KENNETH BURKE AND THEORY OF IDENTIFICATIONBao Thai NGUYEN (s3221678)

Chen-Hsi Wu (s3260665)

CONTENT

Recap

Theory of Identification

The states, sources and dimensions of Identification

RECAP

Rhetoric

Persuasion

Theory of PersuasionCognitive Dissonance TheoryTheory of Reasoned ActionSocial Judgment Theory

THEORY OF IDENTIFICATION

Developed by Kenneth Duva Burke, an influential rhetorician and philosopher

Published in Burke’s book, “Rhetoric of Motives” (1950)

Argues that persuasion only function when there is a similarity between the speakers and the hearers

Kenneth Duva Burke (May 5, 1897 – November 19, 1993)

TERMINOLOGY

Properties: Any sensation, concept, image, idea, or attitude which we use to identify ‘substance’

Burke defines “substance” as action – from old philosophies;

CONSUBSTANTIALITY (OR IDENTIFICATION)

The state of two ‘substances’ share a common ‘property’

THEORY OF IDENTIFICATION

Definition: The Speaker, by using linguistic ‘strategies’ which

give ‘signs’ to his hearers that his ‘properties’ are similar to or identical with their ‘properties,’ achieves identification or ‘consubstantiality’ and thereby achieves persuasion.

Example: Politicians frequently use “we”, or “our” during their public speech in order to relate them with the audiences.

Winston Churchill “Their Finest Hour”http

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsKDGM5KTBY&feature=player_embedded

STRATEGIES

Formal Appeal

Antithesis

‘Assumed we’

3 STATES OF IDENTIFICATION

1. The process of naming something (or someone) according to specific properties

2. The process of associating with and disassociating from others

3. The product or end result of identifying

SOURCES OF IDENTIFICATION

Materialistic Identification

Idealistic Identification

Formal Identification

Identification through Mystification

MATERIALISTIC IDENTIFICATION

Through properties, things that are capable of being touched

Ex.

IDEALISTIC IDENTIFICATION

Through interests, ideas, attitudes, feelings, values, experience, perception, etc.

Ex. The speech of Pope Urban II encourage numerous people to join the Crusade by their belief of God in 11th century

FORMAL IDENTIFICATION

Based on the identification that arises from the form, arrangement, or organization in which both parties participate

Ex. To identify with someone by the classes or party go together

IDENTIFICATION THROUGH MYSTIFICATION

“People of lower strata in a hierarchy often identify with people at the top hierarchy” (Stephen & Karen, 2008)

People at the top hierarchy tend to not present the division between high and low hierarchy

Ex.

ABOUT THEORY OF IDENTIFICATION

The concept itself is not unique to modern American rhetorical theory.

Similar to Phillips’s principle of reference to experience and Winans’s theory of common ground.

APPLICATION AND LIMITATION OF THEORY OF IDENTIFICATION

Application To provide an additional tool to evaluate or explain

certain events or communication process To reinforce people’s rhetoric practice with careful

observation and skillful association to the others

Limitation Due to the development of communication technology,

theory of identification may not be applied in some media channels where face-to-face communication is unavailable.

Fail to mention if similarities can be real or fake. Fake identity in order to seek similarity for persuasion purpose, would it increase the persuasiveness?

CASE STUDY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_2vWfLceuo&feature=player_embedded

CONCLUSION

Theory of Identification Persuasion can be only achieved when the speaker

and the hearer share common interests

Stages of Identification1. Observe the object2. Associate with and disassociate from other3. The result of identification

Sources of Identification Material Idealistic Formal Mystification

REFERENCES Burke, Kenneth D 1950, ‘A Rhetoric of Motives’,

University of California Press, London, UK, 65-69

Day, Dennis G 1960, ‘Persuasion and the concept of Identification’, Quarterly Journal of Speech, 46:3, 270-273

Littlejohn, SW & Foss, KA 2008, ‘Theories of Human Communication’, 9th edit, Thomson Wadsworth, USA, 115

Quigley, Brooke L 1998, ‘Identification as a key term in Kenneth Burke’s rhetorical theory’, American Communication Journal, The University of Memphis