#13383
The Role of Social Construction in Technical Communication
Technical communicators perform an important role in society, relaying complex messages in a clear and concise manner to people who would otherwise have to spend an inordinate amount of time tracking down this information for themselves. Among other things, technical communicators are responsible for writing software manuals and computer help systems, instruction manuals for everything from appliances to airplanes, and health-related pamphlets and warnings. If this information is misunderstood – either through the shortcomings of the writer or reader – the consequences can be devastating.
Robinson, Alyssa. Orange Journal, The (2001). Articles>Rhetoric>Theory
#25322
Selves, Subjects, and Agents: (Re)Positioning Agency with Self-Identity and Subjectivity 
Through tracing some major historical influences and current theoretical perspectives of the human person, this article works toward providing both a foundation and rationale for a critical exploration of theories of agency, self-identity, and subjectivity. The first section traces the path of the Cartesian influence on current Western perceptions of the individual person, then reviews literature relevant to theories of self-identity, subjectivity, and agency within social construction, structuration theory, systems theory, and areas of cultural studies. Based upon these views of the human person, the second section examines agency as an under-theorized concept that requires further consideration (with self-identity and subjectivity) as a salient element of the person and theories of human identity in future research.
Marafiote, Tracy. Rocky Mountain Communication Review (2004). Articles>Rhetoric>Theory>Cultural Theory
#13381
A Study of Theories on Style in Technical Communication
One of the most frequent questions technical communicators encounter is what style they should write in. Unfortunately it is not an easy question. The answer to this question should come from careful theoretical studies and deliberate analysis of the audience and many other factors, such as social environment. In this paper, I wish to analyze theories, which guide the style in technical communication, from three angles: reader analysis, interpretive communities and whether technical communication is plain, instructional, or rhetorical. In the conclusion section, I will try to analyze the importance of extracting valuable parts from each theory and how the valid points from each theory work together to guide technical communicators to choose the right style in technical communication.
Sun, Lily. Orange Journal, The (2001). Articles>Rhetoric>Theory
#21277
Postrel's new book, The Substance of Style, explores the economic, cultural, social, personal, and political implications of the growing importance of aesthetics in business and society.
MacLaughlin, Steve. Boxes and Arrows (2003). Articles>Graphic Design>Cultural Theory>Visual Rhetoric
#20131
Text Models in the USA and The Netherlands
Text models are handy tools for planning or recognizing the global structure of a text. In this paper we compare a few modern communication handbooks in the USA and The Netherlands as to their treatment of text models. The Dutch “vaste structure” may contribute to the tool kit of American technical writers. After that we present a short discussion of the characteristics of ideal text models and their ideal users. The first text model in history, the classical 'partes orationis,' and the first text models for Environmental Impact Statements from the 1970’s prove to possess a series of deficiencies. We conclude our paper with a proposed procedure for pretesting new text models for new documents.
Bulter, Willem J. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Language>Theory>Rhetoric
#14070
Textual Performance: Where the Action at a Distance Is 
Rhetoric's concern for individual sense making is expressed in such topics as the nature and role of enthymemes, the character and disposition of audiences, figures of thought, and the psychological underpinnings of arrangement. Persuasion, as a movement of the mind, depends on individual sense-making even though this dependency isn't always made explicit for analytic scrutiny. Rhetoric's attitude toward sense making is shaped by rhetoric's orgins in oral performance which leaves no artifact (except for the occasional script or transcription that Plato has so much fun with in the Phaedrus) but which confronts rhetors with embodied audiences whose minds they have to move, and audiences are confronted with embodied rhetors who appear to be thinking about one thing and then a moment later thinking about something else. The fleeting meaning held in the rhetor's mind communicated to the audience transfigure and unite them both for a moment, then soon dissipates as thought and attention turn to various elsewheres. Such is the flow of life noted by the sophists.
#31782
Toward a Critical Perspective of Culture: Contrast or Compare Rhetorics 
Kaplan's framework of contrastive rhetoric has been widely accepted in the field of cross-cultural technical communication. However, in the last four decades, contextual factors such as economic globalization trend and the advances of communication technologies are changing our ways of interacting with others. As a result our understanding of culture and cultural differences need to be adjusted. In this research, I start by recommending a workable definition of culture in the present context—culture as a process, which establishes a foundation for cross-cultural rhetorical research in the new era when communication across cultures transcends national boundaries. Based on the critical perspective of culture, I continue to point out the limitations of contrastive rhetoric and argue that contrastive rhetoric's view of culture and its research purpose and methodology need to be modified to overcome its constraints and better meet the needs of the present social context.
Wang, Junhua. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2008). Articles>Language>Rhetoric>Cultural Theory
#14460
Understanding Metaphors for Writing: In Defense of the Conduit Metaphor
The Conduit Metaphor has been roundly condemned by language scholars, including scholars in rhetoric and composition, but it is time to reevaluate its import and value. Rather than simply asserting a mistaken view of linguistic communication, the Conduit Metaphor combines with the metaphor Language Is Power to form a prudentially applied ethical measure of discourses, genres, and texts.
Eubanks, Philip. CCC (2001). Articles>Rhetoric>Theory>Tropes
#18313
О Риторическом Контексте Проблемы Истины
Прежде всего, о чем мы ведем речь, говоря об истине? Не стоит ли договориться о различении "истины" и "истинности". Обычно под истиной понимается любое истинное суждение. Сказать о некотором суждении, что оно истинно, или сказать, что данное суждение есть истина, не одно ли это и то же? Но это как раз тот случай, когда предположение синонимии свидетельствует о неполноте наших знаний о мире. Синонимия, предполагающая тождество смыслов, является насилием над живым языком и по отношению к естественному языку применима лишь в очевидно ограниченном смысле - как характеристика семантической близости слов. Тождество слов в живом языке такая же немыслимая вещь, как и тождество живых существ в природе.
Migunov, A.I. Argumentation (2002). (Russian) Articles>Rhetoric>Theory
