Figure 2 the Rhetorical Situation Again
9 The Rhetorical Situation
- Profile
- What Others Say Near the Rhetorical State of affairs
- A Visual Model of the Rhetorical Situation
- Boosted Resources on the Rhetorical Situation
by Justin Jory
PROFILE
The term "rhetorical situation" refers to the circumstances that bring texts into existence. The concept emphasizes that writing is a social activity, produced by people in particular situations for particular goals. It helps individuals empathise that, because writing is highly situated and responds to specific homo needs in a particular fourth dimension and place, texts should be produced and interpreted with these needs and contexts in mind.
As a writer, thinking carefully about the situations in which you lot notice yourself writing can pb y'all to produce more meaningful texts that are appropriate for the situation and responsive to others' needs, values, and expectations. This is true whether writing a workplace email or completing a college writing consignment.
Every bit a reader, considering the rhetorical situation can help you lot develop a more detailed agreement of others and their texts.
In short, the rhetorical state of affairs tin can help writers and readers call back through and decide why texts exist, what they aim to do, and how they practice information technology in particular situations.
WHAT OTHERS SAY About THE RHETORICAL State of affairs
Writer
The writer is the individual, grouping, or organization who authors a text. Every writer brings a frame of reference to the rhetorical situation that affects how and what they say virtually a field of study. Their frame of reference is influenced by their experiences, values, and needs: race and ethnicity, gender and education, geography and institutional affiliations to name a few.
Audition
The audience includes the individuals the writer engages with the text. Most often there is an intended, or target, audience for the text. Audiences run into and in some way use the text based on their own experiences, values, and needs that may or may not align with the writer'due south.
Purpose
The purpose is what the writer and the text aim to exercise. To think rhetorically about purpose is to think both nigh what motivated writers to write and what the goals of their texts are. These goals may originate from a personal place, just they are shared when writers appoint audiences through writing.
Exigence
The exigence refers to the perceived need for the text, an urgent imperfection a author identifies then responds to through writing. To call up rhetorically most exigence is to call back about what writers and texts answer to through writing.
Subject
The subject refers to the issue at hand, the major topics the author, text, and audition address.
Context
The context refers to other direct and indirect social, cultural, geographic, political, and institutional factors that likely influence the author, text, and audience in a particular situation.
Genre
The genre refers to the type of text the writer produces. Some texts are more than appropriate than others in a given situation, and a author's successful use of genre depends on how well they meet, and sometimes challenge, the genre conventions.
What are the basic elements of rhetorical analysis?
one. The appeal to ethos
Literally translated, ethos means "character." In this case, it refers to the character of the writer or speaker, or more specifically, his credibility. The writer needs to constitute credibility then that the audience will trust him and, thus, be more willing to engage with the statement. If a writer fails to establish a sufficientethical appeal, then the audience will not take the writer's argument seriously.
For example, if someone writes an article that is published in an academic periodical, in a reputable newspaper or magazine, or on a credible website, those places of publication already imply a certain level of credibility. If the article is nearly a scientific issue and the writer is a scientist or has certain academic or professional credentials that relate to the commodity's field of study, that also will lend brownie to the writer. Finally, if that author shows that he is knowledgeable about the subject area by providing clear explanations of points and by presenting information in an honest and straightforward way that likewise helps to establish a writer's credibility.
When evaluating a writer'supstanding appeal, ask the post-obit questions:
Does the writer come across every bit reliable?
- Viewpoint is logically consistent throughout the text
- Does not use hyperbolic (exaggerated) language
- Has an fifty-fifty, objective tone (not malicious only too non sycophantic)
- Does non come across as subversive or manipulative
Does the writer come beyond as authoritative and knowledgeable?
- Explains concepts and ideas thoroughly
- Addresses any counter-arguments and successfully rebuts them
- Uses a sufficient number of relevant sources
- Shows an agreement of sources used
What kind of credentials or experience does the writer have?
- Look at byline or biographical info
- Place any personal or professional experience mentioned in the text
- Where has this author's text been published?
2. The appeal to pathos
Literally translated,pathos means "suffering." In this instance, information technology refers to emotion, or more specifically, the writer'due south appeal to the audience'due south emotions. When a author establishes an effectivepathetic appeal, she makes the audience care virtually what she is saying. If the audition does not care virtually the bulletin, so they volition not appoint with the argument being made.
For instance, consider this: A writer is crafting a speech for a politico who is running for office, and in information technology, the writer raises a point almost Social Security benefits. In order to make this point more than appealing to the audience so that they will experience more emotionally connected to what the politician says, the writer inserts a story near Mary, an lxxx-year-onetime widow who relies on her Social Security benefits to supplement her income. While visiting Mary the other day, sitting at her kitchen table and eating a slice of her succulent homemade apple pie, the writer recounts how the politician held Mary'due south fragile hand and promised that her benefits would be prophylactic if he were elected. Ideally, the writer wants the audition to feel sympathy or pity for Mary because then they volition experience more open up to considering the politico's views on Social Security (and maybe even other issues).
When evaluating a writer'spathetic appeal, inquire the post-obit questions:
Does the writer try to engage or connect with the audience by making the subject matter relatable in some way?
- Does the author have an interesting writing way?
- Does the writer use sense of humour at any indicate?
- Does the author use narration, such as storytelling or anecdotes, to add interest or to assist humanize a certain outcome inside the text?
- Does the writer use descriptive or attention-grabbing details?
- Are in that location hypothetical examples that help the audience to imagine themselves in sure scenarios?
- Does the writer use any other examples in the text that might emotionally entreatment to the audience?
- Are there whatever visual appeals to pathos, such every bit photographs or illustrations?
Recognizing a Manipulative Appeal to Pathos:
Up to a certain point, anappeal to desolation can exist a legitimate role of an argument. For example, a writer or speaker may begin with an anecdote showing the effect of a law on an individual. This anecdote is a style to gain an audience's attention for an argument in which show and reason are used to present a example as to why the police should or should non be repealed or amended. In such a context, engaging the emotions, values, or behavior of the audience is a legitimate and effective tool that makes the argument stronger.
An appropriate appeal todesolation is different from trying to unfairly play upon the audience's feelings and emotions through beguiling, misleading, or excessively emotional appeals. Such amanipulative employ of pathos may amerce the audience or crusade them to "melody out." An example would exist the American Order for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)commercials (https://youtu.be/6eXfvRcllV8, transcripthere) featuring the vocal "In the Arms of an Angel" and footage of abused animals. Even Sarah McLachlan, the singer and spokesperson featured in the commercials, admits that she changes the aqueduct because they are as well depressing (Brekke).
Even if an appeal to pathos is non manipulative, such an appeal should complement rather than supervene upon reason and bear witness-based argument. In addition to making utilise of pathos, the author must establish her credibility (ethos) and must supply reasons and evidence (logos) in back up of her position. An author who substantially replaces logos and ethos with desolation solitary does not present a potent argument.
iii. The appeal to logos
Literally translated,logos means "word." In this instance, information technology refers to information, or more specifically, the writer'southward appeal to logic and reason. A successfullogical entreatment provides clearly organized information too as evidence to support the overall argument. If one fails to establish a logical appeal, then the statement will lack both sense and substance.
For case, refer to the previous example of the politician's speech communication writer to understand the importance of having a solid logical entreatment. What if the writer hadmerely included the story about 80-yr-erstwhile Mary without providing any statistics, data, or concrete plans for how the politician proposed to protect Social Security benefits? Without any factual evidence for the proposed plan, the audition would not have been as probable to accept his proposal, and rightly so.
When evaluating a writer'slogical appeal, ask the following questions:
Does the author organize his information clearly?
- Ideas are continued by transition words and phrases
- Choose the link forexamples of common transitions(https://tinyurl.com/oftaj5g).
- Ideas have a clear and purposeful guild
Does the writer provide bear witness to back his claims?
- Specific examples
- Relevant source material
Does the writer use sources and data to back his claims rather than base the argument purely on emotion or stance?
- Does the writer employ concrete facts and figures, statistics, dates/times, specific names/titles, graphs/charts/tables?
- Are the sources that the author uses credible?
- Where do the sources come up from? (Who wrote/published them?)
- When were the sources published?
- Are the sources well-known, respected, and/or peer-reviewed (if applicative) publications?
Recognizing a Manipulative Appeal to Logos:
Pay detail attention to numbers, statistics, findings, and quotes used to back up an argument. Exist critical of the source and do your own investigation of the facts. Remember: What initially looks like a fact may non actually exist one. Perhaps y'all've heard or read that half of all marriages in America volition end in divorce. It is so often discussed that we assume information technology must be true. Careful research will show that the original marriage study was flawed, and divorce rates in America have steadily declined since 1985 (Peck, 1993). If at that place is no scientific evidence, why do we continue to believe it? Part of the reason might exist that information technology supports the mutual worry of the dissolution of the American family unit.
4. The entreatment to Kairos
Literally translated,Kairos means the "supreme moment." In this case, it refers to appropriate timing, meaningwhen the writer presents certain parts of her argument too every bit the overall timing of the discipline thing itself. While not technically part of the Rhetorical Triangle, it is still an of import principle for constructing an constructive argument. If the author fails to establish a strongKairotic entreatment, and then the audience may become polarized, hostile, or may only just lose interest.
If advisable timing is non taken into consideration and a writer introduces a sensitive or important point likewise early on or as well late in a text, the bear on of that point could be lost on the audience. For example, if the author'south audience is strongly opposed to her view, and she begins the argument with a forceful thesis of why she is right and the opposition is wrong, how do you recollect that audition might reply?
In this case, the writer may have just lost the ability to make whatsoever further appeals to her audition in two ways: first, by polarizing them, and second, by possibly elevating what was at kickoff merely potent opposition to what would now exist hostile opposition. A polarized or hostile audition will not be inclined to listen to the author's argument with an open mind or even to mind at all. On the other hand, the writer could have established a stronger appeal to Kairos by building up to that forceful thesis, possibly by providing some neutral points such as groundwork data or by addressing some of the opposition'south views, rather than leading with why she is right and the audience is wrong.
Additionally, if a writer covers a topic or puts forth an statement nearly a subject area that is currently a not-issue or has no relevance for the audience, and so the audience will fail to engage because whatever the writer'southward message happens to be, it won't matter to anyone. For example, if a author were to put forth the argument that women in the United States should have the correct to vote, no 1 would care; that is a non-issue because women in the United States already have that right.
When evaluating a author'sKairotic appeal, enquire the following questions:
- Where does the author plant her thesis of the statement in the text? Is it near the start, the center, or the stop? Is this placement of the thesis effective? Why or why non?
- Where in the text does the author provide her strongest points of evidence? Does that location provide the nearly bear upon for those points?
- Is the issue that the writer raises relevant at this time, or is it something no ane really cares nearly anymore or needs to know nigh anymore?
Key Takeaways
Understanding the Rhetorical Situation:
- Identify who the communicator is.
- Identify the result at mitt.
- Place the communicator'south purpose.
- Identify the medium or method of communication.
- Place who the audience is.
Identifying the Rhetorical Appeals:
- Ethos = the writer's credibility
- Pathos = the writer'due south emotional appeal to the audition
- Logos = the writer's logical appeal to the audience
- Kairos = appropriate and relevant timing of subject thing
- In sum, effective advice is based on an understanding of the rhetorical situation and on a balance of the rhetorical appeals.
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VISUAL MODELs OF THE RHETORICAL State of affairs
Additional Resource ON THE RHETORICAL SITUATION
- "The Rhetorical State of affairs"—entry published on Wikipedia.com
- "The Rhetorical Situation Affiche"—folio published bt NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English)
Source: https://pressbooks.howardcc.edu/essentials/chapter/the-rhetorical-situation/