Links to rhetorical tools:

Here are links to the rhetorical tools used in this class:

Schemes & Tropes -- Perelman & Olbrechts-Tyteca -- Fallacies -- Burke -- Rhetorical Toolbox -- Conspiracy Rhetorics

Thursday, May 7, 2020


The United Farm Workers flag has a storied history, from humble beginnings as a symbol of the fight of migrant California farmworkers under Cesar Chavez to becoming a unifying symbol of “La Causa”. The United Farm Workers flag transcended its original purpose, which was likely more short-sighted in its approach and ideals, into becoming  a general unifying symbol for all chicanos, regardless of occupation.
The color choice on the flag is decidedly provocative, and the first symbol that would come to the mind of many on first impression is that of the Nazi Swastika, and although the goals of these causes are radically different, I don’t believe that the creators of this flag adopted a color scheme reminiscent of the Nazi symbol by coincidence. I believe that the shock value of the similar color scheme in their logo was a strategic choice in order to catch the eyes and attention of the media, in order to have their message taken seriously. 
In time, the image of the black eagle became a symbol of cultural pluralism, a
flag for disenfranchised Mexican-Americans to fly and feel as if they truly belonged, as they had for years been outcasted from American Society, and had strayed from their Mexican roots to the point where they no longer felt as if they were Mexicans, nor did Mexicans accept them as their own.
The flag was created in 1962 by Richard and Manuel Chavez, brother and cousin of Cesar Chavez when he and Dolores Huerta founded the National Farmworkers Union, an early conception of the United Farm Workers. The marches under Chavez being planned needed a symbol to rally behind, so Cesar recruited Richard and Manuel to design their flag, who supposedly sketched the first iteration of a flag design, which would end up becoming the adopted symbol, on a brown paper bag. 
According to United Farm Worker legend, each color on UFW the flag chosen holds a symbolic significance and relays its own message in it of itself. Richard and Manuel chose black to represent the dark, grim plight the farmworkers faced under white supremacy, white to signify an innocence and hope for a brighter future for the union workers, and red to represent the blood of those union workers who will likely sacrifice much in their fight for fair treatment.

Another important symbolic aspect of the flag of the United Farm workers is that of the eagles wings which resemble an inverted pyramid, a powerful symbol of Meso-American ingenuity and pride, which many Chicanos Identified with. Eagles have been adopted as symbols of pride and power by the United States and Mexican flags, and it makes sense that it would be a natural choice for those who felt stuck in the crossroads between being Mexican and American.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Social Movement Theory Blog Post

I have determined that farm to table ultimately aligns with the lyric frame of Burke’s frame analysis. Burke has three frames of approval, and also discusses three frames of rejection in his analysis of frames used by social movements, and it is clear that Burke’s lyric frame, a frame of approval, is relevant to the farm to table movement rather than the tragic or comic frame, which are largely visible in other social movements. Farm to Table is a straightforward movement, that some actually consider apart of the “amplification” model of social movements due to that the movement wants to be spread globally and be universally recognized. There is farming and agricultural living in many places all over the world, and the idea is to have the whole world eat farm to table produce for reasons such as eating local, organic, and healthy, as well as supporting local farmers so that they can stay in business. Also, farm to table’s purpose is to cut down on the transportation of food, which will cut down on pollution and reduce their carbon footprint. Farm to Table preaches how eating locally and reducing negative effects on the environment makes them a movement that is benefitting everybody, but there is not a ton of evidence that qualifies that everybody is benefitting from the social movement, specifically farmers who are being exploited by local restaurants. Even though there is controversy surrounding the Farm to Table movement, it is not an overly political movement, and not a movement that is fighting for civil rights and can become a polarizing topic to the extent of a movement such as Black Lives Matter or Amsterdam Squatters. Where the tragic frame or the comic frame can be easily applied to those movements, Farm to Table is simply not as polarizing as those movements because they are not nearly as political as those movements, therefore, pretty straightforward in their message, and applies more to the lyric frame compared to other social movements of a different caliber. The lyric frame, according to Burke’s analysis, is a frame that “gushes” over how “great or beautiful the subject is, usually without any qualification” (Burke). 

Monday, May 4, 2020

Queer Nation – San Francisco Movement

Queer Nation – San Francisco Movement
Intro:

Attention getter

Just because we identify with something doesn't mean that we want to be associated with it like when people give that something a bad name. The term queer back then was used as a negative term, but queer nation's goals were to turn the word into a sign of strength and identity, but some people didn't like the way the group made more noise than progress and so some people who described themselves as queer didn't want to be grouped in with queer nation.

Cred
Long time, no see, my name is Rachel and I identify with many things and probably have different interpretations of those things in comparison to other, so we are going to take a look at queer nations – San Francisco social movement, using Vrooman’s charts and toolboxes.

Thesis
Bad media exposure is still media attention, the press coverage of Queer Nation/San Francisco was conducted very dramatically, but still created a large, multi-issue social movement but Queer Nation struggled to find an understanding as to who they were and what they desired, and how to properly communicate those desires. They were characterized by the views and portrayals of the mainstream and gay media and eventually failed because they were not restricted to the concerns of the gay and lesbian community, they intended to be a multi-issue movement of social justice that would tackle not just the problems facing the queer nation but also many other concerns that dealt with systematic oppression, thereby making them viewed as being very extreme which ultimately  contributed to their downfall.


Preview

·                Will be using different components of the charts and toolboxes to better explain to further analyze this movement.


(Transition)

Body

Schemes and Tropes

1.     Profanity
 .                
a.              Words of swearing are important instruments of social influence. Gender ideals are not only reflected but are perpetuated in the act of swearing.

Blasphemy
Disrespectful use of religious language
Damn, Jesus H. Christ, God


body taboos
Use of rude words for body functions and/or sex.
Piss. Shit.

intensifiers
Suggests a strength of feeling but no unique meaning.
“That was bloody terrible.” “Fucking awesome.”


















Queer nation questioned queer theory and politics, and argued the limits of sex and gender identity and the deconstruction of definitions of identity. The debates posed concerns not only about the nature of political ideologies based on sexuality but also about their usefulness.

This in turn challenges the theory of social motion to better explain the complexities of the creation and deployment of collective identity. This draws attention to a general identity politics dilemma: Fixed identity definitions are both the basis of injustice as well as the foundation of political power.




                
        PUNS


As such, these puns may become an interactive technique of co-ordinating various groups, pivoting around different emotional domains. It could conceive of a queerness version that attends to, represents and is influenced by its cultural-historical characteristic.


          Transition
7) arrangement
climax
Ordered by increasing importance.

 and "Out of the Closets and Into the Streets," and the widely imitated "We're Here! We're Queer! Get used to it!"'[10]


question
erotema
Asking a rhetorical question.


ther slogans used by Queer Nation include "Two, Four, Six, Eight! How Do You Know Your Kids Are Straight?"

It something within its own sense trying to make their audience think, it’s a question asked not for an answer but for an effect.

Fallacy

Gay marriage should be land rule, since gay couples should have the same rights as straight men.

That begs the issue. How does that mean by "same rights?" People had the right to marry women before gay marriage, and females had the right to marry people.

A man who marries a man is a particular type of the "marriage right," and must be argued as such. Yes, there are plenty of excellent reasons for gay marriage, but this isn't one.

We will react when violence is directed against us. We will react to idiots and to any type of hatred 



COMIC FRAME The comic frame, portrays people as fools, it does not reject them for their foolishness; it considers them simply mistaken and therefore harmless.

Comedy always ignores something significant, to outweigh the negative of their situation.

They use Humor quite frequently in their puns, wordplay, and protest.


 To conclude, "Identity talk" was missing in Queer Nation and their poor media coverage had a negative effect on their campaign with their other potentially progressive ideas. They really didn't have any rules or declarations, it was a spontaneous community that wanted to have fun, but never questioned what would come out of it.



References:
Vrooman, Steve. “ Perelman’s Rhetoric of Argument.” TLU Faculty and Staff Web Pages, TLU.Sept. 2013, faculty.tlu.edu/svrooman/perelman.htm.

Vrooman, Steve. Rhetorical Devices for Vrooman’s Rhetoric Class. Retrieved from

Vrooman, Steve. Some Informal Argumentative Fallacies. TLU, Feb. 2015,
faculty.tlu.edu/svrooman/fallacies1.htm.

Mary L. Gray (2009) “Queer Nation is Dead/Long Live Queer Nation”: The Politics and Poetics of Social Movement and Media Representation, Critical Studies in Media Communication, 26:3, 212-236, DOI: 10.1080/15295030903015062








black power slides





Farm to Table outline


Gavin Baker

Intro 
Attention Getter: 
Is it farm to table or farm to fable?  
Intro/Credibility: 
-name
-credibility: Vrooman’s rhetoric device charts, argumentative fallacies, toolbox analysis/social movement theory  
Thesis 
By analyzing primary sources of the movement, farmers and restaurant owners, I have concluded that farm-to-table started as a way for restaurants and farmers to partner to bring local produce to bigger crowds, but partially evolved to benefit restaurants at the expense of farmers and the diners of those restaurants.  
Transition 
Body 
Overview 
-Give history on farm to table movement
-how they support local businesses (restaurants)
-mention flaws
Schemes and tropes  
-simile
-metaphor
-hyperbole
-epistrophe
-auxesis

Argumentative fallacies 
-Appeal to consequences
-Bandwagon
-Emotional appeal

Social movement theory/Toolbox analysis 
-Burke
-Lyric frame opposed to comic or tragic frame

Conclusion 
-Re-state thesis

Clincher: What started out as a noble cause to help local communities shifted when the greed of some restaurant owners evolved their menus from farm to table to farm to fable.  


British Suffrage Outline

Attention Getter:
Nice pictures of suffragettes vs violent pictures
Credibility:
My name is Ally, and I wasn’t a suffragette in early 20th century, but I am a woman who can vote.
Thesis:
Although it might seem like militancy and violence hurt the British women’s suffrage movement, the suffragette’s actions were actually justified.

Body:
  1. Non-Violence
    1. Brief explanation - NUWSS vs WSPU
    2. Pamphlet
      1. “Because” repeated and bolded
      2. Simile (women = children)
    3. Poster
      1. Hierarchy (woman vs convict & lunatic)
    4. Comic Frame
  2. Defying traditional femininity
    1. Suffrage quote
    2. The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo
  3. Suffragettes seen as bad
    1. Fallacy: appeal to fear
    2. NUWSS against them
      1. “Law-abiding citizens” picture
        1. Full and long shot
  4. Militancy justified
    1. Only selves in danger
      1. Pankhurst quote
      2. Hunger strike poster
        1. Oblique and dull colors
    2. Fighting fire with fire
      1. Black Friday picture
        1. Oblique, high angle

Conclusion:
Thesis:
Though it may not seem like it, the militant suffragettes in the British Suffrage Movement were justified in their actions.

Clincher:
Old white dudes should’ve listened to the women.


References:
Bouvard, Marguerite Guzman. Revolutionizing Motherhood: The Mothers of the Plaza De Mayo. SR Books, 1994.
Purvis, June, et al. “Did Militancy Help or Hinder the Granting of Women’s Suffrage in Britain?” Women’s History Review, vol. 28, no. 7, Dec. 2019, pp. 1200–1234. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/09612025.2019.1654638.
Vrooman’s Fallacy Chart
Vrooman’s P-OT Chart
Vrooman’s Rhetorical Devices Chart

Outline

Intro
Goal to read more during the quarantine 

What is it
-founded by nick hall 
-goal is to see more people reading the bible this year than ever before 

How to be involved 
-commit 
-post #yearofthebible

The Impacts being made 
-fox article 
-checked social media myself 
-Instagram pictures: angle/color 

Looking at only the hashtag 
-memes 

> but seriously, remember our current circumstances < 

-pandemic 
-Christianity Today article  
-timing = effective

What this shows us

How: Vrooman’s charts 

Social movement theory: ideographic analysis 
Truth, freedom, saved, Christian 

Positives and Negatives: 
(pretty much all that prior is positive and helping it to be effective) 

Negative- 
-toolbox theory: compared to the comedic
frame meaning “to educate a fool” negative connotation 
-the action of posting is sending an unspoken message
that you have to post a picture to read your bible
or it doesn’t count 

Conclusion
Every social movement has its successes and failures.
I believe based on the impact this one is currently making
that it is very effective. However, it is also sending an unspoken
message that in order to be a good Christian you need to post
a picture of you reading your bible or it doesn’t count, which might
affect it in a negative way.