James Bunker

Biography

Dr. James C. Bunker is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies. He earned his B.A at the University of San Diego, his M.A. at San Jose State University, and completed his doctorate degree at the University of Utah while simultaneously obtaining a Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution.

Dr. Bunker currently teaches courses in rhetorical theory, rhetorical methods, political communication, communication theory, mediation, and civic engagement. He also has experience teaching business communication, interviewing, and small group decision-making. He is also a trained writing instructor having taught courses at the introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels.

Dr. Bunker's research explores the relationship between rhetoric, public advocacy, deliberative theories of civic engagement and how to facilitate democratic deliberation for the benefit of the public interest. Dr. Bunker is concurrently working on several manuscripts that discuss the role of textual silences in political deliberation, the critic's role in facilitating public deliberation, as well as how new media archival research can both contextualize and improve the credibility of civic discourse. Central to both his research and teaching is an underlying commitment to civic engagement and the importance of establishing civic responsibility.

Education (4)

University of Utah: Ph.D.

University of Utah: Graduate Certificate, Conflict Resolution

San Jose State University: M.A.

University of San Diego: B.A.

Research Grants (1)

Encouraging, Implementing, and Assessing Higher Education Student Civic Engagement and Service Learning in the University Classroom

Loyola Marymount University 

Concern with declining levels of civic engagement has received significant attention and there is interest in how to teach and engage students within the context of higher education (Jacoby et al, 2009) and on the role of service learning in achieving that objective (Battistoni &Hudson, 1997; Campbell, 2000; Hunter & Brisbon, 2000). Davis and Mello (2012) argue that the most useful way for instructors to stimulate civic engagement and reach students is to familiarize themselves with the relevant scholarly teaching and learning literature on civic education that discusses how to motivate and engage new and uninterested students. Other research indicates that service learning models where students take content based courses with a service learning component provide the best way to immediately integrate a foundation for service and learning within university students (Dallimore et al, 2010)...

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Articles (1)

Deliberative Expediency and Public Scholarship: Addressing the Problem of Timeliness and Credibility in Political Deliberation

Relevant Rhetoric

There are, given the setbacks in our public policy, significant concerns about the quality of public argument. These concerns center not only on the influence of mass media, advertising, and public relations in our political campaigns, but also about the relevance and utility of public scholarship that seeks to provide a timely alternative. In communication and rhetorical studies, this has given rise to a large body of work devoted to how scholars and critics in these fields might make a timely difference across interpersonal, group, intercultural, professional, and public contexts. 2 Of particular interest has been the work of scholars who reflect on the potential of rhetorical scholarship and criticism to raise important issues, to reach audiences inside and outside academe, and to do so in ways that are accessible to the public at large and meet the expediency requirements of public deliberation...

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