Attention paid to techniques applicable to organizational communication formats. Course devoted to the principles and types of speech analysis and to the making of critical judgments of rhetorical messages past and present. Application of critical principles to oral and written discourse found in political, legal, scientific, and religious contexts. Students can expect to attain a sophisticated awareness of and appreciation for methods designed to explain the significance of rhetoric and rhetorical processes in framing social and personal identity and in influencing human motive and conduct. Ideal for majors in political science, philosophy, advertising, psychology, sociology, and English.
All interested students welcome.
Instructional presentations, policy speeches, speeches for special occasions, and the construction and delivery of visual aids using computer-assisted technologies. Introduction to the fundamental principles of persuasion. Significant developments in rhetorical theory and practice in classical, medieval, and contemporary periods. Instruction combines lecture-discussion of theoretical constructs with critical application exercises presented in oral and written form. A single term paper on a major contemporary rhetorical theorist and theory required.