Steven Brett Carter

About

I completed my PhD in Composition, Rhetoric, and English Studies at the University of Alabama. I also have an MA in English from The Citadel.

In my dissertation, Toward a Rhetoric of Confidence: Rethinking Ethos Through Scams, Forgeries, and Fake Identities, I examine the rhetoric of confidence games to consider how ethos extends beyond traditional notions of the character to include both the character of the text itself (distinct from the character of its author) and the concept of character-as-performative. At the intersection of persuasion and trickery, the con artist reflects the idea that confidence — in our schemes, works, and presentations of self — is integral to all corners of our lives.

CV

Philosophy

ON TEACHING
My teaching philosophy is based in meta-awareness. I am interested in a pedagogy that teaches students to notice their rhetorical decision-making processes and question how similar ideas underpin arguments they encounter in all corners of their lives. This top-down approach to writing emphasizes ethos as students become aware of their positions as authors. Treating writing as reciprocal exchange between an author and an audience highlights the character of the author and the ways an author’s choices shape the expression of that character. I begin each semester with the question of how our perception of rhetoric changes when we situate the purpose of writing as gaining the confidence of one's audience. Students write discussion posts directed to classmates, define the audience of each assignment, and interpret material ranging from essays to advertisements, consistently asking how those arguments gain the confidence of their audiences. This pedagogy carries to courses ranging from basic writing, freshman composition, and technical writing because of the rhetorical, rather than the mechanical, focus.

ON RESEARCH
Like my teaching interests, my research focuses on reevaluating the role of ethos and the implications of confidence in rhetorical theory. In my current work, I explore confidence through the history of rhetoric, popular culture, mass media, and composition pedagogy. I base my argument for a more sophisticated interpretation of ethos on the rhetoric of con artists, forgers, and impostors. Largely through the lens of cultural studies, I focus my attention on the con artist archetype, a figure that reflects cultural beliefs and demonstrates the viability of a rhetoric of confidence. I conclude that ethos extends beyond the character of the author to underpin arrangement, aesthetics, and the possibilities of imitation. What I call the rhetoric of confidence creates opportunities for developing pedagogies that enable critical thinking and allow students to develop a greater awareness for their authorial ethos.

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Elements

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    print 'Iteration ' + i;
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    i++;
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print 'It took ' + i + ' iterations to sort the deck.';