syllabus
calendar
blackboard
student.email resources

last.updated 11.27.05

Postmodernism & Rhetoric

Purpose

Postmodernist scholars raise questions about the espistemology (i.e., invention) of accepted truths. As a result, postmodernist rhetorics (i.e., argumentation that questions the status quo) tend to be quite ideological. With today's discussion we will introduce another epistemology and how it is relevant to our work and the way we interact in this world.

Background

Modernism

• defined by Truth and the pursuit of discovery
• characterized by "grand narratives" (e.g., capitalism, communism, religion, empiricism) which shape human thought and define human behavior
• associated with efficiency and uniformity
• form over function
• exemplified by Blair, Whately, & Campbell

Structuralism

• believes that there is a structure upon which society, culture, and language are built; these structures can be unique to a given context
• a study of understanding these systems
• think hierarchies, catagories, taxonomies; in linguistics, structuralism is exemplified by the various studies of language, such as semiotics, phonemics

Post-structuralism

• examines the connections between language and power
• acknowledges that we are subject to language (subjected by language; subjects of language)
• questions linguistic boundaries (e.g., Butler's gender theory)

Postmodernism

• Postmodernism: examines the connections between knowledge and power; questions grand narratives
  • celebrates pluralism; reduced to "relativism"
  • weird for the sake of weird – Homer Simpson; borrows from multiple sources
  • examples – the fragmented individual; Derrida's deconstructivism; Foucault's knowledge/power
• identifies problems without suggesting solutions
• has heuristical value in helping to identify the source of a problem (e.g., racism, sexism, homophobia)

Elaine B. Richardson

• associate professor of Linguistics at Penn State University; has taught rhetoric and sociolinguistics courses on language and race.
• has written a book, African American Literacies and is working on a book about Hip Hop Literacies ("This work focuses on the knowledge represented in Hiphop language usage and aesthetics as an extension of traditional Black folk cultures")
• during the Fall 2004 semester was a Fullbright scholar; spent semester in Jamaica (University of West Indies) studying the oral cultures of African Americans and African Jamaicians

Presentation

Camesha, Kathlyn, Kevin

Discussion

Richardson

• How are the problems with AAVE that Richardson describes a rhetorical problem? What rhetorical solutions does she pose?
• Based upon the samples that Richardson provides of Mickey's writing, how would you evaluate his work?

Postmodernism

• what problems does Lemonick describe in "Meet the New Planets"? What does this say about rhetoric and science?
  • Is Pluto a planet? Why or why not?
• what problems does Fausto-Sterling describe in "Dueling Duelisms"? Is this the same type of problem that Lemonick describes? Why or why not?
  • Is Fabina a woman or a man? Be prepared to explain your answer.
• What do the discussions that Lemonick and Fausto-Sterlings present teach us about the problem that Richardson describes?
• How is postmodern rhetoric applicable to the work that you do (or plan to do)?

Activity

The last thirty minutes of class will be reserved to talk about the Final Analysis Paper.