Rhetoric and Composition Commons^™

Playing With Food: Practices Of Consumption Cuisine And Embodiment In Video Games, Zachary Graham Hill

English Theses & Dissertations

The implementation of food in video games is extremely common to the medium, yet its function and placement within the cultural paradigms of video games remain unexamined. The purpose of this thesis is to examine games where culinary practices and foodways are brought to the forefront, making them either a key element to gameplay, or the only element of gameplay. By critically examining the various usages of food in game-spaces, this thesis examines the embodied relationship in video game spaces between players and their avatars through their encounters with food in these spaces. The relationships between player, avatar, and food …

The Theory Of Imaginative Resistance: Narrative Conflict & Contested Realities In The Right To Die Versus Disability Studies Perspectives On Medical Euthanasia, Jessica Fawley

Open Access Theses

In this thesis, I introduce a philosophic concept termed "imaginative resistance," a concept which targets the unimaginability of narratives, which I argue offers new insights into polarized communication. I discuss the philosophic debate on imaginative resistance to date, and piece out central puzzles and approaches. I show that imaginative resistance can be applied to broader types of communication than those currently being discussed by philosophers, and indicate that polarized debates are especially likely places to uncover imaginative resistance. I discuss, and respond to, a recent article by Susan M. Behuniak (2011) in which she analyzes a subsection of the contemporary …

Negotiated Interaction In The Learning Of Written Discourse Conventions, Brian A Guthrie

Open Access Dissertations

This study examines how two Japanese students learning to write in English negotiate the variations in written discourse conventions they encounter in an all-English program at a university in Japan. Textbooks, samples of the students' essays, and written feedback from instructors were analyzed, and interviews were conducted with the students in order to demonstrate the varieties of descriptions and interpretations of written academic introductions the students encountered in their first year of study at the university. Using an approach to learning that draws from ecological theories of composition, alternative approaches to second language acquisition, and actor-network theory, the students' academic …

The Semantics Of Repression: Understanding The Continued Brutality Towards Lgbtqa Individuals In The Russian Federation, Joseph C. Recupero

Student Publications

This work serves to examine the linguistic style and choices used by Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin as it pertains to issues of the LGBTQA community in the country and the Anti-Propaganda Law. Using the methodology of Critical Discourse Analysis, the author compares the speeches of Vladimir Putin to those of Western leaders Barack Obama and Ban Ki-moon, drawing conclusions as to why brutality towards LGBTQA individuals in Russia has been allowed to continue relatively unopposed. The author suggests that it may be Vladimir Putin's careful choice in words and speaking styles that allows the issue to persist.

Peering Into The Jezebel Archetype In African American Culture And Emancipating Her From Hyper-Sexuality: Within And Beyond James Baldwin’S 'Go Tell It On The Mountain' And Alice Walker’S 'The Color Purple', Zakiya A. Brown

Student Publications

Literary authors and performing artists are redefining the image of the Jezebel archetype from a negative stereotype to an empowering persona. The reformation of the Jezebel’s identity and reputation, from a manipulating stereotype to an uplifting individual may not be a common occurrence, but the Jezebel archetype as a positive figure has earned a dignified position in literature and in reality. Jezebel archetypes wear their sexuality proudly. Her sultriness may be the first aspect of her identity that readers see, but readers must be cautious not to overlook her merit and moral standards as a character that has the potential …

Identities And Interactions In A Transcultural Online Collaboration Project, Zsuzsanna Bacsa Palmer

English Theses & Dissertations

The traditional theoretical frameworks and assumptions about intercultural technical communication are no longer adequate to describe and teach intercultural communication now frequently happening through digital networks. My dissertation proposes to use the theory of cosmopolitanism as it has been recently applied in several social science fields as a framework for pedagogical project design in order to teach intercultural communication skills applicable in the global age.

The dissertation describes a transcultural online pedagogical project between Hungarian and U.S. students that I designed according to the principles of cosmopolitan theory. In this project, students were introduced to the basic tenets of cosmopolitanism …

"A Short Burst Of Inconsequential Information": Networked Rhetorics, Avian Consciousness, And Bioegalitarianism, Damien S. Pfister

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This essay uses the concept of “avian consciousness” to reconsider assumptions about human communication and theorize networked rhetorics. By adopting an ornithomorphic frame, I critically read Don DeLillo’s The Body Artist as an exploration of overlaps between human and avian consciousness. I then argue that avian consciousness provides a richer metaphor for understanding networked rhetorics than autistic consciousness, which is an increasingly dominant trope for explaining interaction with digitally networked media. I explore how Twitter, explicitly modeled on avian communication, can be understood as circulating information in ways analogous to the contact and assembly calls of birds. The essay concludes …

Youth Narratives Of The Conflict In Northern Uganda, Ellen Eichelberger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Narratives are an essential method of communication that create windows into human experiences. Narratives are also responsible for generating the societies in which they are told, or are shaped indelibly by the societies generated by more powerful narratives. In a post-conflict environment where society has been destroyed by decades of violence, the power of narratives to influence society is heightened. Such a postconflict environment is that of northern Uganda, as it emerges from the violence of the war between the LRA and the UPDF. Due to the heightened powers of narratives, it is necessary to give attention to what those …

Governing Bodies: Caster Semenya And The Rhetorical Management Of Sex And Gender Ambiguity In Professional Athletics, Samuel Robert Evans

English Theses & Dissertations

Sport has long been thought of as an "opiate for the masses," where a collective can forget about social, political, racial, or economic differences and unify to compete in the same space or root for a common team (Eitzen and Sage 202). Scholarship in sports communication, sports rhetoric, and sports sociology, however, has shown that this view of sport as an apolitical cultural institution separate from impactful political debate is oversimplified. Rather, sports are key sites in which beliefs about gender, race, class, and politics are made manifest.

This dissertation uses the case of Caster Semenya, a female South African …

“A Maturity Of Thought Very Rare In Young Girls”: Women’S Public Engagement In Nineteenth-Century High School Commencement Essays, Amy J. Lueck

English

Though largely debarred from public rhetorical performance as adult women, young women in the nineteenth-century US received rhetorical training and performed their original compositions before large public audiences as high school students. Their access to the academic platform stemmed in part from their politically contained position as students and “girls” in this context. But students used these opportunities to intervene in political debates and to comment on their experiences as women and students. These rhetorical interventions represent an important part of our rhetorical history, shedding light on a significant rhetorical opportunity for many young women across the US.

An Equivocal Truth: An Analysis Of Climate Change Communication In Respect To The Double Ethical Bind, Taylor Whitney Brown

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The purpose of my thesis will be to analyze how climate change translators address the double ethical bind, which includes how the communicators struggle and succeed in explaining environmental evidence while revealing the whole truth of the situation, which includes the doubts, caveats, and questions while still motivating the public to action (Russill, 2010, p. 63). To construct my thesis, I will first evaluate the key texts surrounding climate change communication in an integrated literature review that incorporates defining the role of climate change communicators, determining common restraints and problems communicators face, describing communication techniques, and illustrating the usefulness of …

Superheroes Unmasked, Jillian M. Malone

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

In this assignment, I was asked to analyze one rhetorical strategy in the graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. I was also asked to consider the Catholic Intellectual Tradition as a rhetorical context. As the class read the book, we had in-class writing assignments that helped us trace our strategy throughout the text and develop our analysis that would eventually become the backbone of our papers. I used these in-class assignments along with my notes on the book to create a comprehensive list of every flashback in the novel. I used this list to develop my thesis …

Rhetorical Analysis On "It's Not As Simple As It Seems", Nathan Machel

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

I wrote this essay as an assignment for my English class, themed Remix Culture. Throughout the course, we examined the originality and even legality of numerous "remix" art forms from music mash ups to a classic novel. Delving further into the legality aspect, we examined the extent to which different works were plagiarized. Did Robin Thicke steal the beat for "Blurred Lines"? Did Harriet Beecher Stowe write Uncle Tom’s Cabin? Or did God write it, as she claimed? Is anything truly original? Or is everything a derivative of some pre-existing elements? In "It's Not as Simple as It Seems," …

Texts Tell Truths, Emma R. Venetis

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

The assignment for this essay was to provide a close reading analysis of a writing or visual strategy in the novel Watchmen by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore, while making connections to how this strategy relates (or doesn't) to the Catholic Intellectual Tradition (CIT). To get started on this essay, I looked through various in-class writings we had done regarding rhetorical strategies in this novel. I also reviewed information about the CIT and typed a two-page-long brainstorm of all the rhetorical strategies I found that interested me, and the connections I could find between those and CIT. After deciding on …

Slenderize Me: Youth's Infatuation With Images In The Media, Madeline W. Collins

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

I began to compose this research paper based on an assignment in my English 200H Writing Seminar. The assignment was to use original and unoriginal research to argue and prove an opinion about a gender-related issue. I began the process by researching online articles about the effects of the images in the media on young adults. Being a young woman in the era of technology made me very interested in how the increased media exposure of today negatively affects the confidence levels and body images of myself and other girls my age. After gathering baseline information from online academic articles, …

Legitimacy Of Fan Fiction, Daniel J. Fesenmeier

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

The process began began by exploring different possible topics related to the class theme of "remix culture". From there I met with Professor Biswas and formulated a strong thesis for my argument. Then I found sources applicable to my topic. I next constructed an outline, created a rough draft, had my draft peer edited by fellow students and Professor Biswas, and finally made appropriate revisions.

Forging Family Ties, Kristin Davis

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

The assignment for this essay was to develop an argument related to gender in the United States and to use your own original research in addition to other sources. First, I thought about prominent issues in the United States and decided to focus on prejudice against homosexual couples who were attempting to adopt children. After doing some initial research, I decided that homosexual adoption rights need to be expanded on in the United States. I did more research on databases and in Roesch Library to find sources that would both support my side of the issue, but also some sources …

Just Desserts: Recipe Copyright And The Plagiarism Of Edible Creations, Allyson M. Ayoob

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

The theme of my ENG 200H class was "Remix Culture," which caused my classmates and me to explore the meanings of concepts such as creativity, authorship, originality, and plagiarism. My newfound interest in intellectual property law joined with my business major and a passion for food to create the topic of my research paper. The writing process was both fun and challenging, as I researched recipe copyright and came up with my own solutions to address this growing problem. As my paper evolved, I wrote and edited three drafts with the help of the constructive criticism of my professor and …

The Fight To The Top Of Educational Ladder, Nneoma M. Ezenagu

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

I completed this essay as part of my literacy narrative assignment. The essay narrated the story of a very significant part of my literacy journey. I included a lot of details to enable readers relate to my story and to make my essay clear and concise. I completed one draft of the essay, but with in class peer review and a visit to the Write Place, I was able to edit and revise my essay.

The Way I Learned To Read And Write, Jing Dang

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

In order to write this narrative essay, I began by brainstorming, and I thought about my early experiences of reading and writing. After I wrote the first draft, I took my paper to the Write Place and made some corrections based on what they told me. I also met with my professor and revised my paper again in order to create stronger transitions between paragraphs.