| Summary: | Of all the boundaries that are discussed and argued in critical and rhetorical theory, one of the most central and persistently controversial is the boundary line in the binary Self/other. The dominant rhetorical theories since Aristotle tend to claim that it is by reducing the division in this most fundamental binary that the most efficacious rhetoric is effected; that is, that bringing parties Self and other closer together before argument (or whatever serves as symbol-exchange within the larger act of rhetorical exchange) is most likely to establish the best preconditions for immediately-following symbol-exchange: This act of getting-together is known as Identification. This dissertation introduces the theory of postidentification (postID), which suggests that recognizing, valorizing, and using the division between the parties in rhetorical exchange--not attempting to find, create, and use similarities--often makes for the most efficacious rhetoric, especially when efficacious means transformative. All extant rhetorical theory continues to be based on various interpretations and iterations of the enthymeme and the syllogism that require various levels of Identification and continue to privilege the dominant party in the exchange, that is, Self (or Same or Selfsame, as they appear and act in different contexts). These Identification rhetorics include rhetorics of resistance emerging from feminist, postcolonial, and queer critical theory. All of these extant theories are dependent on some form of Identification, which means that the more Self and other have in common before the symbol exchange--that is, the more like Selfsame other is forced to be--the likelier some one will be persuaded to change a belief or attitude or to cause action. The new rhetorical theory of postidentification uses differences instead of similarities to establish the preconditions for rhetorical exchange. In short, what postID does is push queer theory or GLBT theory to its logical end: If we can have GLBT theory, why not GLBTYUM<<RTOD##55zxto, etc. ad infinitum . . . theory?
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