PEACE CORPS IN THE 21 ST CENTURY: A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

108me to join the Peace Corps – the ultimate job for those who have become disenchantedwith working. You mean to say that someone will hand me a plane ticket to some exoticlocal, take care of my loans while I am gone for two years, give me enough to money tobuy all the rice and beans I could possibly desire and two thirds of my job descriptioncould be roughly translated as ‘hanging out?’” 185Volunteers see service as a break fromthe realities of life in the U.S. This is consistent with the official Peace Corps rhetoricfound online and reflects the slogan “life is calling.”Still other volunteers, say they are volunteering as a call to do service for God,which is inconsistent with Peace Corps doctrine. However some volunteers join thePeace Corps for this purpose. Katherine Devine says that her service in the DominicanRepublic is a calling from God. She wrote, “A lot of people have asked me why I choseto join the Peace Corps. The primary reason for my service is that this is what God hascalled me to do. My life serves no other purpose than to do His will- if you don't knowwhat that means or aren't sure what it means for your life, then ask. I would love nothingmore than to share Christ with you.” 186Katherine is not the only volunteer with such agoal in mind. At least three of the 75 blogs contained a similar sentiment. Voluntarismcarries with it many motivations. Serving in the Peace Corps is a different experience foreveryone. The experiences are different, the reasons for joining are varied, but regardlessof the motivation and experiences, service is challenging.WorkPeace Corps volunteers are assigned to a particular “sector” for work. Thesesectors include: teaching, agriculture, community development, and health. A day in the