Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Hari, Vani--Knowledge--Food; Hari, Vani--Public opinion; Debates and debating; Food;
Abstract
This thesis examines the public figure Vani Hari, aka The Food Babe, and her influence on public dialogue about food, nutrition, and diet. Using the theoretical framework of spheres of argument as originally described by G. Thomas Goodnight, this thesis analyzes Food Babe as an expert within the personal, technical, and public spheres. Both verbal and visual arguments will be considered throughout the analysis of Food Babe as both a personal sphere rhetor and pseudo-technical expert. This thesis argues that Food Babe simultaneously uses personal sphere evidence and argumentative strategies to legitimize herself as a pseudo-technical expert within the technical sphere, and uses technical or scientific evidence to establish herself as a maternal expert within the personal sphere. The conclusion of this thesis expands on Goodnight’s original theorization of the spheres of argument and argues that the three spheres as originally described are insufficient for understanding the rhetorical function of public figures like Food Babe.
Year of Submission
2018
Department
Department of Communication Studies
First Advisor
Ryan McGeough
Date Original
2018
Object Description
1 PDF file (v, 114 pages)
Copyright
©2018 Abigail Shew
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Shew, Abigail, "The Food Babe fearmonger: transcending spheres of argument through the dual use of personal and pseudo-technical expertise" (2018). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 668.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/668
