Established in 2006, the Center for the Study of Rhetoric in Society (CSRS) studies language use and rhetorical activity in public, nonprofit, academic, corporate, and governmental settings.

We develop and employ research methodologies that combine qualitative, quantitative, and creative approaches to studying language in use.

Current projects study how discourses and literate practices create, circulate and prioritize values in organizations, project groups, social networks, and social reform movements. Visit our Projects page to learn more about the Center's work

Our Mission

Our mission is to promote the effective and socially responsible use of rhetoric by studying discourse and turning our analysis into action.

The CSRS is housed in the Virginia Tech Department of English. Our work supports and is supported by Virginia Tech's Institute for Society, Culture, and the Environment (ISCE) and the English Department's doctoral program in Rhetoric and Writing.

Contact CSRS Director Dr. Kelly Belanger for more information about working with the Center or becoming a faculty affiliate.