Defense Date

11-9-2012

Graduation Date

Fall 2012

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

Communication and Rhetorical Studies

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Calvin Troup

Committee Member

Janie Harden-Fritz

Committee Member

Richard Thames

Committee Member

Ronald Arnett

Keywords

Catholic Liberal Arts education, Integrated Marketing Communication, John Henry Newman, New rhetoric, Theory of language. Theory of metaphor

Abstract

This project interprets how John Henry Newman's (1801-1890) system of thought informs the philosophical and theoretical grounds for rhetorical praxis in the marketplace. His seminal lessons in "An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent"(1870) and "The Idea of a University" (1873 ed.) demonstrate the metaphoric power of words with regard for diverse modes of epistemology. Newman's scholarship on the unifying role of imagery grounds his theory of language on three claims: a holistic engagement of knowledge, communicable notions, and formative praxis. These essential principles correspond with fostering identity and promoting a public good. Specifically, Newman's philosophical perspective and rhetorical strategies apply to critical marketing issues related to branding Catholic liberal arts education by advancing current trends in integrated marketing communication.

The first chapter discusses how Newman's philosophy of communication responds to the work of his intellectual predecessors spanning classical to new rhetoric. This broad epistemological point of view substantiates the central coordinates for his rhetorical theory based upon the philosophies of history, life, and knowledge. Newman's heuristic perspective substantiates this project's interpretation of his theory of language as a model for applying new rhetorical strategies to educational systems. In Chapter two, a historical review of 19th century England and the Oxford Movement characterizes the cultural, political climate of Newman's day. This chapter identifies diverse philosophical schools of thought in order to understand Newman's commitments to new rhetoric within the context of liberal education. Chapters three, four, and five develop the subject matter of metaphor while framing key communication concepts. These sections discuss Newman's philosophical foundations and rhetorical practice for communicating figurative language to promote unification amidst diversity. The central terms and core components of his work are interpreted as underpinning the identity of a Catholic liberal arts university. The final chapter suggests how Newman's theory of language informs the dominant discourse and modern trends in scholarship relevant to integrated marketing communication. It applies Newman's model to challenge contemporary branding issues concerning the rhetoric of twenty-first century educational systems.

Format

PDF

Language

English

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