literacy ethnography draft #1
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Ethnography Rough Draft #1
Within the AROTC many ideas are stressed as more important than others one in
particular being the role of leadership its importance. This paper will address how leaders engage
with literacy within the AROTC in order to lead affectively. On the Battlefield stress, anxiety,
depression and many other feelings kick in. Its important to stick with your team you have been
training with and follow the direction of your leader. Almost all leaders follow a strict set of
guidelines called the Decision-Making-Process. One of the most important decisions according
to CPT Daniel Morgan is always maintaining an offensive spirit. Look for the enemies to shoot
at you, shoot back, and kill or capture them. Bold Leaders are dangerous and that is what you
want in them as you fight this fight. The purpose of my essay is to view AROTCs leadership
roles under the microscope and examine how it engages with literacy. I will reach this purpose
by using interviews conducted with cadets as well as observations of AROTCs classes in order
to describe the AROTCs leadership roles. In doing so, others can gain more understanding on
the importance of leadership within the army but also how it can be useful in everyday life. The
Qualities AROTC prefers in their leaders arent just relevant to the AROTC but, can be the
foundation for a great leader in many different fields of leadership.
Believe it or not, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte was originally a military
academy prior to becoming a University. With this kind of foundation one can only look for
success in the AROTC program once the academy became a university. AROTC is designed to
prepare cadets for their encounter against enemy combatants. There is no doubt that combat is an
extremely traumatic experience for individuals who are involved. Some Main conversations
within AROTC deal with stress levels imposed on cadets and leaders within the AROTC. How to
deal with this stress is important especially if you are a leader who constantly has to make
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stressful decisions. When occupying the leader position, one small error or mistake could cost
the lives of troops. Cadets are trained however in the AROTC a special set of literary skills that
will help them become a more successful and knowledgeable leader. With these literary skills
they are able to perform their tasks more efficiently with time elapsed being a key factor. On the
battlefield the overall consensus seems to be the quicker tasks are completed the better.
Like most programs the AROTC has a simple goal that it strives to reach. The goal is
develop competent and confident leaders imbued with warrior ethos, grounded in field craft,
and skilled in leading soldiers, training subordinates, and employing and maintaining
equipment. This process begins by making sure the cadets carry themselves out in the right
mindset and with the right attitude. Cadets represent the AROTC in every action and decision
they choose to make. They live by a code of ethics and morals with which reflects character and
integrity from each of the cadets. There are different levels of command within the AROTC;
cadets abide by these levels through showing respect and following orders given by higher
ranking officers.
The environment is very important and plays a pivotal role within this community both in
AROTC and in the classroom. When I made observations in the classroom I noticed that the
desks were organized in a way so that all cadets would be facing the instructor. Cadets wore
matching uniforms and on these uniforms were the patches that indicated their ranking and
name. Leadership was displayed during reading exercises. When the instructor asked for
someone to read a segment in a loud voice a cadet began reading without hesitation showing
initiative, a good quality to have as a leader. On the battlefield the environment is very important
for leaders. When leaders are planning military operations it is imperative that they obtain the
information regarding the terrain, weather, and time of day. Even the minutest environmental
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factors can affect military observations. This process is known as Terrain Analysis. Once
Leaders are engaged in military operations it is key that they have a simple way through which
they can communicate with their troops.
Communication is one of the primary qualities of a leader. Being able to communicate a
purpose as a leader is important in completing tasks affectively. Conveying a message is
important and leaders within the AROTC use specific methods to maximize the comprehension
of messages. One of the more important steps is to focus your message and make sure that the
intent you wish to create is clear to the reader or audience of your message. When attempting to
communicate, a common obstacle that can get in the way is called noise. Noise is everything that
interferes with the original message being conveyed. By maybe having the receiver of the
message confirm what they heard or using more descriptive language when conveying a
message, you will be able to decrease the potential for noise. Another key is to stay away from
complicated words, it is important that the use of simple words is utilized frequently. Use words
that you would use when interacting within a conversation opposed to the words used within an
essay.
Within the community of the AROTC literacy is used and defined in a different way than
that which you would read out of a dictionary. However it still revolves around the same three
main aspects of literacy which are reading, writing, and speaking. Leaders use literacy in many
different ways. Communication skills are important to leaders, without this skill set leaders could
not effectively perform tasks with the troops under their control. Leaders are also often issued
orders and must be able to gather the intent of messages so they can act on the order. Leaders use
literacy skills in the form of map reading to their advantage when navigating an unfamiliar area.
When a leader is ordered to reach a certain objective with their troops they must be able to
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properly analyze the terrain in order to navigate the land and reach the designated objective. The
picture below is an example of the symbols involved in map reading and how specific patterns
correlate with specific meanings. During my observations I viewed Cadets within a class setting
that dealt entirely with literacy. Subjects were read about and analyzed from an in combat
POV by an experienced veteran within the army. Through my interview I learned that it is
important to address higher
ranking officers in a way that
shows your respect towards their
authority. There is also what
would be viewed as a hierarchy
within the AROTC among cadets
and leaders.
These leadership characteristics and requirements are not solely important to AROTC
but, can be helpful within leadership roles of various groups and communities. The
understanding of how literacy ties into leadership within one community can help formulate
thoughts regarding other discourse communities involving leadership. Also with this knowledge
one can gain a new and different understanding regarding individuals within the AROTC. There
is a lot more to being a soldier than strength and brute force. Being able to perform literary acts
is definitely a characteristic of a well trained soldier. Everything from communication to
navigation is performed in a strict format that maximizes efficiency and minimizes potential
error. Through the leadership aspect of the AROTC are other areas of study in which one could
research. An additional idea could be the importance of team work and team building skills
within the AROTC. However, lets save that topic for the next ethnography. Good information is
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information with which you can walk away with. This paper provided you with a more detailed
account of what goes into becoming a leader within the AROTC and the importance of literacy
within that role. Being capable of understanding the literacy within the AROTC will also allow
you to use examples and make comparisons upon encountering other discourse communities
involving literacy.