Taking a Deep Breadth: The Rhetorical Construction of Solidarity in the American Labor Movement

<p>This dissertation explores the rhetorical fragments in three case studies of the American Labor Movement constituting movement members in solidarity. Using Kenneth Burke's discussion of rhetorical substance, this project explores the possibilities for developing deep and broad forms of solidarity within the American Labor Movement. Rhetorical fragments of the Industrial Workers of the World, the United Farm Workers, and contingent faculty unionization efforts are explored.</p> <p>I argue Burke's ideas of substance and identification provide a powerful lens through which we can examine the solidary practices of social movements. Through the examination of the case studies mentioned, I demonstrate that solidarity was constructed using different points of identification for workers involved in the movement. These points of identification sometimes worked to the benefit and sometimes to the detriment of the movements described.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Year dc:date.available

2011

Author dc:creator

• O'Shannon Murphy, William

Contributors dc:contributor

• Christina R. Foust, Ph.D.
• Bernadette Calafell
• Daniel J. Lair

• Burke
• Critical
• Industrial Workers of the World
• Labor
• Rhetoric
• United Farm Workers
• Communication
• Labor History
• Labor Relations
• Public Relations and Advertising

Statement dc:rights

• <p>Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.</p>

Language dc:language

en

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/464

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.du.edu:etd-1463