Ritual and Irony: Observations about the discourse of political change in two Germanies

Beyond strategy: a reader‐centered analysis of irony's dual persuasive uses

“…Exemplifying those who strongly extol the strategic power of irony's ordinary persuasion is Joachim Knuf who, in his study of political change in Germany, argued that irony is "perhaps the most powerful trope." 37 Likewise, Tindale and Gough suggested that Jonathan Swift chose irony over other rhetorical strategies because he "doesn't want simply to persuade us; he wants to persuade us in a particularly forceful way, through the tone of the piece.… He wants to rouse us from our lethargy." 38 Karstetter made a similarly expansive claim for irony's persuasive effectiveness.…”

Ritual in the “Church of Baseball”: Suppressing the Discourse of Democracy after 9/11

“…The implementation of the ritual action plan therefore involves participants in forms of behavior that not only symbolize a certain order of the world but execute this order." 36 However, as James Ettema points out, part of the complexity of ritual is the fact that participants need not passively accept it, and they can instead resist or oppose its performance. 37 The power of baseball rituals, then, ultimately depends on their acceptance or rejection by the community.…”