Browsing by Subject "Rhetoric -- Study and teaching"
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Item A comparison of Greek and Chinese rhetoric and their influence on later rhetoric(Texas Tech University, 2002-05) Huang, Bih-ShiaAt the turn of the twenty-first century, some western scholars still hold that no classical rhetoric exists except classical Greek rhetoric. This paper demonstrates that classical Chinese rhetoric is not only a natural practice but also a study of effective discourse, like classical Greek rhetoric. In addition, the factors that contribute to the differences between these two rhetorics are explored. Moreover, subsequent rhetorics that were influenced by classical rhetorics are discussed and compared. Chapter 1 explains why this study must be done and introduces what will be addressed in the following chapters. Chapter II describes the Greek geographical features that led to liberal types of politics, economy, and rhetoric. The emergence of the Greek sophists followed the development of the democratic system. Aristotle's Rhetoric is used as a model to compare with Chinese rhetoric, as discussed in the third chapter. Rhetoric after the classical period is summarized so that the influence of classical Greek rhetoric on later western rhetoric can be understood. Chapter III explicates the Chinese geographical features that gave rise to conservative politics, economy, and rhetoric. This chapter emphasizes classical Chinese rhetoric that arose in the period of Spring-Autumn and Warring States (eighth to third centuries B.C.). The classical Chinese thinkers whose speeches and theories influenced later generations are introduced one by one. Rhetoric after the unification of the Chin (Qin) dynasty (221 B.C.) is also summarized in order to show the influence of classical Chinese rhetoric on later Chinese rhetoric. Chapter IV deals with a contrastive study between these two ancient countries from geographical, political, economical, social, and rhetorical perspectives. The reasons western rhetoric and Chinese rhetoric after the classical periods had their own emphases is also explained. Chapter V summarizes this study, explains the reasons for the evolution of these two rhetorics, and proposes a methodology from both a historical approach and the use of Aristotelian terms.Item Understanding users undergoing change: exploring responses to an innovative, hybrid first-year writing program(Texas Tech University, 2003-08) Gillis, Kathleen TTechnical communication, rhetorical theory, user-centered theory, diffusion theory, and complexity theory—five disparate areas brought together in this dissertation for the purpose of examining the 'real life' adoption of an allegedly user-centered innovation. The consequences of this project are vast and may be of particular interest to technical communication scholars and practitioners, writing program administrators, software developers, usability engineers, and writing instructors who teach technical communication and/or first-year composition. The project contains five chapters, each of which represents a hierarchy of concerns, the ultimate of which is the tension that arises whenever technical communication scholars and practitioners apply the term user-centered to the design or development of an innovation. Chapter II provides a critical analysis of the term user-centered as applied in much of current scholarship in Technical Communication. Chapter III explains the rationale behind the methods used in this project. Through an introduction to diffusion theory, this discussion suggests an alternative way to examine the theory and practice of user-centered design. Chapter IV provides preliminary results from the first two sets of data collected using the primary research instrument from this study. Chapter V takes a closer look at the data collected via three methods, the Stages of Concern Questionnaire, the ICON listserv, and the first Composition Program Town Hall meeting. Chapter VI offers a brief summary of the research project, discusses its significance to the field of technical communication and rhetoric, looks to some alternative methods for analyzing the data surrounding this innovation, then looks to some of the specific ways I intend to expand and extend this project. Thus, the purpose of this project is to gain a better understanding of some of the ways in which writing instructors respond to the simultaneous adoption of both a pedagogical and technological innovation. Its goal is to develop more effective means for accommodating the needs of writing program administrators, software developers, writing instructors, and their students.