SEWSA 2016 Intersectionality in the New Millennium: An Assessment of Culture, Power, and Society

At the Intersection of Feminism and Rhetoric, It’s time to Practice what we Preach

Room 220, DiGiorgio Campus Center (DiGs)

The idealistic concept of Invitational Rhetoric (Foss, Foss, and Griffin) is best practiced when rhetors are mindful of the feminist principles of equality, immanent value, and self-determination. Some criticize that Invitational Rhetoric is not enough to resolve controversy (Lozano-Reich and Cloud; Ryan and Natalle). I posit that to stay true to the theoretical understanding of Invitational Rhetoric, we need to frame it as a tool for inquiry and practiced reflection; therefore, upholding the feminist principles that undergird the rhetorical theory. By focusing on these principles rhetors can use language to construct safe and free spaces to obtain information without stress of resolution. As outlined in my workshops on invitational rhetoric, which I conducted in various spaces from classrooms to coffee shops around Boone, NC, it is apparent that many students enter conversations with preconceived notions ready to fire unable to alter their style as they have no recourse. This presentation will familiarize the definition of invitational rhetoric, the methodology of the workshop, and showcase best practices of invitational rhetoric as a tool for inquiry and to practice reflection. Thus, closely aligning the practice with the theoretical understanding and provide guidance to those who desire thoughtful communication without impulse to react.