Cross-Cultural Blog

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your posts so far!! Our names are Angelina, Stephanie, and Mai. Our group all did similar rhetorical analysis of political leaders in relation to pertinent issues that affect their respective countries. Hope you enjoy!!

Examining the Rhetoric of Leaders
Reflections by Angelina Cardona, Stephanie Caro, and Mai El-Sadany

I am a sophomore at Stanford University studying International Relations with a minor in Urban Studies. I was a devoted volunteer to the Obama campaign during the 2008 Presidential Election; I knocked on doors, called undecided voters, put up flyers, registered voters, organized carpools, and traveled to four different states to help Obama win. From the first time I heard Obama speak in Reno in the spring of 2007, I was moved by Obama’s message and ability to connect with the audience. Since, I have developed deep passions for politics, public service, and human rights.
I chose to examine the rhetoric and tools Obama used throughout his successful campaign because I was intrigued that he used consistent rhetoric from country to country, never altering his message to fit varying cultural and societal norms and expectations. In my research, I questioned whether or not there were common themes that the people of world could rally around, especially in light of a world facing war, genocide, economic recession, an endangered environment, and poverty. Most importantly, I examined the implications of this rhetoric of global citizenship as to shed light on these tactics for future leaders/anyone with a vision to share to the world, and explore the effects of this positive and progressive rhetoric for international relations.
Working on this project, I realized the important of rhetoric as a catalyst to convey a message. In the first class session, Dr. O’Brien, “when you speak, realize that you are sharing a gift with the audience and that gift is the message you want to convey to them, so when you are up there do not feel nervous because the presentation is about your message.” Her words stuck to me throughout the quarter and empowered me to deliver my message to our class about my research but more importantly the message that was within Obama’s rhetoric—a call for service, of participation by all the citizens of the world, realizing that we all have a stake in one another. I feel blessed to be living in such a dynamic and changing time, and look forward to finding a career one day in public service and continuing to share my messages with the world.
- From Angelina

I began this research project when I was in the process of applying to study abroad in Madrid next year. As I began to craft what I imagined my experience to comprise of—learning the language, traveling throughout the country, experiencing student life in a different culture, living in the cultural and political hub of the country—I found myself wondering what niche of Spanish life I would become involved in. Taking this research opportunity to start learning about Spain here at Stanford, I began with my academic interest: politics. Because Spain is a relatively recent democracy (making its transition from dictatorship in the 1970s), I used Spain as a case study for the use of rhetoric, specifically ethos, by leaders of post-conflict countries. Spain became an increasingly interesting case because you see the way in which rhetoric surrounding their amnesty policy shaped a culture of silence and forgetting.
A lot like Angelina and Mai’s research projects, you see the way that the rhetoric of leaders has profound cultural consequences for their audience and in our cases, an entire nation. However, one lesson that my research and especially the dynamic of our class have taught me is that the relationship between the speaker and audience is not one way. Establishing one’s ethos is very much dictated by the audience—the cultural or socioeconomic background, historical experience, or personal biases—because legitimacy and goodwill is redefined with each culture or time period. At the same time, a leader who bends too much to the perceived will or sentiment of an audience, loses legitimacy, this applies especially to new democracies. I think the way to strike a balance between these two is to really understand why you believe in the opinions you’re presenting your audience. For me, this understanding came through a long process of critical thinking, really allowing the research to inform my opinion. The research projects that stood out the most to me were ones in which I felt the speaker’s objective stance in the beginning strengthened his or her persuasive argument in the end—a process of discovery. What this meant for my research, was challenging the typical “good guy” “bad guy” template of human rights cases and mastering the intricacies of Spain’s policies at the time.
- From Stephanie

As someone who grew up in the United States but was born in Egypt and to two very Egyptian parents, I was raised to appreciate all the aspects of my culture and background, whether the Egyptian, the Muslim, or the American. This open-mindedness has led to my interest in human rights, hates crimes, diversity and more. My research project stems from the urge to make sure that our leaders use culturally sensitive and respectful rhetoric that further the unification of the people of the world. I decided to study the effect of Bush’s post-9/11 rhetoric on the negative perception of Muslims and Islam by Americans.
Working on this project, I realized the importance of being passionate about what you study. In addition to that important lesson, I learned a lot of tips about effective rhetoric. Having usually conducted research using books, I let myself out of my comfort zone this time and ended up analyzing speeches, YouTube comments, blogs, videos, and even interviews. This variety of multimedia and material allowed me to be exposed to a number of sources and also provided for excellent engagement with my audience. When speaking, I also realized the importance of taking breaths in between my statements to let the audience comprehend what I was saying and also, to force myself to go slower, which would eventually lead to more eye contact with the audience. I’m still working on this, but at least this opportunity gave me chances to work on my weaknesses and go from there. Additionally, I learned how distracting and how beneficial hands can be. When I played with my scarf, I distracted the audience- but when I used my hands for certain motions to get a point across, they were often quite useful. Finally, I also learned the importance of balancing the use of facts and statistics to build my ethos, while also inserting colorful anecdotes and personal accounts to increase my pathos. Effective rhetoric balances these two and gets a strong message across.
- From Mai

We would love to hear all about your experiences with research, what global issues are you passionate about? Please comment on our blog and let us know what you've been working on and what you think of our projects.