern directed primarily at educators and
stance and credibility. Having spent time in
parents, like herself, whom she feels are
mainstream America and the Amish culture,
ultimately responsible for the way students
as well as being both a parent and teacher,
can grow and develop in their individual
she undeniably establishes her credibility, or
cultures.
ethos. Towards the end of her discourse, she
In Fishman’s case, it is obvious that
utilizes pathos by choosing bold (and
the conforming nature of American public
perhaps overbearing) words in order to
schools could put a damper on the
engage the reader emotionally. Finally, she
development of students who grow up in a
uses logos by relaying to us what she
vastly different environment where there is
observed during her stay with the Fishers in
no emphasis placed upon higher education.
the Amish community.
It would also give them a very hard choice
Florence 3
to make: they could assimilate into
I can't get things across the way I want to.”
mainstream society and risk losing their
She continues, “They definitely have
cultural heritage, family values, and
affected my grades as well as my ability to
community, or they could remain devoted to
communicate with professionals or other
their traditional beliefs and risk being
people. I can't say for sure if it has made me
shunned and ridiculed by mainstreamers.
appear less capable in my classes or office
Communication Breakdown
work.” Jessica’s problems with
Although Amish literacy values are
communicating have nothing to do with an
considerably different from that of
extreme sub-culture; however, she was
mainstream America, the misconstruing of
raised, like many other Americans, in a
error occurs across and even within all
small rural community that placed higher
cultures. This is clearly illustrated by the
emphasis on aiding the community rather
subjects of the two written interviews we
than individual efforts in education.
conducted. Although they hail from vastly
The social consequences of error are
different backgrounds, both agree that
certainly felt by those trying to assimilate
sentence level error has played some role in
into the mainstream society, but they can
their lives.
adversely affect those in the mainstream as
Jessica, a junior at Central Oregon
well. Melanie, a writer and microbiology
Community College, explains that
professor at Dixie State College, states that
“Sentence level errors sometimes limit how
although she is fairly proficient in the
well I can [communicate] ideas or concepts
English language, she, too, would have
or my understanding of a situation and so
problems assimilating into other cultures: “I
they do make me feel a little alienated when
could never fit into [the] street life culture
Florence 4
because I don't know the slang and don't like
what an error is or [what] an expression of a
using ‘f---’ every other word.” While this
person's own [unique] style [is].” It is clear
may be stereotypical, it displays that what is
that Jessica understands what constitutes as
accepted in one culture isn’t always
an error is not always conspicuous; it may
appreciated in another. And while
depend upon personal interpretation.
Melanie’s values are perfectly suited for her
Bringing her education and teaching
own environment, she would have problems
skills to the table, Melanie goes a bit further
integrating them into a culture different from
and breaks error down into social and
her own, just as someone from the street life
written contexts: “Error in dialog: saying
culture would have difficulty assimilating
the wrong word or an inappropriate word…
into her world.
Written error: leaving out words, repeating
Conventionality and Breaking It
words, using the wrong words, run on
Even though she has taken great
sentences, sentences that don't make any
strides to adapt into the academic world,
sense.” Even with a better grasp of
Jessica still acknowledges that the definition
grammar and the English language, she
of error may be flexible. “I understand that
accedes that error is not a black and white
there is an actual definition for an error but I
medium. “If the errors are unique and still
do not believe all errors are errors [but]
clearly get the point across, I think it makes
rather a character or [indication] of a
the writing stand out,” she says, but candidly
person's personality or their unique style.”
asserts that “if there are consistent
She continues, “Conventionality is not a bad
grammatical errors, it indicates areas where
thing but is also not something that should
the person needs to learn how to write
be considered the ultimate in ruling over
properly.”
Florence 5
Melanie brings up a good point: the
with her belief that teachers, parents, and
consequences of error are not always
others should “help [students] see what
pleasing. Aside from grammatical errors,
mainstream society offers and what it takes
Melanie denotes that errors “can lead to
away, what they may gain by assimilating
misunderstandings, which can lead to hurt,
and what they may lose in that process”
arguments, or even war.” Of course, the
(247). Now that we have a good
extent to which a person takes offense or
understanding of error and its social
misunderstands an error all depends upon
consequences, let us revisit the questions
the social context the error occurs in. For
that were posed at the beginning of this
example, an inadvertent remark at the dinner
article.
table can hold very different ramifications
Would an error not depend upon
for the President than the same mistake
what one believes to be correct, right or
while delivering the State of the Union
true? Yes and no. While some errors may
address.
be observed to creatively assist writing or
Error: The Ever-Changing Enigma
speech, they may also hold grave
It has become quite apparent that
consequences if misunderstood. And in
error is an ever-changing enigma of
what situations would one be justifiable in
individual and communal relations with
establishing an error as wrong? The answer
mainstream societal values. And since the
would depend upon the social context in
definition of error must be inherently
which the error occurred and the social
pliable, we too must be pliable in our
context the error is currently affecting.
interpretation of how others use “error.”
Fishman was certainly on the right track
As far as the educational system
goes, it is quite evident that there needs to be
Florence 6
some accommodation for such a diverse
inappropriate for most circumstances and
student body; harsh conformity for everyone
should, therefore, be used with caution.
may be easier for the teacher, but it is
Hopefully our examination of error
counterproductive for the student. However,
has elucidated some of its social
outside of academia, error and its
consequences in both educational and
reprimands rely completely upon the social
cultural communities. With this newfound
context in which they occur and how
wisdom we should be better equipped to
accepted they have become. Although
interpret or manipulate error in a manner
cultures occasionally adapt what was once
that will benefit both ourselves and our
considered error into standard usage, it is
environments.
often thought to be informal and
Florence 7
Works Cited
"Error." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Ed. Houghton
Mifflin, 2004. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/error>.
14 June 2007.
Fishman, Andrea R. “Becoming Literate: A Lesson from the Amish.” The Right to Literacy.
1990. 236-47.
Florence, Melanie. “Survey.” Email to the author. 12 June 2007.
Hopper, Jessica. “Survey.” Email to the author. 13 June 2007.