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Francis Salatino

ENC3331:RhetoricandCivicEngagement

Instructor:JulieWolcott

November20,2014

2,229Words

Rhetorical Citizenship in the 21sth Century


Rhetoric
WhenItoldafriendthatIwouldbetakingaclasscalledRhetoricandCivic
Engagement,theyaskedWhatisrhetoric,exactly?andIjustgaveherthemostbasic(and
possiblymisguidedorevenincorrect)examplethatIcouldatthemoment:
ImprettysureitsknowinghowtocommunicatepersuasivelykindoflikeatmyjobhowIm
supposedtosellcustomersthemoreexpensiveitems.
InawayIwasright,Imeanthatwasanexample,anyway.ComingintoclassIguess
IcouldntreallyInWordsLikeLoadedPistol,Leithusessimilarexampleswhenexplaining
deliberativerhetoric:thatitisusefulinplaceslikenightclubs,andevenmoreusefulinpolitics
(5).InhisspeechAntidosis,IsocratesplainlydescribesRhetoricsayingRhetoricis
philosophy,thatistheabilitytospeak,toreason,andtoact.(Mirhandy203)
UsuallywhenwehearthewordRhetoricitisgivennegativeconnotationsoften
associatedwithtrickery,deceptiveness,orslightingofthehand.ThatsjustRhetoric!isa
phraseyoullhearalot,particularlyinpoliticallychargedarguments.Indeedthatsjust
rhetoric!isusuallytrueinanycase,butnotalwaysinanegativeway.IthinkthateverythingI

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writeispersuasive,evenifonlyatthemostbasiclevel.Generallyspeaking,peopledon'tlike
toread,andthefirstthingawriterhastodoispersuadetheiraudiencethatwhatthey've
writtenisworththereader'stimetime.
ThefirstsectionofLanguageLoadedLikeBulletsexpertlyshowshowrhetoricis
somethingthatwealluseandaresubjectedtoeveryday,whetherweareawareofitornot.
Astheauthorwrites,thoughwecanusetheserhetoricaltechniquesfarmoreeffectivelyifwe
knowwhythesetechniqueswork(Leith15).AftertakingthisclassIwoulddefinerhetoricas
theuseofspeech,writtenword,imagesandothervisualsymbolssuchasmultimediawhose
purposeistopersuadeanaudienceintosymbolicaction.Symbolicactionisanyactionthat
hassocietalconsequences,suchascastingavote,choosingwhetherornottorunaredlight,
orevenexchangingringsandmaritalvows(Palczweski15).Aristotle,astudentofPlatoand
classicalrhetoricianidentifiedthreepartstorhetoric,eachofwhichplaysavitalroleina
rhetoriciansabilitytopersuadetheiraudience:Ethos,PathosandLogos.
Ethosreferstotheethicsandcharacterofthespeaker.Anaudienceismuch
morelikelytorespondfavorablytoaspeakersmessageiftheyrespectthat
person,andmoreimportantlyiftheycanidentifywiththem.
Pathosinvolvesspeakingorwritinginsuchawaythattherhetorswordsand
actionsappealtotheemotionsthatweallhave(laughter,sadness,outrage)etc
Logosappealstothesenseoflogicinanaudience.EffectiveuseofLogos
wouldinvolveshowingonlythepositiveaspectsofonespositionwithout
revealingthenegativeaspects(oraddressingthemanddiscreditingthem).
HavingdefinedRhetoricassuchIwoulddefinethewordRhetoricalasanyaction
relatingtorhetoric.ARhetoricalquestionisaquestionthatdoesnotrequireananswer,butis
intendedtomakethepersonaskedthinkandpersuadethemtothinkonacertainmatter

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differently,andhopefullyincitethemtoengageinsomekindofsymbolicaction(votinga
certainway,supportingcertainpolicies,joiningaprotestagainstsocialinjustices).

Citizenship
AsWanpointsoutinIntheNameofCitizenship:TheWritingClassroomandthe
PromiseofCitizenshipcitizenshiphasmany,oftenconflictingdefinitions.Initsmostbasic
definition,itissimplyalegalstatus.Citizenshipinthatrespectissimplyacceptanceintoa
certainNationStateandgiventhesamerightsandresponsibilitiesaffordedtolegalresidents
ofsaidNationState(Wan33).AsaneducatorWanstressestheimportanceinfosteringa
moreparticipatoryanddemocraticcitizenship,amoreliteratecitizenship,andamoreactive
citizenshipBythelogicoftheparticipatorymodelofcitizenship,I'malmostcertainthatthere
arenoncitizenswhoaremorecivicallyengagedthanmyself,makingthemmoredeservingof
"citizen"status(Wan29).
Inthecontextofthisclass,Citizenshiptomehasmoretodowithresponsibilitiesand
accountabilityfortherolesthatweplayinsociety.Citizenshiptomemeansstayinginformed
aboutcivicissuesbothlocallyandnationally,forminganopinionaboutthem,andtaking
advantageoftherightsCitizenshipgrantsbyparticipatinginpolitics,andusingrhetorical
methodstoinformothers.TomeCitizenshipmeansanacuteawarenessthatIbelongtoa
society,andwiththosebenefitsalsocomecertainexpectations,suchasresponsibleconduct
inpublicspaces,considerationforfellowcitizens(aswellasforeignvisitors),participationin
volunteerwork,andstayingactivepolitically.
ThewordCitizenshipitselfisrhetorical,becauseitsacompletelysymbolicstateof
being.Thereusuallystepsonemusttakeinordertobecomeacitizen,butthosestepsare

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differentineachplaceandonceonebecomesacitizentheyarenotphysicallychanged.
Also,apersonscitizenshipisnotpermanentfromplacetoplace.IamaUScitizen,butifI
travelabroadIwillstillbeaUSCitizen,butalsoaguestandanoncitizenintheplacethatI
amvisiting.Thelawsthatwehaveinplaceinourcountryarelargelysymbolicaswell.Sure,
wehavelawenforcementpersonneltohelpenforceoursocietalrules,butforthemostpartI
wouldarguethattheonlythingthatkeepspeoplefrombreakingrulesiscommondecency,
notfearofbeingcaught,orlegalrepercussions.InthisrespectIwouldsaythatthereare
somepeoplewhoarenotUSCitizens,livinghereillegally,oronaWorkVisawhocouldbe
consideredbetterCitizens,whoaremorecivicallyengagedthansomelegalresidents.

Rhetorical Citizenship
Tomerhetoricalcitizenshipisonesabilitytounderstandpublicproblemsandissues
thatconcernsociety,formanopiniononthoseissues,andtocommunicatebothinwriting,
speech,andothervenuestoanaudienceinordertoinformthemandpersuadetheminto
somesortofsymbolicaction.TomeRhetoricalCitizenshipencompassesalmostevery
aspectofhowweconductourselves,bothintherealworldandindigitalenvironmentssuch
asFacebookandTwitter.AgoodRhetoricalCitizenwouldbekeenlyawareofthepowerof
wordsandsymbolsandusethemresponsiblyforthebettergoodofsociety,notforfickle
reasonssuchastoshock,harmorslander.
TomeRhetoricalCitizenshipalsomeanshavingcompetencyinvariousdigital
platformssincethepoweroftheinternethasgivensomanypeopleavoiceandanaudience.
Forinstance,IhadneverusedTwitterbeforethisclass,andduringthesemestermy
classmateshavesharedsomereallyinsightfulandthoughtprovokingarticlesandideathatI
wouldhaveneverbeenexposedtoifIhadntbecomeamember.Italsoprovidesmefora

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venuetoshareideaswithmyclassmates(althoughthelimitof140characterswassometimes
anannoyance,especiallyifIwassharingalinkwithalengthywebaddress).
Ithinkinthisdayandageitisimpossibletobeaproductiveandcontributing
RhetoricalCitizenwithouthavingagoodgrasponhowdifferentsocialmediaworks,the
advantagesthatdifferentsoftwarehaveoverothersforonesintendedaudience,andhowto
effectivelyandresponsiblyusethemtoinformandpersuadeothersintocivicaction.Making
upstories,orsharingstoriesthatoneknowsisfalseinordertochangeyouraudiencesmind
isnotbecomingofresponsibleRhetoricalCitizenship.
Chapter6ofRhetoricinCivicLifepointsouttheimportanceofdevelopingaunique
personathatwillbeassociatedwithsomeformofsymbolicaction.Arhetoricalcitizenshould
createapersonathatisuniquebothwhenspeakinginpublic,andbycreatingsomeformof
onlinefootprintviasocialmediasuchasFacebook,Twitter,LinkedInandcountlessothers
thatservevariousrhetoricalpurposes.Mostofusalreadydressandactdifferentlyinpublic
thanwedowhenwereathomewithourfamilies.Itisimportanttoconsiderwhetherthe
imageweveconstructforthepublicisbecomingofthemessageweretryingtopromote.A
goodrhetoricalcitizenwouldknowbetterthantocreateapersonathatwouldoffendhisorher
audience(Palczweski150).

WanreferstoliteracythroughoutIntheNameofCitizenship.Thegenerallyaccepted
definitionofliteracymeanstheabilitytounderstandthewrittenword.WhenWanusesthe
wordIthinkitencompassesamuchbroaderspectrumthansimplyknowinghowtoreadand
write.Tome,whenWanspeaksofliteracyshealsomeansskillsthatareimportanttocivic
engagement,andthereforebeingaproductivecitizen.Skillssuchascriticalthinking,the
abilitytocomprehendsymbolicideas,anunderstandingofhowoneslocalandnational

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governmentworks,andmostimportantlyopennesstotheideasofothersandwillingnessto
makechangestoonesopinionwhenpresentedwithcompellingevidence.Finallya
RhetoricalCitizenshouldbeabletoidentifyproblemsandformulatelogicalsolutions.

Rhetorical Citizenship and ENC3331


ThissemesterIworkedontheTransitproject,mainlybecauseIalreadyusepublic
transit.WhenIstartedoffIwasntsurewhatIwantedtowriteabout.Initiallymyissuewith
thebuswasthatitonlycomesbyeverytwohours,andstopsrunningafter5Oclock,sowhile
Icanuseittogettowork,Ineedtofindaridehomeortakeataxi.Inclasswediscussed
whatourultimategoalsfortheprojecttobe,andwhoouraudiencewouldbe.InitiallyI
thoughtTheheadoftheTransitAuthoritywouldbemyaudience,andthegoalwouldbeto
convincethoseinchargetoincreasethehoursandfrequencyofthebustomakeitmore
convenientforworkingpeoplewithouttransportation.
Thatseemedlikealoftygoal,andatsomepointitoccurredtomethatitwasa
somewhatselfishoneaswell.Ireallydontseealotofworkingpeopleonthebus,soitmade
mefeellikethatgoalwasntreallybeingagoodRhetoricalCitizen,becauseitonlybenefits
me.InsteadIbegantoshiftmyfocustowardwhatIconsidertobemoreattainablegoalsthat
wouldbenefitnotonlyme,buteveryonewhousesthepublictransportationhereinCitrus
County.
WhileIdoplanonmentioninginmyfinalpaperthatthehoursandfrequencyofthe
busstopsareaninconvenienceforme,Idecidedtofocusontheproblemthebushaswith
theirschedule.AsImassumingmostpeoplewhoridethebusdo,thefirsttimeIrodethebus
Iconsultedtheirwebsitetolookupaschedule.Thiswasoverayearago,andsincethenthat
schedulehasaddedstopsaswellasremovedsome,butthewebsitestillcontainsthesame

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timesandstops,sotheinformationisnolongercorrect.AnotherwayinIthinkthisclasshas
mademeabetterRhetoricalCitizenisbyforcingme
ThissemesterIwasalsorequiredtomakeaportfolioofmywork.Iveoftenthought
aboutstartingablogorcreatingsomekindofonlinepresenceformywork,butneverthought
anythingIwrotewasworthreading.ThefeedbackIvereceivedinthisclasshasmademe
moreconfidentaboutmywork,andmanyofthereadings(ParticularlyWan)haveconvinced
methatIdonthavetobeanexpertonatopicinordertowritesomethingmeaningfulaboutit.
FormyportfolioIhavewrittenacoupleofpieces,oneofthem,whichImincludingdiscusses
someofthedownsidespeopledontconsiderofMedicinalMarijuana.Iknowyoutolduswe
canremoveanythingwewantfromourportfoliowhenthesemesterisover,butIactuallyplan
onusingitasabeginningandcontinuingtoaddtoitaftertheclassisover.Ialsofounda
proposalthatIwroteaboutCanvasthatIthinkwouldbeworthincluding.
Withsomanypeopleconnectedtotheinternetbothathomeandontheirmobile
phonesweliveinanincreasinglyglobalcommunity.IthinkRhetoricalCitizenshipmeans
beingawareoftheglobalcommunitywebelongto,andIthinkthatourinternetcitizenship
supersedesanykindoflegalcitizenship.SocialmedialikeFacebook,andespeciallyTwitter
givesusdirectaccesstopoliticians,policymakers,colleaguesandpeers,anditsatoolthatI
wouldnothaveusedifnotforthisclass.SinceImassumingyouuseTwittereverysemester
IwilllikelycontinuetosearchtheENC3331hashtagevenafterIvecompletedthiscourse.

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Works Cited

Leith,Sam.WordslikeLoadedPistols:RhetoricfromAristotletoObama.NewYork.Basic
Books,2012.Web.8/20/14

Mirhady,DavidC.,andYunLeeToo.IsocratesI.Austin:UofTexas,2000.Print.

Palczweski,CatherineHelen,RichardIce,andJohnFritch.RhetoricinCivicLife.State
College,
Pa.:StrataPub.,2012.Print.

Wan,AmyJ.IntheNameofCitizenship:TheWritingClassroomandthePromiseof
Citizenship.
2011.Digital.

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