An Introduction to Rhetorical Communication offers a true integration of rhetorical theory and social science approaches to public communication. This highly successful text guides students through message planning and presentation in an easy step-by-step process. An Introduction to Rhetorical Communication provides students with a solid grounding in the rhetorical tradition and the basis for developing effective messages.

An Introduction to Rhetorical Communication offers a true integration of rhetorical theory and social science approaches to public communication. This highly successful text guides students through message planning and presentation in an easy step-by-step process. An Introduction to Rhetorical Communication provides students with a solid grounding in the rhetorical tradition and the basis for developing effective messages.

An Introduction to Rhetorical Communication offers a true integration of rhetorical theory and social science approaches to public communication. This highly successful text guides students through message planning and presentation in an easy step-by-step process. An Introduction to Rhetorical Communication provides students with a solid grounding in the rhetorical tradition and the basis for developing effective messages.

On rhetoric

From the moment we begin to understand the meanings of words and symbols, we have used rhetoric. It is how we determine perceptions of who we are, those around us, and the social structure in which we operate. Rhetorical Theory, Second Edition introduces a broad selection of classical and contemporary theoretical approaches to understanding and using rhetoric. Historical context reveals why rhetorical theories were created, while present-day examples demonstrate how they relate to the world in which we live. Borchers and Hundley present conceptual topics in a succinct and approachable manner. The text is organized topically rather than chronologically, so similarities and differences are easily detected in central ideas. Each chapter is enhanced by the inclusion of theorist biographies, applications of theory to practice, and Internet exercises. The Second Edition expands coverage on mediated rhetoric, feminist rhetoric, alternative rhetorical theories including Afrocentricity and intersectionality, cultural and critical rhetoric, and postmodern implications of rhetoric.

In this highly accessible new edition, Hauser systematically provides a humanistic account of what transpires when people communicate for some purpose. His masterful blend of classical and contemporary thinking about the use of language and the value of symbolic inducements for social cooperation illuminates fundamental rhetorical precepts and their implications for shaping human realities. The new chapter on publics theory complements the four chapters that introduce the broad themes and issues essential for a rhetorical approach to communication. The new chapter on narrative theory bridges the four chapters devoted to the content of rhetoric and the concluding chapters that emphasize symbolic processes by which humans induce social cooperation and constitute social reality. Throughout the text, Hauser skillfully underscores the power of language to present a particular reality. He explores the fundamental relationship between public discourse and judgment, helping students understand the core of rhetorics civic function. Through relevant, current examples, he illustrates how knowledge and power shape our social and political practices and how both are formed through discourse.