Whitman Rhetoric and Film Studies

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Rhetoric, Film Studies and the Liberal Arts Page

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Whitman's Rhetoric and Film Studies department is a vital and integrated intellectual enterprise essential to the mission of the College. Whitman College’s Mission Statement suggests that liberal education seeks to help "students develop capacities to analyze, interpret, criticize, communicate, and engage" (Whitman College Catalog 2006-07, p. 5). Important, if not central, to these capacities is the ability of our students to analyze critically the messages with which they come into contact everyday and to respond with effective, clear and thoughtful communication. The study of rhetoric, nearly continuous over 2500 years, has always been central to the objectives of a liberal arts curriculum. Extending that study to film, television, protests, e-mail, and all forms of discourse has advanced our study into the 21^st century. The philosophies of both the College and the Rhetoric and Film Studies Department’s objectives are quite consistent. The use of communication in speech, writing, and in film is a unique characteristic of humans as a symbol using being; rhetoric is the dynamic by which all of the important institutions of our society operate; film is one of the most critical modes of contemporary communication; public address is used to debate public policy and to resolve problems we face everyday; and it is through communication that humans come to know and understand their world. The study of rhetoric and film studies in our department is designed not to just teach students how to give speeches and to produce films although we do offer courses in public speaking, forensics, and film production. Students completing a major in RFS will demonstrate an understanding of the histories, technologies, and social and cultural contexts of a range of contemporary forms, including speech, print, film, and other media, which will ultimately result in their being able to speak eloquently and write persuasively about the rhetorical aspects of a wide range of media. As such, our department pursues a broader, liberal arts approach to rhetoric and film studies that seeks to give students: 1. an understanding of reasoning so that they can analyze arguments presented in speeches, films, etc. 2. interpretative tools to offer insight on rhetoric and film in society 3. methods of evaluation so that students can critique film and all forms of communication 4. skills for effective communication and film production 5. the knowledge to engage in discussion about the role of rhetoric and film in politics, the law, and the larger community. In short, we seek to offer students a deep understanding of a central aspect of the entire liberal arts curriculum: the use of communication in film, speech, writing, art, and all forms of rhetoric.

Ross Richendrfer (above) and Matt Schissler were RFS Honors majors. Ross wrote his thesis on the use of Foucault’s confessional in The Catcher and the Rye. Matt wrote his thesis on contemporary offensive humor such as Sarah Silverman, South Park, and Carlos Mencia. Together, the two worked on a Perry Scholarship with Jim Hanson examining the First Amendment and Fighting Words, words that provoke violence, threaten, harass, and inflict injury.

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Questions should be directed to Jim Hanson at hansonjb@whitman.edu