David E. Procter

The dynamic spectacle: Transforming experience into social forms of community

Inherent in the rhetorical tradition of symbolic form is the search for the rhetorical processes which convert experience into the social forms of community. Fusing Robert Scotts notion of rhetoric as dynamic with the rhetorical concept of “spectacle,” this essay explores “the dynamic spectacle” as a rhetorical document of community building. Black Americas struggle for identity in White America is offered as a case study.

Form and variations in negative political advertising

Using a sample of 99 political advertisements from 1990 statewide and federal elections, a content analysis was employed to test whether negative political advertisements exhibited a normative style. Results indicated that negative political advertisements were remarkably similar in substance and style, indicating a normative advertising form. The authors suggest that negative advertisements are used more to “blunt” an opponents chance of winning the election than to promote the sponsoring candidates own images or characteristics with their constituency.

Gender/Issue Interaction in Political Identity Making: Nebraska's Woman vs. Woman Gubernatorial Campaign.

An emerging area of communication study is the process by which women seeking elective office construct their political identity. This essay engages that literature examining the historic 1986 Nebraska gubernatorial race as a case study. Two interrelated findings emerged from the study including: (1) gender perceptions were a factor even in this “genderless” election, and (2) each candidates political identity was constructed through the interaction of gender characteristics and candidate issue positions.

Bridging social change through mythic regeneration

As social conditions change, a communitys symbolism must likewise shift to account for that change within the central image of the culture. Mythic speech is one form of rhetoric which works to sustain a cultural persona in times of social evolution. National myths are regenerated during social change so that they sustain the ethos of a nation, yet evolve to encompass the changing social conditions. This essay explores the rhetorical process of mythic regeneration. The final years of the nineteenth century provide the moment of cultural upheaval, while Russell Conwells “Acres of Diamonds” provides the mythic exemplar for rhetorical analysis.

BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH STRATEGIC PLANNING: A CASE STUDY OF McPHERSON COUNTY, KANSAS

As citizens in McPherson County, Kansas, engaged in strategic planning to position themselves economically for the future, they also worked to build community. Data were collected during seven months of strategic planning. Two visions of community emerged during the strategic planning sessions. One group of citizens articulated community as the entire county while another group constructed community as individual towns and population groups within the county. Ultimately, the county-wide view of community dominated the strategic planning discussions. Conclusions are offered to explain this outcome and implications are provided for community development.

Placing Lincoln and Mitchell counties: A cultural study

This essay represents a cultural study of two counties in rural Kansas. Data were collected ethnographically from participant observation during strategic planning meetings and follow‐up field research over the course of three years. This essay argues that through the symbolic construction of place, the boundaries of this rural culture emerge. The physical locale, the local way of life, the socio/political order, and the rhetorical character of this culture are revealed by the interplay of the symbolic and material landscape. The strengths and weaknesses of this culture are examined. Conclusions regarding the connection of place to culture are discussed.

A case study of independent grocers in the U.S. rural Midwest

ABSTRACT Grocery stores in rural, small towns serve as critical access points to healthful foods for their community residents. Yet many struggle to stay in business. In this paper, opportunities and strategies are identified for rural grocery stores through a case study of five locally owned stores in the U.S. rural Midwest. Store information, including prices for market basket items, was collected, and a survey of county residents where stores were located was supplemented with county-level information. Findings reiterate the importance of these rural grocery stores and encourage store owners/managers to continue promoting their relative strengths, to review pricing strategies, and to seek ways for differentiation.