Christina Tyler Dr.

Scott ENC 3331 2/4/12 pg 1 Rhetoric and Citizenship Rhetoric is perhaps one of the most commonly misunderstood words in the English language. This is ironic because rhetorics emphasis is on effective communication methods. Everyone has their own definitions for rhetoric but many can agree that it is an art focused on persuasion and communication. To be an effective rhetorician its important to know your audience. An audience can be one person or many but you have to know how to present your information for it to be most influential. Rhetoric needs to be planned so that people may be invited to respond and if a rhetorician can engage their audience then persuasion is more likely (Herrick). This is not too far off from Aristotles belief in rhetoric. He too was supportive of the argument and that persuasion should be presented not force fed. According to Aristotle being well versed in opposing viewpoints is also key to being an effective rhetorician because you must understand all sides to make a compelling argument and provide adequate defense for your own view (Aristotle). Using words like argument and persuade is part of how rhetoric got such a negative connotation to begin with. People hear this and think they might get swindled into something they dont believe. What people dont understand is that everyone uses rhetoric on some level and that by understanding it you can avoid being swindled. C.J. Classen has his own definition of rhetoric that doesnt just focus on words like, speak, argue and persuade. He also believes rhetoric has to be used to judge critically as well (C.J. Classen 1994). From this I was able to create my own idea of rhetoric. It is the reciprocating art of using communication to effectively inform or persuade an audience; those same tools must assist you in listening with understanding and forming intelligent personal judgments. Being an educated rhetorician allows you to be aware of the issues and decide what your own opinion is.

Christina Tyler Dr. Scott ENC 3331 2/4/12 pg 2 Once rhetoric is understood it must then be applied in real life situations. Isocrates tells us that the rhetorical philosophy is the ability to speak, to reason and to act (Isocrates). Once you have been educated on how to speak and reason using rhetoric it then becomes your responsibility to act. Should you choose to act it is always in peoples best interest to work for what is good for the Democratic city (Isocrates). This view is shared by Amy Wan, who claims that through education one not only is more intelligent and capable of creating and voicing opinions but that they network with fellow scholars to get these opinions heard so they can become active in their communities (Wan). This is by definition a citizen. Claiming to be a citizen because you live in a country is too easy and ineffective. A citizen is someone who uses their rhetorical education to put their thoughts into action and positively affect their community. Wan suggests through writing classes students are more adept at critical thinking, leading to more effective arguments and that education gives people the power to participate. Higher learning it not just about becoming smart enough to articulate your ideas, it is also about networking and figuring out what matters to you. Colleges are a fountain of resources for getting involved. Students can choose political activism and devote their time to getting students to vote or educating them on candidates and the current social issues; or they can help other students volunteer for animal shelters, food drives, park clean ups and other important places in the community where its necessary to show you care. This brings a sense of solidarity and unity to said community (Wan). Being a better citizen who networks with others perpetuates growth, productivity and social mobility (Wan). When I think of rhetorical citizenship I understand it as using communication to illuminate persuasion and form intelligent personal judgments in order to actively involve yourself in the community for a common good and social growth.

Christina Tyler Dr. Scott ENC 3331 2/4/12 pg 3 College is not the only place to get a lesson on citizenship; education has many faces and can come from anywhere. Family members, teachers, friends, anyone in your life can sponsor your interest in being more than just a naturalized or acquired citizen. These sponsors are people who want you to do well personally but are also focused on the big picture of how important doing more than the bare minimum can positively affect your community (Brandt). I consider my theatre teacher from high school, Mr. Rush, to be one of these sponsors. He showed us that through hard work and dedication you can provide a quality service to others. Mr. Rush constantly challenged us and pushed us to be our best. He encouraged his students to take part in other school functions and to make ourselves known in the community. I consider my time with the theatre as citizenship because we were always putting on plays or musicals for the community. We worked so hard and had such good productions that many people came to see us and were moved and entertained by our work. Competition also played a big factor in how hard we worked. Being the best meant we excelled in local and national competitions bringing a lot of respect and pride to our community. The people in our city had a sense of solidarity in supporting us in competition. This is an example of education linking like-minded individuals to promote achievement and participation within a community. Growing up my family has always been staunch sponsors of my future success. They are advocates for obtaining higher education so that I may propel myself to my highest possible good while attending to topics I care about. I was always given books to read and saw my family reading constantly, which instilled in me that literacy is one of the strongest tools we possess to be effective in the future.

Christina Tyler Dr. Scott ENC 3331 2/4/12 pg 4 My family has also influenced my motivation to be involved in politics. All through my childhood I was lectured on the importance of voting and having an educated opinion on social issues. My mother especially takes understanding politics very seriously. She is always doing what she can to educate herself on important matters so she can make informed decisions. She is then encouraging me to do the same. Political knowledge and understanding is important for any citizen because we must vote to actively participate. Using your rhetorical education is a way to form opinions and close yourself off to ideas that you dont agree with. Understanding rhetoric and acquiring a rhetorical education is not only important to the individual but is a big part of advancing social goals and being a good citizen. Rather than allowing people to misunderstand and misuse rhetoric it should be the personal goal of citizens and educators to inform people about rhetorics positive points and what good it can really do. This could then remove our rhetorical hang ups and allow us to grow together as a global community. Sponsorship is all about having or finding people who not only share your passions and interests with but people who will push you to do better and use your intelligence and voice to improve the state of the world around you.