Hahn, Taylor
(2017)
Teaching What Matters: A Rhetorical Analysis of Arguments on Liberal Arts Education at the University of Texas-Austin.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
This is the latest version of this item.
Abstract
This dissertation conducts rhetorical criticism of the public controversy prompted by higher education reforms proposed by Texas Governor Rick Perry in his 2008 “Seven Breakthrough Solutions” packet and summit. The analysis begins by exploring topoi, or commonplace arguments, raised during the argumentation between Perry and his interlocutors (led by University of Texas‐Austin Dean Randy Diehl). Drawing from the rhetorical tradition, the study deploys a theory of hierarchical topos, where topoi within a text are interpreted vertically, as they relate to one another in terms of priority. Next, horizontal juxtaposition of competing topoi from the “Seven Breakthrough Solutions” and Diehl’s response reveal how interlocutors engaged one another’s claims. This process of uncovering the interactions between topoi is followed by an investigation of how arguments from the Texas controversy were later picked up by other stakeholders, most notably Florida State University and Florida Gulf Coast University. The study’s key findings relate to assessments of the relative strength of arguments offered by both sides in the controversy, as well as identification of central points of agreement and disagreement. The dissertation concludes by reflecting on how otherwise disparate interlocutors agreed upon the educational value of training in argumentation and critical analysis, considering possible implications of this concurrence for future controversies over liberal arts education in U.S. institutions of higher learning.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
23 January 2017 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
21 October 2016 |
| Approval Date: |
23 January 2017 |
| Submission Date: |
21 November 2016 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
261 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Communication: Rhetoric and Communication |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
argumentation, rhetoric, controversy, higher education, liberal arts, topoi |
| Date Deposited: |
23 Jan 2017 17:36 |
| Last Modified: |
24 Jan 2017 06:15 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/30348 |
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Teaching What Matters: A Rhetorical Analysis of Arguments on Liberal Arts Education at the University of Texas-Austin. (deposited 23 Jan 2017 17:36)
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