CRS 183 FINAL exam

rhetor

a person, group, or institution that uses rhetoric (produce symbolic action, but also are produced by symbolic action)

rhetorical persona

the ethos, roles, identity and image a rhetor constructs and performs

facets of a persona: ethos

proofs that are in the character of the speaker; credibility

roles

social roles you take on that have particular functions, qualities, characteristics, and communication patterns (ex: student, child, friend, customer)

identity

physical and/or behavioral attributes that make a person recognizable as a member of a group

intersectionality

how social categories. operate not as individual or mutually exclusive entities, but build on each other and work together, producing overlapping and interrelated privileges and disadvantages (Kimberle Crenshaw)

strategic essentialism

intentionally foregrounding one aspect of identity in your rhetorical persona

ethos persona

practical wisdom (common sense), virtue (shared values), and goodwill (best interests

image

a verbal and visual representation, emphasizing particular qualities and characteristics, that creates a perception of the rhetor in the audience’s minds

cautions about studying the rhetor- image persona

• the rhetor’s intent does not determine the meaning of a text

• no text has a single author

• rhetors are rhetorical constructions of others

• algorithms and AI contribute to texts

audience

any person who hears, reads, or sees a symbolic action, the group targeted by a message, even if they are not present; or the group capable of acting in response to the message

rhetorical audience

those audience members who are capable of being influenced by the message and of bringing about the action called for

identification

adapting with audience members through shared principles, interests, or identities

pathos

adapting to audiences by appealing to the audience’s particular emotional states of mind

public emotions

collective expressions of feeling

first persona

THE “I”- the constructed author or rhetor; the “ethos, roles, idenity” and image a rhetor constructs and performs”

second persona

THE “YOU”- the implied audience for whom a rhetor constructs symbolic action

third persona

THE “IT or THEM”- the audience rejected or negated through symbolic action; the group excluded, treated as an object, dehumanized

fourth persona

an audience who recognizes that the rhetor’s first persona may not reveal all that is relevant about the speaker’s identity, but maintains silence in order to enable the rhetor to perform that persona (ex: men passing as straight, but embodying a different sexual identity)

Aristotle’s three branches of rhetoric

deliberative, forensic/judicial, epideictic

deliberative

rhetoric that addresses broad public audiences and concerns the merits of proposals for future courses of action

forensic/judicial

rhetoric that occurs when a designated audience (such as a jury) judges the arguments about accusations of wrongdoing and events in the past

epideictic

speeches of praise or blame, usually delivered to audiences

Bitzer’s Rhetorical Situation

the situation that “calls discourse into existence” → comprised of exigence, audience and constraints

exigence

“an imperfection marked by urgency” → a problem that can be addressed with a rhetorical response

constraints

elements that restrain or limit the rhetor’s persuasive choices

conformity- fitting response (Bitzer)

a response that meets the expectations of the rhetorical situation, conforms to previous responses to similar rhetorical situations

nonparticipation

a response that denies the legitimacy of the rhetorical situation

desecration

a response that violates what would be considered an appropriate response; it participates, but in a way that overtly challenges expectations

contextual reconstruction

a response in which a rhetor attempts to redefine the situation

public sphere (Jürgen Habermas)

a check on the power of government, sphere where individuals have conversations about public concerns, is an ideal for rational deliberation

publics

people coming together to discuss common concerns, including concerns about who they are and what they should do

weak publics

publics whose deliberative practice consists exclusively in opinion formation and does not also encompass decision making

strong publics

publics whose discourse encompasses both opinion formation and decision making

counter publics

arena where subordinate social groups create and share alternative perspectives to challenge traditional views and assert their own identities, interests, and needs in separate discussions.

enclaved counterpublics

internally focused, offer safe spaces for the creation of oppositional ideas and actions

oscillating counterpublics

oscillate outward; engage in debate with outsiders to test ideas and call for action

networked publics

Online communication through the internet and social media has formed and strengthened interconnected public groups and counterpublics.