Who Says?: Working-Class Rhetoric, Class Consciousness, and Community

by William DeGenaro (editor)

In Who Says?, scholars of rhetoric, composition, and communications seek to revise the elitist “rhetorical tradition” by analyzing diverse topics such as settlement house movements and hip-hop culture to uncover how communities use discourse to construct working-class identity. The contributors examine the language of workers at a concrete pour, depictions of long-haul truckers, a comic book series published by the CIO, the transgressive “fat” bodies of Roseanne and Anna Nicole Smith, and even reality television to provide rich insights into working-class rhetorics. The chapters identify working-class tropes and discursive strategies, and connect working-class identity to issues of race, gender, and sexuality. Using a variety of approaches including ethnography, research in historic archives, and analysis of case studies, Who Says? assembles an original and comprehensive collection that is accessible to both students and scholars of class studies and rhetoric.

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2007

Reviews

[Bruce Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some strong chapters, a few weaker ones. Not enough discussion of what working class rhetorics actually look like, and in some cases, the discussion was generalized nationally, instead of addressing local rhetoric. Useful bibliographies. Strong use of ethnographic study, which I respect.