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- Title
- A BURKEAN METHOD FOR ANALYZING ENVIRONMENTAL RHETORIC.
- Creator
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Stewart, John, Dombrowski, Paul, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The work of Kenneth Burke provides a method of rhetorical analysis that is useful in terms of bringing features of texts to the surface that are not readily apparent, such as how they produce identification in their audiences, and in revealing rhetorical factors related to but outside the text, for example the authors' motives. Burke's work is wide-ranging and open to many interpretations, so it can be difficult to apply. This study condenses some of his more important concepts into a...
Show moreThe work of Kenneth Burke provides a method of rhetorical analysis that is useful in terms of bringing features of texts to the surface that are not readily apparent, such as how they produce identification in their audiences, and in revealing rhetorical factors related to but outside the text, for example the authors' motives. Burke's work is wide-ranging and open to many interpretations, so it can be difficult to apply. This study condenses some of his more important concepts into a simplified method which has several practical applications; it focuses on how Burke's theories can be applied to analyzing environmental texts, and helps reveal how those texts are rhetorically effective. This method is also shown to be useful for rhetoricians and other students of language in analyzing the motives and meanings behind complicated texts. An example analysis is developed in detail to demonstrate the utility of this approach for analyzing environmental rhetoric and help clarify how to apply it to other texts. A publication by the Center for Ecoliteracy (CEL), a nonprofit organization engaged in environmental education, provides the basis for a concrete example of applying this method to a current work of environmental rhetoric. The CEL serves as an example of current environmental organizations and their rhetoric, and a Burkean analysis of its publications begins by revealing some of the principles operating in the texts that make them rhetorically effective. This analysis also goes beyond basic dialectics to question how the texts function as "symbolic action" and how they fit into Burke's hierarchic system of language. The method developed in this study not only determines how the text produces identification in an audience, but also the motives behind producing the text. The CEL's publications are good representative examples of current environmental writing, so the conclusions drawn from an analysis of the CEL's texts can be applied to other environmental rhetoric.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002594, ucf:48248
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002594
- Title
- DEBATING THEIR BELIEFS TO VICTORY: HOW THE BELIEFS OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TRANSFORM THE RHETORIC USED IN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES.
- Creator
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Marks, Aubrey, Pollock, Philip, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As presidential candidates rhetorically articulate their beliefs during presidential debates, they reveal a lot about their underlying ideological beliefs. These beliefs were examined through the lens of an established methodology called the Operational Code, which uses a program to decipher a candidate's beliefs through what they say in debate transcripts. In this study, the belief trends of the Operational Codes of all presidential candidates from 1976-2012 were examined through a...
Show moreAs presidential candidates rhetorically articulate their beliefs during presidential debates, they reveal a lot about their underlying ideological beliefs. These beliefs were examined through the lens of an established methodology called the Operational Code, which uses a program to decipher a candidate's beliefs through what they say in debate transcripts. In this study, the belief trends of the Operational Codes of all presidential candidates from 1976-2012 were examined through a rhetorical lens, and it was found that rhetoric was indeed the driving force for the apparent changes in Operational Code beliefs. These changes were examined on a greater level of detail through four case studies, which illustrated the changes in Operational Code beliefs and rhetoric of Ronald Reagan, the incumbent presidential candidates, the 2004 election, and lastly, with the independent presidential candidates.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004554, ucf:45160
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004554
- Title
- From Sisters to CEO's: Defining Organizational Rhetoric in a Case Study of Social Sorority Bylaws.
- Creator
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Rood, Paige, Roozen, Kevin, Holic, Nathan, Jones, Natasha, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Organizational Rhetoric is typically used in the fields of Communication and Mass Communication to examine the communicative strategies that animate businesses and corporate organizations. This study aims to give a more rhetorically focused definition of organizational rhetoric by emphasizing how communicative acts structure action and shape the construction of identity in settings beyond formal workplaces. Based on an analysis of the social sorority bylaws of Kappa Alpha Theta and the...
Show moreOrganizational Rhetoric is typically used in the fields of Communication and Mass Communication to examine the communicative strategies that animate businesses and corporate organizations. This study aims to give a more rhetorically focused definition of organizational rhetoric by emphasizing how communicative acts structure action and shape the construction of identity in settings beyond formal workplaces. Based on an analysis of the social sorority bylaws of Kappa Alpha Theta and the rhetorical situations those bylaws address, this study suggests that social sororities employ organizational rhetoric as an effective means of persuading their members to be active participants within the organization. Ultimately, the analysis argues that the rhetoric employed by social sororities mimics the typified, effective rhetorical moves of an organization to shape the agency and identities of their members.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005993, ucf:50784
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005993
- Title
- ENGENDERING AGENCY: LITERACIES, SOCIAL ACTION, AND WANGARI MAATHAI'S GREEN BELT MOVEMENT.
- Creator
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Allen, Cassandra, Bell, Kathleen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This thesis analyzes the life and work of Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai, one of the foremost African woman rhetors of our time. Wangari Maathai--founder of Kenya's Green Belt Movement (GBM), Member of Parliament, and activist for democracy, sustainable development, and human rights--has cultivated a multidimensional literacy that has allowed her to truly understand and address the problems that post-colonial Kenyans face. Her strong solution-oriented approach has allowed her to...
Show moreThis thesis analyzes the life and work of Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai, one of the foremost African woman rhetors of our time. Wangari Maathai--founder of Kenya's Green Belt Movement (GBM), Member of Parliament, and activist for democracy, sustainable development, and human rights--has cultivated a multidimensional literacy that has allowed her to truly understand and address the problems that post-colonial Kenyans face. Her strong solution-oriented approach has allowed her to develop and refine operation of the GBM, which began simply planting trees, to produce a worldwide organization that works for sustainable development, human rights, and environmental conservation/restoration (among many others) by attacking the roots of disempowerment and challenging participants to become the primary agents of change. Through the overlapping lenses of Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Jacqueline Jones Royster's Traces of a Stream, and Filomina Chioma Steady's Women and Collective Action in Africa, I trace Maathai's emergence as a literate women in late 20th century Kenya who is able to effect meaningful social change. This examination of her life and work uncovers the convergence of literacies (academic, critical, civic, and cultural) that have created her unique worldview. Furthermore, it also examines her rhetorical construction of self through an analysis of her context, her ethos construction, and her mandates for action. At the heart of the study is an exploration of the GBM as an outlet of civic and environmental education. This discussion explores Maathai's approach to civic education as well as the potential pedagogical implications of that approach in the composition classroom of the Western university.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001890, ucf:47401
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001890
- Title
- CULTIVATING STRONG CITIZENS THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION: GREEK AND ROMAN METHODOLOGY AS A PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
- Creator
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Sarff, Krystina, Dombrowski, Paul, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The ancient Greeks were a group of people who valued intelligence and athleticism above all other human traits; because of their focus, their society became one of the most revered and advanced civilizations in all of history. They were able to significantly influence the Roman Empire's philosophers, rhetoric, and education system. In order for the United States wants to match the Greeks' paramount feats, citizens have to become more learned and fit. The future intellectual...
Show moreThe ancient Greeks were a group of people who valued intelligence and athleticism above all other human traits; because of their focus, their society became one of the most revered and advanced civilizations in all of history. They were able to significantly influence the Roman Empire's philosophers, rhetoric, and education system. In order for the United States wants to match the Greeks' paramount feats, citizens have to become more learned and fit. The future intellectual development of the United States is at risk of halting progress as a nation if action is not taken. Quintilian's educational philosophies stimulate students' brainpower, but cannot work to its best when schools stock their classrooms with dispassionate teachers. Without mental stimulation, students are prevented from becoming learned citizens capable of social advancements. Moreover, the Greek-designed Palaestra-Dadiscaleum learning environment provides students with the best possible academic and physical educations. The influence of an entire bodily education develops high-quality students who will become intelligent adults capable of making positive change in their community. Over the last decade, the U.S. physical education program has gone through several transformations that have lead to a decline in the importance of fitness as a vital player in the academic school day. To remedy and better U.S. education, schools and teachers must follow the Greek and Roman education methodologies.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002675, ucf:48206
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002675
- Title
- THE RHETORIC OF INMATES: IDENTIFICATION PROCESSES IN THE SAN QUENTIN NEWS.
- Creator
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Stepanov, Alexandra, Wheeler, Stephanie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The intent of this thesis is to create a new heuristic for processes of identification. Currently, Burke's identification theory only accounts for his definition of successful identification. This thesis explores how Burke's initial identification theory interacts with other theories that contribute to identity formation. Specifically, Fernheimer's identification half-steps, Reynold's ethos as location theory, and Kerschbaum's commodification of difference will be used to build on Burke's...
Show moreThe intent of this thesis is to create a new heuristic for processes of identification. Currently, Burke's identification theory only accounts for his definition of successful identification. This thesis explores how Burke's initial identification theory interacts with other theories that contribute to identity formation. Specifically, Fernheimer's identification half-steps, Reynold's ethos as location theory, and Kerschbaum's commodification of difference will be used to build on Burke's theory and develop a new heuristic. The new heuristic will be applied to the San Quentin State Prison's inmate-run newspaper, the San Quentin News, to explore how inmates are utilizing rhetorical identification strategies to change the dominant conversations surrounding their identity.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFH2000220, ucf:46049
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000220
- Title
- BURSTING THE FILTER BUBBLE: INFORMATION LITERACY AND QUESTIONS OF VALUATION, NAVIGATION, AND CONTROL IN A DIGITAL LANDSCAPE.
- Creator
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Hassan, Komysha, Guenzel, Steffen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The evolution of social media platforms and other public forums in the digital realm has created an explosion of user-generated content and data as a component of the already content-saturated digital landscape. The distributed, horizontal nature of the internet as a platform makes it difficult to ascertain value and differentiate between texts of varying validity, bias, and purpose. In addition, the internet is not an inanimate interface. As Pariser (2011) argues, content aggregators, such...
Show moreThe evolution of social media platforms and other public forums in the digital realm has created an explosion of user-generated content and data as a component of the already content-saturated digital landscape. The distributed, horizontal nature of the internet as a platform makes it difficult to ascertain value and differentiate between texts of varying validity, bias, and purpose. In addition, the internet is not an inanimate interface. As Pariser (2011) argues, content aggregators, such as Google, actively filter, personalize, and therefore limit each individual's access to information, in both range and type. This has created a crisis of information valuation and control. Importantly, conventional curriculum does not furnish students with the information literacy tools necessary for them to navigate the digital landscape effectively. Information miners and developers, including news organizations, are falling victim to this fallacy as well. Lankshear and Knobel (2011) posit that empowering navigation and control in the digital landscape requires a new mindset. This research offers a context-driven approach that acknowledges this new mindset, promoting "rhetorical consciousness" (Murphy et al., 2003) within the network and providing a framework to recognize, challenge, and co-create gatekeeping roles and mechanism as they increasingly shift to the individual.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFH2000326, ucf:45733
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000326
- Title
- "A Memorial and a Name": Construction of Public Memory Through Chronotopic Arrangement of Antecedent Genre at Yad Vashem.
- Creator
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Brennan, Emily, Rounsaville, Angela, Scott, Blake, Walls, Douglas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This spring marked the 70th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis and the end of the Holocaust in Europe. Memory of this genocide has occupied a central place in Israeli identity since the establishment of the state. This thesis explores the history of Holocaust memory in Israel and examines how public memory is constructed in the present, as the era of the survivor draws to a close and commemorative efforts linked to survivors take on a sense of urgency. The contemporary memorial places...
Show moreThis spring marked the 70th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis and the end of the Holocaust in Europe. Memory of this genocide has occupied a central place in Israeli identity since the establishment of the state. This thesis explores the history of Holocaust memory in Israel and examines how public memory is constructed in the present, as the era of the survivor draws to a close and commemorative efforts linked to survivors take on a sense of urgency. The contemporary memorial places examined in this study are part of Yad Vashem, Israel's premier institution for Holocaust commemoration. The thesis focuses on the museum's Hall of Names and its analogous web space, the Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names. Specifically, I draw on two concepts from Rhetorical Genre Studies(-)the chronotope (Bakhtin) and antecedent genre (Jamieson)(-)to examine the relationship between genre and the making of public memory. The findings of this analysis point to the importance of the antecedent genre of Holocaust testimony in the construction of public memory at Yad Vashem. Through a chronotopic analysis of the Hall of Names and the Central Database, I found that the genre of testimony changed across these spaces to ideologically construct memory in different ways. It is in the Hall of Names and Central Database's repurposing of the testimonial genre, and the expression of this genre through chronotopic arrangement in each of these locations, that a legacy of social concerns coalesces into the memorial expression of the contemporary moment. This study contributes to scholarship on the rhetorical construction of public memory and Rhetorical Genre Studies. First, it suggests the importance of genre and genre change in considerations of the rhetorical construction of public memory. Second, it suggests additionalconsiderations in determining how context affects genre and vice versa when features of time and space are especially salient for meaning-making. Specifically, these findings suggest additional complexity in the relationship between genre and the chronotope: genre change across contexts may result from a genre's integration into places with different space/time arrangements.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005913, ucf:50836
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005913
- Title
- Celebrities, Fans, and Queering Gender Norms: A Critical Examination of Lady Gaga's, Nicki Minaj's, and Fans' Use of Instagram.
- Creator
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Dieterle, Brandy, Vie, Stephanie, Brenckle, Martha, Salter, Anastasia, Pigg, Stacey, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation used queer rhetoric as a lens for studying queering gender norms on Instagram by using Lady Gaga's, Nicki Minaj's, and fan posts as case studies. The research considers how celebrities may use social media, like Instagram, for queering gender norms, and what this might look like. This research also aimed to better understand if and how fans may take up celebrities' efforts at queering gender norms and, in turn, queer gender norms in their own Instagram posts where they tag...
Show moreThis dissertation used queer rhetoric as a lens for studying queering gender norms on Instagram by using Lady Gaga's, Nicki Minaj's, and fan posts as case studies. The research considers how celebrities may use social media, like Instagram, for queering gender norms, and what this might look like. This research also aimed to better understand if and how fans may take up celebrities' efforts at queering gender norms and, in turn, queer gender norms in their own Instagram posts where they tag Gaga or Minaj. To conduct this research, I took a multimodal methodological approach and collected and coded 1,000 posts from Gaga and Minaj, respectively, and 1,000 posts that used the hashtag Gaga and another 1,000 posts that used the hashtag Minaj. My findings suggested that Gaga and Minaj do not engage in the queering of gender norms as frequently as anticipated, and when they do it is often in relation to their public, staged performances as musicians. Furthermore, Gaga also spoke on issues relating to gender and marriage equality whereas Minaj also spoke on issues relating to racial equality. The data collected on fans was inconclusive in part because of the large number of spam posts and also because, without interviewing fans, it was difficult to discern whether they were taking up celebrity messages in their posts given information shared in the photo and in the caption. However, I was able to note that, most often, fans were engaging with celebrities by expressing admiration. This research is useful for considering how gender performance manifests on Instagram, and possible ways celebrities can utilize Instagram to queer gender norms as well as promote other messages. With regard to fan posts, I argue for continued research in ways to support fans becoming critical rather than passive consumers of celebrity culture.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0006996, ucf:51623
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006996
- Title
- BLOGGING FOR PROFIT IN THE 21ST CENTURY: AN AUTOETHNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS.
- Creator
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Warren, Samantha L, Roozen, Kevin, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this thesis is to conduct an autoethnographic analysis on my literate activities as a blogger to better understand the content creation and monetization practices of modern bloggers. In Chapter 1, I introduce readers to my blog and discuss some current lines of scholarship on blogging. In Chapter 2, I discuss my research methods and justify my use of autoethnography for my study. In Chapters 3 and 4, I explain my content creation and monetization processes in detail. In Chapter...
Show moreThe purpose of this thesis is to conduct an autoethnographic analysis on my literate activities as a blogger to better understand the content creation and monetization practices of modern bloggers. In Chapter 1, I introduce readers to my blog and discuss some current lines of scholarship on blogging. In Chapter 2, I discuss my research methods and justify my use of autoethnography for my study. In Chapters 3 and 4, I explain my content creation and monetization processes in detail. In Chapter 5, I draw conclusions from my analysis and provide a few further directions for research. My suggestions for future research include to analyze other bloggers' work, use different research methods in addition to autoethnography, and look at different types of blogs instead of just sites in the lifestyle category. One of my key takeaways from my research is that blogging is an interdisciplinary activity that requires skills in not just writing, but design, technology, and marketing.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFH2000446, ucf:45802
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000446
- Title
- ART AS A QUESTIONING PROCESS.
- Creator
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Perez, Elizabeth, Janz, Bruce, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The topic of this thesis is, broadly, the crisis of postmodernity and the solution that French rhetorician, Michel Meyer, presents in his theory "problematology." Meyer looks to relocate the focus of philosophical attention on the question as opposed to the answer. Meyer calls preoccupation with answers "propositionalism." Propositionalism can be likened to the looming scientism that threatens philosophy in general. Meyer shows, through an examination of questioning, how philosophy can be...
Show moreThe topic of this thesis is, broadly, the crisis of postmodernity and the solution that French rhetorician, Michel Meyer, presents in his theory "problematology." Meyer looks to relocate the focus of philosophical attention on the question as opposed to the answer. Meyer calls preoccupation with answers "propositionalism." Propositionalism can be likened to the looming scientism that threatens philosophy in general. Meyer shows, through an examination of questioning, how philosophy can be rescued from obsolescence without being detracted to scientism. Although Meyer's philosophy is promising, it could not be considered thorough if it did not address art. Using Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari's definition of art as externalized experience, this thesis will explore whether or not Meyer has examined the important relationship between art and philosophy. Through analysis of his three main books in English along with multiple essays, this thesis shows that, although Meyer did not examine art to a great extent, his philosophy contains underlying themes that correspond to the art world. If Meyer's philosophy is shown to be thorough enough in every respect, it could serve as a new starting point for thought. Meyer's philosophy has the potential to pioneer a new paradigm of thought that has not been previously explored.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFH0004288, ucf:44901
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004288
- Title
- Examining Gender in Pharmaceutical Rhetoric Through a Cultural Studies Lens: A Case Study on the Gardasil Vaccine.
- Creator
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Fickley, Jennifer, Bowdon, Melody, Scott, John, Bell, Kathleen, Delorme, Denise, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
On June 8, 2006, Merck announced the debut of Gardasil, the world's first vaccine found successful in preventing human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, a sexually transmitted infection that is one of the main causes of certain cancers in men and women, including cervical, vulvar, penile and anal cancers. To promote the vaccine's release, Merck launched Gardasil's (")One Less(") advertising campaign that included television commercials, print ads and a consumer-focused website (www.Gardasil...
Show moreOn June 8, 2006, Merck announced the debut of Gardasil, the world's first vaccine found successful in preventing human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, a sexually transmitted infection that is one of the main causes of certain cancers in men and women, including cervical, vulvar, penile and anal cancers. To promote the vaccine's release, Merck launched Gardasil's (")One Less(") advertising campaign that included television commercials, print ads and a consumer-focused website (www.Gardasil.com), each promoting the message that (")you(") could now be (")one less woman(") affected by cervical cancer ((")One Less(") campaign). The vaccine, tested and approved only for females age 9-26, was advertised to this age group, as well as parents or guardians responsible for making medical decisions for female minors. As the campaign launched, commercials depicted females laughing and enjoying hobbies while mentioning the positive decision they made to receive the Gardasil vaccine. Many commercials also included portrayals of mothers talking happily about their decision to get their young daughters vaccinated. Interestingly, male figures were completely left out of Gardasil's (")One Less(") campaign ads, despite the fact that in reality, males administer the vaccine as medical professionals, transmit the infection as sexual partners, and suffer cancers as HPV-infected patients. Males were even left out of the ads as parents, who were always portrayed by women in the ad campaign. Informed consumers may have expected all this to change on Oct. 16, 2009 (-) three years after Gardasil's debut (-) when the Food (&) Drug Administration (FDA) approved the vaccine for use in males age 9-26 to protect against HPV-caused genital warts. Though Merck's vaccine was now accessible to more consumers than ever, the advertising that surrounded this medical breakthrough changed very little. Television commercials for the vaccine still promoted Gardasil primarily to women for the purpose of preventing HPV-related cervical cancer. Again, men were not featured in commercials as medical professionals, parents, guardians, romantic partners, or even as patients able to get the vaccine. Males did begin appearing on the vaccine's official website, however these depictions were limited to showing only young boys, who appeared standing with a mother's protective arm around them. Males that represent the older age range (up to age 26) were never shown. What effect does the lack of male representation have on the verbal and nonverbal message these ads are sending consumers about who fits in the target consumer group, as well as who is at risk for an HPV infection? On a broader level, how does gender representation as a whole affect pharmaceutical advertisements and the adoption of the potentially life-saving products they promote? How does a pharmaceutical technology become (")gendered(")? How do specific gender portrayals impact the educational aspects of pharmaceutical ads, which may shape a consumer's opinion of who is at risk for an illness, and who is responsible for its treatment or prevention? And how do these gender portrayals connect with, reflect or reinforce dominant cultural beliefs about the roles males and females play in protecting themselves and others from disease? In this study, I investigate these questions using a blended cultural studies/social sciences research perspective, first looking at the controversial history of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising and the gender stereotypes that traditionally exist in this form of rhetoric. I then test the affect Merck's gender portrayals has on its ad message in a blind study done with a small sample population, which provides evidence that Merck's ads are confusing and exclusive of certain populations, particularly men. I then investigate how Merck's existing gender portrayals, and strong focus on women, reflect larger historical beliefs on the roles that males and females play in health care and in the family. I show how, through advertising, Gardasil has become (")gendered(") as a pharmaceutical technology for female children. From here, I will show how pharmaceutical companies, such as Merck, have both reflected and reinforced the belief that women are the primary caregivers to children, how this stereotype is both damaging and statistically incorrect, and how using it targets Gardasil ads to a very narrow population of consumers, miscommunicating the message of who is at risk for illness contraction and perhaps even damaging sales in addition to prevention. I later provide evidence that Merck's current Gardasil ad series and other actions in the marketplace are dangerously misleading certain populations regarding the nature of the HPV virus, the protective abilities of the vaccine, and the populations responsible for accessing Gardasil. I then provide the argument that gendering Gardasil as a (")women's technology(") is done intentionally by Merck, which has a history of making profits a priority over responsibly treating patient health. I conclude by providing detailed suggestions on how Merck can augment their current ad series to de-gender Gardasil to become more medically responsible, and break out of the cycle of portraying men and women using damaging and outdated stereotypes. Instead, my suggestions for changes to Gardasil's advertising approach would make the vaccine's messages appeal to all audiences at risk.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004304, ucf:49486
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004304
- Title
- Kaleidoscopic Community History: Theories of Databased Rhetorical History-Making.
- Creator
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Giroux, Amy, Chase, Diane, Schultz, John, Walker, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
To accurately describe the past, historians strive to learn the cultural ideologies of the time and place they study so their interpretations are situated in the context of that period and not in the present. This exploration of historical context becomes critical when researching marginalized groups, as evidence of their rhetorics and cultural logics are usually submerged within those of the dominant society. This project focuses on how factors, such as rhetor/audience perspective, influence...
Show moreTo accurately describe the past, historians strive to learn the cultural ideologies of the time and place they study so their interpretations are situated in the context of that period and not in the present. This exploration of historical context becomes critical when researching marginalized groups, as evidence of their rhetorics and cultural logics are usually submerged within those of the dominant society. This project focuses on how factors, such as rhetor/audience perspective, influence cross-cultural historical interpretation, and how a community history database can be designed to illuminate and affect these factors. Theories of contact zones and rhetorical listening were explored to determine their applicability both to history-making and to the creation of a community history database where cross-cultural, multi-vocal, historical narratives may be created, encountered, and extended. Contact zones are dynamic spaces where changing connections, accommodations, negotiations, and power struggles occur, and this concept can be applied to history-making, especially histories of marginalized groups. Rhetorical listening focuses on how perspective influences understanding the past, and listening principles are crucial to both historians and the consumers of history. Perspectives are grounded in cultural ideologies, and rhetorical listening focuses on how tropes, such as race and gender, describe and shape these perspectives. Becoming aware of tropes(-)both of self and other(-)can bring to view the commonalities and differences between cultures, and allow a better opportunity for cross-cultural understanding. Rhetorical listening steers the historian and the consumer of history towards looking at who is writing the history, and how both the rhetor and the audience's perspective may affect the outcome. These theories of contact zones and rhetorical listening influenced the design of the project database and website by bringing perspective to the forefront. The visualization of rhetor/audience tropes in conjunction with the co-creation of history were designed to help foster cross-cultural understanding.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005337, ucf:50472
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005337
- Title
- Rewriting Patriarchal Norms in Academia: Invitational Rhetoric in a Crowdsourced Survey.
- Creator
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Molko, Rachel, Wheeler, Stephanie, Rounsaville, Angela, Jones, Natasha, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This thesis seeks to understand the how texts are constructed to forward feminist communicative objectives through a case study of Dr. Karen Kelsky's "A Crowdsourced Survey of Sexual Harassment in the Academy.(") In this research, sexual harassment is understood as(&)nbsp;an act of power, sexual in nature, enacted by faculty or staff (employed or contracted in different capacities) in their relations with other faculty or staff, who are often lower ranking.(&)nbsp;By adopting invitational...
Show moreThis thesis seeks to understand the how texts are constructed to forward feminist communicative objectives through a case study of Dr. Karen Kelsky's "A Crowdsourced Survey of Sexual Harassment in the Academy.(") In this research, sexual harassment is understood as(&)nbsp;an act of power, sexual in nature, enacted by faculty or staff (employed or contracted in different capacities) in their relations with other faculty or staff, who are often lower ranking.(&)nbsp;By adopting invitational rhetoric as a theoretical framework, this thesis examines the way(&)nbsp;Dr. Karen Kelsky's crowdsourced survey creates the space to articulate and elevate often(&)nbsp;suppressed(&)nbsp;personal testimony regarding sexual harassment.(&)nbsp;By welcoming, and then displaying, narratives that have been deliberately silenced over the course of history, Kelsky's spreadsheet showcases a collective consciousness surrounding sexual harassment in academia. The current scholarship surrounding feminist communicative praxis highlights the importance of the written personal narrative as meaning-making and as a reflective practice, especially through the medium of journaling. However, this research examines how texts can employ personal testimony to co-create meaning as a mode of resistance. In particular, Kelsky's artifacts create a space that privileges and displays situated knowledge about sexual harassment that has been otherwise obfuscated. By conducting a feminist(&)nbsp;rhetorical analysis, this thesis argues that Kelsky's artifacts perform invitational rhetoric that mediates situated knowledge surrounding sexual harassment in the academic workplace.(&)nbsp;Reflection and dialogue shape the nature of storytelling as evoked by the survey, which are approached by this thesis as feminist communicative praxes that are activated throughout engagement with the artifacts.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007228, ucf:52229
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007228
- Title
- Ok, Ladies, Now Let's Get Information: Recognizing Moments of Rhetorical Identification in Beyonc(&)#233;'s Digital Activism.
- Creator
-
Arban, Garrett, Jones, Natasha, Vie, Stephanie, Wheeler, Stephanie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This research seeks to understand how activists are encouraging audiences to identify with their work in digital spaces through a case study of Beyonc(&)#233; Knowles-Carter's activism. The current scholarship surrounding digital activism is extensive and has offered a detailed look at individual tools used in activist movements, but there is a lack of research that recognizes the complex network of tools that are often used by an activist or activist group. To address this gap in the...
Show moreThis research seeks to understand how activists are encouraging audiences to identify with their work in digital spaces through a case study of Beyonc(&)#233; Knowles-Carter's activism. The current scholarship surrounding digital activism is extensive and has offered a detailed look at individual tools used in activist movements, but there is a lack of research that recognizes the complex network of tools that are often used by an activist or activist group. To address this gap in the research, this thesis offers an analysis of three specific activist tools used by Beyonc(&)#233; to encourage her fans and other audiences to identify with and participate in her activism. This study investigates the methods Beyonc(&)#233; employs to get her multiple audiences informed and engaged through an analysis of her activist blog, the (")Formation(") music video, and her live performance during the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to assess, from a rhetorical standpoint, how Beyonc(&)#233; is inviting her audiences to respond and become engaged.The analysis of these three activist tools utilizes qualitative data analysis, focusing on Burke's (1969) concept of rhetorical identification to understand how her activist messages are presented across mediums. To expand on the findings of this analysis, a reception study on Beyonc(&)#233;'s (")Formation(") music video and 2016 Super Bowl performance was conducted to gauge the success of her rhetorical methods. The findings of this study recognize the need to continue looking at the multiple tools used by activists to understand the complexity of their rhetorical work online. This study also provides methods for analyzing the intertextual nature of digital activism so that further research can be done. While this study begins to address the gap in the current scholarship, more research needs to be done to study the current rhetorical practices of digital activists.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006557, ucf:51344
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006557
- Title
- SPACE MATTERS: AN INSTITUTIONAL CRITIQUE OF DISTANCE LEARNING WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA ENGLISH DEPARTMENT.
- Creator
-
Mumpower, Lori, Kitalong, Karla, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation examines distance learning within a local, particular context: UCF's English department. In order to fully examine distance learning in this specific environment, I employ institutional critique as my methodology, a rhetorical and spatial approach that allows me to map distance learning within UCF's English department. Drawing upon the work of David Harvey, I examine the experienced, perceived, and imagined spaces of distance learning in our department. Through an...
Show moreThis dissertation examines distance learning within a local, particular context: UCF's English department. In order to fully examine distance learning in this specific environment, I employ institutional critique as my methodology, a rhetorical and spatial approach that allows me to map distance learning within UCF's English department. Drawing upon the work of David Harvey, I examine the experienced, perceived, and imagined spaces of distance learning in our department. Through an examination of the history of naming UCF, rhetorical analyses of institutional documents that reference technologies, analysis of survey results noting faculty attitudes and perceptions of online learning, and postmodern mapping of faculty members' perceived and ideal spaces, we can find local solutions for local problems related to distance learning.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001708, ucf:47331
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001708
- Title
- Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric in Western Europe: The Role of Integration Policies in Extreme Right Populism.
- Creator
-
Martins, Nathalia, Kinsey, Barbara, Hamann, Kerstin, Turcu, Anca, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The recent rise of Western Europe's extreme populist Right (EPR) parties has been attributed to the EPR's mobilization of grievances over the issue of immigration (Ignazi 1991; Taggart 1996; Fennema 1997; Schain, 1998; Mudde 1999; Brubaker 2001; Ivarsflaten 2007). This study contributes to the literature on EPR's anti-immigrant rhetoric by examining whether different integration policies play a role in conditioning anti-immigrant rhetoric, and if so, what their role is in the formulation of...
Show moreThe recent rise of Western Europe's extreme populist Right (EPR) parties has been attributed to the EPR's mobilization of grievances over the issue of immigration (Ignazi 1991; Taggart 1996; Fennema 1997; Schain, 1998; Mudde 1999; Brubaker 2001; Ivarsflaten 2007). This study contributes to the literature on EPR's anti-immigrant rhetoric by examining whether different integration policies play a role in conditioning anti-immigrant rhetoric, and if so, what their role is in the formulation of such rhetoric.This thesis is comprised of two case studies: the French assimilation approach to immigrant integration and the rhetoric of Front National's leaders Jean-Marie and Marine Le Pen; and the Dutch multicultural approach to integration and the rhetoric of Dutch Party for Freedom's leader Geert Wilders. The main hypothesis is that each leader's anti-immigrant rhetoric incorporates the shortcomings of the integration approach adopted by their respective governments. Elements of the rejection of both assimilationism and multiculturalism are detected in the FN's and PVV's rhetoric, respectively, through a careful review of secondary and primary sources of language usage in Jean-Marie and Marine Le Pen's and Wilders' speeches, interviews, and media appearances.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004409, ucf:49387
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004409
- Title
- SILENT OUTSIDERS: SEARCHING FOR QUEER IDENTITY IN COMPOSITION READERS.
- Creator
-
Duncan, Travis, Wallace, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
ABSTRACT This study searches twenty composition readers' table of contents for the degree of inclusivity of queer people and issues. Four means of erasure are labeled as possible erasing of queer identity: presuming heteronormativity, overt homophobia, perpetuating tokenism, and pathologizing queer identity. The presence of other differences are compared to the number of times that queer identity is referenced in the table of contents. The final portion of the analysis examines the two...
Show moreABSTRACT This study searches twenty composition readers' table of contents for the degree of inclusivity of queer people and issues. Four means of erasure are labeled as possible erasing of queer identity: presuming heteronormativity, overt homophobia, perpetuating tokenism, and pathologizing queer identity. The presence of other differences are compared to the number of times that queer identity is referenced in the table of contents. The final portion of the analysis examines the two most inclusive composition readers to understand more clearly how the readers present queer individuals and issues. In a sense, I want to explore the question of how often queer people are discussed or addressed and in what forms within these composition readers. My hope is to develop a means for instructors and students to investigate whether or not, and in what ways a composition reader prescribes presence for the queer individual.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001413, ucf:47051
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001413
- Title
- FROM TEXTBOOKS TO SAFETY BRIEFINGS: HELPING TECHNICAL WRITERS NEGOTIATE COMPLEX RHETORICAL SITUATIONS.
- Creator
-
Blackburne, Brian, Bowdon, Melody, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In this dissertation, I analyze the organizational and political constraints that technical writers encounter when dealing with complex rhetorical situations, particularly within risk-management discourse. I ground my research in case studies of safety briefings that airlines provide to their passengers because these important documents have long been regarded as ineffective, yet they've gone largely unchanged in the last 20 years. Airlines are required to produce these safety briefings,...
Show moreIn this dissertation, I analyze the organizational and political constraints that technical writers encounter when dealing with complex rhetorical situations, particularly within risk-management discourse. I ground my research in case studies of safety briefings that airlines provide to their passengers because these important documents have long been regarded as ineffective, yet they've gone largely unchanged in the last 20 years. Airlines are required to produce these safety briefings, which must satisfy multiple audiences, such as corporate executives, federal safety inspectors, flight attendants, and passengers. Because space and time are limited when presenting safety information to passengers, the technical writers must negotiate constraints related to issues such as format, budget, audience education and language, passenger perceptions/fears, reproducibility, and corporate image/branding – to name a few. The writers have to negotiate these constraints while presenting important (and potentially alarming) information in a way that's as informative, realistic, and tasteful as possible. But such constraints aren't unique to the airline industry. Once they enter the profession, many writing students will experience complex rhetorical situations that constrain their abilities to produce effective documentation; therefore, I am looking at the theories and skills that we're teaching our future technical communicators for coping with such situations. By applying writing-style and visual-cultural analyses to a set of documents, I demonstrate a methodology for analyzing complex rhetorical situations. I conclude by proposing a pedagogy that teachers of technical communication can employ for helping students assess and work within complex rhetorical situations, and I offer suggestions for implementing such practices in the classroom.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002465, ucf:47729
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002465
- Title
- Standing Up Comedy: Analyzing Rhetorical Approaches to Identity in Stand-up Comedy.
- Creator
-
Grabert, Christopher, Holic, Nathan, Wheeler, Stephanie, Brenckle, Martha, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
My thesis addresses contemporary conversations about stand-up comedy and the art-form's capacity for facilitating complex rhetorical decision-making. I examine how stand-up comedians have positioned themselves on-stage through choices pertaining revealing personal behaviors, personas, and beliefs in public settings. Ultimately, I argue that the art of stand-up does not require truth-telling on-stage, and that there exists an implicit contract between performers and audiences which details...
Show moreMy thesis addresses contemporary conversations about stand-up comedy and the art-form's capacity for facilitating complex rhetorical decision-making. I examine how stand-up comedians have positioned themselves on-stage through choices pertaining revealing personal behaviors, personas, and beliefs in public settings. Ultimately, I argue that the art of stand-up does not require truth-telling on-stage, and that there exists an implicit contract between performers and audiences which details comedians' license to share falsehoods, exaggerations, and embellishments on-stage without the repercussions that accompany these actions in other discourse settings. Finally, I evaluate how comics have handled this rhetorical (")license,(") with some performers delivering easily identifiable falsehoods on stage through characters and caricatures, and others choosing to deliver autobiographical material in spite of the license. My research offers a framework through which audiences may digest the speech utterances in standup comedy performances as the product of purely rhetorical, calculated choices. I will propose that audiences treat each stand-up performance, no matter how seemingly intimate or personal, as artifice. I then offer case studies of three comedians who approach the notion of crafting anon-stage persona in different fashions and evaluate how each of these comedians utilize the implicit license of stand-up comedy. My research contributes to conversations in rhetoric and composition related to the performance of public and private (")selves.(")
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007889, ucf:52773
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007889
