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Module 1: Rhetoric

  • Page ID
    246984
    • Victoria Newsom and Desiree Ann Montenegro
    • Olympic College and Cerritos College

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    This module is a content module about Rhetoric as a concept in Communication Studies.

    Rhetoric is a concept that goes back to ancient times, and is generally understood as the means of persuasion and putting together good arguments. Rhetoric is at the core of all studies of communication, and is focused in studies of public speech and public communication. Rhetoric is a foundation for both professional communication and for academic communication studies. Therefore, it is a key element of any basic communications course in both academic transfer units and professional-technical programs.

    Statues of Socrates and the goddess Athena in front of a blue sky.
    "Σωκράτης και Αθηνά: Socrates and Athena" by Dunk is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

    Completing the Module

    • This module contains 4 required reading content pages on the history of Rhetoric in Communication Studies.
    • There is a quiz.
    • There is an application activity.
    • There is a blog activity.

    Module Outcomes

    1. Describe the history of Rhetoric and Communication Studies.
    2. Describe why public speech and public communication works the way it does today.
    3. Describe the significance of rhetorical theory and practice in modern public speech.
    4. Articulate the liberal arts core of communication studies.
    5. Apply understanding of the role of public speech in political, social, and cultural applications.


    This page titled Module 1: Rhetoric is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Victoria Newsom and Desiree Ann Montenegro via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.