Mirabelli
begins his article “Learning to Serve:
The Language and Literacy of Food Service Workers” by describing a
website, and testimonials therein, that involve waitresses and their treatment
in the workforce. He includes
excerpts from this website: a bit
of hate mail, and the rebuttals of two waitresses. This opening varies considerably from those of the other
authors we have recently read.
Mirabelli’s article looks much more informal in contrast. However, his article does still seem
academic in its overall construction, citing previous work on the subject, then
narrowing the focus down to explain what his study adds. From this introduction, we can infer
that he has two intended audiences:
academics and the general public.
I think that Mirabelli is trying to appeal to a wider audience with the
use of excerpts from the website bitterwaitress.com. They seem less formal and more focused on telling a story
than making a dense academic argument.
However, these excerpts relate back to statistics and theories that have
been previously established. These
more concrete details appeal to a more academic audience by providing a sense
of authenticity and quantifiable data.
Mirabelli’s purpose in “Learning to Serve” is to establish that
waitresses and more broadly, those who are involved in face to face service
positions, have a highly advanced literacy. Their literacy is based on presentation and identity; the
ability to manipulate themselves and others in order to achieve success in the
field. This message can be
interpreted as another view of literacy, but also as a statement to those who
may be the ones discriminating.
Mirabelli points out that there is a stigma related to these “in person”
service occupations. Many of the
people who subscribe to this idea are probably in academic field (like those
who would read this article). Not
only does this article explore a discourse community, it also demonstrates a
valuable lesson for a group of people who are often disrespected for their
work.
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