Disruption, Spectacle, and Gender in Eighteenth-Century Technical Communication

Chelsea Redeker Milbourne California Polytechnic State University

Abstract

This article examines how 18th-century technical communicators used spectacular science displays to critique audiences’ existing knowledge and advocate for alternative perspectives and technical practices. In addition to using disruptive rhetorical strategies such as amplification and contrary opposition, historical technical communicators heightened the wonder of their displays by disrupting audience expectations for the extended material and social scenes, including the objects, spaces, bodies, and cultural performances like gender that surrounded the demonstrations.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
2016-04-02
DOI
10.1080/10572252.2016.1148200
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (4)

  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. College Composition and Communication
  3. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  4. Technical Communication Quarterly

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