Blog 3

This week, I decided to concentrate on Foss & Griffins' Invitational Rhetoric reading since I was curious about how they explained this sort of rhetoric. Depending on the situation, I believe this rhetoric can be effective. The article "Uncivil Tongues: Invitational Rhetoric and the Problem of Inequality" by Nina Lozano and Dana Cloud outlines the ethical dilemma of persuasive rhetoric and how it affects feminist research. The writers convey this ethical predicament to their readers in this article, as well as illustrations of how inviting rhetoric differs from persuasion. The lecture does solidify some of the problems that invitational rhetoric can have in non-academic settings. Lozano and Cloud talk about real-world agents when "the model assumes a common interest between the oppressor and the oppressed, when in fact, opposing interests (significant stakes in the conflict) are an undeniable feature of society " (Lozano & Cloud 222). Hopefully it can be used more frequently because everyone can benefit from a conversation that uses the rhetoric of invitation. It can help others to question their own opinions, ideas, upbringing, or privileges and hopefully become a better person. Such discussions can become ethical exchanges when others are encouraged to explore their ideas more and want to move to a more positive and open mind.