Discouraging discourse: Mommy War rhetoric in the digital age
Date
Authors
Major Professor
Advisor
Committee Member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Altmetrics
Authors
Research Projects
Organizational Units
The Department of English seeks to provide all university students with the skills of effective communication and critical thinking, as well as imparting knowledge of literature, creative writing, linguistics, speech and technical communication to students within and outside of the department.
History
The Department of English and Speech was formed in 1939 from the merger of the Department of English and the Department of Public Speaking. In 1971 its name changed to the Department of English.
Dates of Existence
1939-present
Historical Names
- Department of English and Speech (1939-1971)
Related Units
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (parent college)
- Department of English (predecessor, 1898-1939)
- Department of Public Speaking (predecessor, 1898-1939)
Journal Issue
Is Version Of
Versions
Series
Department
Abstract
While Mommy War rhetoric provides the foundation for a discourse in the mothering community, its explosive power is best examined in a medium where women, often times new moms, feel safe expressing their concerns, desires, and needs: the mommy blog. In many senses, the mommy blog is perfect venue for the mother to build community among like-minded people while gathering the advice, support, and resources necessary to conquer the arduous task of mothering. However, the community that mothers expect to find in the mommy blog is often replaced with hostile or uncivil discourse between bloggers and their readers. Specifically, this thesis will address how and why this happens by examining how Aristotle's canons of invention and style influence each other and the ways a blogger and her audience interact with each other by closely examining the mommy blogs Dooce, a single author blog written to an audience that does not allow anonymous comments, and Café Mom at The Stir, a multiple-author blogger site composed for an audience that does allow anonymous comments.