Establishing a Phenomenon

Abstract

In the first three medical reports on AIDS which were published in 1981 in the New England Journal of Medicine, the writers' primary rhetorical agenda was to argue that a new medical discovery had been made. A secondary agenda was to offer etiological explanations for the new problem. To establish the new disease entity as deserving serious attention, the writers built a sense of mystery by confronting established medical knowledge about immunodeficiency and emphasizing the inability of modern medicine to diagnose and treat the problem. When they explained the phenomenon in etiological terms, rather than confronting the disciplinary matrix, the writers relied on established medical knowledge of infection rates in homosexual males as well as prevailing social views about the dangerous nature of male homosexual activity; consequently, they were able to imply that nothing was mysterious or surprising about immunodeficiency in homosexual males.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
1990-07-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088390007003005
Open Access
OA PDF Green
Topics

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (3)

  1. Written Communication
  2. Written Communication
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication

Cites in this index (3)

  1. Written Communication
  2. Written Communication
  3. Rhetoric Review
Also cites 10 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.1177/030631284014002001
  2. 10.1056/NEJM198112103052408
  3. 10.1038/scientificamerican0187-46
  4. 10.1056/NEJM198112103052401
  5. The scientific attitude
  6. 10.1056/NEJM198112103052402
  7. 10.1146/annurev.so.13.080187.000245
  8. Science, faith and society
  9. Conjectures and refutations: The growth of scientific knowledge
  10. 10.1056/NEJM198112103052403
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