Emphasis in rhetoric and writing for english majors
The area of interest in Rhetoric and Writing, while acknowledging that writing is a tool that is vital to critical inquiry, does more than provide instruction in composition skills; rather, the goal of this undergraduate program is to foster an ethically-driven understanding of ways in which all language is meaning-making. Participants will examine how various communities make meaning in a variety of contexts - academic, civic, corporate, digital - through the production and consumption of texts from a variety of genres in both public and private discourse. Having gained a foundational understanding of critical discourse analysis, of basic rhetorical theory, of writing for social action, and of the complexly layered relationships between language and power, graduates will be qualified to pursue work or further studies in professional writing, teaching composition, public service, interdisciplinary studies, law, rhetoric, media studies, or composition studies; further, graduates will have the tools with which to engage fully in civic life.