Communication faculty publish paper exploring the rhetoric of food

Amy Young and Justin Eckstein published two pieces in the February 2015 edition of Communication & Critical/Cultural studies, one of the top journals in the communication field, and the articles are quite tasty.

The duo has put together a special forum on rhetoric and food. The first paper entitled “Rhetoric & Foodways” outlines the potential for a rhetorical examination of food politics; the second paper called “Cooking, Celebrity Chefs, and Public Intellectuals,” examines the roles of Celebrity Chefs (think Wolf Gang Puck and Rachel Ray), who are products of consumer capitalism, verses the Public Chef Intellectuals, whose focus is on teaching cooking techniques.

Young and Eckstein have been working on these articles since March 2014, the idea devised over warm tomato soup and a grilled cheese, and maybe a rant about Guy Fieri. The articles are just the start, next, they explore how the Public Chef Intellectual enacts change. One answer is taste.

“Our next piece, entitled ‘Taste Makers’ (in preparation for the 2015 National Communication Association conference) examines how chef’s recruit the palette into political projects, such as teaching people that locally sourced food tastes better,” explains Eckstein. “If people develop a taste for this style of food, then it anticipates choices.”

PLU students can view the full articles online. They have access to the journal through the PLU library.

Dr. Young’s work explores questions of style and public engagement. Her most recent book, Prophets, Gurus & Pundits: Rhetorical Styles & Public Engagement (Southern Illinois University Press) is available on Amazon. Her work appears in a variety of journals and books including the Quarterly Journal of Speech and Communication & Critical/Cultural Studies. Her edited book on academic motherhood will be out later this year.

Dr. Eckstein is the Director of Forensics for PLU’s storied speech and debate team, the T.O.H. Karl Forensics Forum. He teaches Applied Research, Argumentation & Advocacy, Introduction to Communication, and Gender & Communication. Dr. Eckstein’s research explores the new democratic challenges and opportunities facing a networked culture. His work has appeared in The Quarterly Journal of Speech, The Journal of Argumentation in Context, Argumentation & Advocacy, and Relevant Rhetoric.