Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2014, English

This dissertation analyzes contemporary high school rhetorics and institutional discourse, with specific focus on attendance, discipline, and dress code policies. The analysis is employed through an embodiment reading of high school handbooks and high school buildings. A theoretical lens comprised of the work of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Michel Foucault, and Sara Ahmed is utilized throughout the dissertation, and the primary methods of analysis are Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and primary metaphor analysis. The dissertation suggests that a more thoughtful and informed approach to the development of educational discourse may have the power to radically change (for the better) the way we educate high school students. The core problem addressed is the existence of a rhetorical mismatch between author and audience; current educational discourse/rhetoric fails to connect with its target audience (high school students) on many counts and perhaps in some ways actively alienates them. The appropriate intervention must examine and interrogate that discourse/rhetoric and ultimately suggest alternative modes, tone, and content that might be more effective and productive in engaging the desired audience.

Committee: Kimberly Emmons Dr. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Composition; Education Philosophy; Education Policy; Rhetoric