Rhetorical Practices, Activities, and Spaces
Definition of Rhetoric: language that is intended to influence people and that may not be honest or reasonable / the art or skill of speaking or writing formally and effectively especially as a way to persuade or influence people. Rhetoric Definition
Katie DeLuca states that rhetorical activities are anything that truly matters to the individual and to his or her own community. This idea of a “digital citizen” is key in understanding rhetorical activities and practices because they are the ones who participate in communities and conversations that matter to him/her distinctly. She distinguishes between civic engagement through politics and states this differs from online activity because it alters the conception of civic and political engagement. She highlights that those who have access to technologies and those of whom are situated within environments with that access allow for opportunities of civic participation. DeLuca correlates the concept of rhetorical activities through the participation in the Pinterest sphere. “The activities that take place themselves are performances of gender, language and interactions among users.” Rhetorical activities in online spaces generate discussion about cyberfeminism, as she relates this article to activities and interactions on Pinterest that are seen as a form of digital civic engagement which spark an interest in this discussion of cyberfeminism. These interactions on pinterest might be mundane, but they engage self-representation, identity, and gender. All of which are represented as rhetorical activities and spaces.
Rhetorical spaces are communities that are composed and created in online spaces to engage and interact with others who are interested in the same subjects or topics as oneself.
Rhetorical practices are any activities done on social media sites from sharing to liking content. These practices are frequent and might seem unimportant or mundane, but they are interactions that create a public rhetoric which in turn have an impact on society (even in the slightest way). Rhetorical practices are a way to establish your online self and create a digital presence. The individual is engaging with another through a simple interaction. Individuals are incorporating these practices to “reflect upon what they felt to be best practices for the community members to engage...These users’ civic engagements in the space demonstrated complex public rhetorics that point to the potential significance of their interactions and negotiations in the space.” (pg. 20).
Works Cited
DeLuca, Katherine. "“Can We Block These Political Thingys? I Just Want to Get F*cking Recipes”: Women, Rhetoric, and Politics on Pinterest." N.p., 2014. Web. 29 Feb. 2016. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhetoric
