Following Melzer and Coxwell-Teague’s suggestion (and the overall goals of the WRT 105 course), we’ve talked about situating literacy moments, which I have correlated with rhetorical situations. Of course, these are two distinct concepts, but both of them ask you to think about context. In a different blog post I have tried to come to terms with different theoretical conceptions of a “rhetorical situation” as I see them manifesting in the courses I am teaching, but today I would like to update this contextual discussion based on my reading of Jenny Edbauer’s “rhetorical ecologies” and how circulation also affects how a rhetorical situation is studied, in addition to the usual components of a rhetorical triangle.
It is important to think about the circulation of particular rhetorical messages, especially in terms of its cultural literacy denotations and connotations. Before going into a rhetorical analysis of a particular text, you should be mindful and aware of how the rhetorical situation, and the different rhetorical ecologies that introduced you to the text in question. It is also important to keep in mind the rhetorical appeals taken up by the rhetor/writer/composer, as we discussed in class yesterday.
In order to practice a rhetorical analysis, it would be useful to refer to the guidelines suggested by the Texas A&M University. For the purposes of this course, you can practice a rhetorical analysis by reading this BBC article on the development of “American” English, which you can now supplement with the insights you’ve gotten from your readings of Anzaldua, Alexie, Smitherman and Browne. More importantly, though, you should focus on how their rhetorical appeals may suggest a particular perspective on U.S. American English.
Ultimately, you should search for a text that addresses some of the tensions around language and culture, difference and commonality that we’ve been discussing in class thus far. In short, based on the rhetorical situation of this class, and the assignment you’ve been given, you should search for a source that you believe speaks to concerns about cultural literacy and academic writing, which should be a text that also speaks to your understanding of the topoi we’ve been addressing in class.
WRT 105 Summer Start 