Drawing on the words of others at public hearings

Zoning, Wal-Mart, and the threat to the aquifer

Bibliographic Data

ID2893497
AuthorsRichard Buttny (Syracuse University), Jodi R Cohen (0000-0002-6016-6526, Ithaca College)
Year2007
Volume36
Issue05
Publication date2007-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguage in Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0047-4045 • E-ISSN: 1469-8013
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0047404507070674
OpenAlexW2109010619
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited29

This study examines two public hearings on a zoning proposal that would allow the construction of a Super Wal-Mart Center on a field over the town's aquifer. Many citizens speak out against the zoning change because of the risk to drinking water, as well as other issues. Citizens face the speaker's problem of how to make their presentations convincing, given the technical matters involved and the fact that Town Board members have likely already heard about these issues. Some speakers draw on the words of others in their presentations. Using another's words allows the speaker to cite an authoritative source or to respond to what another has said, to evaluate it, and often to challenge it. Speakers use other devices in addition to quotes, such as formulations, repetition, and membership categorizations to develop their evaluative stances in the reporting context. The study's focus is the discursive construction and rhetoric of using others' words for the speaker's own purposes.We gratefully acknowledge the early discussions and help in transcribing from Katherine Hobbs, Diana Martinez, and Jackie Smith. Thanks for the useful comments from Jamie Dangler, Kendall Phillips, Karen Tracy, Donal Carbaugh, Benjamin Bailey, Robin Shoaps, and Vern Cronen. Portions of this study were presented to the Department of Communication, University of Massachusetts, 2006, at the National Communication Association Convention, San Antonio, 2006, and at the International Communication Association Convention, San Francisco The final version of this paper benefited tremendously from detailed comments and criticisms from Barbara Johnstone and the two anonymous reviewers

Archaeology · Context (archaeology) · Convention · Face (sociological concept) · Linguistics · Media studies · Political science · Repetition (rhetorical device) · Rhetoric · Social science · Sociology · Zoning · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · History · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Law · Rhetoric and Communication Studies

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