Daniel M . Chick | Western Kentucky University (original) (raw)

Manuscripts by Daniel M . Chick

Southern Communication Journal, 2021

The principles of civility undergirding the theory of invitation unilaterally condemn the use of ... more The principles of civility undergirding the theory of invitation unilaterally condemn the use of confrontational or violent rhetorical strategies. I argue that this condemnation prevents marginalized communities from properly responding to injustice, lest they face criticism for uncivil and immoral behavior, and provides cover for elites whose hegemonic power is already secure to violate civility norms. In response, I argue that a rhetorical theory of civility should not generally invalidate violations of civility norms and justify the occasional use of the uncivil tongue.

Basic Communication Course Annual, 2021

In this article, I argue that the public speaking introductory course should follow a pedagogy of... more In this article, I argue that the public speaking introductory course should follow a pedagogy of preparation. A pedagogy of preparation develops within students a toolkit that has become increasingly necessary for them to become active, compassionate citizens, and to understand what social pressures impact that perception, through the moral and ethical framework of critical communication pedagogy (CCP). To make this case, I propose a theory which structures and legitimizes many existing introductory course practices and, in so doing, articulate a clear narrative of the introductory course’s relevance to students, faculty, and the university. I also outline three goals of a preparative pedagogy and explain how these goals are met in public speaking introductory courses through a critical reading of prevailing theoretical and philosophical perspectives.

Journal of Contemporary Rhetoric, 2020

In the literature, there are currently twin points of consensus about civility’s role in national... more In the literature, there are currently twin points of consensus about civility’s role in national political discourse. Civility is regarded as a necessary prerequisite for liberal democracies to function, yet also it is also rightfully seen as a constraining force which silences marginalized voices fighting for justice. In the following essay, I offer some common ground between these positions by suggesting a number of standards that determine when calls for civility are appropriate. Absent these standards in the public square, other strategies, such as confrontative rhetoric, are necessary to ensure equity and fairness. Consequently, calls for civility can further marginalize already precarious bodies. To make this case, I critically analyze the call for #ActsOfCivility to memorialize the late Senator John McCain on the first anniversary of his death. Implicit within this call are three standards that determine when civility is an appropriate commitment to make. I then show that, coincidentally, these standards offer a compelling reason why their call failed to resonate among American audiences.

Local Theories of Argument, 2021

Thesis Chapters by Daniel M . Chick

Ideology is a powerful means of persuasion in contemporary audience appeals. Through the means of... more Ideology is a powerful means of persuasion in contemporary audience appeals. Through the means of ideographic and fragmentary analyses provided by Michael Calvin McGee (1980, 1990) and Saindon (2008), I examine the rhetorical appeals made by the Liberty Counsel, an evangelical Christian organization, which provides legal counsel for cases regarding “religious liberty.” Through an ideographic and fragmentary analysis, I conclude that the Counsel utilizes the ideograph as a superseding means of denoting its ideology. Further, I argue that is the ideograph that represents the ontological nature of the organization’s philosophy and serves as the guiding principle for many of the other ideographs that the organization employs. Further, the ideograph displays relative influence for the Liberty Counsel with and from other organizations, as illustrated when is compared to competing ideologies, such as that from the Southern Poverty Law Center. The importance of the ideograph is incumbent upon its utility in understanding a “snapshot” of the rhetorical situation. Rather than attempting to draft ideological archetypes, as the initial ideographic form attempted, this new ideographic form accepts the relativistic cultural influences and accounts for them synchronically.

Conference Papers by Daniel M . Chick

Herein, I question the efficacy of Hillary Clinton’s—and her campaign’s—response to the email sca... more Herein, I question the efficacy of Hillary Clinton’s—and her campaign’s—response to the email scandal facing her during her 2016 presidential bid. The locus of Hillary Clinton’s email scandal is centered on her decision to communicate vital information through email. I argue that Hillary Clinton utilizes the image repair strategies of denial, evasion of responsibility, and a reduction of offensiveness. Given Clinton’s unfavorability ratings, I argue that Clinton’s image repair campaign was not successful.

This paper seeks to examine the identification rhetorical situation present in the narratives emp... more This paper seeks to examine the identification rhetorical situation present in the narratives employed by ISIS. In the following literature review, I examine literature pertaining to conceptual understandings of terrorism, the rhetorical strategies of otherness employed by Americans and the American government as a method of perceiving terrorism, and the rhetorical strategies and historical significance of otherness as employed by ISIS. Immediately following, I explicate (1) the ways in which ISIS utilizes narrative fidelity, (2) the use of the ethnosubordinance as a means of organizational identification, and (3) the significance of anonymity as a subrhetoric of the assumed and transcendent “we.”

This study proposes an understanding of the strategy through which the Southern Baptist Conventio... more This study proposes an understanding of the strategy through which the Southern Baptist Convention uses the master metaphor of holy/unholy alliances in order to develop rhetorical strategies such as sinfulness, redemption, and holy bondage. An analysis of rhetorical strategies used to create and maintain member identification within the ranks of Southern Baptists. serves as the foundation of this study’s understanding of the history and culture of the SBC. Thus, these persuasive strategies lead to differing appeals to the widely diverse audiences to whom the convention regularly engages, resulting in widely varying responses.

An act of terrorism is, in many ways, an act of communication. The act may carry political or soc... more An act of terrorism is, in many ways, an act of communication. The act may carry political or social messages embedded within. Understanding the perception of a message is an important aspect of communication research. The same message dissemination is true for acts of convergent state terrorism, wherein the state employs fear and violence against its citizenry. To that end, understanding the perception of this convergence of violence is important to the study of communication; it largely remains untouched in contemporary studies, however. This study attempts to bridge this gap, offering four hypotheses that predict relationships between social dominance orientation, ethnocentrism orientation, ethnicity, and political philosophy to the perception of convergent state terrorism, respectively. Using data collected from undergraduates (n = 104), the researcher found statistically significant relationships for ethnicity and political philosophy and no statistically significant relationship between social dominance orientation and ethnocentrism to this perception, respectively.

Western society typically regards terrorism, both practically and conceptually, as emergent. To s... more Western society typically regards terrorism, both practically and conceptually, as emergent. To specify, Western society prescribes terrorism as simply a ground-up, grassroots construct that only non-governmental individuals, groups, or organizations may perform. This philosophy of emergence-only terrorism limits our epistemological and ontological understanding of political communication. To combat this limitation, this paper—by examining terrorism as rhetoric, me-dia compliance in framing terrorism as only emergent, and previous understandings of state ter-rorism--presents an argument for terrorism as convergent in conjunction with our current, emer-gent conceptual framework. This argument compares the actions of the Police Department of Ferguson, MO. in the aftermath of the death of Michael Brown to Schmid and Jongman’s (1988) 22 definitional elements of terrorism. Herein, the author argues the rhetorical significance of the-se 22 definitional elements. Ultimately, this study seeks to create a new conceptual framework for convergent terrorism, parallel to that of emergent terrorism. By doing so, the author rhetori-cally justifies the necessity for a broader understanding. This paper also questions the epistemological and ontological assumptions inherent in the previous, emergent-centric belief, navigating the biases necessary in our understanding for this rigid hegemonic framework of emergent-only terrorism to occur.

Previous scholarship has utilized the dialectical perspective to understand classroom dynamics in... more Previous scholarship has utilized the dialectical perspective to understand classroom dynamics in terms of the instructor/student relationship. This study seeks to further our understanding of the classroom dynamic through the perception of the syllabus through the dialectical lens. Utilizing interviews and participant observation, this study illustrated two main tensions in the perception of the syllabus: guidebook-rulebook and director-collaborator. The tensions inherent in the perception are used to create a concrete set of objectives and standards, while simultaneously leaving them open for negotiation from students and instructors. These tensions provide a clearer understanding of the purpose and usefulness of the document.

Papers by Daniel M . Chick

Rhetoric and Public Affairs

Basic Communication Course Annual, 2021

In this article, I argue that the public speaking introductory course should follow a pedagogy of... more In this article, I argue that the public speaking introductory course should follow a pedagogy of preparation. A pedagogy of preparation develops within students a toolkit that has become increasingly necessary for them to become active, compassionate citizens, and to understand what social pressures impact that perception, through the moral and ethical framework of critical communication pedagogy (CCP). To make this case, I propose a theory which structures and legitimizes many existing introductory course practices and, in so doing, articulate a clear narrative of the introductory course's relevance to students, faculty, and the university. I also outline three goals of a preparative pedagogy and explain how these goals are met in public speaking introductory courses through a critical reading of prevailing theoretical and philosophical perspectives.

Through the means of ideographic and fragmentary analyses provided by Michael Calvin McGee (1980,... more Through the means of ideographic and fragmentary analyses provided by Michael Calvin McGee (1980, 1990) and Saindon (2008), I examine the rhetorical appeals made by the Liberty Counsel, an evangelical Christian organization, which provides legal counsel for cases regarding "religious liberty." Through an ideographic and fragmentary analysis, I conclude that the Counsel utilizes the ideograph as a superseding means of denoting its ideology. Further, I argue that is the ideograph that represents the ontological nature of the organization's philosophy and serves as the guiding principle for many of the other ideographs that the organization employs. Further, the ideograph displays relative influence for the Liberty Counsel with and from other organizations, as illustrated when is compared to competing ideologies, such as that from the Southern Poverty Law Center. The importance of the ideograph is incumbent upon its utility in understanding a "snapshot" of the rhetorical situation. Rather than attempting to draft ideological archetypes, as the initial ideographic form attempted, this new ideographic form accepts the relativistic cultural influences and accounts for them synchronically.

Southern Communication Journal, 2021

ABSTRACT The idealistic principles of civility undergirding the theory of invitation generally co... more ABSTRACT The idealistic principles of civility undergirding the theory of invitation generally condemn the use of confrontational or violent rhetorical strategies. Such condemnation risks preventing marginalized communities from properly responding to injustice lest they face criticism for uncivil and immoral behavior and provides cover for elites, whose hegemonic power is already secure, to violate civility norms. In response, I argue that a rhetorical theory of civility should not generally invalidate violations of civility norms and should instead justify the occasional use of the uncivil tongue.

Southern Communication Journal, 2021

The principles of civility undergirding the theory of invitation unilaterally condemn the use of ... more The principles of civility undergirding the theory of invitation unilaterally condemn the use of confrontational or violent rhetorical strategies. I argue that this condemnation prevents marginalized communities from properly responding to injustice, lest they face criticism for uncivil and immoral behavior, and provides cover for elites whose hegemonic power is already secure to violate civility norms. In response, I argue that a rhetorical theory of civility should not generally invalidate violations of civility norms and justify the occasional use of the uncivil tongue.

Basic Communication Course Annual, 2021

In this article, I argue that the public speaking introductory course should follow a pedagogy of... more In this article, I argue that the public speaking introductory course should follow a pedagogy of preparation. A pedagogy of preparation develops within students a toolkit that has become increasingly necessary for them to become active, compassionate citizens, and to understand what social pressures impact that perception, through the moral and ethical framework of critical communication pedagogy (CCP). To make this case, I propose a theory which structures and legitimizes many existing introductory course practices and, in so doing, articulate a clear narrative of the introductory course’s relevance to students, faculty, and the university. I also outline three goals of a preparative pedagogy and explain how these goals are met in public speaking introductory courses through a critical reading of prevailing theoretical and philosophical perspectives.

Journal of Contemporary Rhetoric, 2020

In the literature, there are currently twin points of consensus about civility’s role in national... more In the literature, there are currently twin points of consensus about civility’s role in national political discourse. Civility is regarded as a necessary prerequisite for liberal democracies to function, yet also it is also rightfully seen as a constraining force which silences marginalized voices fighting for justice. In the following essay, I offer some common ground between these positions by suggesting a number of standards that determine when calls for civility are appropriate. Absent these standards in the public square, other strategies, such as confrontative rhetoric, are necessary to ensure equity and fairness. Consequently, calls for civility can further marginalize already precarious bodies. To make this case, I critically analyze the call for #ActsOfCivility to memorialize the late Senator John McCain on the first anniversary of his death. Implicit within this call are three standards that determine when civility is an appropriate commitment to make. I then show that, coincidentally, these standards offer a compelling reason why their call failed to resonate among American audiences.

Local Theories of Argument, 2021

Ideology is a powerful means of persuasion in contemporary audience appeals. Through the means of... more Ideology is a powerful means of persuasion in contemporary audience appeals. Through the means of ideographic and fragmentary analyses provided by Michael Calvin McGee (1980, 1990) and Saindon (2008), I examine the rhetorical appeals made by the Liberty Counsel, an evangelical Christian organization, which provides legal counsel for cases regarding “religious liberty.” Through an ideographic and fragmentary analysis, I conclude that the Counsel utilizes the ideograph as a superseding means of denoting its ideology. Further, I argue that is the ideograph that represents the ontological nature of the organization’s philosophy and serves as the guiding principle for many of the other ideographs that the organization employs. Further, the ideograph displays relative influence for the Liberty Counsel with and from other organizations, as illustrated when is compared to competing ideologies, such as that from the Southern Poverty Law Center. The importance of the ideograph is incumbent upon its utility in understanding a “snapshot” of the rhetorical situation. Rather than attempting to draft ideological archetypes, as the initial ideographic form attempted, this new ideographic form accepts the relativistic cultural influences and accounts for them synchronically.

Herein, I question the efficacy of Hillary Clinton’s—and her campaign’s—response to the email sca... more Herein, I question the efficacy of Hillary Clinton’s—and her campaign’s—response to the email scandal facing her during her 2016 presidential bid. The locus of Hillary Clinton’s email scandal is centered on her decision to communicate vital information through email. I argue that Hillary Clinton utilizes the image repair strategies of denial, evasion of responsibility, and a reduction of offensiveness. Given Clinton’s unfavorability ratings, I argue that Clinton’s image repair campaign was not successful.

This paper seeks to examine the identification rhetorical situation present in the narratives emp... more This paper seeks to examine the identification rhetorical situation present in the narratives employed by ISIS. In the following literature review, I examine literature pertaining to conceptual understandings of terrorism, the rhetorical strategies of otherness employed by Americans and the American government as a method of perceiving terrorism, and the rhetorical strategies and historical significance of otherness as employed by ISIS. Immediately following, I explicate (1) the ways in which ISIS utilizes narrative fidelity, (2) the use of the ethnosubordinance as a means of organizational identification, and (3) the significance of anonymity as a subrhetoric of the assumed and transcendent “we.”

This study proposes an understanding of the strategy through which the Southern Baptist Conventio... more This study proposes an understanding of the strategy through which the Southern Baptist Convention uses the master metaphor of holy/unholy alliances in order to develop rhetorical strategies such as sinfulness, redemption, and holy bondage. An analysis of rhetorical strategies used to create and maintain member identification within the ranks of Southern Baptists. serves as the foundation of this study’s understanding of the history and culture of the SBC. Thus, these persuasive strategies lead to differing appeals to the widely diverse audiences to whom the convention regularly engages, resulting in widely varying responses.

An act of terrorism is, in many ways, an act of communication. The act may carry political or soc... more An act of terrorism is, in many ways, an act of communication. The act may carry political or social messages embedded within. Understanding the perception of a message is an important aspect of communication research. The same message dissemination is true for acts of convergent state terrorism, wherein the state employs fear and violence against its citizenry. To that end, understanding the perception of this convergence of violence is important to the study of communication; it largely remains untouched in contemporary studies, however. This study attempts to bridge this gap, offering four hypotheses that predict relationships between social dominance orientation, ethnocentrism orientation, ethnicity, and political philosophy to the perception of convergent state terrorism, respectively. Using data collected from undergraduates (n = 104), the researcher found statistically significant relationships for ethnicity and political philosophy and no statistically significant relationship between social dominance orientation and ethnocentrism to this perception, respectively.

Western society typically regards terrorism, both practically and conceptually, as emergent. To s... more Western society typically regards terrorism, both practically and conceptually, as emergent. To specify, Western society prescribes terrorism as simply a ground-up, grassroots construct that only non-governmental individuals, groups, or organizations may perform. This philosophy of emergence-only terrorism limits our epistemological and ontological understanding of political communication. To combat this limitation, this paper—by examining terrorism as rhetoric, me-dia compliance in framing terrorism as only emergent, and previous understandings of state ter-rorism--presents an argument for terrorism as convergent in conjunction with our current, emer-gent conceptual framework. This argument compares the actions of the Police Department of Ferguson, MO. in the aftermath of the death of Michael Brown to Schmid and Jongman’s (1988) 22 definitional elements of terrorism. Herein, the author argues the rhetorical significance of the-se 22 definitional elements. Ultimately, this study seeks to create a new conceptual framework for convergent terrorism, parallel to that of emergent terrorism. By doing so, the author rhetori-cally justifies the necessity for a broader understanding. This paper also questions the epistemological and ontological assumptions inherent in the previous, emergent-centric belief, navigating the biases necessary in our understanding for this rigid hegemonic framework of emergent-only terrorism to occur.

Previous scholarship has utilized the dialectical perspective to understand classroom dynamics in... more Previous scholarship has utilized the dialectical perspective to understand classroom dynamics in terms of the instructor/student relationship. This study seeks to further our understanding of the classroom dynamic through the perception of the syllabus through the dialectical lens. Utilizing interviews and participant observation, this study illustrated two main tensions in the perception of the syllabus: guidebook-rulebook and director-collaborator. The tensions inherent in the perception are used to create a concrete set of objectives and standards, while simultaneously leaving them open for negotiation from students and instructors. These tensions provide a clearer understanding of the purpose and usefulness of the document.

Rhetoric and Public Affairs

Basic Communication Course Annual, 2021

In this article, I argue that the public speaking introductory course should follow a pedagogy of... more In this article, I argue that the public speaking introductory course should follow a pedagogy of preparation. A pedagogy of preparation develops within students a toolkit that has become increasingly necessary for them to become active, compassionate citizens, and to understand what social pressures impact that perception, through the moral and ethical framework of critical communication pedagogy (CCP). To make this case, I propose a theory which structures and legitimizes many existing introductory course practices and, in so doing, articulate a clear narrative of the introductory course's relevance to students, faculty, and the university. I also outline three goals of a preparative pedagogy and explain how these goals are met in public speaking introductory courses through a critical reading of prevailing theoretical and philosophical perspectives.

Through the means of ideographic and fragmentary analyses provided by Michael Calvin McGee (1980,... more Through the means of ideographic and fragmentary analyses provided by Michael Calvin McGee (1980, 1990) and Saindon (2008), I examine the rhetorical appeals made by the Liberty Counsel, an evangelical Christian organization, which provides legal counsel for cases regarding "religious liberty." Through an ideographic and fragmentary analysis, I conclude that the Counsel utilizes the ideograph as a superseding means of denoting its ideology. Further, I argue that is the ideograph that represents the ontological nature of the organization's philosophy and serves as the guiding principle for many of the other ideographs that the organization employs. Further, the ideograph displays relative influence for the Liberty Counsel with and from other organizations, as illustrated when is compared to competing ideologies, such as that from the Southern Poverty Law Center. The importance of the ideograph is incumbent upon its utility in understanding a "snapshot" of the rhetorical situation. Rather than attempting to draft ideological archetypes, as the initial ideographic form attempted, this new ideographic form accepts the relativistic cultural influences and accounts for them synchronically.

Southern Communication Journal, 2021

ABSTRACT The idealistic principles of civility undergirding the theory of invitation generally co... more ABSTRACT The idealistic principles of civility undergirding the theory of invitation generally condemn the use of confrontational or violent rhetorical strategies. Such condemnation risks preventing marginalized communities from properly responding to injustice lest they face criticism for uncivil and immoral behavior and provides cover for elites, whose hegemonic power is already secure, to violate civility norms. In response, I argue that a rhetorical theory of civility should not generally invalidate violations of civility norms and should instead justify the occasional use of the uncivil tongue.