Deck 19: Dramatism

Question 1

Burke argued that some of what people do is motivated by their animal nature (such as thirst and hunger) and some of what they do is motivated by

A) other
B) attitude
C) symbols
D) reaction

Answer 1

symbols

Question 2

Burke asserted that words, thoughts, and actions have

A) little effect on human motivation
B) no meaning without rational thought
C) never been fully understood
D) extremely close connections with one another

Answer 2

extremely close connections with one another

Question 3

_________ occurs when two people overlap in terms of their substance.

A) Identification
B) Action
C) Purpose
D) Mortification

Answer 3

Identification

Question 4

According to Burke, _________ is the primary motive for human communication and action.

A) dramatistic ratio
B) guilt
C) consubstantiality
D) scapegoating

Question 5

Louie is late for his date with Rachel. When she asks him why, he says, "My roommate had been borrowing my car and was late getting back with it. He's so irresponsible; I'm definitely not rooming with him again next year." Louie is engaging in

A) mortification
B) redemption
C) persuasion
D) scapegoating

Question 6

Following publicity of the scandal that ended his political career, New York governor Eliot Spitzer said, "I have begun to atone for my private failings. ... The remorse I feel will always be with me." In another speech, he said, "I have acted in a way that violates my or any sense of right and wrong. ... I apologize to the public, who I promise better." These are examples of

A) mortification
B) scapegoating
C) redemption
D) the negative

Question 7

Message strategies, storytelling, apologies, and speech making are associated with which element of the pentad?

A) act
B) scene
C) agent
D) agency

Question 8

The _________ hypothesis argues that when people use language, they are used by it as well.

A) Sapir-Whorf
B) dramatistic ratio
C) consubstantiality
D) none of these

Question 9

The third assumption underscores Burke's notion of

A) agent
B) act
C) agency
D) attitude

Question 10

When using the pentad to analyze a symbolic interaction, the analyst first labels the elements of the pentad and then examines the

A) agency
B) dramatistic ratios
C) identification
D) pentadic analysis

Question 11

Burke struggled with negotiating a space between complete free will and complete

A) division
B) identification
C) determinism
D) hierarchy

Question 12

Rosa Lopez is a candidate for the state senate in Ohio. During one of her campaign speeches, she blames the media and gun manufacturers for the problem of violence in America. In this instance, she is attempting to set herself up as __________ for the voters of her state.

A) agent
B) redeemer
C) positive identifier
D) negative identifier

Question 13

Which of the following is considered a rejection of one's place in the existing social order?

A) chaos
B) the negative
C) victimage
D) new order

Question 14

Which approach to knowing characterizes the research undertaken with Dramatism?

A) interpretive
B) critical
C) positivist/empirical
D) phenomenological

Question 15

Condit (1992) suggests that Burke's Dramatism Theory needs extension and modification in the areas of

A) act and agency
B) order or hierarchy and victimage
C) gender and culture
D) identification and consubstantiality

Question 16

All of the following are assumptions of Dramatism EXCEPT

A) Humans are animals who use symbols.
B) Humans are rational beings.
C) Humans are choice makers.
D) Language and symbols form a critically important system for humans.

Question 17

What phrase represents the notion that people cannot see beyond what their words lead them to believe?

A) trained incapacities
B) narrow observers
C) limited behavioral observations
D) limited analytic abilities

Question 18

_________ was a later addition to the pentad and refers to the manner in which the agent positions her- or himself relative to others.

A) Purpose
B) Act
C) Attitude
D) Demeanor

Question 19

The theory of dramatism assumes that human behavior is deterministic in nature.

Question 20

Noting that Olivia is a 24-year-old female, Latina civil engineer, who likes crossword puzzles, horseback riding, and bowling, is to assert her substance as defined by Burke.

Question 21

The pattern of guilt and purging guilt is as follows: order or hierarchy, the negative, victimage, and redemption.

Question 22

The only way to apply dramatistic ratios is by examining the agent-act ratio.

Question 23

The act is the goal the agent had in mind when engaging in a particular behavior.

Question 24

Although Burke's theory has been influenced by Aristotle, Burke's ultimate purpose was to displace Aristotle's original thinking.

Question 25

The pentad allows us to analyze various speakers and speeches.

Question 26

Hunt called the dramatistic ratios "the interaction effects of two or more elements"
and argued that observing these interactions is one criterion by which to judge the worth of a piece of rhetorical criticism.

Question 27

Burke's goal was to theorize about the whole range of human experience.

Question 28

Identify and explain the three assumptions of Burke's Dramatism Theory.

Question 29

Identify and define the elements of Burke's pentad.

Question 30

What is identification in the Dramatism Theory? How does it apply to Dramatism Theory?

Question 31

Do you agree or disagree that "guilt is the central motive for all communication"? Why or why not?

Question 32

Evaluate Burke's Dramatism Theory using the standard criteria for evaluating communication theories.

Question 33

Discuss why rhetorician Marie Hochmuth Nichols believes that Burke is "difficult and often confusing."
What can you present from the theory that illustrates her thinking? What response would you offer to Nichols in her assessment?

Question 34

Compare the "terministic screens"
and "trained incapacities"
across a variety of contexts, namely, medicine, education, and labor (trades). If, as Burke contends, language has a life of its own, how does the language used in each of these professions differ and/or how are they similar?

Question 35

Identify and define the types of victimage. Provide an example of each to illustrate. Which do you feel is more widely used among celebrities who find themselves in trouble, and why do you think that is the case?

Question 36

A key in the redemption phase is that guilt is only temporarily relieved. Explain what this means and why guilt returns to plague the human condition as any order or hierarchy becomes established.