Medhurst (2001) outlines three moments in the state of public address and rhetorical criticism. He begins with Black's Rhetorical Criticism then moves chronologically through the present, ending with recommendations for future study.
1. Renewal
Medhurst (2001) calls the period following Black's book in 1965 through 1980 "renewal." (A) This time period is marked by disciplinary self-reflexivity, as critics work to identify systems of public discourse. (B) This time period is also marked by an increasingly open definition of public discourse including media forms. (C) Social movements of the period also led critics to study issues of oppression.
2. Recovery
The period of recovery, which Medhurst (2001) defines as 1980 through 2000, is marked by its dedication to "public affairs." Medhurst (2001) argues that this period recovers its focus on the broad field of politics. This time period also saw a shift from scholarly articles to book length research projects.
3. Reconfiguration
Medhurst's (2001) vision for the future of rhetoric is largely focused on training new scholars. He argues that scholarly training should prepare graduate students to take up a particular area of expertise. Medhurst (2001) largely emphasizes historical forms, and argues that large studies should be taken up involving teams of researchers. Scholars should remember that we are producers, not just critics, of social texts.
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