Authoring a discipline : scholarly journals and the post-World War II emergence of rhetoric and composition

286 Pages·2000·5.77 MB·English

by  Maureen Daly Goggin

Authoring a Discipline
Scholarly Journals
and the Post-World War II Emergence
of Rhetoric and Composition

Authoring a Discipline
Scholarly Journals
and the Post-World War II Emergence
of Rhetoric and Composition
Maureen Daly Goggin
Arizona State University

LAWRENCE ERLBAUM ASSOCIATES, PUBLISHERS
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Goggin, Maureen Daly.
Authoring a discipline: scholarly and the post-World War II emergence of rhetoric
and composition/Maureen Daly Goggin.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8058-3578-4 (cloth: alk. paper)
1. English language—Rhetoric—Study and
teaching—History—20th century. 2. English
language—Rhetoric—Study and teaching—United States—History.
3. Periodicals. Publishing of—United States—History—20th
century. 4. Scholarly publishing—United States—History—20th
century. 5. Academ ic writing—Study and teaching—History—20th
century. 6. Academic writing—Study and teaching—United
States—History. I. Title.
PE1405.U6 G54 2000
808'.071'17309045—dc21 00–025012
CIP
ISBN 1-4106-0613-9 Master e-book ISBN
For Peter

CONTENTS

Figures and Tables xi
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xxvii

1 The Transmogrification of Rhetoric and the Emergence of

Composition 1
The Roots of Rhetorical Study 3
The Displacement of Classical Education 3
The Emergence of Modern Disciplines 6
Literacy in the Vernacular 9
Dominant Modern Rhetorics in Low Estate 10
Carving Out Disciplines and Departments 12
Institutional Arrangements of Academic Subjects and

Space 12
The Emergence of English Studies 14
A Truncated Rhetoric: Composition 16
Rhetoric Considered but Abandoned 20
Creating Professional Spaces 25
2 Preparing the Ground, 1950–1965 37

Some Forces of Change 38
Limited and Limiting Intellectual Space: College English 39
Opening New Spaces: CCCC and CCC 42
The Founding of CCC and Its Early Editors 43
Symptoms of Struggle: Disciplinary Growing Pains 44

vii
viii CONTENTS
Between the CCC Covers: Rhetorical Practices 44
Common Topics and Competing Views 48
To Professionalize or Not Professionalize 54
Transition Years in CCC 59
Outside Pressures and Aid 64
3 Sowing the Seeds, 1965–1980 75
Defining Disciplinary Practices: Developing Lines of Inquiry

and Building Social Networks 78
Constructing New Directions in Empirical Research:

Research in the Teaching of English 79
Constructing New Directions in Rhetoric Scholarship:

Rhetoric Society Quarterly 84
Going Against the Tide: Freshman English News 90
Changing With the Times: CCC and CE 93
Naming Interests: Editorial Policies and Guidelines in

CCC 93
Expanding the Scope: Editorial Policies and Guidelines

in CE 97
Sprouting Disciplinary Buds 101
4 Fruits of the Garden, 1980–1990 111
On the Cusp of Change: Journal of Advanced Composition 116
Meeting New Demands in Rhetoric and Composition 121
Pushing at the Margins: Pre/Text 121
Making Room for Rhetoric: Rhetoric Review 126
Extending the Boundaries: Written Communication 128
Establishing Boundaries and Blurring Distinctions: FEN,

RSQ, RTE, CCC, and CE 131
Mixed Blossoms in One Garden 136

5 The Gardeners: Forty Years of Editors of and

Contributors to the Journals 145
Editors: Disciplinary Values and Graduate Education 146
Contributors: Institutional, Political, and Social Dimensions 154
Geographical Distribution of Contributors 154
CONTENTS ix
Institutional Affiliation of Contributors 158
Departmental Affiliation of Contributors 163
Academic Rank of Contributors 165
Gender of Contributors 167
Scholarly Productivity: Developing a Critical Mass 172
Discipliniographers and a Question of Discipline 174
6 A Pot-Bound Garden: Some Thoughts on the Present State

and Future Directions of Rhetoric and Composition 183
The Struggle 185
On Being Composed 188
A Clash of Two Cultures 190
Bridging the Gap 190
Breaking Our Bonds 194
Defining Ourselves: Marketing Myopia 196
Transplanting Container-Grown Plants 198
Harvesting the Garden 201

Appendix A: Tables of Editors and Institutional Affiliations for
Each Journal 209
Appendix B: CCCC Chairs, 1949–2000 213

Works Cited 215

Author Index 247
Subject Index 253