Out of the ashes: September 11, a period of mourning, and reassurance rhetoric
Abstract
The body of knowledge that exists on reassurance has come mostly from those in medical and psychological fields. Yet, an understanding of reassurance as a rhetorical strategy is crucial if one desires to know the process people use to “go on” in the aftermath of a crisis. Generative analysis of 251 messages delivered in the United States following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 revealed 6 types of assuring statements rhetors employed in their efforts to persuade people to act in some ways and not in others. Positive assertions and calls to action were the most pervasive, appearing in virtually every message from 9/11 through 9/24. The first type of statement proclaimed a desired state and the latter linked the desired state to a course of (in)action. Other statement types supported these 2. Reason-giving bolstered assertions made and justified actions, inactions, and delays. Historical comparisons provided a context for unfamiliar situations by relating them to common experience, while usage of positive spins transcended physical reality by offering alternative ways of framing what happened, why, and what it meant to those involved. Finally, inspirational elements (e.g., images, gestures, slogans, and songs) motivated people and gave them opportunities to share the burden of events with others. Reassurance was limited by time, circumstances, and available information. At peak moments of crisis, reassurance efforts either disappeared or took more portable forms—a reassuring look, gesture, or phrase. While rhetors could not use assuring statements to create options where none existed, individuals lived and died on 9/11/2001 according to which assurances they accepted or rejected. However, what worked on some reassurees did not work on others. Courses of action that yielded positive results before did not turn out well on that Tuesday. People had to make life and death decisions quickly with little to no reliable data. For some though, no assurances could change the outcome. Scholars can use the 6 types of assuring statements presented as a unit of analysis to perform reassurance criticism. The author encourages readers to continue to discuss and expand the concept of rhetorical reassurance.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Stewart, Purdue University.
Subject Area
American studies|Communication|Sociology
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