Kenneth Burke Identity Essay

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Kenneth Burkes offers “identification” as a key term added to the traditional focus on “persuasion” to distinguish his rhetorical perspectives. Identification is a process that is fundamental to being human and to communicate. The Identification theory examines how communication helps people seek to identify arises of division and overcome separateness. This separateness including biological differences and social class or position differences. It occurs when individuals become aware of their common ground.
Communicators develop strategies for messages to create identification or division. One of the strategies is a linguistic strategy where people are able to build social cohesion through the use of language. The use of language can be both beneficial and destructive. It can be beneficial when people use it to equally present inclinations toward cooperation, peace, and survival. However, it would be …show more content…
Identification can be used in three ways: Identification as semi-conscious through self-persuasion, Identification through mundane and recurring, and Identification through representation. Over the course of identification as semi-conscious, Burke suggests that “we consider the impact of messages we do not fully intend to send or do not consciously intend to heed”. One example that Burke uses to explain this issue is through the correlation with Princess Diana and the commoners. Princess Diana’s life adventure is considered a fairy tale where she had everything an ordinary person ever longed for. Although her glamorous life may create mystery, resulting from wealth and hierarchical differences, but according to Burke, this is what causes the possibility of communion and semi-conscious identification is likely to occur. Therefore, many people may have identified with the Princess. Another way to use identification is through the mundane and recurring. Burke again relates this to Princess Diana’s death to
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