1. As we have seen in this week's readings, plagiarism is a very fluid concept with many variables to consider (i.e. context, culture, discipline). With that said, its seems as though the approach with our students might imply that same fluidity, or perhaps even the understanding of plagiarism falling on some kind of continuum. What are some thoughts/opinions regarding how to best approach this topic that allows for that fluidity but also explicitly helps students understand the parameters of it for their writing?
2. The Lessig article compares oral cultures and the layering of stories that create their culture's histories. "This was never thought of as copying or stealing or intellectual-property theft but accepted as the natural way in which culture evolves and develops and moves forward". Are we losing that "artistic process" of enriching others' work and moving forward as a culture because of the fear of plagiarism?
Hi Tricia
ReplyDeleteHere are my opinions concerning your questions:
1. I was wondering the same thing when I was reading the texts for this class, and I believe that one way to make sure students understand what the professor means by plagiarism is offering a clear definition of it (like the many definitions showed in today's readings) and backing it up with examples of inappropriate quoting and such, so that students clearly understand the professor's ideas on plagiarism.
2. Personally, I thought the oral stories example a bit of a stretch when compared to plagiarism. Oral stories and written texts depend on different elements - speech and writing, respectively - and each of them have their own "rules" and socially accepted methods. Also, I don't find it relevant the comparison between writing in Western culture and oral stories in tribal Africa, or different populations. Such cultural differences will definitely affect how each culture understands and views the ideas of stealing, or adapting, or copying. I personally did not agree with this comparison made in the article.