Scholarship at UWindsor

Accusatory Based Discourse Strategies: Apologia, Kategoria and Strategic Image Repair Discourse

The purpose of this paper is to suggest that an orator can strategically pick discourse strategies when issuing their apologia if they understand the attitudes they are combatting in the subsequent kategoria. This paper draws heavily on works by William Benoit and Halford Ryan. Using a general understanding of apologia, and the concept of kategoria as conceptualized by Ryan, I suggest that once an orator understands apologia and kategoria as a speech set, they can use Benoit’s image repair tactics as an effective way to repair their image to their respective audience. The combination of an orators understanding of apologia, kategoria, and image repair theory are like a warriors sword and shield. It enables an orator to deflect what ought to be deflected and attack what ought to be attacked when the goal is to repair one's image. This I go on to term accusatory based discourse strategies. To put it in other words, accusatory based discourse strategies simply means to choose the rhetorical strategies an orator will use in their apologia depending on the component of the negative attitude, held by the audience, one wishes to combat. By understanding the negative attitudes that compose the kategoria, an orator can better tailor their apologia to effectively repair their image.