John F. Kennedy, the Construction of Peace, and the Pitfalls of Androgynous Rhetoric

This essay examines paradoxical tensions in "The Strategy of Peace," John F. Kennedy's (JFK) 1963 commencement address at American University. Building on recent explorations of gendered stylistics, the analysis initially shows how JFK's speech portrayed a number of characteristi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCommunication quarterly Vol. 57; no. 2; pp. 154 - 170
Main Author Kimble, James J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published University Park Taylor & Francis Group 18.05.2009
Eastern Communication Association
Subjects
Androgynous Style
Cold War
Feminine Style
Femininity
Gender
John F. Kennedy
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald (1917-1963)
Masculine Style
Masculinity
Peace Rhetoric
Rhetoric
War Rhetoric
United States > US
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Summary:This essay examines paradoxical tensions in "The Strategy of Peace," John F. Kennedy's (JFK) 1963 commencement address at American University. Building on recent explorations of gendered stylistics, the analysis initially shows how JFK's speech portrayed a number of characteristics typical of a feminine style. It then demonstrates that the address simultaneously featured characteristics typical of a masculine style. The subsequent androgynous style, the essay concludes, limited the potential success of what was likely JFK's most ambitious attempt at constructing détente with the Soviets in the course of the Cold War.
ISSN:0146-3373
1746-4102
DOI:10.1080/01463370902881635