James Jasinski
James Jasinski is an American scholar of rhetoric and communication studies.[1] He is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Puget Sound[1][2], where he taught from 1997 until his retirement in 2023. His work focuses on rhetorical criticism, public argument, and constitutional and political discourse in the United States.[3]
He is best known for his book Sourcebook on Rhetoric: Key Concepts in Contemporary Rhetorical Studies (2001)[4], and for his scholarship on topics including constitutional rhetoric, African American public discourse, and nineteenth-century American political argument
Early life and education
[edit]Jasinski completed his Bachelor of General Studies at Northern Illinois University in 1978[5], followed by a Master of Arts in Speech Communication in 1980. He later earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Studies from Northwestern University in 1986.[6] His doctoral dissertation, directed by Thomas B. Farrell, was titled “Rhetorical Practice and Its Visions of the Public in the Ratification Debate of 1787–1788.”[7]
Career
[edit]University of Puget Sound
[edit]Jasinski joined the University of Puget Sound in 1997 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies.[1] He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2000 and Professor in 2006. He became Professor Emeritus in 2023. He also served as department chair from 2004 to 2010, interim chair in 2016, and co-chair in 2016–2017.[1]
His teaching at Puget Sound included courses in rhetorical criticism, rhetorical theory, political communication, argument theory, public address, film criticism, television culture, and African American public discourse.[8] He also developed courses on constitutional rhetoric and civic rhetoric, including seminars on constitutional controversies and race relations.[1][2]
University of Washington
[edit]Jasinski served as adjunct and affiliate faculty in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington from 2004 and again from 2007 to 2023.[9] In this role, he taught graduate seminars in rhetorical criticism and contemporary rhetorical theory and participated in doctoral committees.
University of Copenhagen
[edit]From 2015 to 2020, Jasinski was an affiliated professor in rhetoric in the Department of Media, Cognition, and Communication at the University of Copenhagen. [10]
University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University
[edit]Earlier in his career, Jasinski was an assistant professor in the Department of Speech Communication at the University of Illinois[11], including a visiting appointment. He also held an assistant professorship at Southern Illinois University from 1985 to 1989. [12]
Editorial and professional service
[edit]Jasinski served as editor of Rhetoric Society Quarterly (2012–2015).[13] He also served as associate editor for multiple journals. He has served on editorial boards for several academic journals and has reviewed manuscripts for university presses and journals in communication and rhetorical studies.
He has also contributed to professional organizations such as the National Communication Association and the Rhetoric Society of America, serving on committees, award panels, and conference planning groups.[14]
Selected Publications
[edit]- Jasinski, James. Sourcebook on Rhetoric: Key Concepts in Contemporary Rhetorical Studies. Sage Publications, 2001. [4]
- Jasinski, James. “Constituting Antebellum African American Identity: Resistance, Violence, and Masculinity in Henry Highland Garnet’s ‘Address to the Slaves.’” Quarterly Journal of Speech (2007). [15]
- Jasinski, James. “The Feminization of Liberty, Domesticated Virtue, and the Reconstitution of Power and Authority in Early American Political Discourse.” Quarterly Journal of Speech (1993). [16]
- Jasinski, James. “Heteroglossia, Polyphony, and The Federalist Papers.” Rhetoric Society Quarterly (1997).[17]
- Jasinski, James. “Rhetoric and Judgment in the Constitutional Ratification Debate of 1787–1788.” Quarterly Journal of Speech (1992).[18]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "James Jasinski". www.pugetsound.edu. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
- 1 2 "James Jasinski". Rankless. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
- ↑ Jasinski, James (2001-09-01). "The status of theory and method in rhetorical criticism". Western Journal of Communication. 65 (3): 249–270. doi:10.1080/10570310109374705. ISSN 1057-0314.
- 1 2 https://sk.sagepub.com/ency/edvol/sourcebook-on-rhetoric/toc
- ↑ "Participants". Public Address Conference. 2014-04-28. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
- ↑ https://www.pugetsound.edu/sites/default/files/file/jasinski-cv-002_0.pdf
- ↑ "Rhetoric and judgment in the constitutional ratification debate of 1787–1788: An exploration in the relationship between theory and critical practice: Quarterly Journal of Speech: Vol 78 , No 2 - Get Access". Quarterly Journal of Speech. doi:10.1080/00335639209383989.
- ↑ "Communication Studies". www.pugetsound.edu. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
- ↑ "MA/PhD Areas of Study". Department of Communication. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
- ↑ Møllebæk, Mathias (2021). "Regulating patient access to therapeutics in Denmark: a rhetorical analysis of welfare imaginaries in public controversy". Journal of Law and the Biosciences. 8 (2) lsaa047. doi:10.1093/jlb/lsaa047. ISSN 2053-9711. PMC 8366716. PMID 34408897.
- ↑ Davis, Dennis K.; Jasinski, James (1993-09-01). "Beyond the Culture Wars: An Agenda for Research on Communication and Culture". Journal of Communication. 43 (3): 141–149. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.1993.tb01286.x. ISSN 0021-9916. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26.
- ↑ https://informallogic.ca/index.php/informal_logic/article/view/2462/1904
- ↑ "Back Matter". Rhetoric Society Quarterly. 46 (5). 2016. ISSN 0277-3945. JSTOR 26110671.
- ↑ NCA (2016-10-21). "1986 NCA Award Winners - National Communication Association". Retrieved 2026-07-28.
- ↑ https://scispace.com/pdf/constituting-antebellum-african-american-identity-resistance-2qs2nd0vqb.pdf
- ↑ "tandfonline". www.tandfonline.com. doi:10.1080/00335639309384026. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
- ↑ Jasinski, James (1997). "Heteroglossia, Polyphony, and "The Federalist Papers"". Rhetoric Society Quarterly. 27 (1): 23–46. doi:10.1080/02773949709391086. ISSN 0277-3945. JSTOR 3886212.
- ↑ Jasinski, James (1992). "Rhetoric and judgment in the constitutional ratification debate of 1787–1788: An exploration in the relationship between theory and critical practice". Quarterly Journal of Speech. 78 (2): 197–218. doi:10.1080/00335639209383989. ISSN 0033-5630.