...Symbolic convergence theory From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Symbolic Convergence Theory) Jump to: navigation, search Symbolic convergence theory (SCT) is a general communication theory that offers an explanation for the appearance of a groups cohesiveness, consisting of shared emotions, motives, and meanings. Symbolic convergence theory provides a description of the dynamic tendencies within systems of social interaction that cause communicative practices and forms to evolve. This theory allows theorists and practitioners to anticipate or predict what will happen and explain what did happen. One thing SCT does not do is allow for prediction and control of human communication.[1] To foster this cohesiveness, dramatizing or using fantasy stories are significant types of communication involved in SCT. SCT explains that meanings, emotions, values, and the motives for action are in the communication contexts by people trying to make sense out of a common experience.[2] It explores the human tendency of trying to understand events in terms of the people involved, who have certain personality traits and motivations, and have agency over how the events unfold.[3] SCT was first proposed by Ernest Bormann in the Quarterly Journal of Speech in 1972.[4] Symbolic convergence is related to attribution theory in that it deals with the human tendency to attribute meaning to signs and objects in order to make sense of them.[5] The process of symbolic convergence...
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...IMAGES IN ADVERTISING: THE NEED FOR A THEORY OF VISUAL RHETORIC In this article, we are dealing with a meaning and representative reality of pictures. In todays world there are many pictures, shown and done in many different ways. We have various kinds of pictures in rich colours and textures. The objective of this article is to reorient the study of advertising images by advocating the development of a theory of visual rhetoric. When we are taking about rhetorical theory, we say that it is an interpretative theory that frames a message as an interested party’s attempt to influence an audience. The sender’s message must be send as obvious one. It is also important how the message is sent – style of delivery. It is important that audience understand the message, therefore he uses shared knowledge of various vocabularies and conventions. Receiver/s use this same body of cultural knowledge to read the message, infer it, evaluate the argument and formulate a response. If we want to explain advertising images as a rhetoric one, we need to understand that visuals must have certain capabilities and characteristics. Visual elements are for representing concepts, abstractions, actions, etc. There must be an ability to guide the order of argumentation and visual elements need to carry meaningful variation in manner of delivery. To explain a visual communication complex we would need a symbol theory of pictures: one in which visuals signify by convention and not by resemblance to...
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...Inaugural address. The purpose of this address is for presidents to present their vision of the country (United States) and to set forth their goals for the nation. With that being said, this paper will use the strategy of genre analysis to critique to examine Barack Obama’s second Inaugural Address and John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech. Genre analysis is a type of rhetorical analysis that examines speeches based on the artifacts or commonalities that contain. The artifacts of speech are created by the rhetor as a response to a specific exigency. So as Bitzer’s essay, The Rhetorical Situation, saw it, in order for a text to be rhetorical, it must come in response to a rhetorical situation. Furthermore a rhetorical situation has three characteristics, an audience, an existence of constraints, and as mentioned above, an exigency. One manner, in which we can analyze an artifact, is through...
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...ANALYZING AND SYTHESIZING IDEAS The English Department description: The ENC 1101 capstone project focuses on analyzing and synthesizing ideas from at least two complex texts. At the end of the unit, students should * Interact with a group of texts, explore alternative perspectives, and present a new perspective of their own; * Summarize multiple complex texts indicating understanding of the authors’ arguments and rhetorical strategies; * Develop a focused thesis that indicates their analysis and synthesis of assigned readings to arrive at their own perspective; * Use textual evidence effectively to support claims; * Cite sources appropriately using MLA or other assigned style manual; * Use syntax, punctuation, and spelling effectively in service of rhetorical purpose. Assignment: Your final essay will loosely based on the structure of a ‘literature review.’ As such, it will be either a closed-form, thesis-based structure or a thesis-seeking structure. You will choose one of the following topics and at least two of the assigned articles and create a synthesis essay based on them. Your paper should do the following: 1) introduce your research question and thesis (the answer to your research question and the argument you are defending), 2) summarize the articles from the authors’ perspectives, 3) compare and contrast the themes of the articles according to your research question, and 4) analyze the articles from your perspective and come to a conclusion...
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...There is little action; rather there is a call for concern and involvement in crucial issues. Leila Brammer says that “Ecofeminists do participate in the formation of ideology and recruitment in that, conferences and books are explicitly for the development and spread of ecofeminist thought. The message has spread . . . But, Ecofeminism has not resulted in collective action in a way Black Power as a philosophy did . . . Rhetorical analysis is the key to understanding phenomena like ecofeminism because their manifestation is rhetorical( Brammer 1-2). In phenomena like Ecofeminism ideology and meaning are more important than structure. People use new words or attribute new meaning to old words in order to express their thoughts and feelings, thus exhibiting a consciousness of their environment in the meanings. One’s feelings fuse with the symbols and images which carry the feeling in communication and sustain it over time. One is led into a pshychodramatic fantasy world, in which meaning in present, reality becomes clearer and involves others with similar...
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...quick analysis of what the newly re-elected President said. It is an absolute pandemonium after Barack Obama has just delivered a 20 minute speech, during which he expressed his gratitude towards his family, his friends, his supporters, and laid out his vision of what America has already achieved, what it can achieve and what it will achieve after he has been re-elected President of the United States to Mitt Romney with 281 electoral votes to 191. Through the use of various rhetorical tools like Anaphora, rhetorical term for the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses, President Barack Obama delivers a speech through which he fully expresses ideas like the American dream and the future. Similarly to other speeches of his from the past, as for example the 2008 speech at the Democratic Convention, this one contains different forms of repetition and "between the line political views" - for example in the first paragraphs he purposely begins his sentences with the same couple of words - "You'll hear", "We want...", "That's ", followed by his ideas for the future of the USA and the Americans. Anaphora is present as he is starting his sentences with the same lines over and over again , which gives his ideas more sound and makes them stand out and being more easily remembered and assimilated. The future is a huge topic in his speech, as the re-election process is a time of continuing what has already been started - "That's the vision we share...
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...through issues) * Both deliberate and conscious of challenges of relating Biblical faith to Social issues * Housing and immigration are public policy issues * Daniel devotes a chapter to this question, using “Caesar vs. God” image from New Testament * Micah Shows up in both books (see below) * Differences? * Is immigration more of a “hot button” issue than housing? * If so, do we find different kinds of rhetoric? * Phil comment in class: Does Reckford focus more on system or structures or root causes (next slide) and Daniel more on individuals? * If so, do we have different kinds of solidarity in these two approaches? * Root Causes (“cycle”) of Poverty (structural analysis) (52-53) * Rhetorical device? * Cites 5 of them * “social capital” (56-58) is a rich illustration * Solidarity involves “learning” and “sensitivity” and “collaboration” (60) * Corresponding interventions/Solutions * E.g. “not charity but capital” (Clarence Jordan, cited 54) * 62-63: justice = level playing field (Sen. M. Fenwick, grandmother) * Housing is one of several interventions, but foundational (59) * Note structural components (infrastructure) of this intervention * E.g. ONE Campaign (http://www.one.org/us/) : 1% of US budget against extreme poverty * Immigration as “spiritual pilgrimage” * Religion/Public Square (ch.4) * “Do I believe in the moral teaching...
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...organization or company. Here we take a look at the power team of politics, Hillary and Bill Clinton. Both have held public leadership positions and were held to a certain standard. So we will take a look at the leader and their style as public administrators. Next we will compare the two styles, the effectiveness of their leadership and the impact of their genders as leaders. Then, we will take a look at their strengths and weaknesses and evaluate the effectiveness of their terms as public officials. Finally I will review my own strengths and weakness that would influence my ability to be a public leader. Public Leader Overview The transformational leadership (TL) is when leaders take their vision for the future and excite and motivate others to join in. Often times this vision is developed solely but the leader, but occasionally other levels of management and/or other organizational members. The transformational leader leads through charisma and motivation. Much like a coach, these leader encourage their followers to obtain the ultimate goal; often times through their own beliefs and personal values and strengths. Former president William “Bill” Clinton, fits in to the category of a transformational leader. During his presidency he was credited for having the ability of getting others to believe in his vison. As a transformational leader, the process that changes and transforms people by appealing to their followers’ values while creating a connection between the groups...
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...a speech depends on many factors, including the mood of the crowd, the ability of the orator, the situation the crowd confronts, the topic of the speech and the using of words- the using of stylistic devices. The goal of any political speech is persuasion - you want to bring the crowd around to your point of view, whether that means convincing them to vote for you. So the frequent and wide use of stylistic devices is an important characteristic of political speeches which is an effective way to make these speeches more attractive, lively and more persuasive. A stylistic device is an example of the figurative use of words, which produces a particularly rhetorical effect when people use the language creatively in a specified context so all politicians use stylistic devices in political speeches. In the realm of discourse analysis, the typical linguistic features of political speeches have so far been the focus of attention of many linguists and researchers. However, there are not many studies of the language used in political speeches, especially stylistic devices used in political speeches of...
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...“I have some very sad news for all of you, and, I think, sad news for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world; and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.” Robert F. Kennedy delivered this news in his speech “Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.” to a predominately black crowd in Indianapolis on April 4th, 1968, only one day after King delivered his final speech in which he gave hope to his supporters of a promise land where injustice and inequality did not exist, in a time when there was more divisiveness in America than in almost any point in history (Spong, 809). Despite riots ensuing in major cities all over the country and a Negro gang in Indianapolis, known as the “Ten Percenters,” scouring the neighborhood gathering militant support...
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...Pentadic analysis incorporates five basic elements of drama called pentads. These include act (what is being done), agent (who is doing the act), agency (the means employed by the agent to do the act), scene (the backdrop against which the act occurred), and the purpose of the action (the reason why it happened). Act is the artifact itself whatever it may be such as speech, poem, monument, event, etc as it stands for what is actually being done or happening. Agent refers to the main communicator of the artifact which could be an actor, orator, writer or manager of the act. Agency refers to the main medium of communication which includes a book or televised film, presentation or personal communication. Scene is the backdrop against which the action occurs including the actual, physical scene and the context in which something happens and is meant to be understood. Lastly, purpose is the motive or the message which is conveyed and understood. Pentadic analysis has its roots in Burke's Theory of Dramatism which looks at life as a play where symbols and language are used to express thoughts as a way for humans to comprehend the reality of the world. Burke developed this theory as a way to attempt to understand the bases of human conduct and motives. Thus, the purpose of a pentadic analysis addresses the content of what is being done and what are the motives of a certain artifact as crafted by a rhetor. Burke believed that ratios interconnect important terms and map out a clearer...
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...Differences in Humanities and Other Modes of Human Inquiry University of Phoenix Lakesia Harris Professor Bovinet HUM/102- week 1 September 8th 2014 Differences in Humanities and Other Modes of Human Inquiry Define the term humanities. The definition of Humanities is described as the study of people processing and documenting, the human experience. Since humans have had the ability, we have utilized philosophy, literature, art, religion, history, language, and music to understand and record the world in which we live. The symbols of expression have become some of the subject matters that usually fall under the umbrella of humanities. Gaining knowledge of the records of human experiences, gives one the opportunity to feel a connection to those who came before our time, as well as the contemporaries. (Stanford Humanities). Distinguish the humanities from other modes of human inquiry and expression. Humanities are described as academic disciplines that study the human condition, by using methods that are largely analytic, speculative, or critical. It differs from others that utilize an empirical approach, or evidence or consequences that have the ability to be observed by senses. (Weegy.com). : List a current example of each type of the following humanities and explain why each example you give reflects current developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology * Art-In today’s development in art it includes: “digitization and computerized/graphic arts...
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...Test-Tube Babies: Solution or Problem? Rhetorical Analysis In the ever-changing world of science, in vitro fertilization has taken the ability to control fertility to a new level. In “Test-Tube Babies: Solution or Problem?”, Ruth Hubbard describes just how in vitro fertilization works and the many risk factors the procedure brings with it. Having specialized in biochemistry of vision and women’s health, Hubbard reinforces the sense that her readers can trust her expertise on the subject because of her credentials and experience. Hubbard began to speak out about in vitro technology at a time when it was still new and not fully developed during 1980. She begins her essay by giving her audience statistical evidence concerning unsuccessful pregnancies...
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...MANILA.TOKYO.SEOUL Tomoeda Academy Tomoeda Academy Julia Vargas Avenue, Ortigas, Pasig City 11th Grade World Literature Course Syllabus Mr. Jonathan Jay F. Baniaga 2015- 2016 I.Subject Code: English 101a II. Subject Description: Afro-Asian Literature III. Credit Units: 3 IV. Pre-Requisite: none V. Duration: 18 weeks (54 hours) – 1 meeting per week (3 hours per class session) VI. Course Overview: Afro-Asian Literature is a survey course in reading and writing. The text focuses on selected works of Afro -Asian literature ranging from 3,000 B.C. to the present and is augmented with a wide array of novels and other supplemental materials. All literary genres will be covered. Students are expected to critically read all genres of literature and write cohesive, clear, and well-structured analyses/critiques about what they have read. Students will write a variety of rhetorical modes and for a variety of purposes including narration, information, and persuasion. Students’ papers will reflect a sophisticated level of original analysis and include references to the read text or to outside sources where appropriate. VII. Course Objectives: Students will: * develop an ability to write about problems from historical, philosophical, rhetorical and/or cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspectives; * engage in group discussions and activities...
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...of the landscape can be expressed in admonishing or admiring terms. In either case, these landmarks manage to garner both the local and the world’s attention. Such important monuments and memorials abound in the U.S. As 9/11 Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Liberty Memorial, Mount Rushmore, Korean War Veterans Memorial, and Washington Monument, among a myriad of others. This paper attempts to make a rhetorical analysis of one of the most important monuments in America, Washington Monument, in order to find out the relevance of this great monument conveys to its audience and how it...
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