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Other Rhetoric and Composition Commons™
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Articles 1 - 22 of 22
Full-Text Articles in Other Rhetoric and Composition
When An Untraditional Linguist Speaks - A Cultural Self-Analysis Of Untraditional Language, Justin Lambert
When An Untraditional Linguist Speaks - A Cultural Self-Analysis Of Untraditional Language, Justin Lambert
RhetTech
This essay presents a cultural and linguistic self-analysis that challenges dominant ideologies surrounding “proper” English in academic spaces. Through a blend of personal narrative and scholarly engagement, the author examines the legitimacy and rhetorical power of Black Language as a dynamic, historically rooted, and intellectually rigorous mode of communication. Drawing on the work of Geneva Smitherman, April Baker-Bell, and Vershawn Ashanti Young, the essay situates Black Language within traditions of contrastive rhetoric while actively applying code-meshing as both method and practice. Tracing the author’s linguistic development across familial, cultural, and academic contexts, the piece reveals how code switching and linguistic …
The Body As Architecture: Reframing Spacesuit Mobility Through Mechanical Counterpressure And Human-Centered Design, Kenza Iddir
The Body As Architecture: Reframing Spacesuit Mobility Through Mechanical Counterpressure And Human-Centered Design, Kenza Iddir
RhetTech
For more than 60 years, the spacesuit has served as the single most critical, yet structurally constrained, element of human spaceflight. Its dual identity as both a protective exoskeleton and a life-sustaining pressure shell has shaped the design and performance of every extravehicular activity (EVA) system ever flown. As exploration shifts toward long-duration lunar and Martian missions, the limitations of these traditional “mobile pressure chambers” have become increasingly apparent, particularly in relation to mobility, metabolic cost, and environmental durability. This paper presents the historical evolution of gas-pressurized suits and the constraining biomechanical and material factors since the earliest EVA missions. …
Geographic Bias In Ai: How Llm Outputs Vary By Location, Alekya Bongu
Geographic Bias In Ai: How Llm Outputs Vary By Location, Alekya Bongu
RhetTech
This paper explores the inherent biases present in Large Language Model (LLM) outputs. As AI use becomes more widespread, it is extremely important to examine the implicit biases in these models, as AI will only perpetuate inaccuracies. By understanding the implications of using AI, we can use it in a way that causes the least harm. Using Hofstede’s cultural onion to structure research questions, I tested four LLMs—ChatGPT, Pi.ai, Qwen, and DeepSeek—across three different geographic locations: the United States, India, and Ireland. The findings demonstrate that while LLMs can adjust some content based on a user’s location, they frequently default …
How Astroworld’S “Blame Game” Prevented The Formation Of Institutional Public Memory, Vedant Patil
How Astroworld’S “Blame Game” Prevented The Formation Of Institutional Public Memory, Vedant Patil
RhetTech
This paper looks at why the 2021 Astroworld tragedy in Houston did not become institutional public memory despite its scale and impact. Institutional public memory refers to the formal recognition of collective trauma through memorials. Drawing on media analysis and Vilanova’s (2025) study, this paper argues that the absence of an official memorial stems largely from racialized media narratives that placed disproportionate blame on the predominantly Black audience and hip-hop culture. This framing took attention away from structural failures such as poor crowd control and event planning, which reduced institutional pressure to memorialize the victims. While spontaneous community memorials demonstrated …
Eugenics Rhetoric In C.S. Lewis’S That Hideous Strength And Essays, Michelle Griffin
Eugenics Rhetoric In C.S. Lewis’S That Hideous Strength And Essays, Michelle Griffin
RhetTech
In the book That Hideous Strength, C.S. Lewis depicts the National Institute of Co-ordinated Experiments (N.I.C.E.) as an exclusive organization dominated by scientists, academics, and state authorities, mirroring the professional middle class that shaped British eugenics in the 20th century. Throughout the book there is evidence of eugenics discourse relating to human experimentation, feeblemindedness, sterilization of the “unfit,” as well as the role of power dynamics, all of which points to That Hideous Strength being an intentional representation of the eugenics discourse happening in Britian around the same time in which Lewis wrote the book. There is substantial evidence …
Rosemary’S Baby Is Immaculate, Alana L. Lee
Rosemary’S Baby Is Immaculate, Alana L. Lee
RhetTech
This essay examines the legacy of Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and its influence on modern horror media, specifically Michael Mohan’s Immaculate (2024). Cinematography, plot devices, and thematic parallels in both films depict the ritualization of women’s bodily autonomy within religious and patriarchal power structures. While Immaculate effectively draws on its predecessor's inspiration, its reliance on poor-quality horror tropes negates its critical perception and originality. This essay examines the films’ various portrayals of reproductive abuse, such as marital rape in Rosemary’s Baby, and forced in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Immaculate. These abuses are explored as different methods …
Oliver, Sarah Rush
Oliver, Sarah Rush
James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)
In my audio piece, Oliver, I wanted to tell the story of adopting my dog in a way that felt personal but still relatable. Soundwriting is an approach to writing that treats audio as a form of research, storytelling, and communication. It encourages writers to think about how sound shapes narrative, how voice carries meaning, and how small production choices affect the way listeners engage with a piece. This approach let me do something writing alone can’t always achieve: create a more immersive experience, where tone, pacing, and the natural qualities of voice help listeners feel present in the story.
An Exploration Of Embodiment, Narrative Identity, And Healing In Dungeons And Dragons, Joshua D. Crigger
An Exploration Of Embodiment, Narrative Identity, And Healing In Dungeons And Dragons, Joshua D. Crigger
Masters Theses, 2020-current
An Exploration of Embodiment, Narrative Identity, and Healing in Dungeons and Dragons is composed of two sister articles: the first is titled Me, Myself, and My D&D Character: The Recursive Process of Embodiment and Narrative Identity in Dungeons and Dragons, and the second is titled Dungeons and Dragons as a Site of Healing: Towards Embodied Writing as Healing. Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D, is a fantasy role-playing game where a Dungeon Master, leader and rules referee, leads a group of players acting as fantasy characters, or avatars, through a story together where outcomes are determined by rolling dice. …
"I Just Wanted To Feel Heard": An Autoethnography Of Feminist Complaint And Institutional Response, Rachel L. Mangan
"I Just Wanted To Feel Heard": An Autoethnography Of Feminist Complaint And Institutional Response, Rachel L. Mangan
Masters Theses, 2020-current
This autoethnography is both about feminist complaint and is a feminist complaint. Through embodied, mindful narratives and approaching institutional documents and personal artifacts auto-archaeologically, I detail the experience of being a woman engaging in feminist complaint following an experience of gender-based fear and the subsequent institutional response. In the wake of speaking out about a moment of unsafety in public and being disregarded by the police and publicly humiliated by my university, these artifacts are sites of identity negotiation and assist in memory work. This inquiry demonstrates that negative responses from institutional representatives and official documents are patriarchal in nature, …
Reconciling With Slavery In The United States: An Evolving Narrative, Jamie Phlegar
Reconciling With Slavery In The United States: An Evolving Narrative, Jamie Phlegar
Masters Theses, 2020-current
This project addresses two strands of inquiry that spring from this issue of evolving race relations in the U.S. First, I examine how Americans talk about the history of slavery in the U.S. What rhetorical strategies are employed when slavery is discussed and/or debated in public history contexts and beyond? Second, I examine talk about the future of race relations in the context of the legacy of slavery. Specifically, I am interested in exploring what rhetorical strategies are employed when discussing the potential for reparations in mainstream arenas.
Learners’ Perspectives On The Use And Support Of Student Created Video Assignments At James Madison University, Annette Bruff Liskey
Learners’ Perspectives On The Use And Support Of Student Created Video Assignments At James Madison University, Annette Bruff Liskey
Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities
This research is an exploratory analysis of the use of student created video assignments at JMU, a pedagogical strategy that is increasingly common but not widely researched. The study collected quantitative data via an online survey of JMU students with the objective of examining the use, design, and outcomes of student created video assignments at James Madison University. Survey topics included the requirements of the assignment, the course that included the assignment, resources available and/or used to complete the assignment, students’ perceptions of the learning outcomes, as well as non-identifying information about each respondent’s demographics and academic experience at JMU. …
Rhetoric In Film: Three Explorations Of Influence In Documentaries And Digital Stories, Emily Knapp
Rhetoric In Film: Three Explorations Of Influence In Documentaries And Digital Stories, Emily Knapp
Masters Theses, 2010-2019
This thesis is made up of three distinct articles, two written with the intention of publication while the third consists of a digital story and subsequent reflection on the process of creation. The first article serves to answer the question “Do documentary films inspire activism?” by analyzing data gained after surveying 266 members of the James Madison University community. The results suggest that viewers are moved to emotion when witnessing struggle but that they are moved to action when said action directly impacts their own life. The second article is a rhetorical analysis of the 2013 documentary film Blackfish. …
Opinions In Context: An Exploration Of The Rhetoric Used By Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia And Ruth Bader Ginsburg Regarding The Separation Of Church And State, Catherine Evans
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg represented opposite ends of the political spectrum on the Court, having been appointed by presidents from different parties. Their opinions on cases revolving around the interpretation of separation of church and state do/did not occur within a vacuum, and this paper examines both the context surrounding these opinions and rhetoric of the opinions themselves, closing with a discussion of the former’s effect on the latter. Specifically, four cases (two for each) from the beginning and end of the justices’ careers will be analyzed: Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board v. Pinette …
The Mythological Perspective Of Modern Media: Cross-Cultural Consciousness And Modern Myths, Rebecca E. Evans
The Mythological Perspective Of Modern Media: Cross-Cultural Consciousness And Modern Myths, Rebecca E. Evans
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
This piece assesses the cultural implications of modern narratives that incorporate classical mythology, specifically focusing on the hero’s journey. When the similarities of different myths across different cultures are analyzed, it becomes clear that there are modern analogs that incorporate mythic qualities and cultural values. These mythic foundations are analyzed here in popular works like Harry Potter, Star Trek, and Legend of Zelda, where the hero’s journey becomes an almost universal experience that inspires cross-cultural consciousness. The hero’s journey has evolved from a simple literary tool into a cross-cultural touchstone that shapes narratives into familiar works of cultural significance across …
How Native American Rappers Communicate And Create A Modern Identity, Hannah J. Berge
How Native American Rappers Communicate And Create A Modern Identity, Hannah J. Berge
Masters Theses, 2010-2019
Current research concerning identity and Native Americans is sparse outside the realm of expressly Native American scholarship. While most conversations about identity and Native Americans focuses on historical and political aspects, many sources do not explore alternative avenues of contemporary identity creation. This thesis uses Kenneth Burke’s pentad to analyze the lyrics for “AbOriginal” by Frank Waln. The pentad is used to analyze each line of the rap. A new term, alter-agent, is used to identify agents who the agent either associates with or who the agent views as hindering his progress. There is then a count of the number …
Issues Of Universal Design And The Relational Model Of Disability In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Mackenzie K. Kelley
Issues Of Universal Design And The Relational Model Of Disability In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Mackenzie K. Kelley
Masters Theses, 2010-2019
Disability issues are prevalent throughout the animated series Avatar the Last Airbender. This thesis focuses specifically on issues of universal design throughout the show, while also understanding disability through the relational model. In particular, two episodes are rhetorically analyzed for their representation of universal design philosophies and the body-environment relationship.
Cross-Cultural Solutions Volunteer Handbook, Alexa Senio
Cross-Cultural Solutions Volunteer Handbook, Alexa Senio
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Alexa worked with Cross-Cultural Solutions to design and create a handbook that could prepare volunteers for their experience abroad. By using her personal experience abroad at El Pueblito, an orphanage in Cartago, Costa Rica, Alexa was able to compile resources and information that would be useful for a first-time volunteer to make the most out of their experience and to make sure they are prepared for working with the children. The final product is an interactive PDF handbook and an accompanying classroom activity bank on Pinterest that can be accessed digitally by CCS volunteers worldwide.
Tracing The Past And Outlining The Future: The James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal As A Genre System, Lindsey R. Campbell
Tracing The Past And Outlining The Future: The James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal As A Genre System, Lindsey R. Campbell
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Through my analysis of JMURJ as a genre system and my examination of the Screening Criteria document as a central point of communication and meaning, I will explain the value of such genre analyses and how certain texts embody an organization’s purpose and organize its communicative activities. As genre theorists Carol Berkenkotter and Thomas Huckin suggest, “Understanding the genres of written communication in one’s field is [...] essential to professional success” (“Rethinking Genre”). I hope to show how an understanding of the way genres function in an organizational context provides valuable insight into the process of carrying out a purpose. …
A Tank Full Of Wishful Thinking: Crystallizing The Rhythms Of The Road, Leanna K. Smithberger
A Tank Full Of Wishful Thinking: Crystallizing The Rhythms Of The Road, Leanna K. Smithberger
Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities
This presentation is a personal exploration of American car culture — the roads that enable it, the everyday actions that sustain it, and the values that justify it. I use a constellation of mobilities, autoethnography, and rhythmanalysis in order to tap into the political, personal, and aesthetic ways our road-centered culture shapes and constrains our lives in mundane and extraordinary ways. I argue that our road system of mobility is largely taken for granted, and is stubbornly persistent due to deeply held cultural values. I use a variety of artistic, evocative methods, including narrative, poetry, and music, because I argue …
Human-Animal Communication In Captive Species: Dogs, Horses, And Whales, Mackenzie K. Kelley
Human-Animal Communication In Captive Species: Dogs, Horses, And Whales, Mackenzie K. Kelley
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
My hopes for this project are to collect and analyze the current research in the field of animal communication. In the first part, my goal is to define animal communication, specifically within human contexts. I will look at how the history of humans and certain species have intertwined to result in their modern day relationships. I will also explain why we should care about animal communication. In the second part, I will look at three specific species I have chosen to study: dogs, horses, and cetaceans. I will provide a brief history of our roles as humans in the evolution …
The Professional Writer's Many Personae: Creative Nonfiction, Popular Writing, Speechwriting, And Personal Narrative, Rosemary Girard
The Professional Writer's Many Personae: Creative Nonfiction, Popular Writing, Speechwriting, And Personal Narrative, Rosemary Girard
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
This book discusses in detail four genres of professional writing that are interwoven but also distinct: creative nonfiction, popular writing, speechwriting, and personal narrative. As such, it is organized in four chapters—one for each genre of professional writing. Each chapter is then broken down further into three sections—research, rhetorical analysis, and creative work. The research sections of each chapter are didactic, providing an understanding of what the genre is, what unique characteristics it has, and how a writer might go about writing a piece in that style. The rhetorical analysis sections look critically at a published piece of writing in …