Rhetoric
Website: Rhetoric
In Sewanee’s Rhetoric program, students learn to research, compose, and critique public discourse and to do so from a wide variety of theoretical perspectives and preceptual traditions. Students take courses in public speaking, argumentation and debate, ancient and modern rhetoric, the history of oratory and public discourse, women’s voices, protest, the rhetoric of mass and social media, propaganda, intercultural communication, and the rights and responsibilities of speakers. Accordingly, the study of rhetoric is excellent preparation not only for civic life but also for vocational callings in law, teaching, ministry, activism, advocacy, conflict resolution, diplomacy, and politics, as well as careers in communication, commerce, and the arts. Students have the opportunity to study with award-winning teachers and scholars conduct, present, and publish undergraduate research, and work in and with our state-of-the-art Center for Speaking & Listening.
The major requires successful completion of the following:
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements | ||
| RHET 101 | Public Speaking 1 | 4 |
| RHET 201 | Introduction to Rhetoric 1 | 4 |
| RHET 301 | Junior Seminar | 4 |
| RHET 401 | Senior Seminar | 4 |
| Select one course in Rhetoric (RHET) | 4 | |
| Select four courses in Rhetoric at the 300-level or above | 16 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 36 | |
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Requirements | ||
| A thesis 2 | ||
| A comprehensive examination 3 | ||
- 1
Ideally, students will complete Public Speaking and Introduction to Rhetoric in the first or sophomore year before completing the upper-division courses in the third and fourth year.
- 2
Rhetoric majors will write, present, and defend a 7500-word senior thesis. The thesis is designed by the student in consultation with an advising member of the Rhetoric faculty, making use of an appropriate rhetorical methodology. Students will produce a prospectus of the thesis in RHET 301, and will complete their thesis in RHET 401: Senior Seminar in Rhetoric.
- 3
The exam draws from RHET 101: Public Speaking, RHET 201: Introduction to Rhetoric, and additional upper-level rhetoric electives. Exam answers must cite material from those courses (e.g., speeches, scholarly articles, images, protest movements, and the like) and construct a sound, cogent, and well-supported argument.
Honors
To qualify for departmental honors, a student must have a 3.45 average in the major and perform with distinction (B+ or higher) on the comprehensive exam. To achieve department honors, students must notify the department chair, by 15 September of the senior year, of their intention to seek department honors, complete an honors-caliber senior thesis of 10,000 to 12,000 words (approximately 35-40 double-spaced pages), and successfully present and defend it in the first week of December.
Student Learning Outcomes:
A student majoring in Rhetoric will
- Identify and clearly communicate the central questions, concerns, and controversies that have shaped the field of Rhetoric and, using knowledge of core concepts, theories, and rhetors, develop and defend sound arguments.
- Develop and apply critical reading and thinking skills and the ability to synthesize diverse materials across the discipline.
- Use research tools effectively and conduct independent and collaborative research in Rhetoric.
- Effectively demonstrate knowledge of Rhetoric in spoken, written, and, where applicable, digital modes.
Requirements for the Minor in Rhetoric
The minor requires successful completion of the following:
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements | ||
| RHET 101 | Public Speaking | 4 |
| RHET 201 | Introduction to Rhetoric | 4 |
| Select two courses in Rhetoric at the 300-level or above | 8 | |
| Select one additional course in Rhetoric | 4 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 20 | |
Rhetoric Courses
RHET 101 Public Speaking (4)
Study of the principles, precepts, and strategies of informative, persuasive, and ceremonial speaking. Emphasis is placed on assessing the rhetorical situation and researching, composing, practicing, and delivering a speech. Ethical, political, and social questions raised by speaking in public are considered. Students deliver speeches, practice effective listening, and serve as speech critics and interlocutors.
RHET 110 Argumentation and Debate (4)
Study of the precepts, theories, strategies, and ethics of argument. Students critically analyze arguments found in speeches, public debates, and controversies, newspaper articles and editorials, television news programs, and scholarly texts. Students write argumentative essays, present argumentative speeches, and engage in class debate.
RHET 201 Introduction to Rhetoric (4)
Topical survey of the major questions and controversies in rhetorical theory, criticism, and practice, including rhetorical situations, classical canons of rhetoric, the role of rhetoric in civic life, and the relationship of rhetoric to power, politics, law, education, and ethics. Students consider the rights and responsibilities of speakers and critics. Accordingly, readings include selections from a wide array of rhetorical theorists and critics as well as a diverse and open canon of orators and speakers.
RHET 220 Teaching Speaking and Listening (2)
In this survey of the expectations for successful speaking across several disciplines, students will explore the techniques, strategies, and precepts peer and professional tutors may employ to help student speakers and listeners attain their goals. Participants will examine samples of student speaking and listening, discuss possible responses, and develop model interactions between and among tutors and students. Prerequisite: Only open to Speaking and Listening tutors.
RHET 301 Junior Seminar (4)
Survey of the principles and practices of rhetorical inquiry. Focus on approaches to rhetorical criticism, rhetorical history, the history of rhetoric, and archival research. Exposure to the wide array of methodologies, critical perspectives, and citation standards in humanities-based scholarship. Prepares students to write senior-level papers and theses in rhetorical studies. Prerequisite: RHET 101 and RHET 201.
RHET 305 Special Topics (2 or 4)
A seminar on a topic related to rhetoric. This course may be repeated for credit when the topic differs.
RHET 311 U.S. Public Address I: 1620-1865 (4)
History and criticism of American speeches and rhetorical texts. The course examines a broad range of historical and rhetorical factors that influenced the creation and reception of speeches from the colonial period through the end of the Civil War, focusing not only on the political, religious, legal, and social exigencies to which speeches responded but also on the place of those rhetorical texts in U.S. public controversies.
RHET 312 U.S. Public Address II: 1865-Present (4)
History and criticism of American speeches and rhetorical texts. The course examines a broad range of historical and rhetorical factors that influenced the creation and reception of speeches from the Civil War to the present, focusing not only on the political, religious, legal, and social exigencies to which speeches responded but also on the place of those rhetorical texts in U.S. public controversies.
RHET 321 Rhetoric in the Ancient World (4)
History of rhetorical theory and practice from Homer to Augustine. Primary focus on the relationship of rhetoric to politics, law, religion, philosophy, liberal education and culture in ancient Greece and Rome, along with an examination of the influence of ancient rhetoric on medieval rhetoric. Readings include selections from the Iliad, the sophists, Isocrates, Plato, Aristotle, Philodemus, Cicero, Quintilian, Tacitus, Augustine, and others. Texts are read in English translation.
RHET 331 Voices of American Women (4)
An examination of the history and criticism of American women's oratory and the history of women's public discourse in the United States from the colonial period through the present. Considers the historical, social, and cultural significance of women's rhetorical participation in civic life, as well as issues of authority, reception, and the nature of argument both within and about women's public address.
RHET 341 Rhetoric of Mass and Social Media (4)
This course surveys the key topics, questions, issues, and controversies surrounding the rhetoric of mass and social media. Students explore not only how this rhetoric helps us inform, persuade, and move others to action, but also how—and whether—they are informed, persuaded, and moved to act themselves. Topics surveyed may include rhetorical framing, message bias, propaganda, the rhetorical propagation and circulation of misinformation, freedom of expression, protest, and visual rhetoric.
RHET 351 Intercultural and Cross-Cultural Communication (4)
Intercultural Communication focuses on the importance of culture in our everyday lives, and the ways in which culture relates to and influences communication processes. With the goal of increasing students’ Intercultural Communication Competence, this interdisciplinary course examines several topics including: identity, perception, culture shock, cultural adaptation, linguistic differences, nonverbal communication, among others. Through a practical application of theory and research, students will explore intercultural communication in a global context relating to the family, education, media, and business.
RHET 401 Senior Seminar (4)
The seminar is designed to prepare and guide senior Rhetoric majors in the preparation of their senior theses. Weekly class meetings will be devoted to various topics related to their projects, including theoretical and practical problems of research, interpretation, analysis, scholarly writing and speaking, and the forms and standards of documentation and citation. Students will prepare and submit regular written and spoken assignments and read and critique each other’s work. They will deliver a final oral presentation of their completed project. Open only to seniors pursuing programs in rhetoric. Prerequisite: RHET 101 and RHET 201 and RHET 301.
RHET 411 Rhetoric in the Age of Protest I: 1948-1973 (4)
Study of the discursive and non-discursive aspects of protest in the period 1948-1973. Focus on the forms and functions of rhetorics and counter-rhetorics in U.S. controversies over communism, civil rights, free speech, war, students’ rights, women’s rights, farm workers’ rights, Native American rights, gay rights, the environment, and poverty. Prerequisite: One course in rhetoric.
RHET 412 Rhetoric in the Age of Protest II: 1974-2024 (4)
A study of the discursive and non-discursive aspects of protest from 1974-2024. Focus on the forms and functions of rhetorics and counter-rhetorics in U.S. controversies over civil rights, women’s rights, LBGTQIA+ rights, the environment, anti-war protests, and disability rights, among other social movements. Prerequisite: One course in rhetoric. Prerequisite: One course in rhetoric.
RHET 421 Speakers' Rights and Responsibilities (4)
Interrogation of the legal, constitutional, and ethical questions raised by the practice of speaking and listening. Primary focus on the sources of ethical standards, methods of ethical criticism, and perspectives on the ethics of persuasion, as well as the communication rights and duties of citizens in a constitutional democracy.
RHET 431 Public Dialogue and Deliberation (4)
Investigation of theories and practices of public dialogue and deliberation as distinct forms of public discourse to promote mutual understanding and democratic action. Topics surveyed may include forms of constructive dialogue and democratic deliberation, expertise, representation, agency, voice, equity, issue framing, facilitation, and analysis of public values and adversarial perspectives. Students gain practical experience in forum design and facilitation by implementing a deliberative dialogue in the community.
RHET 440 Directed Research and Writing (2 or 4)
Directed research and writing in collaboration with and/or under the direction of a member of the rhetoric faculty. To meet the needs and particular interests of selected students who are prepared to conduct archival, oral history, digital humanities, and/or other types of research in rhetoric. Prerequisite: Instructor prerequisite override required.
RHET 444 Independent Study (2 or 4)
Independent study in consultation with and under the direction of a member of the rhetoric faculty. To meet the needs and particular interests of selected students who propose an acceptable course of study. Prerequisite: Instructor prerequisite override required.
RHET 491 Topics (4)
Concentrated study in a single area, topic, controversy, movement, or figure in rhetoric. This course may be repeated for credit when the topic differs. Prerequisites will vary by topic.