Picasso's The
Orator
Anne
Teresa Demo 
Assistant
Professor in Communication Studies
Affiliated Faculty: American Studies
& Women's Studies
Rhetoric
and the Discipline of Communication
The discipline of communication encompasses a number of subfields
(i.e. rhetorical studies, media studies, interpersonal communication,
organizational communication, political communication, health communication,
etc). Although my classes feature literature from media studies
and political communication, rhetorical methods serve as the foundation
for my courses. Rhetorical Studies employs historical, critical, and
cultural modes of scholarship to study the theory and practice of public
argument, persuasion, civic debate, and collective decision-making.
Specializations in rhetorical studies include historical periods (i.e.
19th century public address etc.), theoretical orientations (i.e. media
criticism), and genres of rhetoric (i.e. social movement rhetoric, presidential
rhetoric etc.). Disciplinary journals that feature rhetorical scholarship
include The Quarterly Journal of Speech, Critical Studies in
Media Communication, Rhetoric and Public Affairs, Western
Journal of Communication, Communication Monographs, Southern
Journal of Communication, and Women's Studies in Communication.
The National Communication Association (NCA), which promotes communication
scholarship and education, supports the success of undergraduates
through three organizations: Lambda Pi Eta, Sigma Chi Eta, and NCASC.
Teaching
Philosophy and Course Syllabi
My courses
reflect an inquiry-based teaching approach. In daily practice,
this approach entails organizing course content according to disciplinary
issues, historical questions, and/or conceptual problems. My classes
treat rhetorical
inquiry as a complex analytical process involving critical thinking,
varied reading
practices, and
theoretically informed social and historical analysis. Course assignments emphasize the
challenges faced in social and professional contexts, such as developing
well-reasoned arguments and writing concisely for a specific purpose
and audience.
Spring 2006 Courses
CMST 235: Communicating Gender (T/TH 2:35 -
3:50)
CMST 241:
Rhetoric of Mass Media (T/TH 11:00 - 12:15)
Courses
Taught 1999-2005
CMST 201: Persuasion
CMST 210:
Rhetoric and Civic Life
CMST 224: Rhetoric of Social Movements
CMST 235:
Communicating Gender
CMST 254: Methods of Rhetorical Analysis
CMST 294: Special Topics/Culture and Communication
CMST 294: Special Topic/Media and Politics: The 2000
Presidential Election
Recommended Research Resources
Writing:
Harvard Writing
Center Tools for Writing
Writing and Research: UCLA
Research Strategies
Research: Communication Institute for Online
Scholarship (Comm Abstracts)
Research:Bibliographies
in Rhetorical Theory and Criticism
Research: Vanderbilt Resources
for Communication Studies Research
Research: Defining
Rhetorical Terms
Research: Locating Speech Texts Through Vanderbilt
Resources
Speech Text Archive: Douglass
Speech Archive
Speech Text Archive: American Rhetoric
Speech Text Archive: PBS
Speech Text Archive: Presidential
Rhetoric
Contact Information: Office Phone 322-3460,
Communication Office 322-2307,
Email anne.t.demo@vanderbilt.edu