Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
The Rhetoric of Coal Bumper Stickers in Southwest Virginia
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This study seeks to understand the political and social significances created by coal bumper sticker rhetoric in Southwest Virginia. The author collected data online and studied 17 replicas of coal bumper stickers found on local cars, trucks, and coal trucks. The author coded for ideographs such as pride, heritage, political affiliation, and patriotism. A critical analysis suggests that coal bumper sticker rhetoric creates an either/or fallacy wherein the public is either pro-coal or anti-coal. Results also indicate that pro-coal rhetoric seeks to suppress and discourage questioning by marginalized groups.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Tessa McCoy-Hall is a Senior Communications major at the University of Virginia's College at Wise. Her poems have been published in Still: The Journal and she is currently the Chief Managing Editor of the Jimson Weed, a literary journal of UVa-Wise.
The Rhetoric of Coal Bumper Stickers in Southwest Virginia
This study seeks to understand the political and social significances created by coal bumper sticker rhetoric in Southwest Virginia. The author collected data online and studied 17 replicas of coal bumper stickers found on local cars, trucks, and coal trucks. The author coded for ideographs such as pride, heritage, political affiliation, and patriotism. A critical analysis suggests that coal bumper sticker rhetoric creates an either/or fallacy wherein the public is either pro-coal or anti-coal. Results also indicate that pro-coal rhetoric seeks to suppress and discourage questioning by marginalized groups.
