1. Critical Theories
Dr Mrs Anisa Mujawar

2. Critical Theory Necessary to study the lived experience of real people
Critical theorists examine social conditions to bring hidden structures to light.
Critical theories align themselves with the interests opposed to those of the dominant culture.

3. Some CT Feminist Theory Habermas and universal pragmatics
Dwight Conquergood and performance studies
Ex: biblical prophets

4. First: Conquergood Perspective: Critical Cultural Politics
-ex: Four Seasons by Marc Chagall
-ex: Chagall
-Or go to and type in Chicago and Chagall. Then visit the windy city and its art.

5. Feminist Theory as CT Introduction
Great Reasons to be a Guy or “Why Women are Jealous of Men
How to impress a women/men
Haters of Men=Misindry
Haters of Women=Misogyny

6. CT Theory Remember CT’s think a lot about oppression
Mission: to challenge/change things
Use semiotics, poststructuralism, hermeneutics, whatever-they are rhetorical theories really

7. Back to Feminism A spectrum from liberal to radical
Liberal=equal rights
Radical=rejects entire patriarchal nature of society

8. Two Approaches of F.
Inclusion stage=more public recginition for contributions of women
Revisionist stage=challenge definitions used to characterize communication in society “constructionist theory”

9. Muted Group Theory
Based on notion that public discourse is dominated my masculine language
Based on notion presented by Sapir-Whorf hypothesis in that the way we talk is the way we think and see or linguistic determinism

10. More on Muted Women uncomfortable to express in public
Women monitor their own communication more intensely
Women translate what they feel into male terms before speaking
Masculine tends to win out whenever it conflicts with feminine expressions

11. Women's Special Characteristics
Women express themselves with more difficulty
Women understand men’s meanings more easily then vice versa
Women create their own meaning outside male system ex: Foss “Women Speak”
Women tend to express more dissatisfaction about communication than do men

12. More
Women often make efforts to change the dominat rules of communication.
Women are traditionally less likely to coin new words that become popular in society at large.
Ex: Now for a revision