Abstract:
In this study, we examine the discourse patterns unfolding in first-year writing
classroom discussions, with attention to the ways those dynamics are informed by
broader sociocultural contexts. In examining students’ discourse moves through
sociocultural lenses, including Hofstede et al.’s (2010) conception of collectivism,
we trace patterns of harmony—expressions of agreement or unity—and
dissonance—moments of discord or tension—in student discussions. We situate
our inquiry in the Socratic Seminar, a student-centered discussion model that
invites spaces for the dialogic unfolding of multiple voices and perspectives. We
employ a discourse analytic approach to investigate the ways students signal
harmonic or dissonant perspectives. In complicating the notions of harmony as
unproductive agreement and dissonance as a disruptive force, we elucidate the
ways students co-construct knowledge by negotiating a delicate interplay between
harmony and dissonance. We illustrate the ways students seek deeper meanings
through tonal counterpoint and the dialogic expansion of alternative interpretive
possibilities. We also examine how a culturally responsive pedagogy might inform
the ways we view and attempt to “move” the discussion. Ultimately, we illuminate
insights into the multivocal, multiperspectival nature of student discourse as
inflected by sociocultural dimensions.
