Rhetoric Review Sep 2009

Rhetorical Cues and Cultural Clues: An Analysis of the Recommendation Letter in English Studies

Holly H. Bruland

Abstract

Analysis of a collection of contemporary recommendation letters for admission to a PhD program in English studies revealed differences in length, level of specificity, and rhetorical appeals that applied much more strongly to candidates' acceptance status than to gender. Across both status and gender groupings, however, candidates were frequently appraised through economic metaphors, indicating a disciplinary culture that dually approaches graduate students as immediate sources of labor and as the future of the profession. Findings from these letters should promote continued conversation about disciplinary culture and clearer guidelines for those writing and requesting recommendation letters.

Journal
Rhetoric Review
Published
2009-09-17
DOI
10.1080/07350190903185064
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
rhetorical criticism graduate education argument gender and writing
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (3)

  1. Tuckley et al. (2024)
    Situating Evaluation and Authority: Direct Sponsorship in Letters of Recommendation
    Written Communication
  2. Thieme (2022)
    A Play on Occlusion: Uptake of Letters to the University President
    Rhetoric Review
  3. Tomlinson et al. (2018)
    Epideictic Rhetoric Born Digital: Evolution of the Letter of Recommendation Genre
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication

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CrossRef global citation count: 7 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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