UW Madison - Communication Arts Department

RHETORIC
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COMMUNICATION SCIENCE
FILM
MEDIA & CULTURAL STUDIES

Rhetoric

Graduate work in Rhetoric focuses on three interrelated areas: public discourse, rhetorical theory, and critical method. Research in public discourse explores significant themes, trajectories, and transformations in American public address, as well as consideration of particular rhetors, cultures, eras, genres, and topics. Special attention is given to political discourse, to the intersection of rhetoric and technology, and to the rhetoric of social movements from the American Revolution to the ongoing campaign for women's rights. Theoretical studies deal with the cultural development, intellectual content, and practical implications of rhetorical perspectives from the classical period to the present--including contemporary rhetorical theory, argumentation theory, and public sphere theory. In addition to studying a wide range of theorists, students are encouraged to engage in the process of theory construction. Study of critical method focuses primarily on approaches to rhetorical criticism, as well as on other methods of inquiry that are productive for explicating the complex dynamics of rhetorical texts and contexts. Students develop a comparative knowledge of critical methods, an ability to assess the strengths and weaknesses of various methods, and the capacity to apply those methods in their own research. All three areas of study are united by a common commitment to understanding the role of public discourse in social coordination and change, in the construction and practice of citizenship, and in the process of civic engagement in general. Students are encouraged to investigate a wide range of contemporary and historical phenomena so as to develop the kind of expertise that will allow for significant research and scholarly achievement.

Reverend Jesse Jackson speaking on campus at Library Mall.

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