Reading Ideology in Discourse: A History, Theory, and Case Study

The author argues that in the field of modern American rhetorical criticism the concept of ideology and the practice of ideologiekritik have been repressed subjects, the focus of a persistent strategy of containment. Rhetorical criticism has repeatedly flirted with the domain of ideologiekritik, but some concept other than ideology has invariably been offered as an analytical substitute; e.g., values, ideas, symbolic systems, etc. However, such concepts do not carry the critical thrust of ideology. Lost in the translation of ideology into the philosophy of myth, fantasy themes, etc., is the critical perception of the forces of power and domination and the means through which they are instituted in the social system. This is a significant feature of the concept of ideology, a term whose articulation immediately signifies relations to knowledge, power and domination. The critical work performed by this concept--identifying relations of power inscribed in discourse, their operation and impact on consciousness, action, and social order--either does not get done in rhetorical criticism, or is re-cast in terms which obscure the concrete, real struggles taking place between human beings at the level of cultural practice.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Speech Communication

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Pryor, Robert Herbert

Contributors dc:contributor

• Grossberg, Lawrence

• Journalism
• Speech Communication

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8815406

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/77299