Foss,+Sonja+and+Cindy+Griffen.++Beyond+Persuasion..+A+Proposal+for+an+Invitational+Rhetoric

//Purpose of Rhetoric//: Has always before been seen as method to persuade, but Foss and Griffen argue that there may be an “invitational rhetoric” that does not seek to persuade but merely open a space in which new ideas are possible. //Key Terms:// Types of Rhetoric – Conquest, Conversion, Advisory, and Invitation (3 of which deal with persuasion to a different degree, and invitational);re-sourcement; conditions for change //Quick Summary:// Foss and Griffen lay out four different types of rhetoric, but suggest that the first three are all concerned with the act of persuasion. They want to consider how rhetoric might be used without the intent to persuade (key word is “intent”). This is influenced heavily by Sally Miller Gearheart’s assertions that any intentional attempt to persuade another person is inherently an act of violence upon that person (which she argues through a persuasive essay). Foss and Griffen describe several scenarios which might count as invitational rhetoric, such as a large group all wearing the same color on a particular day to represent their beliefs, or introducing re-sourcement (suggesting an alternate way of thinking about an issue). The key here is that invitational rhetoric is only attempting to open a space where people may adopt new ideas, but not actually intending to persuade your audience. //Response:// I find this article problematic, as I found the Gearheart article that this is based upon. To label any intent to persuade an act of violence seems unproductive to me, as it immediately disregards any argument that includes that intent. Not to mention the fact that it could easily be argued that all Foss and Griffen’s examples are inherently include an intent to persuade. By wearing a purple shirt to show my support for feminism, I am immediately creating a sense of insiders and outsiders (those wearing purple and those not) – a tactic to encourage others to become insiders with me whether through guilt or sheer number. Furthermore, it is especially problematic to base a theory of rhetoric on the author’s //intent//, rather than the actual function of the rhetoric. Many a horrible argument had an honorable intent behind them.
 * Foss, Sonja and Cindy Griffen. “Beyond Persuasion: A Proposal for an Invitational Rhetoric.” Nov. 1993, Miami FL. (need rest of the citation info)**