Oh no!! It's Pomo : a case for postmodern discourse

UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Matthew N. Gardner (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/
Advisor
John Clifford

Abstract: The rhetoric of postmodernism is dense, difficult, and widely interpreted. It is this abrasive and ambiguous nature that has often led to many of postmodern discourse’s more beneficial aspects being either overlooked or disregarded. In this thesis, I have clarified some of the discourse’s more complex aspects, addressed its opponents, and highlighted its strongest points, and in doing this, I have shown the various uses for postmodern rhetoric as per practical application. Citing both postmodern and modern scholars, I have argued, ultimately, for postmodern rhetoric’s implementation and fusion with the modernist rhetoric that so dominates our Western democratic sphere. I have chosen to examine two specific areas that I believe to be the most formative and influential in constructing our ideas of what it means to be a thoughtful, productive American citizen: education and public administration. I specifically analyze the pedagogical “tools” postmodern discourse has to offer and argue for its inclusion and implementation, not only in the University classroom, but also in classrooms all across America, to students of all ages and educational levels. In the chapter on postmodern politics, I maintain that our public administrators, policy-makers, and politicians all would benefit greatly by acknowledging and understanding the rhetoric of postmodernism and incorporating it into our contemporary political sphere.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters of Arts
Language: English
Date: 2009
Keywords
Postmodernism (Literature), Social norms in literature
Subjects
Postmodernism (Literature)
Social norms in literature

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