Rachel Davidson
Associate Professor of Communication and Speaking Co-Coordinator
Classes
– Introduction to Communication
– Persuasive Communication
– War & Upheaval through Film
– Feminist Theory
– Cross-Cultural Communication
– Political Rhetoric and Campaigns
– Gender and Communication
Learn more about Dr. Davidson
Rachel is a Hoosier native who came to Hanover College in 2015 after spending four years in Milwaukee for graduate school. She has a passion for rhetorical criticism and popular culture so most of her research analyzes popular artifacts, especially film and self-help literature. Motherhood is central to her personal and professional lives. Her daughters—Carolina and Ivy—inspired her to research representations of motherhood in popular culture. She is mostly interested in the ways in which popular culture encourages society to value (and de-value) motherhood and mothering, impacting the day-to-day lives of mothers.
Education
B.A. in communication studies, Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis
M.A. in applied communication, Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis
Ph.D. in communication, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Awards
2020, The Daryl R. Karns Award for Creative and Scholarly Activity
Publications
Davidson, R. D. & Dobris, C. A. (2022). Film as invitational rhetoric: Modeling motherhood through community in 20th Century Women. In D. Kuwabong, D. Smith Silva, & E. Diaz (Eds.). Mothering, Community, and Friendship. Demeter Press.
Dobris, C, A., Davidson, R. D., White-Mills, K. (2025). Maternal Narratives in Public Contexts: Shaping Perspectives and Enacting Identity. Bloomsbury.
Stache, L. C., and Davidson, R. D. (2023). The Avenging-Woman On-Screen: Female Empowerment and Feminist Possibilities. Lexington Books.
Stache, L. C. & Davidson, R. D. (2019). Gilmore Girls: A Cultural History. Rowman & Littlefield.
Dr. Davidson in the Classroom
