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Nikkita Bloomfield
Wolcott
ENC 3331
June 19, 2015

The term rhetorical citizenship is both simple and complex when trying to find an
absolute definition of this compound word. In essence, if we take apart the word and try to define
them individually and then put those meanings together, then we can have a better understanding
of the definition of this term.
Rhetoric has many meanings that many people have conjured up based on their
experience. Many different meanings come to mind based on other scholars definition of the
word. In the Book of Quotations on Rhetoric, it lists many different scholars and sources that
have defined rhetoric in their own way. The definition that seems to be straightforward is the one
taken from the Oxford English Dictionary (1989). The dictionary defines it as The art of using
language so as to persuade or influence others; the body of rules to be observed by a speaker or
writer in order that he may express himself with eloquence. From that definition, one can gather
that rhetoric can most definitely be used as a persuasive tool in order to get people aware of
certain issues. A more simplified version of the word comes from Sharon Crowley and Debora
Hawhee (1999) which says, Rhetoric is the art that helps people compose effective discourse.
Although the definition of rhetoric is not that simplified, this is a great start at trying to define it
in order to get others to understand the gist of it.
In the reading for Leith, he used The Simpsons as an example to better explain how
rhetoric works. The reading highlighted perfectly just how simple the idea of rhetoric can be

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narrowed down and that there is no need for intimidation when it comes to discussing what
rhetoric really is. Leith also provides another example of a doctors receptionist giving a patient
their test results. He explained that when you are that position of receptionist, your tone should
be as neutral as possible. In that case, there is no reason to persuade anyone, while on the
contrary, if you are an attorney trying to convince the judge and jury of something about your
client, you would have a more persuasive tone stating if or why they committed a certain crime
or not.
By being recognizing rhetoric as an effective writing tool, individuals are able to think
and act differently than those who are not aware of how rhetoric works. Mathieu really made me
think about how effective writing for social change can be. I feel that being aware of many issues
we face today can make us better writers. According to C. in order to utilize public writing
effectively, you have to have an ongoing discourse about a current issue so that you can keep
people engaged for as long as possible.
I agree with the part of the reading that presented Paul Loeb's statement about social
change being mysterious process, and how difficult it is to even tell when (and if) social change
and growth is even happening. Even though social change happens through the power of people
sharing their stories, there is really no way to measure the impact of these efforts.
Ultimately, I definitely think that public writing is a powerful tool when you are looking
to bring awareness to others, and keep them interested. Even if we are not able to measure the
impact our writing has on the public, I still think we should definitely keep writing because even
if we've made a difference in only a fraction of people who see our work, we've still made a
difference somehow.

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Although rhetoric should not be a difficult concept, there are many parts to it. According
to Aristotle, the basic job of a rhetorician is to determine the best way to persuade someone. In
essence, rhetoric is a persuasive, informative tool that is used in most, if not all, discourse, in
order to get the audience engaged and spark their interest. The purpose of rhetoric is to get
people to want to be active and participate within the community.
In relation to rhetoric or rhetorical, citizenship has both a broad and complex definition.
From a broad view, citizenship is fulfilling your duties within the community. In Wans reading,
when talking about citizenship in relation to literature, writers have the ability to communicate
skills effectively, as well as, actively participate in the community. When defining citizenship
from a complex view, we run into the issue of trying to define what counts as demonstrating
citizenship. One can be a citizen ether by actively participating in social issues such as
researching campus safety at a local campus or simply just be being a good neighbor and
checking up on that that live around you. This is why citizenship is both a broad and complex
word to define for the reason being that different people with different perspectives can define
this word how they see fit. If I had to define what citizenship means in my own words, I would
say that citizenship is that act of becoming involved with those around you. Demonstration of
being a citizen can be anything from taking action from a large platform or on smaller scale. Any
act of kindness that helps to make someone elses life better is a perfect example of practicing
what it means to be a citizen. In essence, there is a large spectrum of all the activities that
citizenship can encompass
Seeing as how the definitions have been applied to rhetorical and citizenship individually,
they can now be combined to form a new meaning. Rhetorical citizenship is a tool that can be
used to persuade and inform, whether it be written or having an individual actively participate

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within a community, in order to make other peoples lives better. From my understanding of
rhetorical citizenship, it can be found and applied to almost every form of communication or
action.
A great example of my experiences in relation to rhetorical citizenship would be the Blue
Lights Project. Through this project, our group has really gotten the chance to sit down and
brainstorm what it is we need to do in order to get the ball rolling on tightening up with campus
safety. The goal here is to engage and persuade the member of certain positions at this school to
take campus safety more seriously, and to really evaluate just how safe (or unsafe) campus is. It
is our hope as a class, that once we lay the groundwork, the class after us will take our ideas and
run with it. Sometimes rhetoric is just laying the groundwork, in order for someone else to pick
up where you left off and proceed with it.
The great thing about rhetorical citizenship is that it can take on many different forms.
Since everyone has a story to tell and the ability to make someone elses life better by making
them aware of issues, rhetorical citizenship lives within all who are living and breathing. After
taking this class, I can honestly say that I am now aware now, more than ever before, about the
effect that rhetoric has on everyday life when it comes to handling social issues. I definitely think
that it is important to take a rhetoric course in order to gain a better understanding on how to
engage the world around us.

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Works Cited

"Book of Quotations on Rhetoric" Compiled By Thomas J. Kinney. PDF. 2002.

Wan, Amy J. "In the Name of Citizenship: The Writing Classroom and the Promise of
Citizenship." College English 74.1 (2011): 28-47. Print.
Leith, Sam, and Sam Leith. Words like Loaded Pistols: Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama. New
York: Basic, 2012. Print
Mathieu, Paula. "Writing in the Streets." Tactics of Hope: The Public Turn in English
Composition. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook, 2005. 24-113. Print.