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Communication ETDs
Publication Date
7-1-2014
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to identify practices of invitational rhetoric that create sustainable solutions to community-identified needs. Working with East Central Ministries, a Christian community development organization in Albuquerque's international district, I used a co-conspiring method of research; meaning I worked alongside community members to jointly create projects, discuss theory, and create shared understanding of themes which emerged in my analysis. My analysis showed that the community surrounding East Central Ministries is characterized by bordered elements; by choosing to encircle the border space, co-conspirators create opportunities for practicing invitational rhetoric. Initial practices used by co-conspirators at ECM to cultivate the soil of possibilities include the creation of an invitational environment, intention setting, leaving space for what emerges, focusing on feelings, approaching faith in new ways, and being community minded. From the soil cultivated in these initial practices, emergent practices--making space for agency; focusing on what is wanted; sharing, giving, and trusting; and ultimately building a conspiring community--are able to bloom. In order to further illustrate the significance of these practices, I offer a model for the three Cs of invitational transformation through transcendence: (1) community; (2) consciousness; and (3) conspiratorial acts.
Language
English
Keywords
Invitational rhetoric, East Central Ministries, Conspire, Community, Sustainable
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Communication
Level of Degree
Doctoral
Department Name
Department of Communication and Journalism
First Committee Member (Chair)
Milstein, Tema
Second Committee Member
Gandert, Miguel
Third Committee Member
Rodriguez, Ilia
Fourth Committee Member
Trinidad-Galvan, Ruth
Recommended Citation
Upton, Sarah. "Constructing the Conspiring Community: Using Practices of Invitational Rhetoric to Create Sustainable Solutions to Community-Identified Needs." (2014). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cj_etds/54