| Abstract |
The meaning of voice in academic writing is often conflated and understood as an individually-centred concept relating to expression or opinion. In this paper voice meanings are presented from other perspectives where voice is also understood as a socio-cultural and ideological concept.
This paper examines voice meanings by drawing upon metaphors associated with voice within existing literature. In addition, the paper also presents new meanings and metaphors that emerged through a narrative study on academic writing that was undertaken in an Irish research-intensive university in 2016. By teasing out the multiple and complex meanings of voice, this paper offers a means to look at the applicability of voice in higher education and, more specifically, as a useful concept to support academic writing and writing pedagogy.
This paper provides an opportunity to broaden the understanding of voice and to reconsider its relevance to academic writing and writing pedagogy. New interpretations of voice are presented here and these perspectives add to the existing literature on academic writing. In addition, the paper provides useful opportunities to understand the existing literature on voice through its treatments and discussion of the existing meanings. The abstract concepts of voice come to life through the discussions as the participants offer their lived perspectives. This allows us to unpack the meanings of voice in a way that is not possible through theory alone. |
