Scholars in rhetoric and composition have, in recent years, examined how publics, counterpublics, and public writing function in everyday spaces and places, as expression, argument, and resistance (Warner; Rivers and Weber; Rice; Coogan; Weisser). In response to world-wide events and political changes, networks – informal and formal – use the public sphere to communicate dissensus and resistance, making visible the rhetoric of counter/publics in tension with larger publics. Although some individuals are intentionally members of counter/publics, others are unaware of their position within these networks.
According to Jenny Rice, “. . . becoming oriented to the public sphere is never simply a matter of joining publics or counterpublics. Whether or not we know it, we are already a part of multiple networks” (164). What constitutes a public and a counterpublic also continues to shift, especially in an increasingly digitized world. Still, issues of public identity, ideology, and influence persist, regardless of the location of the public – material, or virtual. As these identities, ideologies, and influences are becoming more fragmented and divided, we wonder how rhetorics can encourage collaboration and consensus among varying counter/publics.
Carolina Rhetoric Conference 2018 asks how rhetorics are employed to participate, engage, and even challenge publics. We are interested in the ways in which counter/publics use rhetorics to enact agendas and facilitate action through collaboration and dissent; included, but not limited to queer/ing publics, disability and difference, digital and material participative spaces, pedagogical applications, and community-based writing.
As the conference chair, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the many, many people who helped organize the conference this year. Thanks to the Review/Theme Committee, the Food/Venue Committee, the Funding Committee, the Design Committee, and the Guest Speaker Committee for all their tireless efforts to make this conference a special event.
The conference would not have been a success without the inspiration and support of Victor Vitanza, Jan Rune Holmevik, Cynthia Haynes, David Blakesley, and Steve Katz. A special thanks to David donating Parlor Press books to all attendees, as well as to Cynthia, for her insightful and moving keynote address.
Finally, I would like to thank all those who attended Carolina Rhetoric Conference 2018. Without their participation, this conference could not be possible.
Hosted by:
-Rhetoric Society of America Student Chapter at Clemson University
-Society of the Third Sophistic
Sponsored by:
-College of Arts, Architecture, and Humanities
-Campbell Chair in Technical Communication
-Parlor Press
-Rhetoric Society of America
-Center of Excellence
-Pearce Center for Professional Communication
-Office of Global Engagement