RWS 100: the natives are restless

First a little bit about the election. (sorry!) …and the importance of audience.

The primaries established that there were real divides among the American population. Sanders exploited the economic divide…and almost won (as a socialist.) Trump exploited identity/cultural divisions and won it all. Look at chart. (see who voted) Hillary’s slogan was “Stronger Together,” and she focused on championing American diversity. (What might people, who feel disenfrenchised have heard?)

Was Clinton’s mistake a rhetorical error or an election strategy error? She chose an effective rhetorical style for an audience that didn’t vote (enough). Her arguments did not work as well on those who were inspired enough to vote in large numbers. The answer might be both: if she knew who was going to vote, she might have worked harder to identify (a rhetorical strategy!) with, and reach out to, those disenfranchised voters. If she wanted to concentrate on those who were persuaded by her inclusive message, she needed to focus on building their enthusiasm for voting for her (which she didn’t).

Whether it was luck or genius, Trump built his rhetoric for a disenfranchised audience (which was not effective on everyone, and in fact turned off a very large group of Americans). The “Rust Belt” strategy. s Very few people thought it would work. Pollsters didn’t. They were very, very wrong. If Clinton’s error was both a rhetorical and election strategy mistake, Trump’s strategy was a winning one: tailor your message (rhetorical argument) to an audience that will vote. Hence, we are where we are today.

The most logically reasoned rhetorical arguments are not always the most effective or persuasive. The effectiveness of a rhetorical argument is always based on how well it persuades its intended audience.

Enough about the election (I promise). Ok, let’s reset. (watch palate-cleansing video)

Let’s meet Danah Boyd and our final text for the class! Rhetorical Teams take 8-10 minutes to quickly coordinate your answers to the questions from the Wiki.

Team #1 John Cossette Audrey Espinosa Josue Jauregui Rigoberto Macedo Bryan Verkler

The Professional Danah Boyd!

Team #2 Jenna Bisla Kaylani Brown Angelica Gamez Jarod Heise Sarah Tucker

The Human Danah Boyd!

Team #3 Stephanie Bradley Jasmine Evans Jessica Khajerian Blake Nuesca Rosario Tornabene

Meet the Text! Introducing Literacy: Are Today’s Youth Digital Natives!

Team #4 Alisha Arco Gianna Cecchini Paul Fuerte Christopher Kamikawa Amber Simes

Introducing the Conversation and “Rhetorical Situation!”

Team #5 Ryan Bennett Brianna Bigornia Chloe Jorgensen Gregory Royse Brianne Sheridan

Introducing the Digital Native!

So, what did you think? This is certainly a more complex and nuanced argument than the ones we have heard from Carr and Thompson.(And features a number of claims!) What did you think her main point is? What do you think her “project” is, what is she advocating for?s

Do you agree with her. Do you disagree Do you agree with her? Do you disagree? What did you like, what did you think was BS? Do you think you are a “digital native?” Do you agree with her point about the term? How do you view this text in relation to Thompson’s techno utopianism and Carr’s techno fearmongering?

“I am resolutely opposed to all innovation, all change, but I am determined to understand what’s happening. Because I don’t choose just to sit and let the juggernaut roll over me. Many people seem to think that if you talk about something recent, you’re in favor of it. The exact opposite is true in my case. Anything I talk about is almost certainly something I’m resolutely against. And it seems to me the best way to oppose it is to understand it. And then you know where to turn off the buttons.”  ― Marshall McLuhan

Your Third…and Final!...Prompt.

Homework: Your Rhetorical Analysis blog post on a movie is due Sunday night. Decide on your team name by Tuesday, best name is +2 Rhetorical Challenge points. (Change your page name to it on the wiki.) No reading over the weekend. We will get back to Boyd on Tuesday, and begin to chart her text, so be prepared for that. Paper grading starts this weekend…