Rhetoric and Composition Commons^™

Two Sound Pieces, Keith Dorwick

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

These two sound works gathered here ("At the Edge of Sleep" and "For Voices, No Longer Human") were assembled out of ordinary, even mundane sounds. In each, I slowed down the tempo of the original sound cues such as a cat eating kibbles or a voice uttering nonsense. Further manipulation of the sounds to make entirely new pieces created abstract sound landscapes, if you will, that take on (I hope) a mythic quality far removed from their original sources. In the case of "For Voices, No Longer Human," Harlot's review process resulted in a whole new (and much stronger) work, …

"The Quiet, Wintry North": Digital Folk Of The Upper Peninsula, Dan W. Lawrence

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

In America's most "remote" of locations, a digital-centric music scene flourishes. But it's not electronic music that the folk of Michigan's wintry Upper Peninsula find interest in: it's a rootsy, quiet, lo-fi, experimental Americana that is self-produced and self-distributed. With no major venues or recording studies, and not even a well-founded independent record label, musicians of the Upper Peninsula turn to the Internet to organize musical performances and events, plan collaborative recording sessions using limited resources, and share their thoughtful, introspective music. The author reflects on these issues of independent folk music and self-production, as well as the digitization of …

The Readability Of Historical And Modern Writing, Sophia Chong

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

This research explores the difference in readability of historical and modern writing. The goal of this project is to determine if modern academic rhetoric is easier to comprehend than a historical primary source about the same topic. This has been done using a variety of quantitative methods widely used to analyze the accessibility of writings to compare sections of “The Confederate Reader” by Richard B. Harwell. Upon examination, it can be seen that despite the widely perceived convenience in comprehending modern writing that in fact, a primary Civil War period source is more readable than its current day academic counterpart.

Revision And Rewriting, Theory Of Knowledge, Grade 11-12, John D. Miles, Victoria Putnam, Candice Cliff

Arthur Vining Davis High Impact Fellows Projects

This project takes into consideration something that high school writers often overlook—revision and rewriting. We visited the classroom on three occasions to lead different kinds of revision workshops. Victoria led workshop one that focused on structure at the thesis and paragraph level. The second workshop was developed using some specific methods from Dr. Miles. We also took time to individually help students discuss structure on the larger scale and how to make that structure useful at the level of argumentation. The third visit was for individual and group conferences with students. Tori also took the role of mentor for two …

Nietzsche’S Zarathustra And Parodic Style: On Lucian’S Hyperanthropos And Nietzsche’S Übermensch, Babette Babich

Articles and Chapters in Academic Book Collections

It is well-known that as a term, Nietzsche’s Übermensch derives from Lucian of Samosata’s hyperanthropos. I argue that Zarathustra’s teaching of the overman acquires new resonances by reflecting on the context of that origination from Lucian’s Kataplous – literally, “sailing into port” – referring to the soul’s journey (ferried by Charon, guided by Hermes) into the afterlife. The Kataplous he tyrannos, usually translated Downward Journey or The Tyrant, is a Menippean satire of the “overman” who is imagined to be superior to others of “lesser” station in this-worldly life and the same tyrant after his (comically unwilling) …

Stop! Think! Grade!: Developing A Philosophy Of Writing Evaluation, Terri A. Fredrick

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

n the first day of my graduate course in evaluating student writing, I ask the students to describe their evaluation philosophy. After a few moments of silence, the students, a mix of graduate assistants and full-time K–12 teachers, begin by telling me what they expect from students’ writing. When prodded to focus on their own evaluation, they list writing issues they mark in student papers. Some describe evaluation practices: “I don’t pick up my pen until I’ve read through the paper at least once,” says one teacher. “Why?” I press. Eventually someone will venture a claim like this one: “I …

Review Of “Conversational Rhetoric: The Rise And Fall Of A Women’S Tradition, 1600-1900" By Jane Donawerth, Emily B. Paup

Strategic Communication Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

19th Century American Rhetoric: Figures, Techniques, And Informational Texts, Adam Kotlarczyk

Rhetoric Unit

Ward Farnsworth writes in his 2011Classical English Rhetoric “figures sound splendid when used to say things worth saying,” and nineteenth century Americans, it seems, had many things worth saying. The nineteenth century was a high-water mark for oral and written rhetoric in English; this was especially true in America. Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison wrote eloquently and passionately on abolition, even as the nation plunged into Civil War. Abraham Lincoln articulated his vision for the reunification of a country shattered by that war, while Henry David Thoreau explained the ethical need for the occasional disobedience to civil law …

Elder Selection: Engaging The Monterey Church Of Christ In A Collaborative Elder Selection Process, Benjamin D. Pickett

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the outcomes of a project intended to foster greater collaboration at the Monterey Church of Christ in its selection of elders. The intervention involved the engagement of the Monterey Church in a process that involved multiple steps. These steps involved engagement with teachers in the context of a teacher training seminar, with Bible classes in a series of Bible lessons, and with elders, elder nominees, and their spouses in order to discern the perceived degree to which Monterey members participate in the elder selection process. The Bible lessons presented an alternative model for theological …

The Language Of Money: How Verbal And Visual Metonymy Shapes Public Opinion About Financial Events, Theresa Catalano, Linda R. Waugh

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Much recent work on metonymy has concentrated on its definition, properties and functions (Benczes, Barcelona & Ruiz de Mendoza Ibáñez, 2011) but few studies have examined the combination ofverbal and visual metonymy or the benefits of multimodal metonymical analysis in issues of social justice. In this paper eleven news articles regarding issues in financial discourse such as the financial crisis, fiscal cliff, underwater homeowners and entitlements are examined visually and verbally from a variety of online newspaper sources. Results reveal intricate visual and verbal metonymies such as EFFECT FOR CAUSE, RESULT FOR ACTION, INSTITUTION FOR PERSON, DEFINING PROPERTY FOR CATEGORY …

Introducing A Writing Skills Intervention Into An Undergraduate Financial Accounting Course, Barbara M. Tarasovich, Benoit Boyer

WCBT Faculty Publications

This paper describes how integrating a research project into an undergraduate business school core accounting course provides opportunities to develop critical writing skills while reinforcing ethics as part of the business school curriculum. The paper discusses an end-to-end process from the overall goals and details of the assignment to assess student skills. After researching an ethical topic in business, students are challenged to complete a research paper examining the issue and stating and supporting their opinion and views of the issue. While writing courses or assignments are not unusual in business program, the unique approach described in this paper includes …

The User Experience Of Participation: Tracing The Intersection Of Sociotechnical Design And Cultural Practice In Digital Ecosystems, David L. Jones

English Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, I combine methods from Technical Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, and User Experience Design to trace the social and creative practices of social web participants. Using actor network theory, I explore the concept of participation as social and creative practice that demands coordinative knowledge work enacted within a cultural space. Leveraging the insight gained from this research, I develop the user experience of participation as a research and design methodology that privileges the movement of people and information in order to structure and re-structure social connections.

I explore this methodology through three intersections between people and technology. …

Refresh. Create. Inspire. The Mission, Vision And Values Behind The Coca-Cola Company And The Digital Marketing Strategies Of The "Open Happiness" Campaign, Sara Svendsen

Masters Theses

Due to the influence of Coca-Cola on advertising, digital marketing, and marketing strategies, the present rhetorical analysis seeks to show the many aspects of digital media in the Company's present "Open Happiness" campaign. The study of the campaign seeks to show that the Company mission statement, Company values and the vision of The Coca-Cola Company are implemented into all of the different facets of the Open Happiness campaign, and in the context of Mood Management Theory, exude the overall theme of the campaign, happiness. The parts of the campaign that were analyzed were focused on the YouTube channels of The …

Fifteen Percent Or More: A Content Analysis Of Geico's Commercial Advertising, Paul Davis

Masters Theses

In this media saturated world which is lived in today, the general public is bombarded by a multitude of advertisements. This thesis was conducted to examine Geico's commercial advertising looking specifically at their use of humor. The Elaboration Likelihood Model and the Humorous Message Taxonomy were used to conduct this content analysis. The research examined the route of persuasion and elaboration that were used in 60 Geico commercials from five of their most recent campaigns. The Humorous Message Taxonomy helped to establish which types of humor were being used along with the processes and relationship between elements. Three research questions …

Hangin' With Judas: A Narrative Analysis Of Stephen Adly Guirgis's 'The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot', Constance Falconer

Masters Theses

Stephen Adly Guirgis has created an era-melting play, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, which explores the timeless debate between divine mercy and free will. A systematic application of Walter R. Fisher's narrative analysis, through form identification and a functional analysis, determined how Guirgis accomplishes persuasion. This qualitative study focused on Guirgis's narrative, using Walter R. Fisher's narrative paradigm as a framework to answer the research question(s): (1) If Guirgis's ideology and created world in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot are foreign and imagined, how is narrative probability and narrative fidelity achieved?; and, (2) How does Guirgis persuade his …

Disease, War, And Famine In The Sudan And Haiti: A Crisis Noticed And A Crisis Ignored, Melissa Whalen

Masters Theses

The media acts as a gatekeeper and decides what material to cover and what not to cover. In order to better understand why one disaster receives media coverage and another crisis is virtually unnoticed by the media, the motives behind covering one story over another is analyzed in this study. Three major American newspaper articles concerning the Haitian earthquake and the crisis in Darfur are examined in order to discover the media's motives for covering Haiti over Darfur.

"It's Just That For The First Time, I Feel... Wicked": A Rhetorical Analysis Of Wicked's Elphaba Using Kenneth Burke's Guilt-Purification-Redemption Cycle, Patricia Foreman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the Broadway production, Wicked, and more specifically, the character of Elphaba, or the Wicked Witch of the West. The study utilized Kenneth Burke's theory of the guilt-purification-redemption cycle, and considered Elphaba's journey between the three steps of Burke's cycle. In order to understand this journey better, the researcher considered various facets of the show, including the script, lyrics, costuming, including attire and make-up, and interactions with other characters in the production. Elphaba's causes of guilt, including her mother's death, her relationship with Glinda, her cause in working with Animals, and failed magic …

The Use Of Rhetoric In Public Relations: Kenneth Burke's Theory Of Identification And Consubstantiality, Chonticia Y. Jackson

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

The purpose of this capstone portfolio is to demonstrate the importance and use of rhetoric in the field of public relations.

Surviving Laredo: A Life After Adolescent Bullying, Adora Brooke Curry

Theses and Dissertations

This project explores the immediate trauma caused by adolescent bullying as well as the long-term ramifications of the abuse. Through vivid personal narrative, the author recounts her middle school experiences as a victim of physical, verbal, and emotional bullying revealing how she has coped to arrive, finally, at a place of peace and reconciliation.

Hysterical: On Disease And Loss, Elizabeth Lea Clyburn

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis deals with the day to day struggle of living with endometriosis in a humorous way. From junior high to present, it documents the toll that endometriosis has taken on my health and family. It also discusses the struggle of failed treatments and multiple surgeries ultimately ending with a total hysterectomy at age 28

Teaching Rhetorical Strategies And Workplace Discourse Conventions In First-Year Composition, Natalie Rego

Theses and Dissertations

In general, Composition I and II are required across the board for every student regardless of academic major. For some students, First-Year Composition (FYC) is the only writing instruction they will receive before making the transition into the workplace. Subsequently, FYC is the opportune time to teach rhetorical strategies and to expose students to the workplace discourses that will be relevant to their professional lives. This thesis proposes a curriculum for a composition II course that has two aims: to teach students rhetorical strategies and to expose students to multiple genres and discourse communities. This thesis shows that it is …

"Game Recognize Game": How Hip-Hop Rhetoric Affects Perceptions Of Composition In College Freshmen, Ages 18-24, Veronica Nanette Williams

Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to help justify hip-hop as a valid example of rhetoric, this project is an informal investigation of how the hip-hop rhetoric affects perceptions of composition in college freshmen ages 18-24 using a small survey sample of first-year composition students. The resulting data indicates that hip-hop rhetoric does affect the perceptions of composition in hip-hop oriented students, specifically, hip-hop rhetoric's emphasis on ethos, or authenticity, seems to influence those students' assessments of their college compositions in terms of classical rhetorical aims.

Labor And Legos: On Becoming A Mom, Jessica Ann Sahene

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis deals with becoming a mother. From before pregnancy, to during and after, it documents the joys and pains of unexpected motherhood. It also discusses the often thought, but never said, aspects of becoming a mom.

Five Miles: From Dutch Creek And Back Again, Lacey Thacker

Theses and Dissertations

In the late winter of 2012, I set out to collect a series of stories from my grandparents, primarily my grandfather. Using a recorder, I collected these stories. I then transcribed them and clarified the text, while adding contextual information. Through these, I've captured the "voice" of Dutch Creek language, as well as the life experiences of a particular individual. In the afterword, I prepared a rhetorical analysis of the situation in the kitchen where the stories were recorded, based on an article by Lloyd F. Bitzer, a theoretician widely acknowledged for his work.

The Myth Of "Moonrise Kingdom": A Children's Tale, Laura Ragsdale

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

A Metaphor's Power Over Salience And Ideology, Aaron Mckinnon

Communication Studies

A look at the pathways of behavior influenced by the metaphor "Garbage Patch" that represents the accumulation of plastic marine debris in the world's oceans. The metaphor "plastic soup" is suggested as a solution to the rhetoric that surrounds the environmental ideology of the solution to the issue.

All You Need Is Capitalism?: An Ideological Criticism Of The Beatles-Jackson Auction Controversy, Arianna Marie Chopelas

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Professional Writing In The English Classroom: Professional Collaborative Writing: Teaching, Writing, And Learning -- Together, Jonathan Bush, Leah A. Zuidema

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

The article discusses the significance of writing professionally and collaboratively in English learning. It states that if people consider writing as just an individual act, they miss the big part of the value of professional writing. It says that oftentimes, professional writing explicitly represents an organization. It adds that collaborative writing involves the work of two or more members of a team.

Recognizing A Collective Inheritance Through The History Of Women In Computing, Erika E. Smith

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In her article "Recognizing a Collective Inheritance through the History of Women in Computing" Erika E. Smith engages with the following question: how might we create the space for women in the history of computing that is deserved? Even with the proliferation of social, political, and historical engagement with feminist theory and computing technology, there remains a lack of scholarship on the topic of women in the history of computing. Given the dearth of historical accounts on the role of women in computing, the task of delving into such history becomes necessary, although difficult. Smith's objective is to examine a …

Cross-Cultural Interpretation And Chinese Literature: A Book Review Article On Owen's Work In Sinology, Qingben Li, Jinghua Guo

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

No abstract provided.