PROJECT ONE: The Many Faces of Corporate Rhetoric

The new version of ENC1102 Project One focuses on examining corporate rhetoric in the context of globalization. This Project entails an analysis of a corporate advertisement and a comparison to an article or book chapter that discusses some controversial aspects of the advertised company. Also included in this project will be an annotated bibliography that focuses on examining the corporations in question in more depth and rigor than can be provided for by the single article or book chapter.

As a class, we will vote on two major corporations from the list below, and students will have the option of constructing their paper based on the corporate, ad-based rhetoric of one of the two decided-upon companies in comparison/contrast to the rhetoric of one of the articles about the companies. This evaluation of two entirely different modes of rhetoric will in turn be informed by the annotated bibliography paired with the project.

The list, as constructed thus far, centers on very popular companies, companies that always seem to have ads on television and other media. Each company is on the list both by virtue of its popularity, and also because it allows comparison/contrast to articles that center on negative aspects of that company.

By having the point, counter point of the ad and a variety of critiques of the company that produced the ad, hopefully the students will be encouraged to deconstruct their own understandings of the pop culture world and to analyze rhetorical strategies used for multiple purposes. While it is true that advertisements lacks “the sophistication and historical perspective of a researched article” (as the FYC committee correctly pointed out), advertisements employ extremely persuasive rhetorical strategies that students should be able to identify and evaluate, which will, in turn, develop their critical thinking skills and their ability to identify and analyze rhetorical strategies in a variety of contexts.

In addition to considering the rhetoric of corporations and the rhetoric of those critiquing corporate rhetoric, Project One will also work to introduce the students to the overall theme of the course, which is globalization. Globalization can be tied into the Project due that many of the negative critiques of the corporations in question focus on the questionable ethics of corporate globalization.

And finally, with regards to the list of corporations, this list is just a beginning, and definitely can and should be expanded or reduced according to the objectives of individual instructors as they attempt this project. Instructors should also feel free to add additional research articles critiquing corporations as they see fit.

Here are a few suggestions for class readings that can provide a framework for a discussion on corporate rhetoric and globalization (and provide overlap for many of the possible topics above). Teachers are encouraged to teach one of more of the readings below in order to offer some class-wide secondary sources for the purpose of both the student annotated bibliography and a common framework of ideas for the class.

“2007 state of the industry update: where has the market been and where is it headed?” Rebecca Wright

Excerpts from Nickel and Dimed Barbara Ehrenreich

“Brands in a New World” Scott Bedbury

“Will Globalization Make You Happy?” Richard Wright

“Globalization, capitalism and the market: beyond a historical and flat-earth arguments” Paul James

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PROJECT ONE: Corporate Rhetoric and Globalization

PROJECT OVERVIW:

The basic premise for Project One for ENC1102 is analyzing the different arguments that address a similar topic or issue, and, as much as possible, a similar context and audience. Your analysis should evaluate the rhetorical strategies each argument employs, including which strategies you find to be the most effective. At a minimum, your analysis should consider the ethos, pathos, and logos of the two arguments. This assignment is NOT a comparison of two writers' views on a particular topic of social interest; it also is NOT you yourself explaining your personal views of the topic; instead, it is an analysis of the techniques each uses to persuade an audience. Project One, therefore should allow you to explain which of the two texts uses the more effective rhetorical strategy. Therefore, this assignment provides a first introduction to some of the rhetorical strategies you will be using throughout the course.

The twist for project one comes from the fact that one of the arguments you will be analyzing is an advertisement for one of the following corporations, and the second argument you will be analyzing will be a scholarly article critiquing that corporation. A list of corporations and the article to be partnered with the corporation are listed below. We, as a class, will choose TWO different corporations, which will establish the academic article you will be analyzing, and then you will be allowed to find the advertisement that you would like to analyze on your own.

The best way to go about finding the advertisement you would like to analyze, once we have selected the two corporations to choose from, is to look through your favorite magazines, and perhaps tape a few hours of network television. Also, feel free to search through such online visual repositories as http://www.youtube.com. You can choose to analyze either a print or a visual ad, but, whatever ad you choose should be focused on one of the two corporations that we as a class choose.

CORPORATIONS TO CHOOSE FROM:

PAIRED ARTICLES:

Wal-Mart

http://www.walmartwatch.com

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com

“Wal Mart is Not for Lovers” Kevin Smith

“Contesting Neoliberalism in the City” Dorian Warren

McDonalds

http://www.mcdonaldization.com/main.shtml

http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/010/mcdonsoc.html

“Global Realization” (Chapter from Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation)

Subway

“Ants' efficiency inspires supply chain experts”

Burger King

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2005-03-27-burger king_x.htm

“Burgers, Fries, and Lawyers” Tod Bucholz

Coke

http://www.thesouthasian.org/coke_and_pepsi.html

“Meet Douglass Daft, the non-American revolutionary at the helm of Coca-Cola” John Lloyd

Pepsi

http://www.thesouthasian.org/coke_and_pepsi.html

“The Real Thing” profile of Sunita Narain

Gatorade

“Gatorade’s Formula for Staying on Top: A Blitz of Research” Johnathan Eig

Nike

“Just Don’t do It!” Jean Ziegler

Tommy Hilfiger

“Dressing Down Tommy Hilfiger” Tracie Rozhon

Calvin Klein

“AD AGES 50 YEARS OF IMAGE-MAKING; EVOLVING FROM THE RATIONAL PITCH TO GLOSSY LIFESTYLE CAMPAIGNS, MEN'S FASHION ADVERTISING OVER THE PAST HALF-CENTURY IS A WINDOW ON CULTURE AND SOCIETY” David Lipke

Disney

“Disney and the Imagineering of Histories” by Scott Schafer (available via Project Muse Database @ www.lib.usf.edu

“In a Global Stew” Nelson W. Aldrich Jr.

Annotated Bibliography:

This project also requires use of secondary research and the compilation of an annotated bibliography in MLA style. Students should research, individually, whichever of the two corporations that they have chosen to write about. Making use of the library databases, students can find newspaper articles, business and economic journals, and other sources (as modeled by the course instructor) to evaluate more fairly and accurately the rhetoric being employed in each text (the advertisement of the student’s choice, and the class assigned article/essay reading critiquing the company). Each annotated bibliography must contain a minimum of six sources—the two primary sources that will serve as the points of rhetorical analysis and at least FOUR academic secondary sources that discuss and evaluate the corporations in question.

NOTE:

Keep in mind that analyzing an academic article and analyzing an actual advertisement compromise two entirely different sorts of analysis. With a visual or print advertisement, descriptive language becomes EVEN more important than when analyzing an academic argument. Please consider the handout on HOW TO DO A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS, as well as your textbook’s chapter on Analyzing Visual Arguments.

PURPOSE:

1) Foster an understanding of the rhetorical mechanisms of argument.

2) Think critically about arguments.

3) Evaluate and catalog sources, integrating research into an analysis.

4) Compare and contrast writing techniques of different authors.

5) Create a complex thesis that synthesizes both analysis and comparison.

Overall, you should consider the rhetoric offered by the corporation of your choice, and also how that rhetoric compares to the rhetoric presented against the company/corporation. How does the author of a text impact its reception? How does

AUDIENCE:

Educated peers. Remember that your audience has not necessarily read the essay you are critiquing, nor have they seen the advertisement. Consider the importance and connection between Summary and Analysis when writing Project One.

VOICE, TONE, and PERSONA:

Academic, informed, analytical voice. Avoid colloquialisms, contractions and excessive numbers of personal pronouns.

LENGTH, FORMAT, and DESIGN:

1000 to 1500 words academic paper with a Works Cited page. Make sure to use proper MLA format. USE Times New Roman 12 point font, double spaced, with one inch margins…You should follow MLA formatting when documenting any outside sources. Per the MLA, the page number and your Last Name should be in the upper right hand corner of EVERY page…If these simple requirements are not met, you will lose points.

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PROJECT ONE: ASSIGNMENTS

One idea for an assignment early on, in order to get the students to realizing in general, that they need to consider and analyze everything, is to consider the example of bias in the news. Three different exercises could be geared towards showing this, and also to linking in with the idea that corporations and companies have their own goals and reasons for advertising and in everything they do.

First, ask students to watch one hour of general news on CNN and on Fox News. Ask them to record their observations and consider the differences in how the stories are presented. Presumably, these stereotypically biased networks won’t let the students down, and will present different spins on the same stories. Discussing these differences highlight the tenet that students should question everything, including advertising.

Next, bring in a copy of a random insert from a Sunday Newspaper. The nice aspect of this assignment is the fact that no matter which Sunday paper you choose, there should be an ad supplement. These supplements almost always are sponsored by a company, and are nothing more than subversive, hidden advertising. Show the ad supplement to the class and discuss the idea that corporations influence the news.

Finally, show students one of the following links to discuss the idea that corporations own the news networks:

Who Owns the News?

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2003/04/47530.php

Businesses owning our news

http://www.mediaowners.com/

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THE FOLLOWING HANDOUT IS DESIGNED TO HELP STUDENTS BETTER UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS:

Guide to Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

(Excerpted from Everything’s an Argument 4^th ed.)

Finding a Topic

A rhetorical analysis is usually assigned work: you’re asked to describe how an argument works or to assess its effectiveness. When that’s the case and your free to choose your own subject for analysis, look for one or more of the following qualities:

v A verbal or visual argument that challenges you – or rankles, excites, amazes, impresses…

v A verbal or visual argument rich enough to give you lots of stuff to analyze

v A text that raises current or enduring issues of substance

v A text that you believe should be taken more seriously

Look for arguments of all kinds. Obvious places for public arguments are the editorial/op-ed pages of any newspaper, political magazines such as The Nation or The New Republic, Time, Life, Newsweek, and even magazines you wouldn’t think would be good sources can sometimes offer up intriguing topics; magazines such as Men’s Health or Cosmo.

Researching Your Topic

Once you’ve selected a text to analyze, you should find out all you can about it. Use the library and the resources of the Internet to explore your topic:

v Who the author(s) is/are, and what credentials they have (or claim to have)

v Who is publishing or sponsoring the piece, and what they typically publish

v What the leanings or biases of the authors or publishers might be

v What the CONTEXT of the argument is - what preceded it or provoked it; how others responded to it

Formulating a Claim

Begin a rhetorical analysis with a hypothesis in mind. A full thesis might not become evident until after you’ve examined the document closely and read through it several times. Your final thesis should reflect the complexity of the piece you’re studying, not just state “the editorial has good pathos and ethos, but lousy logos”. In developing a thesis, consider the following questions:

v How can I describe what this argument achieves?

v Does the argument have a clear purpose, and does it accomplish that purpose?

v Does the argument have a clear intended audience?

v For what audience does the argument work? Not work?

v Which of its rhetorical features will likely influence its readers the most? Audience connections? Emotional appeals? Style?

v Do some aspects of the argument work better than others? Why?

v Consider the structure of the argument? How does it present its points in support of its claim? Strongest to Weakest, vice versa, or without a discernable order? Is the structure effective? Why/why not?

v How do all the rhetorical elements interact?

You don’t have to actually address all these questions in your thesis. Rather, they are offered to take you inside the argument you are studying. Once you are “in” the argument, and begin to deal with the issues the argument raises, you will most likely discover the point you need to make in your thesis.

Formulating a Claim (cont.)

Here’s the hardest part for most writers of rhetorical analysis: WHETHER YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE ARGUMENT BEING ANALYZED DOESN’T MATTER when you are performing a rhetorical analysis (analyzing an argument). You have got to stay out of the fray and pay attention only to how well the argument works (even if you dislike it). That’s very tough to do. But you have to keep your distance when writing a rhetorical analysis. If you don’t, then it becomes possible for the reader to question your credibility as an author.

Examples of Possible Claims (Thesis) for a Rhetorical Analysis

v Many people today who admire the inspiring language and elevated style of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address might be uneasy with the claims he actually makes.

v Today’s editorial in the Daily Collegian about campus crimes may scare first year students, but its anecdotal reporting doesn’t get down to hard numbers, and for good reason. Those statistics don’t back the position taken by the editors.

v Powerline has become an influential blog because its admittedly partisan authors show great respect for the intelligence of readers. In particular, they check sources meticulously and immediately acknowledge and correct any errors.

Thinking about Content and Organization:

Your rhetorical analysis may take many different and various forms, but its likely to include elements such as the following:

v Facts about the text you’re analyzing: author, title, where it was published, date of publication…

v CONTEXTS for the argument: Readers need to know what the text is doing, to what it may be responding, in what controversies it might be embroiled and so on…DO NOT ASSUME readers can infer the important contextual elements of the argument.

v A BRIEF synopsis of the piece being analyzed. You cannot assume the reader has read the argument, so it is up to you to summarize it for them. You should not spend forever on the summary though, or the reader will be left feeling like they should just read the argument…Also, try to pair your summary with analysis.

v Claims about the rhetorical effectiveness of the work: It might be a straightforward evaluative claim, or something more complex. The main claim about rhetorical effectiveness can come early in the argument, or it might be held off for a little while as you lead up to it. The main claim, or thesis, should always arrive on the first page (a requirement for this class only, not a universal one). The main claim should be supported by smaller claims that you provide support for throughout the analysis.

v A detailed analysis of the argument: Although you will be analyzing the rhetorical components of the argument separately, don’t let your paper become a boring list of the different types of claims being made: emotional, logical, ethical. Your rhetorical analysis should be an argument that supports a claim. A simple list of what is said in the argument being analyzed won’t support very much of a claim.

v Evidence for every part of the analysis.

v An assessment of alternative viewpoints and counterarguments both for the argument analyzed (do they deal with the other side of things effectively), and for your own claims (could certain rhetorical devices have a different effectiveness than you argue for).

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THE FOLLOWING HANDOUT IS DESIGNED AS A FIRST STEP IN GETTING STUDENTS TO WRITE PROJECT ONE:

Assignment One for Project One

This assignment consists of several parts, all of which are designed to help you, as a student, to begin thinking about and begin preparing the first draft for project one. For Assignment One for Project One you will need to complete the following steps:

ONE:

Pick your company, read the corresponding article(s), and find the commercial you want to watch.

Ø If you would like to analyze an ad that is not from television, or if you want to focus on a company not on the list because you are intrigued by their advertising, then you must email your instructor about this ASAP.

TWO:

Read through each article carefully and review your commercial, paying attention to the major rhetorical strategies of text. Consider especially the question of audience. Who does the commercial present its rhetoric, and how does this choice effect that rhetoric? What does the article tell you of the company’s own rhetoric and reasoning for advertising as they do? What of the rhetoric presented in the article/website critiquing the company in question? How effective is it? See the posted guide on doing a rhetorical analysis for more information on how to look for those points.

THREE:

Create an OUTLINE for the articles you are analyzing, listing at least 4 major rhetorical strategies/points being used within the paper.

Then describe the commercial you are analyzing, using as descriptive language as possible, and spending at least 2 paragraphs doing so. What is going on, what is the plot arc, etc…?

Finally, list out four different aspects of the commercial that you think represent a specific rhetorical appeal.

Each of the 4 (or more) points of your outline should describe the strategy being used, explain how that strategy relates to your understanding of rhetoric, and also begin to evaluate that strategy’s effectiveness, regardless of the medium through which the rhetorical appeal is being presented. So, in all honesty, you probably will need a paragraph (3-4 sentences minimum) for each point.

*As a note of caution: your thesis for project one SHOULD NOT evaluate the issues being discussed directly. You ARE NOT writing about the issues in the article themselves. So, if your articles are on Stem Cell research, we are not looking for your own personal opinion on stem cell research. Instead, Project One focuses on how effective the articles being analyzed were. So it is entirely possible that you might personally disagree with your article, but be forced to admit its rhetorical success.

GOOD LUCK, and EMAIL ME WITH ANY QUESTION.

PS: See the example below for formatting concerns. With MLA, your page margins should be 1” all the way around, and your last name and the page number should be in the upper right hand corner.

Your Name

ENC1102.###

Instructor:

DATE

Assignment One Project One

Article One: “Title”

Article Thesis: The thesis of the article goes here.

OUTLINE:

POINT ONE:

The first rhetorical point made by the article. Expand and begin to analyze this point.

POINT TWO:

The second point. Repeat process of first point.

POINT THREE:

And so on.

POINT FOUR:

Add more points if you need to.

Article Two: “Title”

Description of the commercial: The lengthy, vivid, and descriptive explanation/summary of your commercial should go here.

OUTLINE:

POINT ONE:

The first rhetorical point made by the commercial. This might be as simple as the color scheme used, or the music behind the commercial, or even the actual movement of the story itself. Expand and begin to analyze this point.

POINT TWO:

The second point. Repeat process of first point.

POINT THREE:

And so on.

POINT FOUR:

Add more points if you need to.

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This Week in Rhetoric and Culture—Student Presentation Assignment

Set aside several days on our syllabus for small groups of students to open class discussion with a short presentation surrounding an issue in contemporary culture that relates to the project (discussion, readings, drafts, blogs and other course materials) that you are working on at the time. While this is an open assignment, here is a short list of requirements:

1. The presentation/issue that students offer must have clear and direct connections to our wider topics of focus and to the contents of the class within our given week of study. Don’t be afraid to stretch out into popular culture (the possibilities here are vast . . . I want to see your interests and creativity in this presentation).

Here is the breakdown of the Projects this semester:

A. Project One—The Rhetoric of Globalization (Weeks 1-5)

B. Project Two—Political and Social Rhetoric (Weeks 6-11)

C. Project Three—Constructing a Researched Social Argument (Weeks 11-16)

D. Project Four—Final Reflective Essay (Last two days of class)

So, the week that students sign up for will determine their group members and the wider context for their presentations.

2. The presentation must include visual support . . . feel free to use YouTube, web newspapers, video clips, photographs, books, music, graphs, handouts, or any other kind of visual aid to present a contemporary rhetorical issue and its connection to our material.

3. Students need to construct a short list of BIG questions that help to forge the connection between the issue that you present and our class’ studies. My hope is that these questions will lead us into a discussion and connect to the other material for the day on which you present. I also hope that these presentations will open our thinking and add to our writing processes on the larger project papers. We get the best ideas from our peers; bring some solid ideas for yours!

To get started, keep your eyes open for interesting news headlines, internet tidbits, campus fliers, advertisements, or other media in our lives that might lead to an interesting issue-based presentation. Further, one can’t go wrong with a broad Google or YouTube search to start.

Some great presentations that I have seen in the past (granted, time and context are always changing) or can think of in the present have surrounded the following topics:

1. NBA basketball dress codes and players’ revolts (Rhetoric of Social Protest)

2. Cindy Sheehan’s ranch demonstration (Social/Political Rhetoric)

3. The Writers’ Strike (Social Rhetoric)

4. Oprah for Obama (Political/Social Rhetoric)

5. Bush speaks on current financial status as stock market falls (Political Rhetoric)

6. Fever outbreaks and climate changes linked to globalization—London News (Globalization)

7. U.S. subprime crisis (Globalization)

8. McDonald’s new healthy menu (Globalization)

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Annotated Bibliographies:

As some of you already know, an Annotated Bibliography is a collection of sources cited in MLA format, each of which contains a summary that is at least five sentences or sentence fragments long. If you decide to use fragments instead of complete sentences, you will find the list of action verbs below quite helpful:

examines compares counters focuses details presents discusses concludes remarks on clarifies argues notes identifies compiles aligns analyzes proposes quotes highlights disputes suggests defines detects describes opposes agrees with observes maintains narrates asserts shows compares contrasts extends grounds synthesizes laments insists proves adumbrates postulates summarizes paraphrases contributes conducts limns flashes back provides cites claims repeats traces blasts introduces

And yet, there are still oh so many more verbs that you can use to begin annotated fragments. Select verbs that delve into the purpose and meanings of the research you annotate.

Here are two sample annotations from an Annotated Bibliography constructed to address this project. Note the consistency in her form:

Maggipinto, Antonello. “Multilanguage Acquisition, New Technologies, Education And Global Citizenship” Italian Culture. 18.2 (2000): 147.

Discusses how languages are always changing, and how being multilingual can bring cultures together in the age of globalization. Explains “monolinguism” and how it can be cured by schools teaching classes in different languages. Says languages are not only cultures, but environments which continually interact and have the potential to link the world.

Wright, Robert. “Will Globalization Make You Happy?” Foreign Policy. Sept-Oct 2000: 55- 64

Explains that a nation’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) is directly related to a nations happiness. Sets $10,000 per capita annually as the point in which happiness ceases to cheer up nations. Shows that making poorer nations less poor will increase their happiness, up until that point. Discusses how people are also happy as they become better than everyone else and when they have friends. Relates all this to globalization by stating that the richer nations can donate their extra dollars that are not bringing them happiness to charities which will help poorer nations become happier.

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PROJECT ONE: READINGS

TEXTBOOK READINGS:

"Wal-Mart and the Public Good"

Writing Arguments 561

"Environmental Friendliness vs. Market Freedom: The Case of the Sport Utility Vehicle"

Writing Arguments 584

"Shop Til You Drop"

Dynamic Arguments 724

"The More Factor"

Dynamic Arguments 718

PRINT READINGS: