Rhetorical Theory: Ideological Criticism Essay

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Introduction

Rhetorical criticism is an approach to critical analysis that seeks to understand how symbols act on people or how symbolic artifacts, situated oratory, and literary texts persuade their audience. In the very light of rhetorical analysis, we have ideological criticism whose main goal is discovering and making visible the principal ideologies implanted in an artifact and the ideologies being silenced in it. Therefore it is concerned with critiquing the dominant ideology they express and at the same time silencing any opposing or contrary ideologies. This ensures that how symbolic artifacts and literary texts interact with their audience is well appreciated and therefore can be improved further.

We will look at the theory of ideological criticism but restricting ourselves to Prof. Sonja K. Foss’ approach. According to chapter eight of the book, we find the different features of the ideological school of thought.

Discussion

The theory of ideological criticism, as argued by Foss, encapsulates the use of ideographs as the main unit of analysis. The ideograph itself is just a symbol that represents an ideological concept and may be positive or negative. The best meaning applicable to a particular ideograph depends on the environmental setting of the origin in which it was used. Therefore, ideographs need to be examined overtime to make sure that they are applied correctly and that changes in meaning are taken into account because if that is not done, an obsolete meaning could be used where it is not supposed to. Forming the main features of the ideological criticism process are several steps that Foss pinpoints lay on the way of anyone who wants to succeed.

First and foremost, one must formulate a research question and select an artifact, after which he selects a unit of analysis. The third task would be to analyze the artifact. According to Foss, analyzing the artifact involves identifying the ideology in the artifact, scrutinizing the interests it serves and uncovering the approach used in the artifact to promote the ideology. Finally, writing the critical essay forms the pinnacle of this appreciation.

It is worth mentioning that ideological criticism borrows a lot from various schools of thought, which constitute when putting together, the ideological criticism school of thought. These include cultural studies, which of course helps in identifying the changes that take place to the meaning and application of various ideographs. For example, if we say “slavery”, these days it will not mean the same thing as the early fifteenth century period.

Secondly, structuralism contributes since it is concerned with various theories across the humanities and social sciences, many of which share the assumption that structural relationships between concepts vary between different cultures/languages and that these relationships can be usefully exposed and explored. Lastly, postmodernism, which refers to the developments in the society we live in and the transitional changes that accompany it. These transitions also lead to changing meaning and application of the ideographs.

Reference

Sonja K. F. 3rd ed. ‘Ideological Criticism.’ Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice. Waveland Press. (2004).

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