Res Rhetorica

This paper offers a programmatic agenda for de-centering humans in one of the last bastions of academia that has resisted an animal turn in its pedagogical practices: writing and rhetoric studies. Non-human animals enjoy robust systems of communication and meaning-making, which they transmit through their cultures and which they evolve in constant dialogue with other species, humans included. As academics who teach language arts, we can and should use rhetorical tools to dismantle speciesism in the classroom. The four pillars of the nonspeciesist rhetorical pedagogy outlined in this article are rhetorical listening, reframing speciesist linguistic scripts, considering animals as rhetorical agents and putting ecosophy at the center of human and nonhuman animal rhetorics.

This article examines the notion of “secure-base relationships” in kindergartens. While this concept originally emphasized early emotional bonds between parents and children, recent developments in attachment theory highlight its interconnectedness with social relationships. However, the dichotomy between a secure base and exploration remains prevalent in the literature. Adopting a practice-based approach informed by rhetorical listening, we analyse kindergarten teachers’ descriptions of exploratory processes with children. Examples from two phases of a project on the theme of the universe are discussed in light of the concepts of ethos and habitual places. Findings suggest that secure-base relationships in kindergartens are closely interwoven with exploration, forming a polyvocal and dynamic place that involves choice and risk. Embodied interactions in familiar activities are shown to support relationships, and alternating positions in play emerges as a beneficial pedagogical strategy to support a culture of sharing. Finally, the relevance of a civic notion of ethos for kindergarten communities is underscored.