CALL FOR PAPERS

The Seventh Biennial Symposium of the Association for Rhetoric and Communication in Southern Africa

Cape Town, South Africa
21-23 June 2007

The Development of Rhetoric

>From 21st to the 23rd of June 2007, the Association for Rhetoric and Communication in Southern Africa will host its Seventh Biennial Symposium in Cape Town, South Africa.

The question of development looms large in South and Southern Africa. In many senses, the question is a rhetorical question. Now firmly within its second decade of democracy, South African political discourse features significant discussion and substantial controversy over how to best relieve poverty, build infrastructure, redistribute land and create the local, regional, and international economic opportunities that many claim are necessary to realizing the promise of liberation. Watchful and wary of events in Zimbabwe, and buoyed by recent developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the countries of Southern Africa and the international community are engaged in an ongoing debate over how to balance the work of reconciliation and reconstruction, a balance that bears directly on the potential for nation-building, the growth of civil society, the well being of both citizens, and the power of democratic institutions.

Inside and outside of Africa, how might we better understand rhetoric’s theoretical and practical contribution to economic, political and cultural development? Does this work shed specific light on the materiality or the material elements of rhetoric? As an art of public life, how does rhetoric create or contribute to development opportunities and initiatives? Alternatively, are there ways in which rhetoric has avoided or compromised the work of development? What are the rhetorical features and functions of development discourse? Can rhetorical inquiry offer insight into the dilemmas and controversies that are embedded in local, national, global and cosmopolitan discourses of socio-economic and political development? At a disciplinary level, what is the future of rhetoric’s own development, particularly as it struggles with the diversity of its own tradition and seeks to engage with other intellectual and academic constellations? How might the systematic study of rhetori!
 c be promoted and integrated into secondary and tertiary curriculum?

As they fall under the broad theme of 'The Development of Rhetoric', the Association for Rhetoric and Communication in Southern Africa invites papers and paper proposals that reflect on these and related questions. Proposed submissions may take the form of full papers, one-page paper abstracts, or proposals for panels that provide both the rationale for the panel and abstracts for each of the papers to be presented.

Proposals must be received by 31 January 2006. If possible, please send queries and proposals by email to Erik Doxtader at: <arcsamail_at_gmail.com>. By post, send proposals to:

Erik Doxtader
Department of Communication Arts
6110 Vilas Hall
821 University Avenue
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI 53706-1497 USA

         ==========================================================
              From the Literary Calls for Papers Mailing List
                        CFP_at_english.upenn.edu
                         Full Information at
                     http://cfp.english.upenn.edu
         or write Jennifer Higginbotham: higginbj_at_english.upenn.edu
         ==========================================================
Received on Sat Dec 09 2006 - 17:46:34 EST