Individual Presentation or Panel Title
Crisis Mode: A Social Movement’s Applications of Apologia During a Rhetorical Crisis
Abstract
This paper assesses the effectiveness of pro-life social movement organizations’ responses as they faced a rhetorical crisis following the 2009 murder of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller. This paper examines three mainstream pro-life social movement organizations’ press releases that responded to Tiller’s murder using rhetorical analysis and the theory of apologia. This analysis shows how the organizations turned this crisis into a rhetorical opportunity to reassert their legitimacy and continued importance. The organizations reaffirm their goals and develop new action plans to rally supporters who were drawn into the abortion debate by the sudden influx of press coverage following Tiller’s murder. This paper furthers social movement legitimacy scholarship and contributes a unique application of apologetic theory.
Location
Camp Younts
Start Date
21-4-2012 2:30 PM
End Date
21-4-2012 3:20 PM
Crisis Mode: A Social Movement’s Applications of Apologia During a Rhetorical Crisis
Camp Younts
This paper assesses the effectiveness of pro-life social movement organizations’ responses as they faced a rhetorical crisis following the 2009 murder of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller. This paper examines three mainstream pro-life social movement organizations’ press releases that responded to Tiller’s murder using rhetorical analysis and the theory of apologia. This analysis shows how the organizations turned this crisis into a rhetorical opportunity to reassert their legitimacy and continued importance. The organizations reaffirm their goals and develop new action plans to rally supporters who were drawn into the abortion debate by the sudden influx of press coverage following Tiller’s murder. This paper furthers social movement legitimacy scholarship and contributes a unique application of apologetic theory.