Sounds of fury: The rhetoric of Doomspeak.

Abstract

Doomspeak is loosely defined as any type of censorious discourse whose purpose is based upon the acquisition and maintenance of a semblance of credibility through rhetorical strategies that attempt to stonewall fruitful dialogue on issues. The focus of these discussions is the contemporary critique being directed at education, teachers, and institutions of higher learning. This text examines the "Doomspeak Matrix"--the rhetorical, historical, and socio-political dimensions of the phenomena--in an attempt to establish the parameters that help to create a tradition of educational critique. To help illuminate how the tradition manifests itself today in the virulent discussions that characterize much of the criticism brought to bear on academia, the dissertation analyzes the rhetorical techniques of Doomspeak that emanates from popular forums, and the response promulgated through more academic or professional founts. In these discussions, the emphasis is on illustrating how the discussions doom any attempts at reform because of the characteristic back-biting and in-fighting that they manifest. The discussions conclude with some considerations of how teachers might turn some of these discussions into positive classroom forces.