Particular attention is paid to the elements of human communication such as the source, receiver, message and environmental factors which frame and determine meaning. Studying these elements of human interaction allows us to more fully appreciate the roles of culture, gender and race in interpreting discourse, and ultimately, human experience. A significant portion of the course is devoted to rhetorical criticism. One of the texts for the course is a methods book, and approximately half of the semester is devoted to the study and application of critical methods. Student groups will discuss and present various approaches to the practice of criticism to the class.
Students have the option of making their final paper a critical piece.
The rhetoric of Western thought. Rhetorical criticism . We will examine rhetorical theory from its inception in ancient Greece, through the medieval, renascence, modern, contemporary, and postmodern periods. In tandem, we will explore basic method in rhetorical criticism, discovering useful ways to make theory applicable and relevant to interpreting present day discourse. These goals will be accomplished through the text and reserved readings, class discussion, and lots of application.