Public Speaking in Private Spaces: A Rhythmanalysis of the Public Speaking Classroom in the 21st Century

摘要

Public Speaking is presently the most prevalent introductory course across all institutions of higher learning, and is frequently a student's first and only experience with the communication discipline. How the goals of public speaking are framed and communicated within the classroom has implications for not only people's perceptions of the communication discipline, but also the roles students are prepared for in society. In this study, I employ Lefebvre's (2004) concept of rhythmanalysis to analyze my own experiences and observations, as well as the narratives of other graduate teaching associates (GTAs), the basic course director, and my own students as we implement and make sense of our everyday experiences as teachers and students of public speaking. The literature of critical pedagogy theorists such as Freire (1990) and others is employed to frame the public speaking classroom's potential as a space for personal liberation, collaborative learning, and social transformation within various material, political, and ideological constraints.