Rethinking Post-Communist Rhetoric

Perspectives on Rhetoric, Writing, and Professional Communication in Post-Soviet Spaces

Edited by Pavel Zemliansky and Kirk St.Amant - Contributions by Nikolai Balykov; Elena Bespalova; Kara M. Bollinger; Yevgen Borodkin; Taras Danko; Olena Goroshko; Steffen Guenzel; Alla V. Kourova; Natalia Matveeva; Doan Modianos; Tatjana Schell; Brooke Ricker Schreiber; Kirk St.Amant and Pavel Zemliansky

This collection examines the forces and factors affecting rhetoric, writing, and communication expectations in the nations of the former Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. The entries in this collection focus on four interconnected topics or contexts influencing rhetorical expectations and writing practices in these countries. The four contexts are (1) the dynamics of the educational settings in which students learn about the relationships between rhetoric and writing; (2) the professional environments in which students will apply their knowledge of rhetoric and writing upon completing their formal studies; (3) the greater global context that affects the teaching of rhetoric and writing as connected to educational institutions becoming part of a larger and more integrated global community; and (4) the factors and perceptions that affect how students apply and/or expand their foundations in rhetoric and writing to communicate effectively across different forms of media.

By approaching ideas of rhetoric, writing, and communication from the perspective of these four areas, this collection provides readers with a broad foundation for understanding the various overarching and interlocking contexts that affect perceptions of and practices involving communication practices and expectations in the former Eastern Bloc. Additionally, this approach provides researchers, teachers, and students with ideas and approaches that can be used to more effectively engage both with this topic area and with individuals from these nations.

Lexington Books

Pages: 254 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-4985-2337-0 • Hardback • April 2016 • $111.00 • (£85.00)

978-1-4985-2338-7 • eBook • April 2016 • $105.50 • (£82.00)

Series: Communication, Globalization, and Cultural Identity

Subjects: History / Europe / Former Soviet Republics, Political Science / Public Policy / Communication Policy

Rethinking Post-Communist Rhetoric

Perspectives on Rhetoric, Writing, and Professional Communication in Post-Soviet Spaces

Hardback

eBook

Summary

This collection examines the forces and factors affecting rhetoric, writing, and communication expectations in the nations of the former Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. The entries in this collection focus on four interconnected topics or contexts influencing rhetorical expectations and writing practices in these countries. The four contexts are (1) the dynamics of the educational settings in which students learn about the relationships between rhetoric and writing; (2) the professional environments in which students will apply their knowledge of rhetoric and writing upon completing their formal studies; (3) the greater global context that affects the teaching of rhetoric and writing as connected to educational institutions becoming part of a larger and more integrated global community; and (4) the factors and perceptions that affect how students apply and/or expand their foundations in rhetoric and writing to communicate effectively across different forms of media.

By approaching ideas of rhetoric, writing, and communication from the perspective of these four areas, this collection provides readers with a broad foundation for understanding the various overarching and interlocking contexts that affect perceptions of and practices involving communication practices and expectations in the former Eastern Bloc. Additionally, this approach provides researchers, teachers, and students with ideas and approaches that can be used to more effectively engage both with this topic area and with individuals from these nations.

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 254 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-4985-2337-0 • Hardback • April 2016 • $111.00 • (£85.00)

978-1-4985-2338-7 • eBook • April 2016 • $105.50 • (£82.00)

Series: Communication, Globalization, and Cultural Identity

Subjects: History / Europe / Former Soviet Republics, Political Science / Public Policy / Communication Policy

Author

Pavel Zemliansky is professor and director of the Writing Across the Curriculum Program in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric at the University of Central Florida.

Kirk St. Amant is professor of technical and professional communication at East Carolina University.

Table of Contents

Part I: Institutional Contexts
Chapter 1: A Survey of Academic and Professional Writing Instruction in Higher Education in Russia and Ukraine, Pavel Zemliansky and Olena Goroshko
Chapter 2: Introducing Western Writing Theory and Pedagogy to Russian Students: The
Writing and Communication Center at the New Economic School, Kara M. Bollinger
Chapter 3: Technical and Communication in Russia, Tatjana Schell

Part II: Workplace Contexts
Chapter 4: Russian Education in the Twenty-First Century: Establishing Links with the Global
Community, Alla V. Kourova
Chapter 5: Rhetoric in Technical Communication: Europe and the United States, Yevgen Borodkin
Chapter 6: Visible and Invisible Boundaries: Documentation Requirements for Opening a Foreign Representative Office in Russia and in the United States, Natalia Matveeva and Elena Bespalova

Part III: Geopolitical Contexts
Chapter 7: Mapping Professional and Technical Communication in German Higher Education in the Neue Länder since 1989, Steffen Guenzel
Chapter 8: Macro Acceptance, Micro Resistance? Perspectives from Serbian Writing
Teachers on the Bologna Process, Brooke Ricker Schreiber

Part IV: Multimedia Contexts
Chapter 9: Creating a Multinational Collaborative Online Community in High-Tech Marketing Domain in Ukraine, Taras Danko
Chapter 10: Media Usage Pattern and Trust in Media among Young People in a Large
Russian City, Nikolai Balykov and Doan Modianos

Reviews

While the collection will appeal to educators, professional technical communicators can find useful information, especially if they specialize in localization or their organizations regularly deal with post-Soviet countries…. I would recommend this collection for libraries and advanced classes in rhetorical and cross-cultural pedagogy.
— Technical Communication

This book provides a unique international perspective on academic writing and the pedagogy and practice of business, technical, and professional communication over the past two decades in Eastern European and former Soviet countries. The breadth of its scope, the rich variety of studies and the analyses, and the depth of cultural and rhetorical insights make this collection a remarkable scholarly achievement that will greatly benefit scholars, teachers, and practitioners for years to come.
— Charles Kostelnick, Iowa State University

For anyone wishing to interact with communication teachers, researchers, or workplace practitioners in post-Soviet spaces, the essays in this collection will offer numerous useful and thought-provoking perspectives.
— Darina M. Slattery, University of Limerick

Rethinking Post-Communist Rhetoric should be required reading for technical and professional communication practitioners, scholars, teachers, and students—and for anyone else who wants to gain an understanding of how to communicate effectively with individuals in the former Soviet republics and the countries of Eastern Europe. The book provides a comprehensive understanding not only of rhetorical expectations and writing practices but also of the institutional, workplace, and geopolitical contexts in which communication occurs. This groundbreaking collection is a much-needed and valuable reference that expands our understanding of the practice of professional communication in the nations of the former Soviet Union and the former Eastern Bloc.
— Madelyn Flammia, University of Central Florida

Awards

• Winner, 2017 CCCC Technical and Scientific Communication Award in the category of Best Original Collection of Essays in Technical or Scientific Communication