Wendy Atkins-Sayre - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Wendy Atkins-Sayre

Consuming Identity

Although the South is well known for its desserts, it might not always be clear how Southern dess... more Although the South is well known for its desserts, it might not always be clear how Southern dessert traditions developed as they did and how they figure in shaping the identities of the region’s people and practices. Burke (1966) reminds us that terministic screens direct our attention to certain realities and away from others, whereby we forget that baking constituted back breaking, sweaty repression for certain groups of Southerners. This chapter argues that familiar Southern desserts may tie us to our pasts, but through certain types of nostalgia and ritual they also provide space to help change the South’s narratives about race, gender, and community. Southern desserts are suspect in limiting women’s subjectivities, worry modern health sensibilities with their Southern sweetness, and carry the weight of troubling African American history. Our meal ends, however, by investigating how these traditions might offer a taste of connection and resilience along with satisfaction.

Reconstructing Southern Rhetoric, 2021

Southern food speaks in a central way for the region—organizing identities and differences far be... more Southern food speaks in a central way for the region—organizing identities and differences far better than oratory. In this chapter, Ashli Quesinberry Stokes and Wendy Atkins-Sayre turn to the cast iron skillet as itself a metonym for the South. Looking in detail through the historical associations of race, class, and gender, the skillet serves as a valuable reference point for positive and productive conversations about regional identity over time. Reclaiming a positive role for nostalgia, foodways provide a focus on the process, not looking at a region as a “historical problem” to solve, but as an experience to transform through inclusion. Cornbread and other skillet staples become the symbol of transformative space.

<p>Chapter seven provides a reflection on what it means to be constituted in a particular f... more <p>Chapter seven provides a reflection on what it means to be constituted in a particular food tradition. Food it is a central part of identity that has not been fully accounted for in communication scholarship. Southern food never has been <italic>one</italic> thing; in fact, the food works more effectively rhetorically when defined more broadly, pushing against the borders of foods and bringing more people into the conversation. Although there is potential for using Southern food as one of the tools to redefine the South, we must acknowledge there are many wrongs that must be dealt with, not only through studying culture and its history, but also through economic policy, political change, improvements in education, and infrastructure work. The rhetorical potential of Southern food is but one small part of the story of our shared past and future, but it is an important part and it is a story worth telling.</p>

Consuming Identity, 2016

Chapter three introduces the idea of hospitality in the South through an exploration of drinks. A... more Chapter three introduces the idea of hospitality in the South through an exploration of drinks. Although the idea of Southern hospitality is emphasized in stereotypes of the region, there is also some basis in truth. The offering of food and drink is a traditional symbolic gesture of Southern hospitality and serves as a rhetorical opening for creating connections. In a region marked by division, however, race, class, and even religious differences have historically complicated Southern hospitality, inviting some in while keeping others out. The hospitality that is symbolic of the region was (and still is) limited to certain recipients. Events and homes remained segregated and hospitality might only be extended to those who shared characteristics with the host. Religion also plays an important role in defining part of the contradictions in Southern hospitality. Thus, the limitations of this part of Southern identity are explored in the chapter.

Consuming Identity, 2016

This chapter details the concept of identity and places the book within the tradition of rhetoric... more This chapter details the concept of identity and places the book within the tradition of rhetorical scholarship. It argues that Southern food is a constitutive rhetoric, creating a people based on the shared experiences through the food, as well as the narratives surrounding the food. Using food experiences, oral histories, and readings of various alternative texts, it highlights the need to continue to move beyond “texts” to explore the rhetorical implications of “identificatory” experiences, such as food culture. By showing how our identities can be shaped through sensory experiences (taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound) and memory during Southern food experiences, we continue to develop the line of constitutive scholarship that explicates how our identities constitute our practices. Southern food, then, influences how we view ourselves and can therefore influence our practices, which is to say how we perform our Southern influenced identities.

Consuming Identity, 2016

Chapter five turns to the side dishes on the Southern food table, exploring the connection betwee... more Chapter five turns to the side dishes on the Southern food table, exploring the connection between the food and the region. Cornbread, grits, and greens are Southern food staples. Whether Southerners eat these foods out of economic constraints or preference, the seasonal and region-bound foods send a message. Their selection is a rhetorical deference to Southern roots based in humble, fresh, seasonal ingredients. The creation of these dishes is an important tie to family roots, with families or even entire communities claiming to have the most authentic take on the food. The chapter delves into the authenticity thread that is apparent in discussions of Southern food and explains the symbolism bound up in food through this concept. Authenticity is one way that we strive to maintain cultural order and show our allegiances to that order. Based on this desire for order and authenticity, this rhetorical work helps define the region.

<p>Chapter four examines how barbecue is a Southern cultural institution that sends rhetori... more <p>Chapter four examines how barbecue is a Southern cultural institution that sends rhetorical messages about Southern history, gender, race, class, ritual, and fellowship. Barbecue is a type of cultural synecdoche that continues to bring different types of people together, telling stories that simultaneously shape and express contemporary Southern identity. If Southern food helps shape identity, barbecue provides a perfect example of this process because its rhetoric and ritual incites profound identification with regional styles. Tussling about which barbecue is best engages identity forming behavior that serves a rhetorical purpose in gradually knitting groups of people together over their shared love of a particular food tradition. Barbecue conveys identificatory messages of authenticity, masculinity, and rurality, stretching casuistically to still be descriptive of the South's character. The chapter explores how (and whether) perceptions of traditional Southern foods like barbecue stretch to broaden and deepen the narrative about Southern food.</p>

Consuming Identity, 2016

The signs that we had hit upon an important cultural and rhetorical subject were all apparent to ... more The signs that we had hit upon an important cultural and rhetorical subject were all apparent to us as we began our research into Southern food. We found that audiences—whether at a roadside stand or a convention hotel ballroom—would open up, smile, and freely share their memories, opinions, and ideas. After all, most people who are from the South or who identify with the region, despite being “of” another region, have opinions on what makes good Southern food. The topic crosses lines of race, class, gender, region, and so forth, providing an opportunity for a common discussion point....

Food, Culture & Society, 2020

Southern Communication Journal, 2014

ABSTRACT The Southern food movement does far more than just celebrate a delectable cuisine; it al... more ABSTRACT The Southern food movement does far more than just celebrate a delectable cuisine; it also may provide the ingredients for gradual social change. We argue that the Southern food movement, led by the Southern Foodways Alliance, helps to craft a Southern identity based on diverse, humble, and hospitable food. This rhetorically constitutive work— the food and discussions about Southern foodways (food habits)—has the potential to open up spaces for dialogue about Southern identity and to move individuals closer to a shared experience.

Choice Reviews Online, 2010

Page 1. Arguments about Animal ethics Edited by Cj REg Cj OO DA LE and JASON RDWARD BLACK Page 2.... more Page 1. Arguments about Animal ethics Edited by Cj REg Cj OO DA LE and JASON RDWARD BLACK Page 2. Arguments about Animal Ethics Page 3. Page 4. Arguments about Animal Ethics Edited by Greg Goodale and Jason ...

Public Relations Inquiry

Starting in 2013, SeaWorld faced a public relations disaster with the release of the documentary ... more Starting in 2013, SeaWorld faced a public relations disaster with the release of the documentary titled Blackfish that accused the company of mistreatment of its orcas. SeaWorld attempted to respond and rebuild its credibility, but activist group ‘People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) doubled down on the corporation through its rhetorical shock tactics, deepening the organization’s woes. The PETA/SeaWorld controversy does more than provide another example of poor corporate public relations decision-making made in light of an activist group’s savvy use of digital technology. We argue that the case helps explain how digital technologies fundamentally change activism, whereby activists can use rhetorical fracturing, or quickly using digital media to puncture a target’s narrative, to create messages that challenge an opponent’s legitimacy to cultivate public opinion, thereby pressuring corporate policy change. Recent activism scholarship points out how digital media transf...

Consuming Identity

Chapter two surveys the rhetorical problem that the South faces, a complicated history marred by ... more Chapter two surveys the rhetorical problem that the South faces, a complicated history marred by racial violence, segregation and discrimination, and economic inequality. Whether you are an African American Southerner with a family history haunted by racism and violence, a white Southerner with a family history of discriminating or tolerating discrimination, or a Mexican immigrant facing negative social outcry, feeling pride in the region can be troubling. Despite conflicting identities, Southerners continue to define themselves in relation to the region, and the reality-based and stereotypical images of the Southerner are part of the identity that Southerners must encounter. The Southern food movement serves a constitutive function by helping to craft a Southern identity based on diverse, humble, and hospitable roots that confronts a divided image of the South. This rhetorically constitutive work provides an opportunity for strengthening relations within the South, as well as helpi...

Communicating Advice, 2015

Women's Studies in Communication, 2005

Consuming Identity

Although the South is well known for its desserts, it might not always be clear how Southern dess... more Although the South is well known for its desserts, it might not always be clear how Southern dessert traditions developed as they did and how they figure in shaping the identities of the region’s people and practices. Burke (1966) reminds us that terministic screens direct our attention to certain realities and away from others, whereby we forget that baking constituted back breaking, sweaty repression for certain groups of Southerners. This chapter argues that familiar Southern desserts may tie us to our pasts, but through certain types of nostalgia and ritual they also provide space to help change the South’s narratives about race, gender, and community. Southern desserts are suspect in limiting women’s subjectivities, worry modern health sensibilities with their Southern sweetness, and carry the weight of troubling African American history. Our meal ends, however, by investigating how these traditions might offer a taste of connection and resilience along with satisfaction.

Reconstructing Southern Rhetoric, 2021

Southern food speaks in a central way for the region—organizing identities and differences far be... more Southern food speaks in a central way for the region—organizing identities and differences far better than oratory. In this chapter, Ashli Quesinberry Stokes and Wendy Atkins-Sayre turn to the cast iron skillet as itself a metonym for the South. Looking in detail through the historical associations of race, class, and gender, the skillet serves as a valuable reference point for positive and productive conversations about regional identity over time. Reclaiming a positive role for nostalgia, foodways provide a focus on the process, not looking at a region as a “historical problem” to solve, but as an experience to transform through inclusion. Cornbread and other skillet staples become the symbol of transformative space.

<p>Chapter seven provides a reflection on what it means to be constituted in a particular f... more <p>Chapter seven provides a reflection on what it means to be constituted in a particular food tradition. Food it is a central part of identity that has not been fully accounted for in communication scholarship. Southern food never has been <italic>one</italic> thing; in fact, the food works more effectively rhetorically when defined more broadly, pushing against the borders of foods and bringing more people into the conversation. Although there is potential for using Southern food as one of the tools to redefine the South, we must acknowledge there are many wrongs that must be dealt with, not only through studying culture and its history, but also through economic policy, political change, improvements in education, and infrastructure work. The rhetorical potential of Southern food is but one small part of the story of our shared past and future, but it is an important part and it is a story worth telling.</p>

Consuming Identity, 2016

Chapter three introduces the idea of hospitality in the South through an exploration of drinks. A... more Chapter three introduces the idea of hospitality in the South through an exploration of drinks. Although the idea of Southern hospitality is emphasized in stereotypes of the region, there is also some basis in truth. The offering of food and drink is a traditional symbolic gesture of Southern hospitality and serves as a rhetorical opening for creating connections. In a region marked by division, however, race, class, and even religious differences have historically complicated Southern hospitality, inviting some in while keeping others out. The hospitality that is symbolic of the region was (and still is) limited to certain recipients. Events and homes remained segregated and hospitality might only be extended to those who shared characteristics with the host. Religion also plays an important role in defining part of the contradictions in Southern hospitality. Thus, the limitations of this part of Southern identity are explored in the chapter.

Consuming Identity, 2016

This chapter details the concept of identity and places the book within the tradition of rhetoric... more This chapter details the concept of identity and places the book within the tradition of rhetorical scholarship. It argues that Southern food is a constitutive rhetoric, creating a people based on the shared experiences through the food, as well as the narratives surrounding the food. Using food experiences, oral histories, and readings of various alternative texts, it highlights the need to continue to move beyond “texts” to explore the rhetorical implications of “identificatory” experiences, such as food culture. By showing how our identities can be shaped through sensory experiences (taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound) and memory during Southern food experiences, we continue to develop the line of constitutive scholarship that explicates how our identities constitute our practices. Southern food, then, influences how we view ourselves and can therefore influence our practices, which is to say how we perform our Southern influenced identities.

Consuming Identity, 2016

Chapter five turns to the side dishes on the Southern food table, exploring the connection betwee... more Chapter five turns to the side dishes on the Southern food table, exploring the connection between the food and the region. Cornbread, grits, and greens are Southern food staples. Whether Southerners eat these foods out of economic constraints or preference, the seasonal and region-bound foods send a message. Their selection is a rhetorical deference to Southern roots based in humble, fresh, seasonal ingredients. The creation of these dishes is an important tie to family roots, with families or even entire communities claiming to have the most authentic take on the food. The chapter delves into the authenticity thread that is apparent in discussions of Southern food and explains the symbolism bound up in food through this concept. Authenticity is one way that we strive to maintain cultural order and show our allegiances to that order. Based on this desire for order and authenticity, this rhetorical work helps define the region.

<p>Chapter four examines how barbecue is a Southern cultural institution that sends rhetori... more <p>Chapter four examines how barbecue is a Southern cultural institution that sends rhetorical messages about Southern history, gender, race, class, ritual, and fellowship. Barbecue is a type of cultural synecdoche that continues to bring different types of people together, telling stories that simultaneously shape and express contemporary Southern identity. If Southern food helps shape identity, barbecue provides a perfect example of this process because its rhetoric and ritual incites profound identification with regional styles. Tussling about which barbecue is best engages identity forming behavior that serves a rhetorical purpose in gradually knitting groups of people together over their shared love of a particular food tradition. Barbecue conveys identificatory messages of authenticity, masculinity, and rurality, stretching casuistically to still be descriptive of the South's character. The chapter explores how (and whether) perceptions of traditional Southern foods like barbecue stretch to broaden and deepen the narrative about Southern food.</p>

Consuming Identity, 2016

The signs that we had hit upon an important cultural and rhetorical subject were all apparent to ... more The signs that we had hit upon an important cultural and rhetorical subject were all apparent to us as we began our research into Southern food. We found that audiences—whether at a roadside stand or a convention hotel ballroom—would open up, smile, and freely share their memories, opinions, and ideas. After all, most people who are from the South or who identify with the region, despite being “of” another region, have opinions on what makes good Southern food. The topic crosses lines of race, class, gender, region, and so forth, providing an opportunity for a common discussion point....

Food, Culture & Society, 2020

Southern Communication Journal, 2014

ABSTRACT The Southern food movement does far more than just celebrate a delectable cuisine; it al... more ABSTRACT The Southern food movement does far more than just celebrate a delectable cuisine; it also may provide the ingredients for gradual social change. We argue that the Southern food movement, led by the Southern Foodways Alliance, helps to craft a Southern identity based on diverse, humble, and hospitable food. This rhetorically constitutive work— the food and discussions about Southern foodways (food habits)—has the potential to open up spaces for dialogue about Southern identity and to move individuals closer to a shared experience.

Choice Reviews Online, 2010

Page 1. Arguments about Animal ethics Edited by Cj REg Cj OO DA LE and JASON RDWARD BLACK Page 2.... more Page 1. Arguments about Animal ethics Edited by Cj REg Cj OO DA LE and JASON RDWARD BLACK Page 2. Arguments about Animal Ethics Page 3. Page 4. Arguments about Animal Ethics Edited by Greg Goodale and Jason ...

Public Relations Inquiry

Starting in 2013, SeaWorld faced a public relations disaster with the release of the documentary ... more Starting in 2013, SeaWorld faced a public relations disaster with the release of the documentary titled Blackfish that accused the company of mistreatment of its orcas. SeaWorld attempted to respond and rebuild its credibility, but activist group ‘People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) doubled down on the corporation through its rhetorical shock tactics, deepening the organization’s woes. The PETA/SeaWorld controversy does more than provide another example of poor corporate public relations decision-making made in light of an activist group’s savvy use of digital technology. We argue that the case helps explain how digital technologies fundamentally change activism, whereby activists can use rhetorical fracturing, or quickly using digital media to puncture a target’s narrative, to create messages that challenge an opponent’s legitimacy to cultivate public opinion, thereby pressuring corporate policy change. Recent activism scholarship points out how digital media transf...

Consuming Identity

Chapter two surveys the rhetorical problem that the South faces, a complicated history marred by ... more Chapter two surveys the rhetorical problem that the South faces, a complicated history marred by racial violence, segregation and discrimination, and economic inequality. Whether you are an African American Southerner with a family history haunted by racism and violence, a white Southerner with a family history of discriminating or tolerating discrimination, or a Mexican immigrant facing negative social outcry, feeling pride in the region can be troubling. Despite conflicting identities, Southerners continue to define themselves in relation to the region, and the reality-based and stereotypical images of the Southerner are part of the identity that Southerners must encounter. The Southern food movement serves a constitutive function by helping to craft a Southern identity based on diverse, humble, and hospitable roots that confronts a divided image of the South. This rhetorically constitutive work provides an opportunity for strengthening relations within the South, as well as helpi...

Communicating Advice, 2015

Women's Studies in Communication, 2005