Advanced Rhetoric

Course Overview

Since the middle of the last century, the study of rhetoric has made something of a comeback in secondary and postsecondary institutions. In general, rhetoric is the idea that everything’s an argument (which is a term we’ll use in an academic sense rather than a contentious one) and we can study it all. This makes rhetoric a little slippery to grasp. In this class we’ll be looking at the signs and symbols (printed words, speech, visuals, gestures, etc.) that contribute to an argument or discussion. We will also study concerns of who is making an argument, to which audience, and why. Also of interest is who even is allowed to make an argument or who controls the language of an argument or discussion. And, of course, the results of such communication are elements of this study too. Objectives for this course include: creating sophisticated syntheses of multiple and potentially-disparate texts; experimenting with innovative thinking and pushing those ideas into new territories; crafting analyses of a variety of texts and narratives; staking a claim or stance in ongoing critical conversations and engaging with experts and their complex ideas; effectively and smoothly employing a variety of writing genres based on the most appropriate match; and engaging in thoughtful discussion of texts and ideas.