Topics in Rhetorical Theory

Catalog description

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Explores rhetorical theory as a tool for analyzing persuasion, discourse and symbolic action across varied contexts. Considers how different theoretical frameworks clarify how language, images or performance influence belief, identity and/or judgment. Emphasizes application of theory to real-world communicative problems rather than abstract debate alone. Topics vary by instructor and may center on specific genres, intellectual traditions and/or individual theorists. Course content may involve materials ranging from public speeches to digital memes or popular media, examined for interpretive purposes rather than endorsement. RELEVANCE AND APPLICATION. Engages communication practices relevant to leadership, advocacy, media analysis and civic or organizational strategy. Builds capacity to interpret persuasive discourse, assess rhetorical intent and/or articulate the assumptions embedded in public messages. Supports academic preparation for advanced study in rhetoric, media studies or communication theory. Contributes to professional roles that require message evaluation, argument framing or cultural awareness. DEEPENING UNDERSTANDINGS. Considers how rhetorical theory offers multiple lenses for interpreting the same message, highlighting ways meaning can be shaped by perspective rather than being fixed. Reveals how ethics, humor, philosophy, satire, activism and political discourse can operate as rhetorical strategies rather than solely as abstract ideas, entertainment or expressions of opinion. Allows engagement with unfamiliar or conflicting viewpoints as part of scholarly interpretation rather than persuasion. TOPICS AND THEMES. May include study of rhetorical problems such as nationalism, citizenship, identity or cultural critique; application of theories from classical, modern or contemporary traditions; examination of rhetoric as symbolic action in political, social, institutional or aesthetic contexts; exploration of discourse across spoken, written, visual or digital forms; analysis of how persuasion operates through appeals to truth, morality, identity, ritual or ideology. Specific course focus may vary by instructor, but all versions maintain emphasis on theory-driven inquiry. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.