Rhetorical Genre Research Articles

Luderen, akademikeren og manifestet:

The Slut, the Academic and the Manifesto. A rhetorical analysis of genre experiments and speaking-positions in two newer Danish manifestos. This article nvestigates how feminist personas in Denmark are experimenting with the manifesto genre today, to renegotiate speaking positions within the public debate on gender and equality. Since the first wave of feminism, the manifesto genre has been used as an activist tool by feminists in the West. However, the genre, being traditionally both masculine and masculinist, is causing resistance when adapted by feminist agendas. Through a close textual analysis and a rhetorical genre analysis of two current feminist manifestos, LUDERMANIFESTET from 2017 and “Writing Victimhood” from 2021, I thus investigate the challenges and opportunities of such feminist adaptions of the manifesto genre. The analysis focusses on experiments with genre through embeddings and combinations, the act of reclaiming, and the possibility for feminist speaking-positions to be created as a result. The aim is to investigate how these genre experiments affect what can be said, how this can be said, and ultimately who gets to speak.

Linguopragmatics of Interaction in the Genre of Business Presentation

The article is devoted to the description of the discursive and pragmatic parameters of interaction in the genre of business presentation. As a rhetorical genre of business discourse, the presentation is characterized by its own scenario of communicative behavior and aims at informing the audience about innovations (ideas, projects, brands, goods, services) and providing their commercial promotion by influencing people (potential customers) and encouraging them to take actions beneficial to the company. According to the study the model of business presentation genre includes its obligatory participants (addressees and addressers); the specific interaction between them is determined by informativity and persuasiveness of the communication. The implementation of the interaction between the addresser and addressee is carried out through specific tactics of communicative dialogization, actualized by a number of discursive and pragmatic means (general/special questions, cohesion and coherence techniques, imperatives), as well as etiquette speech acts that organize and maintain contact throughout the communication. The linguistic-and-pragmatic analysis revealed that in the business presentations under study etiquette speech acts of greeting, appeal, gratitude, farewell create polyfunctional speech units (sometimes a sequence of them) producing the illusion of interaction (pseudo-dialogue): the addresser, as an agent of communication, attracts and captures the attention of the addressees and their interest to the topic of the presentation, monitors the process of communication and provides its positive tonality. The choice of linguistic and pragmatic means is determined by the purpose of the presentation and is modelled by the intentions of the addresser.

Value system as a basis for the construction of argumentation of the rhetorical genre

INTRODUCTION. The relevance of the research and its goal are formulated, which is to describe the hierarchy of values that are the basis of rhetorical argumentation and the main tool necessary to obtain the consent of the addressee. The final stage of this hierarchy is to establish the value basis of each rhetorical genre.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The subject of the study is scientific and political discourses, in which the most characteristic types of values are studied at all levels, using comparative, rhetorical and content analysis.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. The concept of “value” in the meaning relevant to rhetoric is analyzed. It is established that the value system underlying rhetorical argumentation should be built separately for each type of discourse. It includes five main tiers reflecting the semantic dominants of the corresponding sphere of communication. The first level is occupied by universal values used in all spheres of communication. The second level consists of basic values reflecting the goals of the relevant sphere of public activity (institute). The third level is personal values, reflecting the required model of relations between the participants of communication, necessary for obtaining the planned result. Fourth level describes the values specific to each individual area of the relevant discourse. Finally, the fifth level is genre: here the main value, which is responsible for the unity and effectiveness of each rhetorical genre, is established.CONCLUSION. The interrelation of all levels of the model and the role of each level in obtaining the planned result is shown.

The Many Presences of Rhetoric in Late Antique Platonism

This paper draws a taxonomy of the use of rhetorical genres in teaching and writings by the Platonists of Late Antiquity (from Iamblichus at the turn of the third/fourth century ad to the Platonists of Athens and Alexandria in the fifth and sixth centuries). It is a rich gamut of genres, including encomia of heroes (biographies), of sciences (protreptics), of gods (theologies), mirrors of princes. It also examines some rhetorical argumentative techniques. The question of the difference between good and bad rhetoric is discussed. While being critical of rhetors who cater to popular opinions and bases desires, the Platonists of Late Antiquity found room for a ‘true’ rhetoric, in the service of philosophy, inspired by knowledge and seeking the good.

Data Commentary in Research Publications: A Scoping Review

Introduction: The modality of scholarly written communication offers verbal and visual modes that are supposedly to be interrelated. The verbal component is thoroughly studied whereas the visual, including tables, charts, graphs and others are mainly described from a technical perspective. The editorial review aims to synthesize research on data commentary as a comparatively new rhetorical genre. Method: The review adhered to the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews, and the PPC framework. The eligibility criteria include problem, concept, context, language, types of sources, Results: The searches and consequent screening by titles, abstracts, keywords and full texts identified 19 relevant publications – articles and books – mainly indexed in the Scopus and SpringerLink databases. The books on academic writing focused on the three themes: general guidelines on data commentary, functions, and rhetorical structure of such commentaries, figure legends and notes to tables. The functional analysis of the publications singled out a prevailing framework, including rhetorical, ontological, epistemological, and argumentative functions. The rhetorical steps in data commentaries follow patterns suitable for the type of a visual. The review outlines generic steps described and proved by the research publications included in the review. Conclusion: Though the research field is scattered, and no definite trends were specified, the potential of the field is rising as the implications of such studies are significant. A constant trend towards more visualization of the new knowledge requires more research on the interrelations between the verbal and the visual, with a special accent on data commentary.

Эпидейктическая речь: от классики к современности

Epideictic (epidictic, demonstrative) speech has been considered since ancient times as one of the main genres of rhetorically developed speeches. In Aristotle, this rhetorical genre did not receive proper development, being pushed into the background by the most relevant deliberative and judicial speech for a competitive democracy. Epideictic speech in the oratorical practice of Ancient Greece and Rome was considered as a means of exercising eloquence as a pure art, and declamation as a school exercise for developing phonation skills. The publication in 1958 of the book X. Perelman and L. Olbrecht-Tyteki’s “New Rhetoric: A Treatise on Argumentation” marked a new reading of the rhetorical classics, which aroused interest in epideictic speech. The latter began to be considered as a tool that forms values in the public consciousness. In this regard, the researchers noted that rational argumentation, which is objectively based on the common views of the speaker and the audience, should not ignore the value and semantic orientations of listeners, which underlie their productive activities in accordance with the ideas laid down by deliberative and judicial speech. Epideictic speech is important for educational activities as an instrument of socialization, the formation of a worldview, and the education of commitment to values that have been living in the public consciousness for centuries, which makes its use by teachers and students effective.

Improving ChatGPT's Competency in Generating Effective Business Communication Messages: Integrating Rhetorical Genre Analysis into Prompting Techniques

This study explores how prompting techniques, especially those integrated with rhetorical analysis results, may improve the effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated business communication messages. I conducted an experiment to assess the effectiveness of these prompting techniques in the context of crafting a negative message generated with ChatGPT 3.5 ( n = 85). A multiple regression was calculated to explore prompting techniques’ impact on the negative message grades and how each technique influences the message grade. The results ( F(4, 80) = 31.84, p < .001), with an adjusted R2 = .595, indicate a positive relationship between prompting techniques and the effectiveness of AI-generated messages. This study also identified challenges related to students’ AI literacy. I conclude the study by recommending practical measures on how to incorporate AI into business and professional writing classrooms.

The myth of Russia in “Dialogues of the Dead” by Mikhail Muraviev

This article focuses on the processes of development and change in the philosophical and rhetorical genre of “Dialogues...” in Russian literature of the last quarter of the 18th century. A given phenomenon goes back as far as the heritage of ancient thinkers; for instance, “Parallel Lives” by Plutarch was relevant to Russian writers of the years 1700-1800. Initially, under new conditions, the national writers were mostly interested in this genre by reason of the general problems of knowledge distribution as a metaphysical beginning of existence (A. Belobotsky, V. Tatitshev). By the last quarter of the 18th century, a key aspect of consideration had been shifted to the issues of a new personal education and the state and moral doctrine of Russia. Mikhail Muraviev (1757 - 1807) was a famous Russian literary man and enlightener, the founder of sentimentalism and pre-romanticism in national literary culture, a philosopher and historian. In the years 1780-1790, on a personal invitation of Empress Catherine the Second, he taught moral philosophy and history to her grandchildren – tsesareviches Alexander and Constantine. It was the period when “Dialogues of the Dead” were contemplated as part of the writer’s teaching activities. M. Muraviev’s central goal was to show two key ideas: the development of Russia in Modern Period and the development of a new educated person.Using a well-known allusion technique, the writer chose symbolic figures of the world history and culture, transferred two contrasting characters to one period of time and turned them into interlocutors, holding a discussion. Moreover, Russian public figures of different epochs could meet both the leaders of the world historical and cultural process and each other. So far, “Dialogues of the Dead” by M. Muraviev have been studied fragmentarily in scientific research. The researchers’ attention has been focused mainly on the range of sources used by the writer, as well as on some language features, style and general moral ideas of the outstanding Russian enlightener. According to our hypothesis, the original “myth of Russia” is in the centre of this work. The distinguishing features of this phenomenon are: firstly, the synthesis of various spheres of socio-cultural life, from policy to literary culture; secondly, a clear correlation of “the state glory” phenomenon with conceptions of the internal moral creed both of the ruler of the state and every man in the country.

Misinformation As Genre Function: Insights on the Infodemic from a Genre-Theoretical Perspective

ABSTRACT Misinformation has generated much discussion in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and attendant “Infodemic,” as the World Health Organization (WHO) dubbed the challenge of disordered information. Rhetorical genre studies can offer important insights about how misinformation functions within informational ecologies by revealing how typification and recurrence provide opportunities for misinformation to take hold. This article develops a genre-based framework to study scientific and technical misinformation as illicit genres through concepts of genre function and abusability.

Understanding the Ideological Force of Graduate Application Materials: A Rhetorical Genre Study of Personal Statement Prompts

This study draws on Rhetorical Genre Studies (RGS) to examine the role of personal statement prompts in promoting or hindering the effectiveness of holistic review in graduate applications. Our analysis reveals that the content articulated in the personal statement prompts help to reify four ideological values held by the discipline. Through the framing of these ideological values, users are positioned into two major social roles: disciplinary expert and expert-in-training. We argue that, for holistic review to be effective, graduate programs must reconcile the tension between personal statement prompts that demand the writer take on contradictory social roles.

A hidden population: A rhetorical genre analysis of the posts in the Baidu depression community

Since its beginning in the 1980s, the mental health rhetoric research (MHRR) has explored the rhetorical construction of mental illness from a genre perspective. Despite a growing body of research on the rhetorical study of mental health in the West, the discourse of depression has been rarely explored in the Chinese context. This study investigates a corpus of 3217 posts in the Baidu depression community in China with an attempt to identify typical rhetorical features of the posts in the depression community as a genre. We intend, through an exploration of the exigences, social actions, and consequences of the posts, to facilitate a better understanding of the depressed population in China. We argue that the social exigences for the posts in online depression communities can be regarded as a failure of the rhetorical environment in real life and that expressing emotions, exchanging information, establishing interpersonal relationships, and communicating across spatiotemporal boundaries are the typified social actions performed by the posts in the Baidu depression community. Moreover, as a genre, the posts have successfully created an ambience of collective intimacy. Taken together, the findings shed light on the rhetorical study of depression in China.

Designing Writing Across the Professions (WAP) programs at the intersection of work-integrated learning and writing transfer research

In our information age, written communication has become increasingly important in many professions. As a result, university faculty and administrators need to develop specific curricula and pedagogies that will facilitate the process of equipping students with the required writing knowledge and skills to meet the demands of their workplace environments. In this article, we argue that Writing Across the Professions (WAP) as a curricular model meets that requirement, particularly in Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) contexts, which we believe are conducive to fostering writing transfer in university students. WAP foregrounds the importance of writing in workplace contexts and aims to facilitate the transfer of students’ knowledge and practices by focusing on rhetorical genre theory and analysis, discourse community theory and analysis, providing engaged feedback on students’ writing, and inviting students to critically reflect on their previous and current writing knowledge and practices. In this article, we propose four conceptual foundations that university faculty and administrators can utilize to implement WAP programs at their institutions. The first concept is that professional (writing) knowledge and practices are contextual and require lifelong learning; WIL faculty and students thus need to be informed about what is involved in learning to write across professions. Secondly, as the transfer of professional (writing) knowledge and practices goes beyond disciplinary boundaries, both faculty and students need to build contextual awareness. Thirdly, as problem-solving is an integral part of writing in the professions, faculty and students need to engage in critical reflection. Finally, professional (writing) knowledge and practices impact identities and therefore require mentoring. In outlining these shared concepts from WIL and writing transfer research, this article offers examples of how they can inform curricular approaches and pedagogical practices in WAP.

Institutional Rhetorical Genres

This paper introduces the idea of rhetorical genre, drawing on previous research in rhetorical genre theory to explain how the genres used in institutions affect the personal and professional lives of people who use them, and how they naturalize certain ideologies in those institutional settings. The paper lays out how—while rhetorical genres serve many practical purposes—they also affect power relations within an institution and can compromise the identity of the individual using them. When assessing the efficacy of these genres, this paper remarks, it is important to question how they were constructed and for whom. To further explore this topic, the paper recounts the personal experience relayed in previous research by Anthony Paré, in which he taught a professional writing course to female Inuit social workers.

SOME METHODS OF SHAPING OF THE RHETORICAL SPEECH GENRES IN THE LANGUAGE CONSCIOUSNESS OF INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL STUDENTS ON THE RUSSIAN CLASSES

The article analyzes the issues of methodology of training Russian language of international students in medical educational programs. Special attention is paid to the role of text as an effective learning tool, which is an important aspect of this field of work. The text is considered in the context of the communicative method and represents the result of speech activity and oral reproduction of speech in situations where different speech genres are used. The research focuses on the importance of including rhetorical speech genres in the foreign linguistic training of Russian language of the first and second year medical students in Kokshetau Shokan Ualikhanov University. The authors suggest that this approach contributes to successful communication in educational and future professional spheres. Modern speech genres for foreign language students are presented. The subject matter of these genres is determined by the peculiarities of students' linguistic picture of the world. In the process of transition from the first to the second year of study the main components of speech genres in the student's linguistic consciousness were revealed. The results of the comparison of the peculiarities of the use of rhetorical speech genres by international students of Medicine School in the educational and professional spheres at the initial stage of activity are also presented. Key words: speech genre, rhetorical genre, text, discourse, model, training content.

After Cicero Finished Speaking, Caesar Trembled! The Affect of Deprecatio in the Pro Ligario

Abstract Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BCE) is widely recognized as Rome’s preeminent orator, a reputation that was well-earned because of his cogent and convincing skill in argumentation. His talent is particularly evident in his legal rhetoric, and his extant forensic orations are often cited as illustrations of brilliant displays of casuistry. The Pro Ligario is, however, an exception, not because the case is poorly argued, but because the unique constraints and procedures of that case prompted Cicero to depart from his normal practice of well-reasoned argument and advance a special plea for mercy and clemency or deprecatio. It is the only surviving oration in this legal genre of Roman rhetoric. An analysis of the Pro Ligario reveals that Cicero avoids arguing the stasis or issue of the case altogether, choosing rather to advance emotional appeals targeting the ethos of Caesar, who judged the case, in order to secure a favorable verdict in this rare genre of special pleading. Cicero’s unique mode of persuasion reveals a new perspective on Roman rhetoric.

Exploring the Trends and Development of News Genres and Fiction Formats: A Rhetorical Genre Theory Perspective

Exploring the Trends and Development of News Genres and Fiction Formats: A Rhetorical Genre Theory Perspective

Toward Genre Access: A Micro-level Analytical Approach

Many genre scholars have focused on how individuals might build genre knowledge, generally understood as the enculturation processes, gradual stages, or ingredients that lead to one’s facility with a genre in context. While genre knowledge describes whether people can engage genres, it does not describe the various factors that shape how people may engage genres. By consolidating scholarship across Rhetorical Genre Studies (RGS), this article characterizes genre access as the power, opportunity, permission, and/or right to engage genre. Furthermore, this article integrates Network Gatekeeping Theory to develop a micro-level analytical approach for explicitly describing genre access. The author demonstrates and develops genre access as a concept and analytical approach with an illustrative example from a larger ethnographic project. Specifically, this illustrative example explores genre access for the Staff Report, a common genre in local government that proposes recommendations from individual departments to their elected City Commissioners for voted approval. Overall, the purpose of this article is (1) to consolidate and extend RGS’s exploration of the power, opportunity, permission, and/or right to engage genres; (2) to identify and name genre access as a fundamental aspect of how genres work; and (3) to provide a micro-level analytical language for researchers to tease out the various factors the shape genre access.

Prolepsis and Rendering Futures in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Reports.

Rhetorical figures of speech provide important analytical frames to chart how arguments operate within genres and within genre ecologies. Varieties of the figure prolepsis allow for the rendering of future time or fact in the present, which can be a powerful rhetorical inducement toward social and political action. In this article, we examine how anticipatory arguments drawn from complex data shape a key genre for public and policy-facing work on the climate crisis-the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Synthesis Report's (SYR) Statement for Policy Makers (SPM). We examine how the rhetorical figure of prolepsis operates within this genre to understand the anticipatory arguments and logics emerging from the synthesis of scientific findings and their reporting. Pairing figural studies and Rhetorical Genre Studies, we further offer an approach to investigate how these patterned operations of language might intersect in their rhetorical workings.

Synthetic Genres: Expert Genres, Non-Specialist Audiences, and Misinformation in the Artificial Intelligence Age

Drawing on rhetorical genre studies, we explore research article abstracts created by generative artificial intelligence (AI). These synthetic genres—genre-ing activities shaped by the recursive nature of language learning models in AI-driven text generation—are of interest as they could influence informational quality, leading to various forms of disordered information such as misinformation. We conduct a two-part study generating abstracts about (a) genre scholarship and (b) polarized topics subject to misinformation. We conclude with considerations about this speculative domain of AI text generation and dis/misinformation spread and how genre approaches may be instructive in its identification.

Linguistic Trends in Doctor-Patient Communication

Effective communication between doctors and patients is vital for successful consultations. Language plays a key role in making the communication between the doctor and the patient effective. Discourse studies that study language at its micro, as well as at its macro level, provide valuable insights into medical consultations. The objective of the present study is to provide an overview of various linguistic trends that emerged over time to examine talk in doctor-patient consultations. Studies examining doctor-patient discourse have been grouped under Interaction Analysis system, Rhetorical Genre Studies, Conversation analysis, sociolinguistics, Pragmatics, Ethnography, and Systemic Functional Linguistics. It was observed that the linguistic trends that emerged in other contexts were rarely applied to Indian medical consultations. Therefore, there is a need to study Indian doctor-patient consultations using discourse frameworks to arrive at findings that may be used to promote effective communication between the participants.