REFLECTION
From the beginning of my entries, I can see how I jumbled up things and kind of strewed away by not knowing my audience. When explained why it seemed like I wasn’t able to keep on track and do our journal entries correctly, so I decided to see my professor Dr. Guler. I asked her what I was doing wrong and better ways to clearly address what we were talking about throughout each chapter and what reflected on me the most. Through her teaching me spacing and clear thought processing before writing, I learned how I needed to write formally in order to maintain my audience’s attention. Looking upon my later entries, I realize that learning this from Dr. Guler really has helped me in writing in all scenarios to keep my audience interested and not confused, while displaying different things in a neat manner.
This links to one of our course outcomes being “understand the nature of public discourse/debate as determined by purpose, audience, and context”
JOURNAL ENTRIES
1.
English 400-21
Carson Blackwood
Journal Entry 1
In the first chapter of Rhetoric in Civic Life the authors talk about rhetoric, all the components that make up rhetoric and the effects it can have on societies. First the components that make up rhetoric are symbols whether they are visual or verbal. For example, a verbal symbol would be saying the word of something like “building” to describe a structure in front of you in real life, whereas a visual one would be a picture of something etc. Rhetoric used effectively can have a huge impact on societies. In the chapter an example of how whether it is negative or positive is used by comparing Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler were both effective but in different ways. In the chapter it also states that rhetoric is useless unless people are willing to enter a space where their mind might be changed to a different point of view. If one cannot accept that, then there is no point to it. Rhetoric effects individuals who then go and effect groups. The groups affect a societies culture and its ideologies. With ideologies can come Hegemony or a ideology that is dominant above others. There are many responsibilities come with understanding rhetoric. If one does not realize and harness the power of it, they might have a harder time in life since rhetoric is used in virtually every aspect of life without us realizing it.
2.
Carson Blackwood
English 400-21
9/27/2017
JE Chapter Six
1. The first information one is given in chapter six is how a person comes off to the audience they are trying to speak to. The persona of a individual speaker is the way they conduct themselves infront of the audience to get a specific point across. “Later during the filibuster, she assumed the role of a lawyer…” (165) is a perfect
example of how one takes on a “role” to get their point across to an audience and solidify their argument. Performance is also very important because of it’s effect on the audience. “Your choice of what to wear, whether to speak from the front of the room or from your seat, what level of formality to play…” (166) are some of the examples of performance and different factors of what to bring to the table physically and emotionally to get one’s point across.
2. Another take away point from the chapter is the ethos aspect that mostly all humans can relate to and how a rhetor can use this to gain the acceptance of the audience. “ethos as an artistic proof, is created by the rhetor and comprises three dimensions: practical wisdom, virtue, and goodwill” (167). Ethos, put in simpler terms is the common ‘goodness’ and sense that is displayed by the speaker to relate to the audience in sense that others feel this way. The next point would be the identity and how one can latch onto an identity to solidify their point as well. The reader learns how big of an impact assuming an identity can affect the way people view your point and yourself. One must take a very careful touch on how they address themselves when using identity. “Joshua Packwood, the first white valedictorian at historically black, all male Morehouse College…His persona was tied to belonging to a group defined by attendance at the school, not by race” (170).
3. The last information speaks kind of ‘rocks the reader’s world’ so to speak. Specifically, Postmodernism and Roland Barthes views on the world such as his book The Death of the Author. “Barthes proposes that the author of a text does not determine the meaning of a text…Instead, Barthes proposes, the audience determines the meaning of a text”(184). This is kind of shocking in regards to the rest of the chapter because before it spoke of how valuable the rhetor is and how each word and action is important to win the audience or reader in this case. Although, multiple scholars refute this by saying its too drastic of a conclusion. Many do give in that the audience does fashion the meaning in some ways, but there is a huge “ethical responsibility”(185) by the rhetor to get points across clearly.
3.
Journal Entry 8
The first thing reader’s learn in chapter 8, is about discourse, three different versions of it, and its use in rhetoric. Deliberative discourse is the rhetoric that speaks to vast audience with a course of action to fix whatever is being discussed. Forensic discourse is used for a specific audience usually a courtroom to judge arguments validity. Epideictic discourse is a combination of speeches delivered to speak of the past to reflect on the future. This gives the rhetor many different choices and knowledge of how to approach these different types of discourse.
The second take away point of the chapter is the term rhetorical situation and its’ two different parts: Exigence, rhetorical audience, and constraints. The definition of exigence is something that is not up to par and is needed to be addressed and fixed. Rhetorical audience is the people who are willing to enter a discourse and view the problem from multiple ends. Constraints are the obstacles that stand in the way of action as well as the audience is it is one that the rhetor is trying to persuade in a different direction. The rhetor must know their audience as well as what is being addressed and how to address it.
The third point of the chapter is fitting response. This is simply the rhetor delivering on the rhetorical situation in a cohesive and deliberate manner that invites a response from audience. The response is one that fits the discourse of the situation, however, these can usually go into genres. They are reoccurring elements that breed constraints for rhetors if not prepared for them properly.
4.
Journal Entry
Chapter 9
1. Chapter 9 has many take away points all focusing around the public and the different types there are. Public being people coming together to talk about concerns that they all have experienced. After talking about the importance of coming together as a community to deal with concerns, it talks about the public sphere and how the public opinion can weigh on how people lead and live their lives for them and their children.
2. The second major take away points about about two different types of publics being weak publics and strong publics. Weak publics are the ones the do not follow the common public oppinion, while strong publicsare he opposite and do follow the majority opinions. We then learn about how each one responds in public activities such as community involvement.
3. The third take away point is that there isn’t just two sides of publics. In fact, we learn that there are many types of publics. Hybrid publics are groups that do not choose between any specific publics and how they run. Counterpublics are the ones that choose counterdiscourse to deal with their wants and needs. Enclaved publics are publics are secretive in concealing ideas of their own to avoid any problems with government.