The Rhetoric of Risk

Technical Documentation in Hazardous Environments

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Technology, Technical Writing, Reference & Language, Language Arts, Communication
Cover of the book The Rhetoric of Risk by Beverly A. Sauer, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Beverly A. Sauer ISBN: 9781135654863
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: January 30, 2003
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Beverly A. Sauer
ISBN: 9781135654863
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: January 30, 2003
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

The crash of an Amtrak train near Baltimore, the collapse of the Hyatt hotel in Kansas City, the incident at Three Mile Island, and other large-scale technological disasters have provided powerful examples of the ways that communication practices influence the events and decisions that precipitate a disaster. These examples have raised ethical questions about the responsibility of writers within agencies, epistemological questions about the nature of representation in science, and rhetorical questions about the nature of expertise and experience as grounds for judgments about risk.

In The Rhetoric of Risk: Technical Documentation in Hazardous Environments, author Beverly Sauer examines how the dynamic uncertainty of the material environment affects communication in large regulatory industries. Sauer's analysis focuses specifically on mine safety, which provides a rich technical and historical context where problems of rhetorical agency, narrative, and the negotiation of meaning have visible and tragic outcomes. But the questions Sauer asks have larger implication for risk and safety: How does writing function in large regulatory industries? What can we learn from experience? Why is this experience so difficult to capture in writing? What information is lost when agencies rely on written documentation alone? Given the uncertainties, how can we work to improve communication in hazardous and uncertain environments?

By exploring how individuals make sense of the material, technical, and institutional indeterminancies of their work in speech and gesture, The Rhetoric of Risk helps communicators rethink their frequently unquestioned assumptions about workplace discourse and the role of writers in hazardous worksites. It is intended for scholars and students in technical writing and communication, rhetoric, risk analysis and risk communication, as well as a wide range of engineering and technical fields concerned with risk, safety, and uncertainty.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The crash of an Amtrak train near Baltimore, the collapse of the Hyatt hotel in Kansas City, the incident at Three Mile Island, and other large-scale technological disasters have provided powerful examples of the ways that communication practices influence the events and decisions that precipitate a disaster. These examples have raised ethical questions about the responsibility of writers within agencies, epistemological questions about the nature of representation in science, and rhetorical questions about the nature of expertise and experience as grounds for judgments about risk.

In The Rhetoric of Risk: Technical Documentation in Hazardous Environments, author Beverly Sauer examines how the dynamic uncertainty of the material environment affects communication in large regulatory industries. Sauer's analysis focuses specifically on mine safety, which provides a rich technical and historical context where problems of rhetorical agency, narrative, and the negotiation of meaning have visible and tragic outcomes. But the questions Sauer asks have larger implication for risk and safety: How does writing function in large regulatory industries? What can we learn from experience? Why is this experience so difficult to capture in writing? What information is lost when agencies rely on written documentation alone? Given the uncertainties, how can we work to improve communication in hazardous and uncertain environments?

By exploring how individuals make sense of the material, technical, and institutional indeterminancies of their work in speech and gesture, The Rhetoric of Risk helps communicators rethink their frequently unquestioned assumptions about workplace discourse and the role of writers in hazardous worksites. It is intended for scholars and students in technical writing and communication, rhetoric, risk analysis and risk communication, as well as a wide range of engineering and technical fields concerned with risk, safety, and uncertainty.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Moving Scenes by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book Social Class and Crime by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book Imperialism and Theatre by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book Organizational Behaviour (RLE: Organizations) by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book How Educational Ideologies Are Shaping Global Society by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book Feminist Cultural Studies of Science and Technology by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book Religious Space in Reformation England by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book Writing Models Year 4 by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book IBSS: Anthropology: 2002 Vol.48 by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book G8 against Transnational Organized Crime by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book Adam Smith's Political Philosophy by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book Basic Psychoanalytic Concepts on the Theory of Instincts by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book The Internationalization of Internal Conflicts by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book Manufacturing Material Effects by Beverly A. Sauer
Cover of the book Perspectives on Modern China: Four Anniversaries by Beverly A. Sauer
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy