Rhetoric Of Agitation and Control Flashcards
Summarize chapters (51 cards)
What is rhetoric traditionally defined as
process by which speakers persuade audience members to strengthen or alter their beliefs or convince them to take a specific action
What is rhetoric defined in the book
the rationale of instrumental symbolic behavior
When is a message or act instrumental
If it contributes to the production of another message in action
What is an example of an instrumental action/message
Outstanding student essay instrumental to professor getting an A
A politician’s campaign appeals may be instrumental in persuading members of an audience to vote for her in the next election
UC Berkeley announced tthat students couldnt use traditional gathering places to distribute literature and recruit for off-campus political activities —> Pissed them off —> led protests —> behavior led to first major student revolt of 1960s (INSTRUMENTAL)
Instrumental behavior is categorized by which two behaviors
Expressive and Consummatory
What is expressive behavior
Not mean to incite or succeed in producing social change
EXAMPLE - Carpenter’s exclamation when he or she strikes his or her thumb
What is consummatory behavior
when it is the final step to satisfying a need
…
no other behavior is necessary to satisfy the need
EX~ the constituent’s vote in an election is consummatory
or
professor’s assignment to a grade is consummatory
Define ideological statements
elaboration of rationalizations and stereotypes into a consistent pattern that details and explains the group’s goals
EXAMPLE ~ Capitalism is an evil system
Define rhetorical statements
ex ~ capitalism is an evil system that should be replaced by one that is fair to all individuals
When is behavior symbolic
when it has a referential function in which it stands for something else
example ~
Words may be
un/intentionally rhetorical
traditional definition for AGITATION
persistent, long term advocacy for social change , where resistance to the change is also persistent and long term
** : Agitation is a style of persuasion characterized by a highly emotional argument based on the citation of grievances and alleged violation of moral principals
Both definitions not fully defining agitation, each definition has an aspect that the other is lacking,
Definition of agitation according to the book —>
Exists when… ppl outside normal decision-making establishments… advocate significant social change… and encounter a degree of resistance within the establishment such as to require more than the normal discursive means of persuasion
What is control?
the response of the decision making establishment to agitation
What is social change?
an alteration to how a society self regulates
Significant social change
Hard to define significant, what may be significant to some may not be significant to all
People outside the normal decision making establishment
Establishment is relative
Depends on where you are at
Many countries have 1 dictator with all the power
Other countries has a small body of decision makers who hold legitimate power of the organization
How is power distributed within the organization
1- legislation
power of deciding policy
2- enforcement
power of administering negative and positive sanctions to those who violate or observe the policies
Resistance such as to require more than the normal discursive means of persuasion
Agitators must use forms of persuasion beyond verbal appeals.
Agitation exists when a movement for significant social change meets such resistance within the establishment that agitators must use more than the normal discursive means of persuasion to call attention to their grievances and to achieve their goals
why does agitation occur
when an individual or group has a significant grievance other than challenging the social order by using whatever means of persuasion are available or necessary
what are the 2 kinds of agitation
agitation based on vertical deviance
&&
agitation based on lateral deviance
what is agitation based on vertical deviance
agitators accept the value system of the establishment but dispute the distribution of benefits or power within that value system
More likely to be understood ideologically
EXAMPLE ~ workers within the american labor movement stayed in the establishment but disagreed over fund distribution
what is agitation based on lateral deviance
when agitators dispute the value system itself and seek to change or replace it with a competing value system
issues are less direct and more complex
ex ~ DESTORY THE SYSTEM
Control ~
When an establishment gains power its major task from that point forward is to maintain its dominant position
