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> Like Barry Maid, I, too, am relatively new to this list, have
> been lurking, am an academic, and believe as he does that there
> IS a "rhetoric to issues of dress and culture."
> The research that I am interested in is how writers learn and
> deal with the constraints of the workplace for which they com-
> pose. One of the constraints that has been identified is the
> physical environment -- location and type of lighting, ergo-
> nomic configuration, access to colleagues, cubicle vs. office, etc.
> Another constraint of the workplace that affects the writing done
> is organizational culture, which includes the policies that both
> explicitly and implicitly constrain what and how we write. One
> policy we are discussing in this thread is dress code. It is
> fascinating to hear/read of all the discomfort, anger, frustra-
> tion resulting from these policies. A recent note on this list
> spoke of a worker who changed his (I *think* it was a he) work
> behavior bears out how organizational culture/policies affect
> us writers.
> I would be interested to hear about other policies imposed by
> your organizations that you feel affects your writing, and in
> what way. And you may want to send your thoughts to me directly
> or keep this tangent to the dress code thread going publically.
> Dan Lupo, Purdue University Calumet
> Department of English and Philosophy
> Bitnet: LUPODJ -at- PUCAL
In my part of the university we dress as we like--tend to dress up if
bureaucrats or foreigners coming. As a writer as well as an editor I
appreciate the fact that I can work at home some of the time. Not only can
I get to work soon after I get up (very early) and miss the longish
commute, I can smoke, which for me is an essential for writing. At work, I
have to go outside.
Jane Fredeman
291-4268 (fax: 291-4964)
Centre for Distance Education
