Text in English / Advertising is a genre of mass media communication which unearths the exceptional qualities of products and services in a persuasive fashion. It is also a form of marketing communication through which business organizations inform the general public about new or improved commercial endeavors. Advertising in modern time comprises varied component parts (visual imagery, graphic and color designs, print and auditory techniques.); however, language plays an indispensable role in the transmission of the message. Language has an immense influence on human beings and the way they behave. The language of advertising influences the reasoning, thinking, feeling and the general attitude of the audience. Copywriters, like poets, choose their words carefully in order to achieve a particular rhetorical effect. They use language in such a way that they attract attention, arouse interest or desire and create need. Language forms an integral part of advertisements. The current study focused on persuasive elements in the English employed in advertisements in newspapers in Ghana. The study investigated the extent to which Aristotle’s three artistic proofs (logos, pathos and ethos), figures of speech and grammatical elements in the English of advertisements in the Ghanaian newspapers were employed by copywriters for persuasive effect. The current study was underpinned by three theories, namely, Aristotle’s Rhetorical Theory, Conventional Figurative Language Theory and the Standard Theory of Generative Grammar. These theories lent support to the three thematic trends of the study. The qualitative research design was employed given the interpretive nature of the analysis of the corpus. The current study did not involve human subjects as data sources because the corpus was from written documents. The purposive sampling method was employed owing to the subjective nature of the process of data collection. The qualitative content analysis approach was adopted as the analytical framework for the study. This made it possible for the coding of categories of the textual data based on the themes, patterns and trends that emerged. The findings of the research revealed that copywriters in the Ghanaian newspapers employed Aristotle’s three artistic proofs, figures of speech and grammatical elements in the English of advertisements for persuasive effect. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Phil. (Language, Linguistics and Literature)

<p>Syftet med uppsatsen är att utföra en retoriskanalys på de argument som förs bland medlemmarna på Facebookgrupperna ”Vägra betala Victorias bröllop!” respektive ”Våga betala Victoria och Daniels bröllop”. Grupperna är två intressanta debattforum att studera i syfte att ta reda på vad för typ av dialog som förs liksom gruppmedlemmarnas åsikter kring det kungliga bröllopet såväl som monarkin. Således kommer uppsatsen att fokusera på den medierande offentlighet som skapas i samspel med interaktionen som äger rum på respektive grupp.</p><p> </p><p>Uppsatsens utgår från tre frågeställningar: Förs en kommunikativ dialog i frågan kring <em>för</em> respektive <em>emot</em> det kungliga bröllopet på Facebook? Hur är dialogerna om bröllopet uppbyggda? Vad har medlemmarna för åsikter kring det kungliga bröllopet så väl som monarkin? Genom att fokusera på en för<strong>- </strong>respektive emotgrupps åsikter på Facebook tangerar uppsatsen olika forskningsfält såsom: forskning om det kungliga bröllopet 2010, det Internetbaserade forumet Facebook men även fältet för retorik och medierad offentlighet. Den kvalitativa forskningsmetoden har använts vid studium av grupperna.</p><p> </p><p>Genom att utföra en kvalitativ studie av respektive Facebookgrupp kan man fastställa att det förs en kommunikativ dialog inom grupperna såtillvida att den är ömsesidig och öppenhjärtig mellan de likasinnade medlemmarna. För emotgruppen ”Vägra betala Victorias bröllop!” saknar det kungliga bröllopet och monarkin nationell betydelse. Mina studier av de många inläggen i forumet för gruppen vittnar om att medlemmarna är <em>emot</em> bröllopet och monarkin i sin helhet. Förgruppen ”Våga betala Victoria och Daniels bröllop!” anser däremot att monarkin har en representativ betydelse och att monarkin symboliserar Sverige som nation. Mina studier visar på att medlemmarna är <em>för</em> bröllopet och bevarandet av monarkin, detta blir synligt genom medlemmarnas positiva tillrop och lyckohälsningar till Kronprinsessan i gruppens forum.</p><p> </p><p>Jag har haft hjälp av James Slevins teori kring medierad offentlighet skapad av Internet; en teori som bygger vidare på John B. Thompsons tankar och idéer kring den medierade offentlighet som var gällande i en tid präglad masskommunikation. Till sist kan jag, med stöd i de analyser jag utfört, konstatera att Facebook snarare främjar en Internetbaserad medierad offentlighet grundad i Slevins utveckling av Thompsons teori än en deliberativ medierad offentlighet.</p><p> </p><p>Det har aldrig tidigare publicerats en uppsats eller vetenskaplig publikation som förenar mina studieobjekt och val av teorier. Av tidsbegränsade själ kommer uppsatsen inte att se till historievetenskaplig forskning i analysen av synen på monarkin och kungafamiljen. Heller inte till tidigare forskning om Facebook.</p><p> </p><p>Nyckelord:      Argumentationsanalys, Det kungliga bröllopet, Ethos, Facebook, Facebookgrupper, Internet, Logos, Medierad offentlighet, Pathos, Retorikanalys, ”Våga betala Victoria och Daniels bröllop!”, ”Vägra betala Victorias bröllop!”.<strong> </strong></p>

Syftet med uppsatsen är att utföra en retoriskanalys på de argument som förs bland medlemmarna på Facebookgrupperna ”Vägra betala Victorias bröllop!” respektive ”Våga betala Victoria och Daniels bröllop”. Grupperna är två intressanta debattforum att studera i syfte att ta reda på vad för typ av dialog som förs liksom gruppmedlemmarnas åsikter kring det kungliga bröllopet såväl som monarkin. Således kommer uppsatsen att fokusera på den medierande offentlighet som skapas i samspel med interaktionen som äger rum på respektive grupp.   Uppsatsens utgår från tre frågeställningar: Förs en kommunikativ dialog i frågan kring för respektive emot det kungliga bröllopet på Facebook? Hur är dialogerna om bröllopet uppbyggda? Vad har medlemmarna för åsikter kring det kungliga bröllopet så väl som monarkin? Genom att fokusera på en för- respektive emotgrupps åsikter på Facebook tangerar uppsatsen olika forskningsfält såsom: forskning om det kungliga bröllopet 2010, det Internetbaserade forumet Facebook men även fältet för retorik och medierad offentlighet. Den kvalitativa forskningsmetoden har använts vid studium av grupperna.   Genom att utföra en kvalitativ studie av respektive Facebookgrupp kan man fastställa att det förs en kommunikativ dialog inom grupperna såtillvida att den är ömsesidig och öppenhjärtig mellan de likasinnade medlemmarna. För emotgruppen ”Vägra betala Victorias bröllop!” saknar det kungliga bröllopet och monarkin nationell betydelse. Mina studier av de många inläggen i forumet för gruppen vittnar om att medlemmarna är emot bröllopet och monarkin i sin helhet. Förgruppen ”Våga betala Victoria och Daniels bröllop!” anser däremot att monarkin har en representativ betydelse och att monarkin symboliserar Sverige som nation. Mina studier visar på att medlemmarna är för bröllopet och bevarandet av monarkin, detta blir synligt genom medlemmarnas positiva tillrop och lyckohälsningar till Kronprinsessan i gruppens forum.   Jag har haft hjälp av James Slevins teori kring medierad offentlighet skapad av Internet; en teori som bygger vidare på John B. Thompsons tankar och idéer kring den medierade offentlighet som var gällande i en tid präglad masskommunikation. Till sist kan jag, med stöd i de analyser jag utfört, konstatera att Facebook snarare främjar en Internetbaserad medierad offentlighet grundad i Slevins utveckling av Thompsons teori än en deliberativ medierad offentlighet.   Det har aldrig tidigare publicerats en uppsats eller vetenskaplig publikation som förenar mina studieobjekt och val av teorier. Av tidsbegränsade själ kommer uppsatsen inte att se till historievetenskaplig forskning i analysen av synen på monarkin och kungafamiljen. Heller inte till tidigare forskning om Facebook.   Nyckelord:      Argumentationsanalys, Det kungliga bröllopet, Ethos, Facebook, Facebookgrupper, Internet, Logos, Medierad offentlighet, Pathos, Retorikanalys, ”Våga betala Victoria och Daniels bröllop!”, ”Vägra betala Victorias bröllop!”.

While numerous studies on academic writers composing for non-academic audiences exist, few if any studies address academic writers composing biographies for children. This self-reflective case study of a Eudora Welty biography for children provides insight into how an academic writer can effectively write in a specific genre (biography) for a specific audience (children) and into practical rhetorical choices such as choosing photographs and designing page layouts. The study also offers triangulated data regarding essential criteria of quality children’s literature as identified by experts in the field (editors, publishers, award committee members, scholars, and authors). The author’s findings include sixty-eight of the most often cited criteria, such as accuracy and the use of documented evidence, that serve as guidelines and a means of evaluating biographies written for children.

Dolphins, whales, and sharks are some of the world’s most iconic animals. Yet, many people will only ever see these animals via the media. The media, then, hold significant power in creating, modifying, or reaffirming the imaginaries around various species which, in turn, influences how much concern is given to matters related to their welfare and conservation. Given the environmental and ecological concerns presently facing the ocean, protecting, conserving, and preserving the marine ecosystem is vital, and time is of the essence. Through the work of activists, three specific marine wildlife issues have received a lot of publicity across various forms of mainstream media: the killing of dolphins in Taiji, Japan for their meat; Antarctic whaling; and the practice of shark-finning. Three activist films, namely The Cove (2009), Whale Wars (2008-), and Sharkwater (2006), are centred on these issues, and filmmakers attempt to compel viewers to support the activists’ protectionist cause. In order for this goal to have a chance of coming to fruition, rhetorical arguments must be carefully crafted. Yet, the study of rhetoric in animal-focused activist films is still an understudied research area. This thesis contributes to this area of research by using the aforementioned films as case studies by applying Aristotle’s rhetorical proofs of ethos, pathos, and logos to analyse the rhetorical arguments. Ethos is demonstrable when the activists construct themselves as credible, moral heroes and the animals as possessors of positive traits worth protecting, and the hunters as immoral villains. The graphic imagery of animal death appeals to pathos to stir strong bodily and emotional responses such as sadness, and disgust in order to mobilize audience support for cause. Lastly, these films appeal to logos through the use of culturally authoritative discourses such as those of biology, western conventional medicine, and the legal system. This thesis essentially argues that these texts work rhetorically and discursively to persuade audiences to feel a connection with and sympathy towards the animals; to be supportive of the activists; and to prompt antipathy towards the hunters and industry spokespeople.

Bien que le continuum discursif de l'information télévisée soit marqué par un rituel quotidien, il inscrit les événements dans différents niveaux de profondeur pathémiques. Lors de grandes catastrophes telles que le tsunami d'Asie du Sud-Est de 2004 ou le 11 septembre de 2001, le degré de profondeur atteint semble avoir cristallisé une forme particulière, que le travail de thèse désigne comme information d'urgence, à l'égard de laquelle il s'attache à dessiner les plans conceptuels et définitionnels. Majoritairement manifestée par l'immixtion massive d'images d'amateurs, l'information d'urgence installe des conditions de lecture capables d'élever le pathos à son paroxysme, sur le fond d'une vérité probatoire qui plonge ses racines dans les pratiques sociales/culturelles. Alors qu'ils filtrent la " bonne " réception de l'image, comment les signes de l'imperfectibilité (caractéristiques de ces images) arrivent-ils à renvoyer au monde naturel avec une vérité saisissante ? Comment participent-ils à l'élaboration de la visée pragmatique de l'urgence ? Constituent-ils une autonomie ? En s'appuyant sur un corpus télévisuel de différents pays (France, Portugal et États-Unis), l'exploration des éléments constitutifs de l'information d'urgence guide la réflexion au-delà de la strate sémio-textuelle, vers l'analyse du paradigme communicationnel. En conséquence, s'inscrivant dans une polyphonie sémiotique (autour du verbal, du visuel et des pratiques), cette traversée interrogera les plans d'immanence avant de conduire à une définition stable du syntagme information d'urgence

Bien que le continuum discursif de l’information télévisée soit marqué par un rituel quotidien, il inscrit les événements dans différents niveaux de profondeur pathémiques. Lors de grandes catastrophes telles que le tsunami d’Asie du Sud-Est de 2004 ou le 11 septembre de 2001, le degré de profondeur atteint semble avoir cristallisé une forme particulière, que le travail de thèse désigne comme information d’urgence, à l’égard de laquelle il s’attache à dessiner les plans conceptuels et définitionnels. Majoritairement manifestée par l’immixtion massive d’images d’amateurs, l’information d’urgence installe des conditions de lecture capables d’élever le pathos à son paroxysme, sur le fond d’une vérité probatoire qui plonge ses racines dans les pratiques sociales/culturelles. Alors qu’ils filtrent la « bonne » réception de l’image, comment les signes de l’imperfectibilité (caractéristiques de ces images) arrivent-ils à renvoyer au monde naturel avec une vérité saisissante ? Comment participent-ils à l’élaboration de la visée pragmatique de l’urgence ? Constituent-ils une autonomie ? En s’appuyant sur un corpus télévisuel de différents pays (France, Portugal et États-Unis), l’exploration des éléments constitutifs de l’information d’urgence guide la réflexion au-delà de la strate sémio-textuelle, vers l’analyse du paradigme communicationnel. En conséquence, s’inscrivant dans une polyphonie sémiotique (autour du verbal, du visuel et des pratiques), cette traversée interrogera les plans d’immanence avant de conduire à une définition stable du syntagme information d’urgence / Despite being a discursive continuum, broadcasted news is marked by daily ritual; it inscribes events into various pathemic depth levels. When catastrophes such as the 2004 South-Asian tsunami or the 9/11 attacks of 2001 occur, the depth level that is reached seems to crystallize into a specific form. My thesis work has led me to conceptualize this particular form as “emergency news” (information d’urgence) and the research aims at defining its conceptual and constitutive traits.“Emergency news” is mainly characterized by a significant amount of amateur images, intermingled with standard professional images. “Emergency news” thus sets up interpretation/reception conditions which in turn are able to heighten pathos to its maximum, within a background frame consisting of a proven truth rooted into social and cultural practices. When signs of imperfection —which are characteristic of amateur images— filter the “right” image reception, how can they reflect the natural world in a strikingly realistic way? How do they contribute to the pragmatic aims of urgency and emergency? Do they work in an autonomous manner? Based on a corpus composed of broadcasted images and news reports from three different countries (France, Portugal and the United States), the exploration of the various elements constitutive of “emergency news” guides the reflexion beyond the semio-textual strata, toward the analysis of the communicational paradigm. Thus, with its inscription in semiotic polyphony (revolving around the visual, the verbal and practices), this journey will question planes of immanence before leading to a stable definition of the “emergency news” syntagm

Text in English / Advertising is a genre of mass media communication which unearths the exceptional qualities of products and services in a persuasive fashion. It is also a form of marketing communication through which business organizations inform the general public about new or improved commercial endeavors. Advertising in modern time comprises varied component parts (visual imagery, graphic and color designs, print and auditory techniques.); however, language plays an indispensable role in the transmission of the message. Language has an immense influence on human beings and the way they behave. The language of advertising influences the reasoning, thinking, feeling and the general attitude of the audience. Copywriters, like poets, choose their words carefully in order to achieve a particular rhetorical effect. They use language in such a way that they attract attention, arouse interest or desire and create need. Language forms an integral part of advertisements. The current study focused on persuasive elements in the English employed in advertisements in newspapers in Ghana. The study investigated the extent to which Aristotle’s three artistic proofs (logos, pathos and ethos), figures of speech and grammatical elements in the English of advertisements in the Ghanaian newspapers were employed by copywriters for persuasive effect. The current study was underpinned by three theories, namely, Aristotle’s Rhetorical Theory, Conventional Figurative Language Theory and the Standard Theory of Generative Grammar. These theories lent support to the three thematic trends of the study. The qualitative research design was employed given the interpretive nature of the analysis of the corpus. The current study did not involve human subjects as data sources because the corpus was from written documents. The purposive sampling method was employed owing to the subjective nature of the process of data collection. The qualitative content analysis approach was adopted as the analytical framework for the study. This made it possible for the coding of categories of the textual data based on the themes, patterns and trends that emerged. The findings of the research revealed that copywriters in the Ghanaian newspapers employed Aristotle’s three artistic proofs, figures of speech and grammatical elements in the English of advertisements for persuasive effect. / Linguistics and Modern Languages

Using the Aristotelian concept of artistic proof, this thesis analyzes nine televised speeches presented by President Reagan from February 1981 through April 1983. Reagan skillfully utilizes only two modes of rhetorical proof--ethos and pathos. However, his lack of logical proof has not lessened his effectiveness. This study reveals several reasons for Reagan's rhetorical effectiveness and success. For example, Reagan's strong ethical image and personality comfort his audience and encourage their trust. His weaknesses in logical argument are overlooked by his audience because of his high personal appeal. Furthermore, Reagan's use of pathos appeals makes Americans feel good about themselves and their country, helping him to maintain his popularity. Finally, Reagan's skillful use of the television medium has increased his effectiveness.

There have always been rogues who dared to go against the traditional "intellectual" writing style of science and academia, a style that seems bent on transcending the "merely personal." Those who take this risk are embracing the rhetorical tradition of pathos, one that goes as far back as Aristotle. Current academic trends support a genre devoid of pathos and lacking true ethos—a deviation from classic rhetoric, and one that supports the Cartesian split of mind-body dualism. Neurological studies done by Antonio Damasio and others suggest that a holistic view is a more accurate picture of how a human soul functions. Philosophy and psychology support this same perspective, proving that the opposite of logic is not emotion: the opposite of logic is illogic. By the same token, there are two types of emotion: reasonable emotion and unreasonable emotion, one good, the other bad. There are dangers when emotion is left on its own, but there are equal dangers when logic is left on its own; so it is crucial that the two be united. Changing the academic super-genre and inviting pathos back will require writers to pursue, to an extent, divergent thinking.