| Kommentar |
Language is power - and hardly any person’s public communication receives more attention than that of the American President. This seminar will take you through the history of the United States alongside selected presidential rhetoric from the founding of the nation to the present, from George Washington to Barack Obama. From major speeches such as the Inaugural Address or the State of the Union to campaign discourses or impromptu reactions, this seminar will cover a wide range of presidential oratory in various forms, genres, and media. Different theoretical and methodological approaches will be applied to the study of presidential texts, and short introductory lectures will provide the context of time and occasion. Investigating the vast array of themes and strategies that characterize the Presidents’ speech, including key cultural concepts or issues of race, ethnicity and belonging, shall help us understand the pivotal role the “communicator in chief” has played in shaping and reflecting the American self-image. A reader containing the relevant course material will be available from the copy shop Reckhammerweg at the beginning of the semester. |
