Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Exam 2 questions
Same deal- answer four of six. 250-350 words each.
1. Research the group “Westboro Baptist Church” and their rhetorical strategies. How are their rhetorical strategies similar to those of the Nazi era? How are they different?
2. Pick any contemporary political fear appeal in the United States of your choice. Using the analysis of the Casmir article regarding copers and avoiders, is the United States population generally copers or avoiders? How does that affect the success of the fear appeal?
3. In Crane’s article on Bush’s post 9-11 rhetoric, Crane cites as evidence “the use of binaries, a construction of the enemy as ‘evil’, the idea that 9-11 was a turning point, the use of apocalyptic imagery. Going back to Walton’s article, which of these is most likely to fit Walton’s definition of a fear appeal? Which is the least likely to fit the definition?”
4. Crane eventually bases the article’s argument on Hofstedter’s essay “The Paranoid Style in American Rhetoric”. What parts of Bush’s rhetoric, in your opinion, actually fits with Hofstedter? Where does it differ?
5. “The Power of Nightmares” http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2798679275960015727 focuses on two separate systems of fear appeal. Which one better fits Hofstedter’s argument? Why?
6. In the debate on Keystone XL http://www.democracynow.org/2011/8/19/a_debate_should_the_us_approve identify four fear appeals in the debate. Reframe how those arguments could be made without relying on fear based rhetoric.
1. Research the group “Westboro Baptist Church” and their rhetorical strategies. How are their rhetorical strategies similar to those of the Nazi era? How are they different?
2. Pick any contemporary political fear appeal in the United States of your choice. Using the analysis of the Casmir article regarding copers and avoiders, is the United States population generally copers or avoiders? How does that affect the success of the fear appeal?
3. In Crane’s article on Bush’s post 9-11 rhetoric, Crane cites as evidence “the use of binaries, a construction of the enemy as ‘evil’, the idea that 9-11 was a turning point, the use of apocalyptic imagery. Going back to Walton’s article, which of these is most likely to fit Walton’s definition of a fear appeal? Which is the least likely to fit the definition?”
4. Crane eventually bases the article’s argument on Hofstedter’s essay “The Paranoid Style in American Rhetoric”. What parts of Bush’s rhetoric, in your opinion, actually fits with Hofstedter? Where does it differ?
5. “The Power of Nightmares” http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2798679275960015727 focuses on two separate systems of fear appeal. Which one better fits Hofstedter’s argument? Why?
6. In the debate on Keystone XL http://www.democracynow.org/2011/8/19/a_debate_should_the_us_approve identify four fear appeals in the debate. Reframe how those arguments could be made without relying on fear based rhetoric.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Reading 6- Hofstedter
Read Hoftstedter's essay and describe one contemporary issue in modern politics that falls under the type of paranoia described in the essay.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Essay questions
(Please do not respond in the comments section)
1. Explain the differences between the social science and rhetoric perspective on fear appeals. Should the social science perspective better explain for ethical ramifications of fear?
2. Find an example of both facilitation and inhibition with fear appeals. Briefly summarize both examples, and the contrast the structure of the arguments. What is similar and what is different?
3. Imagine Plato and Aristotle responding to “Reefer Madness”. How would their reaction be different from each other? Emphasize Aristotle’s view on the state.
4. Find an example of a “death-level” fear appeal. Briefly summarize the example. Would this fear appeal achieve mortality salience for most individuals? If not, how could it better achieve it? How might it cause worldview defense?
5. Find an example of a threat and/or fear appeal. Briefly summarize the example. Identify the preparatory condition, sincerity condition and essential condition, if they exist. Explain whether, in your opinion, the necessary balance between conditions has been met.
6. Create a fear appeal according to the Walton structure. Answer the four critical questions about your fear appeal, and then summarize whether or not your fear appeal would be effective (you may use information here outside of the four critical questions).
1. Explain the differences between the social science and rhetoric perspective on fear appeals. Should the social science perspective better explain for ethical ramifications of fear?
2. Find an example of both facilitation and inhibition with fear appeals. Briefly summarize both examples, and the contrast the structure of the arguments. What is similar and what is different?
3. Imagine Plato and Aristotle responding to “Reefer Madness”. How would their reaction be different from each other? Emphasize Aristotle’s view on the state.
4. Find an example of a “death-level” fear appeal. Briefly summarize the example. Would this fear appeal achieve mortality salience for most individuals? If not, how could it better achieve it? How might it cause worldview defense?
5. Find an example of a threat and/or fear appeal. Briefly summarize the example. Identify the preparatory condition, sincerity condition and essential condition, if they exist. Explain whether, in your opinion, the necessary balance between conditions has been met.
6. Create a fear appeal according to the Walton structure. Answer the four critical questions about your fear appeal, and then summarize whether or not your fear appeal would be effective (you may use information here outside of the four critical questions).
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Third Reading- Due February 14
250 words or so on "Practical Reasoning and the Structure of Fear Appeal Arguments"
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