Rhetoric and culture are constantly at odds with one another. To fully understand these interdependent concepts, Dr. Monica Reyes explores “symbols, material conditions, locations, and ordinary day-to-day practices” in WRD 210 or Cultural Rhetorics. Dr. Reyes provided some insight into what to expect in WRD 210 in the upcoming Winter Quarter and addressed why this course is crucial to understanding how communities make meaning.
What are your goals for this course, and what do you hope students learn?
My main goal in WRD 210 is to help students see how deeply culture and communication shape who we are and how we relate to one another. Cultural Rhetorics asks us to recognize that culture is rhetorical, and rhetoric is cultural. That means every practice, tradition, and everyday exchange, whether on social media or around your kitchen table, communicates values, identities, and histories. I want students to leave this course able to analyze how power works through language and representation and to listen more carefully to the stories and communities around them.
What major projects or assignments can students expect?
Students move through a sequence of projects that build toward a final cultural rhetorical analysis. A Progressive Annotated Bibliography tracks evolving insights about culture and rhetoric. A Group Facilitation leads a class discussion and connects readings to current conversations. A Discourse Community Report studies how one community, such as a family, workplace, or online group, builds shared language and identity. A Final Cultural Rhetorics Analysis, an 1,800–2,000-word multimodal project, applies course concepts to that same community to uncover how it is rhetorically made and sustained.
Why do you think this course is so important, especially right now?
We are surrounded by constant acts of persuasion in political debates, online trends, news stories, and advertising, and it is easy to miss how those acts are rooted in cultural assumptions about identity, belonging, and power. This course helps us slow down and see how meaning gets made within different communities, and how rhetorical practices can either reinforce or challenge inequality. In a moment when polarization and misunderstanding are so widespread, learning to listen rhetorically and analyze culture through empathy and curiosity is more crucial than ever.
Is there anything else students should expect?
Yes. Expect readings that will surprise you. Previous students have read Nuclear Decolonization: Indigenous Resistance to High-Level Nuclear Waste Siting by Danielle Endres and essays on topics such as traditional Syrian homemaking as a source of women’s agency, Black women and the hip-hop imaginary through Rapsody’s work, the rhetoric of sororities, and the community impact of Detroit’s urban farming movement. Students also explore how “third places” strengthen communities. Expect space to connect theory to your own experiences. And because this section is offered in a FLEX format, you can join in person or online.
Conclusion
Cultural Rhetorics is an essential addition to your undergraduate career. Course carts are open so now is the time to secure your spot in Dr. Reyes’ course this winter!