OSHER 206 - Rhetoric of Exclusion: The Magdalenes and Beyond

This six-week course looks at the rise of the Magdalene Laundries from the Middle Ages to modernity. Examining the Magdalene Laundries allows us to further identify rhetoric and other devices used to marginalize groups of people in society. We will look at the Magdalenes and how they came to be, while comparing those occurrences to current events in the United States. The ultimate goal is to become aware of how rhetoric, hegemony, domination, and economics converge to bring certain groups to power, or maintain the status quo, while marginalizing others. Dr. McCarthy is a leading expert in the history of the Magdalene Laundries, and a professor of communication studies and ethics.