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In this dissertation project, I examine the ways in which a grassroots environmental organization, the Upper French Broad Defense Association (UFBDA), was able to contribute knowledge and voice concerns regarding a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) proposal between 1961 and 1972. The TVA proposal included a plan for comprehensive water resource development in western North Carolina which would have required in the implementation of 14 dams, flooding of more than 18,000 fertile agricultural acres and displacing 600 families from their ancestral homes. Employing archival research methods, in this dissertation I analyze the UFBDA's everyday rhetorical tactics which contributed to their overall success in preventing the implementation of the TVA project. I situate archival sources alongside contemporary scholarship in democratic practice, environmental rhetoric, rhetorical citizenship, and ethos, as discussed in rhetoric and writing studies. Overall, this dissertation demonstrates the ways in which the UFBDA case study offers a generative model for future environmental controversies, providing specific techniques which can contribute to the success of grassroots organizations mired in environmental controversies and contentious decisions. / Doctor of Philosophy / In this dissertation project, I examine the ways in which a grassroots environmental organization, the Upper French Broad Defense Association (UFBDA), was able to contribute knowledge and voice concerns regarding a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) proposal between 1961 and 1972. The TVA proposal included a plan for comprehensive water resource development in western North Carolina which would have required in the implementation of 14 dams, flooding of more than 18,000 fertile agricultural acres and displacing 600 families from their ancestral homes. In order to complete this dissertation project, I explored two archival collections pertaining to the UFBDA. Based on my findings in the archives, I provide new understandings of how grassroots environmentalism works, particularly in terms of how environmentalists use language in order to participate in decisions about the environment. More specifically, this dissertation documents how members of the UFBDA were able to describe the western North Carolina landscape as a commons and not a wilderness, work together across counties to create new opportunities to share their concerns over the TVA project, and establish their own credibility as knowledgeable citizens about their local environment. By highlighting specific components of the UFBDA's work, this dissertation provides examples that can be used by future grassroots environmental organization facing similar challenges regarding environmental controversies.

Yes / Brand champions are responsible for encouraging employee commitment to the corporate brand strategy. They strongly believe in and identify with the brand concept—the company’s selected brand meaning, which underpins corporate brand strategy implementation. We conducted research to explore why and how brand champion behaviour operates within companies implementing a new corporate brand strategy. Against a backdrop of growing interest in brand champion behaviour in corporate branding research, we grounded our study in social identity theory and rhetorical theory from change management literature. Our findings show that articulating a compelling brand vision, taking responsibility, and getting the right people involved are the most widely used strategies by brand champions. We uncover how rhetorical strategies within brand champion behaviour generate employee commitment to a new corporate brand strategy. The dimension of brand champion behaviour that is effective depends on the type of brand evolution, involving shifts in the brand concept. We make suggestions for further studies underpinned by social identity theory and rhetorical theory to investigate brand champion behaviour processes within companies introducing a new corporate brand strategy.

This study analyzed President Gerald Ford's efforts in selling his energy package in February, 1975. Six major speeches and news conferences were examined in terms of Richard Weaver's rhetorical theory. Five criteria of this theory were studied: appeals to man's good values, choice of argumentation, use of "god" and "devil" words, adaptation to the historical setting of the speech, and ethical character of the speaker. This analysis concluded that Ford was a good Weaverian rhetorician because he appealed to good values in language well adapted to each audience, adapted well to historical settings, and elevated his ethos considerably. However, Ford sold himself but not his program because he relied too heavily on his own ethos and circumstantial argumentation and slighted refutation arguments

A presente dissertação de mestrado apresenta resultados de investigação sobre o relacionamento entre o direito e a economia não só na vertente da análise econômica do direito proposta pela Escola de Chicago, mas também pela corrente teórica do final do século XIX e início do século XX. Para tanto, considerou a relação entre direito e economia especialmente a partir de uma perspectiva da teoria retórica do direito, em que um modelo hermêneutico é desenvolvido a partir da teoria das funções da linguagem de Roman Jakobson. Utilizando este modelo interpretativo, é apresentada uma discussão sobre os limites para uma interpretação pautada pela análise econômica do direito, considerando-se uma análise normativa que buscasse se orientar pelos critérios de Kaldor- Hicks e de Pareto. Quando voltada a exemplos, a presente dissertação destaca o direito concorrencial, tendo em vista o inter-relacionamento de conceitos econômicos e jurídicos neste ramo do direito, o que permite observar com maior clareza os desafios presentes na utilização de conceitos econômicos pelo discurso jurídico. / The present masters thesis presents results of an investigation on Law & Economics, not just based on the economic analysis of law developed by the Chicago School, but also based in the theoretical approach developed at the end of the nineteenth century and during the beginnings of the twentieth. For that purpose, this thesis especially considered the relation between Law and Economics from the perspective of rhetorical theory of law, in which is developed a hermeneutic model, departing from the Roman Jakobsons model of functions of language. Using that interpretative model, it is presented a discussion on the limits of the interpretation directed by the economic analysis of law, in consideration of a normative analysis which is oriented by the Kaldor-Hicks criterion or the Pareto criterion. The examples in the present masters thesis are in their majority taken from the competition law that is the field in which the interrelationship between law and economics is more intense. This intense relationship makes able the analysis of the challenges which are posed by the adoption of economic concepts by the legal discourse.

Focusing on communication as an important means besides other efforts for conflict resolution in an asymmetric armed conflict in Afghanistan, this study looked for a rhetorical communication approach appropriate to Pashtun tribal setting in South-eastern (Loya Paktya region) Afghanistan. The study explored and found some perceived essentials of such persuasive communication by conducting face-to-face semi-structured in depth interviews with 17 participants. Thematic analysis was used to code and categorize data. Aristotle’s rhetorical theory provided a framework for this qualitative study by narrowing down the focus to exploring credibility of the communicator (ethos), the rationality of the message (logos), and the emotional appeals (pathos), particular for the south-eastern Pashtun tribal setting, during communication. In addition, considering the relation between rhetorical and soft power theories in influencing the choice of an audience, this project also asked participants if and how communication in their tribal setting could be framed as an influencing power by attraction rather than by coercion. Therefore, soft power of which persuasive communication is a crucial part was also used as a theoretical framework for this study. The findings show the significance of persuasive communication in future conflict resolution efforts in Afghanistan.

Focusing on communication as an important means besides other efforts for conflict resolution in an asymmetric armed conflict in Afghanistan, this study looked for a rhetorical communication approach appropriate to Pashtun tribal setting in South-eastern (Loya Paktya region) Afghanistan. The study explored and found some perceived essentials of such persuasive communication by conducting face-to-face semi-structured in depth interviews with 17 participants. Thematic analysis was used to code and categorize data. Aristotle’s rhetorical theory provided a framework for this qualitative study by narrowing down the focus to exploring credibility of the communicator (ethos), the rationality of the message (logos), and the emotional appeals (pathos), particular for the south-eastern Pashtun tribal setting, during communication. In addition, considering the relation between rhetorical and soft power theories in influencing the choice of an audience, this project also asked participants if and how communication in their tribal setting could be framed as an influencing power by attraction rather than by coercion. Therefore, soft power of which persuasive communication is a crucial part was also used as a theoretical framework for this study. The findings show the significance of persuasive communication in future conflict resolution efforts in Afghanistan.

La rhétorique d’un recueil de pièces amoureuses relève de la rhétorique délibérative dans la mesure où l’amoureux tente de convaincre l’aimée d’agir dans le sens qu’il voudrait; de la rhétorique judiciaire lorsque l’amoureux s’adresse au lecteur et lui demande de juger de la situation où il se trouve; et de la rhétorique épidictique lorsqu’il y a louange ou blâme de l’aimée. De plus, étant donné que la poésie agit très directement sur le lecteur, le poète de la Renaissance a trouvé une forte correspondance entre les objectifs esthétiques de la poésie et les trois offices oratoires : plaire, émouvoir et instruire. La redécouverte des textes classiques d’Aristote, de Cicéron, et de Quintilien allait renforcer ces moments de croisement et permettre aux poètes de la Renaissance française de redéfinir leur rôle et celui de leur poésie. En principe, il s’agissait de libérer leurs œuvres poétiques de toutes les contraintes esthétiques et stylistiques valorisées au Moyen Age en composant leurs propres traités théoriques. En réalité, il s’agissait de renouveler l’esthétique poétique en préconisant l’importance de la pratique de l’imitation créatrice, c’est-à-dire, l’invention en lisant les anciens, et l’élocution en les imitant. L’imitation ne se limitait pourtant pas au niveau lexical. Elle s’accomplissait à l’intérieur d’une théorie rhétorique classique où la disposition, la seconde démarche consécutive de la rhétorique offrait à l’orateur des principes organisateurs qui s’appliquaient à la composition en vers. L’objet de cette thèse est donc de cerner une problématique que les poètes de la Renaissance ont dû confronter: comment structurer l’œuvre poétique. Dans un premier temps, en examinant la formulation de la théorie de la disposition classique et sa réapparition dans les arts poétiques de la Renaissance (1540-1560), cette étude établira que les règles de la rhétorique discursive qui régissent la composition et l’organisation du discours oratoire s’attachent facilement, au seizième siècle, à la composition poétique. Dans un deuxième temps, en analysant l’emplacement et l’enchaînement des pièces amoureuses dans les Sonnets pour Hélène (1578), ce travail de recherche examinera la façon dont ces mêmes principes organisateurs rhétoriques se font sentir dans le discours poétique amoureux.

La rhétorique d’un recueil de pièces amoureuses relève de la rhétorique délibérative dans la mesure où l’amoureux tente de convaincre l’aimée d’agir dans le sens qu’il voudrait; de la rhétorique judiciaire lorsque l’amoureux s’adresse au lecteur et lui demande de juger de la situation où il se trouve; et de la rhétorique épidictique lorsqu’il y a louange ou blâme de l’aimée. De plus, étant donné que la poésie agit très directement sur le lecteur, le poète de la Renaissance a trouvé une forte correspondance entre les objectifs esthétiques de la poésie et les trois offices oratoires : plaire, émouvoir et instruire. La redécouverte des textes classiques d’Aristote, de Cicéron, et de Quintilien allait renforcer ces moments de croisement et permettre aux poètes de la Renaissance française de redéfinir leur rôle et celui de leur poésie. En principe, il s’agissait de libérer leurs œuvres poétiques de toutes les contraintes esthétiques et stylistiques valorisées au Moyen Age en composant leurs propres traités théoriques. En réalité, il s’agissait de renouveler l’esthétique poétique en préconisant l’importance de la pratique de l’imitation créatrice, c’est-à-dire, l’invention en lisant les anciens, et l’élocution en les imitant. L’imitation ne se limitait pourtant pas au niveau lexical. Elle s’accomplissait à l’intérieur d’une théorie rhétorique classique où la disposition, la seconde démarche consécutive de la rhétorique offrait à l’orateur des principes organisateurs qui s’appliquaient à la composition en vers. L’objet de cette thèse est donc de cerner une problématique que les poètes de la Renaissance ont dû confronter: comment structurer l’œuvre poétique. Dans un premier temps, en examinant la formulation de la théorie de la disposition classique et sa réapparition dans les arts poétiques de la Renaissance (1540-1560), cette étude établira que les règles de la rhétorique discursive qui régissent la composition et l’organisation du discours oratoire s’attachent facilement, au seizième siècle, à la composition poétique. Dans un deuxième temps, en analysant l’emplacement et l’enchaînement des pièces amoureuses dans les Sonnets pour Hélène (1578), ce travail de recherche examinera la façon dont ces mêmes principes organisateurs rhétoriques se font sentir dans le discours poétique amoureux.

Focusing on communication as an important means besides other efforts for conflict resolution in an asymmetric armed conflict in Afghanistan, this study looked for a rhetorical communication approach appropriate to Pashtun tribal setting in South-eastern (Loya Paktya region) Afghanistan. The study explored and found some perceived essentials of such persuasive communication by conducting face-to-face semi-structured in depth interviews with 17 participants. Thematic analysis was used to code and categorize data. Aristotle’s rhetorical theory provided a framework for this qualitative study by narrowing down the focus to exploring credibility of the communicator (ethos), the rationality of the message (logos), and the emotional appeals (pathos), particular for the south-eastern Pashtun tribal setting, during communication. In addition, considering the relation between rhetorical and soft power theories in influencing the choice of an audience, this project also asked participants if and how communication in their tribal setting could be framed as an influencing power by attraction rather than by coercion. Therefore, soft power of which persuasive communication is a crucial part was also used as a theoretical framework for this study. The findings show the significance of persuasive communication in future conflict resolution efforts in Afghanistan.