Featured Course:
Activist Rhetorics AP/WRIT 4000
3.0 credits
Next offering: Winter 2023
Learn the language of social change. Make a difference through your writing.
From celebrity social media posts about racial injustice to climate change slogans on our coffee cups, the language of activism is all around us. How are these messages crafted and... do they work?
Activism goes beyond the important work of protests and demonstrations. It takes places in public speech, social media, visual and audio art, icons and symbols, and more. In Activist Rhetorics, we will explore the messaging of both traditional and contemporary activist strategies and tactics.
Topics include digital activism, brand activism, writing advocacy strategy plans, and more!
Learn the language of social change and make a difference through your writing.
Learn activist rhetorics through creative assignments
- Create a digital activist zine
- Develop an advocacy plan for an organization
- Analyze the social action strategies of a corporate brand
- Profile a local activist organization and their advocacy efforts
Meet the Professor
I'm Dr. Laura Allen, an Assistant Professor in the Writing Department. I love teaching Activist Rhetorics because it centres our focus on power at the intersections of professional writing, digital media, and community literacy.
I have a PhD in English from the Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy program at The Ohio State University. My current research project explores the role of digital and professional writing in the planning and sustaining of Black Family Reunions.
Check out the Writing Department's suite of amazing courses. The Writing Department's faculty is committed to your development as an effective writer.