DOES LOVING BREASTS AND WEARING PINK FIGHT BREAST CANCER?: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE BREAST CANCER PATIENT’S RHETORICAL ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

In this dissertation, I investigate the rhetoric produced and disseminated by the larger actors in the breast cancer discourse community—organizations that produce philanthropy rhetoric for public audiences. Focusing particularly on the breast cancer rhetoric employed by university athletic departments on Twitter and the keeping/saving/loving breast slogans utilized by organizations and companies, I conducted two studies: 1) a content and rhetorical analysis of university athletic department tweets that are easily identifiable as breast cancer discourse, and 2) an IRB-approved survey of American adults meant to unearth the public’s actual perception of philanthropy slogans that focus on keeping/saving/loving breasts. Through these studies, I consider how supposed philanthropic messages are being used by some as ethos-building moves and/or in a way that further sexualizes/objectifies women, as well as that trivializes the disease and its effect on women. Furthermore, I consider the fact that college students are being socialized to conduct breast cancer philanthropy in a non-deliberative manner—in a way that does not necessarily benefit patients, as they are being exposed to rhetoric that conveys the message that merely wearing colors and slogans is an active and effectual way to aid breast cancer patients. I conclude this dissertation with a consideration of how current issues within the discourse community have arisen from assumptions made on behalf of patients—a stealing of agency that arises from taking a disembodied view from nowhere—and guidelines for creating future breast cancer philanthropy rhetoric that does not encourage negative responses toward patients or women in general, which can be employed in a deliberative manner, as well as in such a way that provides an opportunity for service-learning projects and a model for future philanthropic rhetorical actions.