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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Bridging Rhetoric And Pragmatics With Relevance Theory, Brian N. Larson
Bridging Rhetoric And Pragmatics With Relevance Theory, Brian N. Larson
Faculty Scholarship
In this chapter, I bridge rhetoric and pragmatics, both of which concern themselves with language-in-use and meaning-making beyond formal syntax and semantics. Previous efforts to link these fields have failed, but Sperber and Wilson’s relevance theory (RT), an approach to experimental pragmatics grounded in cognitive science, offers the bridge. I begin by reviewing Gricean pragmatics and its incompatibility with rhetoric and cognitive science. I then sketch RT, but importantly, I identify revisions to RT that make it a powerful tool for rhetorical analysis, a cognitive pragmatic rhetorical (CPR) theory. CPR theory strengthens RT by clarifying what it means to be …
'Smarks': Kynical Engagement And Coalitional Fandom Of Professional Wrestling, Andrew Zolides
'Smarks': Kynical Engagement And Coalitional Fandom Of Professional Wrestling, Andrew Zolides
Faculty Scholarship
Conflict in professional wrestling is not limited to the performers in the ring, as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and other promotions have toxic fan practices borne out of their varied engagements with the wrestling texts. Conflicting reactions to performers and storylines speak to a larger divide within the professional wrestling community exemplified by ‘smarks’: industry-savvy fans whose knowledge of backstage dealings impacts their perceptions of the product. In analyzing smarks, I employ Peter Sloterdijk’s conception of kynicism, distinguished from cynicism by an attitude of cheekiness that enables the user to subvert hegemonic idealism through a particular performance. In his words …
From Exemptions To Censorship: Religious Liberty And Victimhood In Obergefell V. Hodges, Calvin Coker
From Exemptions To Censorship: Religious Liberty And Victimhood In Obergefell V. Hodges, Calvin Coker
Faculty Scholarship
This article analyzes the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, showing that a subset of the dissent constructed devout religious groups as victims to re-articulate power relations between the state, LGBT groups, and religious entities. This re-articulation is possible as a consequence of ambiguity in the legal concept religious liberty, which is explored in depth. That ambiguity is employed to mount an argument against the decision, moving LGBT individuals from oppressed to oppressor of religious groups. The study contextualizes this inversion against the material and symbolic conditions of both the LGBT, and devout Christian, communities in the United …