The Rhetoric of Social Change


REVISED

Fall 2015 quarter

Taught by

communication, social studies

Why do some persuasive messages inspire us to change the world while others fail to even hold our attention? What can we learn from the rhetorical strategies of past social movements? How do social change activists balance competing goals and multiple audiences? And how can we produce messages that move hearts, change minds, and tickle funny bones all at the right time? To answer these questions, we will investigate rhetorical strategies from the American Revolutionary rhetoric and Abolitionist/Civil War rhetoric, but the majority of our time will be focused on 20 th and 21 st century social movement discourse. We will look closely at the persuasive features of speeches, articles, letters, posters, songs, non-fiction movies, protest events, campaigns, blogs, podcasts, and other rhetorical artifacts.

Rhetoric, the study of the art of persuasion, is one of the oldest disciplines in the Western academic tradition. Students in this program will learn to use rhetorical analysis techniques developed over centuries, from ancient Aristotelian theories of ethos, logos, and pathos to contemporary theories of information framing and cognitive processing. Such analyses will deepen student's understanding of persuasion and serve as the basis for insightful rhetorical criticism.

Rhetoric is also the foundation of several qualitative research methods commonly used in the social sciences. Students will learn to use qualitative methods by conducting media research on contemporary public issues such as immigration, climate change, foreign policy, health care policy, economic inequality, or social injustice related to race, gender, sexual orientation, or ability. We will pay special attention to how social movement discourse intersects with political campaign discourse in the lead-up to 2016 elections.

In addition to learning theories and practices in rhetorical criticism and social research, students will also develop practical skills in the art of persuasion. Through focused instruction and experimentation in persuasive writing and public speaking, students will become more effective advocates for social change and more confident participants in the social and political debates of our time. As part of our study of public speaking, students will learn skills for speaking on camera as well as for live audiences.

Program Details

Fields of Study

Preparatory for studies or careers in

communication studies, cultural studies, politics, persuasive speaking and writing, and social change leadership.

Location and Schedule

Campus location

Olympia

Schedule

Offered during: Day

Books

Buy books for this program through Greener Bookstore.

Online Learning

Enhanced Online Learning: Access to web-based tools required, but use of these tools does not displace any face-to-face instruction.

Required Fees

$25 for entrance fees.

Revisions

Date Revision
May 8th, 2015 New fall opportunity added.

Registration Information

Credits: 16 (Fall)

Class standing: Sophomore–Senior

Maximum enrollment: 25

Fall

Course Reference Number

So - Sr (16 credits): 10294

Go to my.evergreen.edu to register for this program.

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