If the Discourse on Free Will Were Written in Utah 2015

The Protestant Reformation is largely accepted as beginning in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the Wittenburg Castle Church doors. This was the beginning of public questioning of the Catholic church in Europe, which, at the time, was the all-powerful church in all of Europe. There was no legal alternative for religious worship and those who were viewed as going against it's teachings were labeled as a heretic and possibly burned at the stake. While the nailing of the 95 theses could be labeled as a spark, what came after was a forest fire. Notable people began discussing religion and religious views, which began many sects that are still around today. Never before had so much debate been had, nor such a willing audience listened.

I believe that it is this context, the Protestant Reformation, that makes the Discourse on Free Will such an important and interesting work of literature. Since it was a time of confusion, people were asking questions and searching for answers that made sense based on what they knew as well as on what they hoped was true. Additionally, the church was one of, if not the, most important realm of an individual's life. Their whole lives revolved around worship.

So, what if the Discourse on Free Will were written today? I don't think it would make hardly a drop in the ocean and I definitely do not think that people would be reading it in another 500 years. There is so much information, so many books and so many articles being written today that something like this would probably be lost on the web. Perhaps a few people would click on a link talking about whether or not predestination is real or if we have free choice, but ultimately, I believe the following would be small and ultimately forgotten. Additionally, today we see an increasing secularism in our lives. Even for avid church-goers, people tend to separate their religious life with the rest of their lives (BYU and the culture we live in is quite unique). Therefore, I think that the context of the Discourse on Free Will is ultimately what makes the piece so important and relevant not only in the 1500's, but today. 

Writing Plan for Mechanical Engineering

Audience

Any person entering the mechanical engineering field will have at least some form of affinity towards math and physics.  This program is a little different than other engineering fields in that it involves aspects from all of them as is much broader, whereas these other majors are more specific.  Classes in the mechanical engineering program range from math and physics to elements of electrical engineering and computer programming.   A few communication courses are required in the program, including technical writing and global leadership.  Most classes involve writing memos and reports.  In general, there are very few courses that have any historical components, as engineers address mainly the present and how to make it better.  An assumption is that the standards of living and the knowledge of science and technology is vastly superior to the past.  An individual in this field can expect a lot of group projects.  Most students take on an internship their junior year to give them experience because it isn't until this point that they have taken relevant coursework.  The work force typically seeks out those who have had an internship or were involved in extra-curricular clubs or activities.  It is a highly competitive field, and most students graduate with an impressive résumé.  Other than helping students have things to put on their resume, there is little done in the program to help students actually present themselves to a company. 

Context

There are a few stereotypes about engineers:  Smart, nerdy, and very awkward.  I want to address the importance of effective communication with others, especially with those from other fields.   Many great ideas fall flat because nobody with authority caught onto the vision.

Rhetoric

Mechanical engineers need to learn art of persuasion.  It should manifest itself most often in group settings where a decision has to be made, such as whether or not to fund a project, or to grant access to lab equipment, etc.  A deliberative approach is appropriate in most situations, where the engineer emphasizes the advantages and disadvantages of a certain issue.  This can be delivered in writing, or by oration.  Understanding the figures of reasoning is very important.

History

I mentioned previously how the mechanical engineering major offers very little historical context to this field.  I want to show how an understanding of how developments in the past were made can inspire the innovations of today.

Development Plan

I will start this paper off by addressing the importance of understanding the historical context of mechanical engineering.   This is more about reading up, or learning the subject before communicating it.  First I want to define what the field is and what it encompasses.  There is a little more research that has to be done for that.  Then I want to give a few examples of how being aware of past and present issues can lead to intuition and new ideas.   My blog post from Dec. 3 gives a good example of the development of prosthetics.  This section can be rounded off with a pathetic approach to show the joy an engineer experiences once he or she recognizes a topic that can be improved upon.

The elation of discovery can quickly be crushed by awkwardness.  At this point it would be powerful to show how ineffective communication squanders dreams for mechanical engineers.  I can give an example of Dilbert, the classic engineer stereotype.  This comes from my Oct. 24 blog post.  After this, I can expound on the areas of communication that are experienced in the field and how to succeed.  Communication between an engineer and those from other fields is a crucial element to success.  From my Nov. 7 blog post I can give examples of what to say and how to say it.  The last half of this paper is primarily concerned with persuasion.

Writing Plan for Corporate Sales

Audience:

                To be one of the elite in the corporate sales world, a person that has an absolute determination and motivation will always be the best man for the job. The people that won’t be able to sleep until they get what they want; the people that know exactly how to connect with others; the people that can make you smile at any given moment because they know exactly what you are thinking and what you want to hear. These are the people that are the perfect fit to make it big in this type of career field. In order to get there, their motivation will have to start from the beginning due to the school course load that they will have to endure. Finance, Accounting, Marketing, and Economics are not known for being the easiest of classes. Not to mention, summers are no longer a fun vacation with the family. They are typically filled with full time internships with large companies in major cities of the world. Although the classes and scheduling may initially seem rigorous, the phrase “it’s not about what you know but who you know” rings extremely true as communication is literally fundamental in this career.

Context:

            In both formal and informal settings, a corporate sales executive has to know what to say and how to say it at all times. It’s difficult to even fathom the type of mindset one must have in order to be able to read people’s minds and make specific deals become more attractive. Wouldn’t it be incredible to build relationships with an enormous amount of people and give them exactly what they are looking for while simultaneously making a profit? Everyone benefits! It’s simply incredible. If a salesman has studied his whole life but never talked to a person, he will get literally nowhere. However, when they can communicate in an elegant, persuasive manner he becomes dangerously successful.

Rhetoric:

I think it will be important to discuss the general ideas regarding the high, middle, and low styles of speech. Especially high because of the formal presentations that will need to be executed. There will have to be a very elegant, formal way of expressing ideas that click in the minds of others. Relationships with superiors, clients, and coworkers will all be slightly different but discussing the different ways to communicate would be beneficial. 

History:

History would play an imperative role in the fact that the recent national crisis that the economy has hit could motivate more people to become successful, innovative businessman. Sales is more important than ever in a country that just went through something comparable to the closest thing to the “next great depression”. Even more is on the line in the corporate sales world than ever. I think there are many advantages to discussing the history.

Development Plan:

I think more than anything, I want to open up with giving a brief overview of the history of sales with a focus on the past decade in America. Due to various economic downfalls, it is time that America needs to rise again and that means that corporate sales executives need to be able to present and sell products more than ever. With this comes an extreme need for persuasiveness and rhetorical genius.

I will then discuss the type of speeches that one who goes through with the field of rhetoric will need to perfect. Different situations call for different forms of communication. However, more than anything, I will make it clear and perhaps close the paper with the type of person and attitude the perfect corporate salesman will need to be and have. I think I can end it in a way to leave an impression on the reader if they can see the kind of endurance and internal drive it takes to be a top dog in a cut throat corporate environment that in turn can help the economy greatly.

Psychology or Social Work is for YOU: A Writing Plan

Audience Profile

The typical psychology student that wishes to go into social work is very analytical. Oftentimes, they enjoy people-watching (in a non-creepy way) and thinking about the structure of society and how it shapes the individual. Psych students and aspiring social workers love people, especially helping them. They see someone struggling and either want to study them (to better understand how to generalize the situation to others, as to help the most people by learning about the situation) or they want to go over and talk it through with the person to ease others’ discomfort. They are likely to take classes about cultures and communities, classes about human behavior, and classes on counseling. It would be helpful for them to take a history of psychology class, as well, as it can help mold ideas about why certain counseling techniques formed and which ones worked (or didn’t). Of course, most of these psychology and sociology classes will help the student to understand what is appropriate and inappropriate to say and how to best verbally communicate with others (to create ease and rapport). Written communication is taught in psychological writing classes, which teach about APA styles for papers and resumes, and how to effectively write down observational and professional notes. This class is crucial, because otherwise, you won’t look like a professional and people won’t take you seriously. Psych students shouldn’t fret about all the classes, though, since a lot of the things learned for this field come naturally… otherwise they probably wouldn’t have picked it.

Most students will find that simply taking the classes is not enough. To understand and help people, one must get “real-world” experience, communicating and counseling individuals. Internships working with disadvantaged people (elderly, poor, delinquent) will give them the most experience with what social work is all about. Psych and social work students should also be mindful of getting research experience and service hours, or it is unlikely to get into graduate school, which is almost essential for any person trying to get a job in these fields.

Context:

If I were writing to a student, I would make sure to include information from my blog post “Communication and Persuasion in Psychology” as this emphasizes the different contexts and situations a counselor (psychologist or social worker) could be counseling in- groups or individuals. It also emphasizes the importance in understanding your clients and the situations in which you are counseling because this adds a dimension that could either create or dissolve tension, blaming, or peace. I would note the differences and similarities of ancient and modern social work by referencing my blog titled “Medieval Catholic Almsgiving and Modern Social Work.” This would give a good context to the prospective students about why social work is important and the central values of social work. I would add in information about why these values are important in today’s society be doing some more historical research on the benefits of social work.

Rhetoric:

I would start out by creating a realistic conversation with two forms of the same phrase- one said like a peer without filtering what they said (and often distressing the person), and another said like a psychologist (one with ambiguous language, aiming to give the client time to come up with his or her own conclusion while analyzing their own behavior). This would emphasize to the student the importance of a certain way of talking in a psychological or social work setting. One of the most important aspects to this work is that you can effectively communicate with people to ease their troubles and dissolve tension. Ultimately, this work is aimed at helping people help themselves, and if you can’t communicate that effectively, there will be no lasting change. I would address the strategies listed in my post “Style and Delivery in Psychology and Social Work,” especially the part about observational/unbiased notes. Using the beginning technique of creating a realistic scenario, would help to solidify the idea, without the jargon. The concept would be understood, by sharing that sometimes listening and communicating to others in a way that is familiar to them is the best option. Getting used to not using technical terms is important, since most of the people they counsel will not be psychologists.

History:

Like I said in the audience profile, sharing the history of psychology with people going into this field will give them an idea of what techniques worked (and didn’t work) and why some theories are so popular. Each person is going to counsel differently, so knowing the history will give them a good basis for deciding how they will counsel.

Development Plan:

I mentioned above which parts of my blogs I would use (because I figured it’d be more coherent to address it in each section). I think that a little more research could be done into why this field is beneficial, how marketable the qualities of a psychologist or social worker are, and the key features of these professionals- what characteristics clients found positive and negative in their counselor’s way of speaking, behaving, and counseling.

I will probably spend the most time talking about the importance of wording (rhetoric) because to create lasting change in the clients (a main goal to this field), one must be able to address problems in an acceptable, understanding, and compassionate way, without permitting negative behaviors. There is a fine line (in language) in condoning behavior and consoling someone. The way things are spoken, and the notes that are written about clients need to be very direct and unassuming.

I would probably spend the least amount of time on the history, because most of what is needed to know comes from modern understanding. People are drawn to this field because they see a social or individual problem and want to help. Knowing the history of why this field is important isn’t vital to convincing someone to join the efforts. Knowing about past successes and failures in psychology may prep an individual, but I think that this type of history is fairly manifest in society in general and doesn’t need to be restated.