Date of Award
11-16-2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Communication Studies, MA
First Advisor
Scott Anderson
Committee Members
Marceline Hayes; Sarah Scott
Call Number
LD 251 .A566t 2021 R55
Abstract
The focus of this thesis is to understand the ways public figures discuss 9/11, religious, or racial controversy to sustain or modify national identity and the legacy it holds in American society. By examining artifacts from three well-known political figures, 43rd President George W. Bush, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and 44th President Barack Obama, I argue that politicians utilize elements of Kenneth Burke’s (1950) theory of identification and division to negotiate shared identities amongst Americans in times of heightened religious and racial controversy. Presidents and political leaders have the authority to shape and create how events, people, and objects are remembered within American culture. The rhetorical strategies in response to 9/11 shaped the narrative that is preserved within national public memory and established a precedent for discourse surrounding the tragedy, which subsequently constructed a foundation for consistent othering of Islam in the decades after the attacks.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Riley, Emily Dawn, "“Othering” and Religion: Political Discourse of 9/11" (2021). Student Theses and Dissertations. 289.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/289
Included in
Political History Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons, Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons, United States History Commons
