constitutive rhetoric

Overview 

Language constructs (or creates) another reality. Another way of saying this is to say language is constitutive. Symbols are our reality

Examples 

• AXE commercial shows an example of how constitutive rhetoric is used in our daily lives to make us believe in something or act a certain way. In an ad they use they have a women holding the AXE product, using the woman as an object. Their strategy seems to propose to men that if they use their product they will get success. “The cleaner you are, the dirtier you get, Spray more, get more." 

• In the iconic speech "I Have a Dream speech", Martin Luther  King Jr. used powerful rhetoric to articulate a vision of racial equality and justice. His words not only described the dream but also worked to constitute a collective identity and aspiration for civil rights activists and the broader American society.

References 

• (2015, March 22). Constitutive Rhetoric: "The Axe Effect". Medium. Retrieved August 22, 2023, from https://medium.com/@rebeccaparamo/constitutive-rhetoric-the-axe-effect-a2b20595cd5c

• Hendry, Judith. "Communication and the Natural World". Denver, strata Pub Co, January 1, 2010.

• Jasinski, J., & Mercieca, J. (2010). Analyzing Constitutive Rhetorics The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions and the 'Principles of ’98'. https://core.ac.uk/download/490701900.pdf