Outcome Reflection V

Project analysis highlights the difference between making a document and understanding the ecosystem in which the document lives. For the “Live for Now” ad, PepsiCo., ignored the nuances of diverse and multicultural context. Personally, understanding how PepsiCo., attempted to use a protest, but ignored the specific lived realities of the diverse groups participating in that protest, was particularly important. This outcome illustrates that social justice movements are not just backgrounds for content, instead they are complex rhetorical situations. I learned that when an ad occupies a social justice space, it must do so with authenticity and service, rather than extraction and commodification. Additionally, I learned that a reader is not always someone who only consumes information; but someone who interprets the information through his/her cultural lens. Lastly, I learned that technical communication requires listening before composing, especially to respect the gravity of social justice context. Nowadays we are moving from the idea that documents are neutral, they are social actions that occupy sensitive space.