What’s (Not) in a Name: Considerations and Consequences of the Field’s Nomenclature

Peitho Volume 19 Issue 2 Spring/Summer 2017

Author(s): Charlotte Hogg

Abstract: This article shows how the labels commonly associated with the field—women’s rhetorics and feminist rhetorics—can be as problematic as they are productive, revealing tensions that undermine our goals of capaciousness. An analysis of naming discussions in scholarship and a survey of our naming practices via titles of journal articles, conference papers, and courses show how our nomenclature can sometimes occlude certain values and assumptions the field seeks to convey. The author suggests that the moniker “women’s and gendered rhetorics” and better situating our work to each other and various publics can work to alleviate these issues.

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