Rhetoric and Composition Commons^™

A Mock Rhetoric: The Use Of Satire In First-Year Composition, Michael James Sobiech

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

On the eve of the Second World War, high school English teacher Leon Ormond writes about a minor skirmish he has with a history teacher over the pedagogical usefulness of wit. After telling her about his book, Laugh and Learn: The Art of Teaching with Humor, she tells him, “Only morons laugh.” Ormond goes on to describe her as one who exhibits “a countenance curiously reminiscent of an ancient Greek tragic mask”—she was “an exemplary member of the Cult of Pedagogic Pallbearers.” Although educators, historically, have often frowned upon humor, humorous writing—especially satirical writing—helps students understand the fundamentals of …

Teaching Creativity In Technical Communication Curricula, Curtis Robert Newbold

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis addresses the need to claim creativity as an essential component to our technical communication curricula as we prepare students for what their managers want. While many technical communication programs at universities across the country have recognized a need to teach skills beyond "writing technically," few, if any, have addressed or "claimed" a concept such as creativity that helps build these skills. I argue that creativity is what managers are looking for and what technical communication programs are already implementing. Claiming this concept will help us further define a discipline that is becoming much richer and help students develop …

Bryson’S Dictionary For Writers And Editors, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Research

This update to Bryson's Penguin Dictionary for Writers and Editors (1991) lists and glosses selected proper nouns, frequently confused words, and anomalies of written usage that are likely to draw the attention of copy editors.

Mapping Support For Diversity Through Writing Center Administration, Tammy Conard-Salvo, Joy Santee, Richard Sévère

Purdue Writing Lab/Purdue OWL Presentations

This workshop presented at the International Writing Centers Association (IWCA) 2008 conference explores how issues of diversity impact and shape writing center administration, specifically through tutor recruitment, tutor training, and policy development. The session focuses on a broad definition of diversity—including, but not limited to, race and culture, gender, sexuality, linguistics, age, and dis/ability.

Playing Heads Or Tails With My Diaphragm: Drinking Lattes With Hélène Cixous, Rebecca Mccarthy

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

While sitting through endless political speeches and pundit commentary this election cycle, one would be hard pressed to miss the continuous expressions of careless racism and sexism that is an under-theme to this presidential election. Moreover, with the Republican nomination of Sarah Palin for McCain's VP, I find myself in awe over the assumption that the simple election of a woman to an office of power equates the breaking of the glass ceiling. As such, I felt compelled to revisit Hélène Cixoius' suggestion that we need a new feminine language to combat both institutionalized and careless sexism. But what would …

A Provocation: Queer Is Not A Substitute For Gay/Lesbian, Aneil Rallin

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

I mull over the increasing interchangeability of queer with lesbian/gay (which ends up domesticating queer's radical potential) and call for queer to be liberated from the mainstream forces and institutional structures that have appropriated it.

Something's Fishy Here, Kate Comer

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

I wrote this piece as a sort of Harlot test run. When we began talking about the need for public-oriented rhetorical criticism, Jim Fredal challenged me to figure out what that might look like. I'd recently written a rather academic analysis of Hans Christian Andersen's original "Little Mermaid" and was hoping to make it relevant/current; Disney's version had just been re-released in a "Platinum Edition" DVD and was being adapted into a Broadway show. So it made sense to put it all together, using my sister as my ideal audience: smart, fun, feministá and concerned about her new baby's exposure …

Photograph In Four Parts, Pablo Tanguay

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

If you listen to enough old poets, they will tell you that these ekphrastic poems that are about art and about painting need to be able to exist independently of the painting or visual art itself. I always sort of questioned that idea -- why? I think it's a physical limitation that journals don't have photographs -- that it's too expensive to put the photograph with the poem. But why you can't do that is beyond me.

Welcome To Harlot!, Harlot Editors

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

An introduction to Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion.

Beijing's 2008 Olympic Games, Harlot Editors

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

To stretch your rhetorical muscles, check out this provocate prompt on Beijing's 2008 Olympic Games.

Real Estate Downturn, Sonya Huber

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

This piece began in the heat of a real-life dilemma: the real-estate market tanked and I was stuck with a house in Columbus, Ohio, long after I moved to Georgia. Neurosis and anxiety demanded that I think of every possible way to get rid of the darn house, and as I became more desperate, I became willing to sell it even for scrap materials. Luckily it sold (finally) after a year on the market. I used this essay to joke about some real-life challenges, including the fact that someone broke into the vacant house and stole all the copper plumbing. …

“Phonesex : A Digital Collage” And “Dis|Orientation : A Straight Closet”, Jonathan Alexander

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

As a scholar in rhetoric and composition and a media artist, I am primarily interested in exploring how people compose with digital technologies, as well as what these compositions mean for their many and varied senses of self, individually and collectively. I also work at the intersection of writing studies and sexuality studies, exploring what it means to "compose queerly," as well as what theories of sexuality, particularly queer theory, have to teach us about literacy in pluralistic democracies. These interests permeate the two digital compositions that Harlot has graciously agreed to publish.

See the original creator's statement and two …

We've Come So Far . . ., Kerry Dirk

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

This piece is a brief rant about the current gender stereotypes that play out in commercials and other forms of advertisements. While sarcasm constantly reigns in this rant, there is also a grain of truth to these complaints. Yet there is also an amount of truth in these commercials, as they are not unintentionally addressing these stereotypical audiences. I was inspired to write this piece after seeing endless commercials trying to sell me, a woman, various cleaning and cooking products. I was especially bothered because these commercials, by appealing to women, are really confirming that women are still the primary …

Caroling Commercialism: The Rhetorical Power Of Christmas Music, Daniel Wharton

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

"Caroling Commercialism" focuses on the tiny topic of Christmas music and uses this as a lens through which the author examines the growing commodification of the Christmas holiday. At the surface, the expanding season during which radio stations play holiday music seems more like an annoyance than a problem. But the practice is actually a harbinger of a more dastardly intention. In short, there is economic incentive for retailers to pay more money for advertising during the holiday season. Because Christmas music puts consumers in the holiday spirit, stations are more likely to comingle holiday advertising with holiday music. And …

Revivalism In The Baptist Bible Fellowship, 1959‐60: A Burkean Analysis, Gregory A. Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

By 1960, the 1,100 churches of the Baptist Bible Fellowship (BBF) claimed a cumulative membership of 1,000,000--an impressive number given that the movement had begun with 120 churches in 1950. The Baptist Bible Tribune provides the most extensive documentation of the BBF's early history. The 1959-60 volume of the Tribune contains numerous references to revivals. Analysis of these references via Kenneth Burke's dramatistic pentad demonstrates the centrality of revivalism to the life of the BBF in its early years. Members of the BBF’s first generation viewed revival meetings as (one of) the foremost means of building a fellowship of churches …

The Tractarians' Political Rhetoric, Robert Ellison

English Faculty Research

This article examines the political speaking and writing of John Keble, John Henry Newman, and other leading figures of the Oxford Movement. It argues that while they were essentially conservative in the pulpit, where they spoke as official representatives of the Established Church, they were more critical and outspoken in other works, where they enjoyed more of the freedom afforded to private citizens.

If You Don't Like It, You Must Not Get It: Exploring The Limits Of Polysemy In Family Guy's Satire, Christopher A. Medjesky

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Out of context, many of the unenlightened comments that come from characters on shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy or South Park seem offensive and prejudiced. However, many assume the audience rejects the more problematic elements of these characters' actions because the audience interprets the texts satirically. Little research has been conducted, however, to determine if these shows position readers to negotiate a progressive meaning from the story. I worry that those who passively view the texts may produce meanings that reinforce stereotypes and prejudices. Furthermore, proponents of media literacy have advocated the use of satirical texts without the benefit …

Treatment Of A Wife's Body In The Fiction Of Indian Sub-Continental Muslim Women Writers, Hafiza Nilofar Khan

Dissertations

Ismat Chughtai of India, Tehmina Durrani of Pakistan, and Selina Hossain of Bangladesh depict some of the sociological, religious and legal aspects of wife abuse that is a chronic, yet little discussed anathema in a Sub-Continental Muslim wife's life. "Treatment of the Wife's Body in the Fiction of Indian Sub-Continental Muslim Women Writers," examines the fiction and autobiographical works of these women writers who problematize the deeply ingrained traditional modes of domestic violence as perpetuated upon the minds and bodies of Sub-Continental Muslim wives. Chughtai, Hossain and Durrani identify culture specific practices such as child marriage, dowry, polygamy, honor crimes, …

Document Design And Emergency Management Plans, Emily Elizabeth Price

English Theses & Dissertations

Document design is a hybrid field of study that emerged &om both graphic design and professional writing. Emergency management planning occurs at all levels of government and documents processes, procedures and responsibilities of responding agencies to a disaster situation. An examination of the rhetorical elements of audience, context and purpose enables application of appropriate document design in any type of document, including emergency management plans, because the rhetorical situation of a document helps to determine appropriate design cues appropriate for the specific audience, context or purpose of that specific document.

Through relevant research into document design theory and practice, currently …

Review Of "Writing The Economy: Activity, Genre, And Technology In The World Of Banking", Andrea R. Olinger

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Composition Programs And Practices In Sweden: Possibilities For Cross-Fertilization With The United States, Birgitta Linnea Sjoberg Ramsey

Dissertations

This dissertation contributes to several of the discussions that are taking place within the field of rhetoric and composition at this particular time: about the nature and definition of academic literacy; about the impact of a heterogeneous and multicultural student population on literacy practices in the academy; about the issue of academic socialization; and about the advantages and disadvantages of traditional first-year composition courses. Most importantly, this work is a contribution to cross-national research and an attempt to open up the field of composition to recognize and include voices other than the ones from North America. Even though the differences …

(Im)Perfecting Perfection: Socially Conscious Marketing And The Professional Communicator, Layla Hakamiun

All Theses

This thesis is an interdisciplinary study that examines the beauty and advertising industries with regard to young women and body image, specifically with respect to body weight. By analyzing America's obsession with perfection, the problem with perfection, and why organizations are or are not 'jumping on board' the socially conscious bandwagon when it comes to advertising and body image, this thesis will provide my audience, marketing professional communicators in the beauty industry, with necessary information so that individuals may serve as advocates for young women while providing their employers with quality dedication to their organization. The six main takeaways professional …

Medination: Pop Culture And The Classroom, Justin Lesniewski

All Theses

This manuscript examines theoretical and practical concerns regarding the use of pop culture items in educational environments. By utilizing an ideological social constructionist perspective, such items can be seen as reified objects of thought and power. This discussion considers the reification process, our growing control over it in an increasingly techno-literate society, a specific example of the process, and how this process and our control over it can be incorporated into the classroom. The intent is to provide both a theoretical foundation and practical suggestions.

The "Art" Of War: The Influence Of Propaganda Music During World War Ii, Karissa L. Andrews

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduate requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Emotional Expression: Poems And Pacific Voices, Anna Lane Harmless

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This essay is a collection of opinions and stories that deal with four major emotions, anger, happiness, sadness, and love. A collection of poetry that expresses those feelings as well as a set of original poetry written by the researcher are set into the text. The original poetry is an alternative medium that the researcher hopes will represent some of the views of the young adults of the Pacific concerning emotions and expression of emotion. The poems were inspired by surveys and interview responses, with hopes to create an image and feeling that may connect with Pacific voices. The group …

Implementing Plain Language Into Legal Documents: The Technical Communicator's Role, Peggy Bivins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses the benefits of using plain language in legal documents and the role technical communicators can play to help implement plain language. Although many definitions for plain language exist, it is best described as reader-focused communication that presents information in a manner that makes it easy for a reader to find, understand, and use the information. Plain language facilitates comprehension by using shorter, less complex sentences; active voice; and common words. All these elements aid in processing and understanding information, especially unfamiliar concepts. Laypeople, unversed in the law, frequently have difficulty understanding traditional legal writing. The complex sentences, …

"The Altar Of Certitude": Reflections On "Setting" And Rhetorical Interpretations Of The Psalms, Rolf A. Jacobson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Are They For Real? Activism And Ironic Identities, Amber Day

English and Cultural Studies Journal Articles

A new breed of political activist has begun to appear on the streets and in the news. They are no longer trying to out-shout their opponents, but are agreeing with them instead, enthusiastically taking their adversary’s position to exaggerated extremes. It is a practice here termed “identity-nabbing,” in which participants pretend to be someone they are not, appearing in public as exaggerated caricatures of their opponents or ambiguously co-opting some of their power. This paper focuses on three groups in particular: The Billionaires for Bush, Reverend Billy, and the Yes Men. Each group stages elaborate, ironically humorous stunts as a …

The Rhetoric(S) Of St. Augustine's Confessions, James M. Farrell

Communication

In this essay, I offer a sympathetic reading of the rhetoric(s) of Augustine’s Confessions. First, as a historian of rhetoric I am interested in what Augustine’s narrative can tell us about the theory and practice of rhetoric in the late classical period and the early Christian era. From this perspective, I am interested in exploring what Augustine discloses about the rhetoric he learned in the provincial Roman schools, and taught at Carthage, Rome, and Milan. Second, I am interested in Augustine’s own work on rhetoric, especially his De Doctrina Christiana, most of which he composed during the period right before …

A Critical Analysis And Comparison Of Writing Pedagogy For English Language Learners In Second Grade, Cristina Quezada

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project is to find an effective form of writing pedagogy for second grade ELL's. The two "writing programs" under study are the Writing Blueprint for Houghton Mifflin and teaching the writing process with the use of Thinking Maps.