Papers by Meridith Styer
Full texts assigned to my students. I do not own the copyright to any of these works or the sourc... more Full texts assigned to my students. I do not own the copyright to any of these works or the sources from which I drew them. Please see "African American Public Address Reading List" for citations.
Proponents of civic engagement initiatives in the communication classroom argue that such efforts... more Proponents of civic engagement initiatives in the communication classroom argue that such efforts foster democracy and citizen participation in students, helping them be better community and global citizens and agents of positive social change (Butin, 2010; McIlrath & Labhrainn, 2007; McIntyre & Sellnow, 2014). Civic engagement also strengthens academic institutions and enriches communities. Recent scholarship by the National Communication Association shows that, at many universities, the basic communication course actively pursues civic engagement (NCA, 2014). However, this course also teaches a variety of public, interpersonal, and intrapersonal communication skills, assess these skills, and meet the consistency requirements of a university. To facilitate teaching basic communication skills while fostering civic engagement in students, we propose a semester-long framework for the basic course that focuses on how students can be allies, advocates, and activists in their communities.
Susan B. Anthony’s public career serves as both a case study within and a reflection of extempora... more Susan B. Anthony’s public career serves as both a case study within and a reflection of extemporaneous speaking culture in the nineteenth century. This essay argues that Anthony’s rhetorical influence in the fight for woman suffrage is best explained through her mastery of extemporaneous speaking within a culture that taught and valued the practice. This essay analyzes Anthony’s extemporaneous speaking in the 1870s and 1880s and presents archival research to ground the analysis in nineteenth-century extemporaneous speaking culture. Beyond gaining a better understanding of the role extemporaneous speaking played in Anthony’s suffrage advocacy, this essay also illustrates how rhetorical scholars might analyze the fragmentary texts that record and report on extemporaneous speaking and reflects on the implication of studying those fragmentary texts for expanding the canon of scholarship on women.
Abstract: Anne Bradstreet’s poems about her family and her life on the frontier rhetorically nego... more Abstract: Anne Bradstreet’s poems about her family and her life on the frontier rhetorically negotiated a place of stability for the author amid the theology/praxis tension of Puritan life. This paper argues that Bradstreet’s poems function to rhetorically define godliness as a public performance of community-sanctioned, gendered action, an inherently Puritan way of understanding life. This definition of godliness allows Bradstreet’s poems to function as a catechism for outlining exactly how a Puritan individual should perform in order to contribute to material stability on the frontier and an assurance of eternal election.
In 1876, the "world" converged on the city of Philadelphia for the 100th birthday of the United S... more In 1876, the "world" converged on the city of Philadelphia for the 100th birthday of the United States of America. Organizers staged a massive celebration at Independence Hall to celebrate the country's 100th birthday, but Susan B. Anthony and other members of the National Woman's Suffrage Association were excluded. Forbidden from participating in the ceremony, Anthony and four other women stormed the speaker's platform in Independence Hall, presented their Declaration of Rights for Women to the Vice President of the United States, and then left the building and read their declaration to crowds gathered in front of the Liberty Bell. In 1876 Susan B. Anthony was a national media darling but the World's Fair protest garnered relatively little media attention during her time and has received even less scholarly attention since. In this paper, I argue that Anthony's demonstration for women's rights and woman suffrage at the Philadelphia Centennial Celebration violated generic boundaries of celebration, declaration, and protest rhetoric. I posit that this generic violation prevented simple public categorization and acceptance of the protest, and undermined the public attention and international support the NWSA sought from the event. My research concludes that, by virtue of the generic violations committed during the protest, and the gender of the protestors, the NWSA Centennial Celebration protest was almost uncategorizable within its nineteenth-century context. My project raises questions about the form and content of public address in social change efforts, and the value of generic criticism in understanding rhetorical protest acts.
Master's Thesis. I'm currently in the process of re-writing this document. This is the foundation... more Master's Thesis. I'm currently in the process of re-writing this document. This is the foundation for a paper being presented to the GLBTQ Studies division at NCA 2016.
Teaching Documents by Meridith Styer
A lesson on the roots of white supremacy, as practiced through chattel slavery in the US, in West... more A lesson on the roots of white supremacy, as practiced through chattel slavery in the US, in Western Christianity and the "Doctrine of Discovery"
A powerpoint presentation designed to teach students to think of logical fallacies as problems th... more A powerpoint presentation designed to teach students to think of logical fallacies as problems that arise between the speaker and the audience within the structure of an argument.
A handout designed for students learning about public speaking and seeking to understand fallacie... more A handout designed for students learning about public speaking and seeking to understand fallacies. This handout presents actual examples of logical fallacies as they have appeared in American public address along-side the name of the fallacy. This approach (combined with the ppt "resources of argument") teaches students to think of fallacies as problems with their argument that will keep them from connecting with and persuading an audience.
Public Speaking Syllabus
Rhetoric is the art of making meanings with other people. Rhetoric 1110 explores principles and p... more Rhetoric is the art of making meanings with other people. Rhetoric 1110 explores principles and practices of public speaking as a way to make meanings with an audience. In this course, we will focus on preparing for and delivering a variety of presentations, including impromptu, informative, special occasion, and persuasive speeches. Specifically, we will discuss topics that aid in effective presentational speaking such as audience analysis, ethics, topic selection, finding and using supporting evidence, speaking style and form, and delivery. As we pursue skills in public speaking, we will engage throughout the semester with how to act as communicators to foster good things for our communities through sustainable development. Specifically, we will use the Sustainable Development Goals developed by the United Nations as a guide for identifying problems and proposing solutions to do good in our communities. You can learn more about the UN SDGs at the following link: https://www.un.org/ sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ Learning Outcomes After successfully completing this course you will be able to: Demonstrate an understanding of the role of public speaking in academic, social, civic, and professional endeavors Demonstrate effectiveness in using verbal and nonverbal language appropriate to the goal and the context of the communication Demonstrate an ability to analyze an audience and shape a presentation to meet the needs of the audience and context. Demonstrate skill in asking and in responding to questions Demonstrate competency in planning, preparing, and presenting effective speeches Use effective presentation techniques including presentation graphics
The reading list with links or URLs for Rhetoric of Black America.
Drafts by Meridith Styer
Dr. Meridith Styer CV
Full CA
Uploads
Papers by Meridith Styer
Teaching Documents by Meridith Styer
Drafts by Meridith Styer