Login

Publications  •  Project Statistics

Glossary  •  Schools  •  Disciplines
People Search: 
   
Title/Abstract Search: 

Dissertation Information for Brenda Pittman

NAME:
- Brenda Pittman

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- English

SCHOOL:
- Indiana University (USA) (2005)

ADVISORS:
- Donald McAndrew

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Claude Mark Hurlbert
- Gian S. Pagnucci

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: Expressive writing: A language of self-care

Abstract: Expressive writing can be an effective discourse for the discovery and care of the self. The purpose of this naturalistic study was to focus on expressive writing as an effective and mature discourse in the classroom that abets and fosters self-care of the college freshman. It focused on the connection between writing expressively as a way of fostering self-care for students so they have a deeper meaning of what it takes for them to better care for themselves.

This naturalistic study incorporated the investigation of 24 students, my own expressive writing, and research and theory on the connections between expressive writing and self-care. This naturalistic study explored what evolves in the process of each student participant as he/she writes expressively to discover his/her own issues, values, goals, desires, aspirations, fears, joys, and so on that foster self-care.

Primary qualitative research methods included observations of the students in a college freshman class set up to foster self-care, student interviews, an analysis of each participant's expressive writings based on Kinneavy's (1971) three part phenomenological view of the Being-for-Itself, the Being-for-Others, and the Being-in-the-World and Mary O'Reilley's (1993) concept of a sacred center and connected knowing as well as any recurring themes in the writings. The results from the observations and reflections of the classroom as well as the analysis of the expressive pieces of writing and the student interviews showed that a classroom that allows students to write expressively helps a great deal in fostering self-care of the students. The study concluded that expressive writing is beneficial in fostering self-care in the college freshman. Ninety percent of the students indicated this through their class discussions, their expressive pieces of writing, and the interviews with the researcher. The study also indicated that expressive writing toward self-care is rhetorical, mature, and a genuine discourse to abet self-care of students. This was based on James Kinneavy's theories and the theories of Mary O'Reilley.

MPACT Scores for Brenda Pittman

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2010-10-10 14:14:17

Advisors and Advisees Graph