Figure 2 the Rhetorical Situation Again

9 The Rhetorical Situation

• Contour
• What Others Say About the Rhetorical Situation
• A Visual Model of the Rhetorical Situation
• Boosted Resource on the Rhetorical Situation

past Justin Jory

PROFILE

The term "rhetorical state of affairs" refers to the circumstances that bring texts into being. The concept emphasizes that writing is a social activeness, produced past people in particular situations for particular goals. It helps individuals understand that, considering writing is highly situated and responds to specific man needs in a detail time 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 find yourself writing can lead you to produce more than meaningful texts that are appropriate for the situation and responsive to others' needs, values, and expectations. This is true whether writing a workplace e-mail or completing a college writing consignment.

As a reader, because the rhetorical situation can help you develop a more detailed understanding of others and their texts.

In short, the rhetorical state of affairs can assist writers and readers think through and make up one's mind why texts exist, what they aim to do, and how they exercise information technology in detail situations.

WHAT OTHERS SAY Near THE RHETORICAL State of affairs

Writer

The writer is the private, group, or organization who authors a text. Every author brings a frame of reference to the rhetorical situation that affects how and what they say almost a discipline. 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.

Audience

The audition includes the individuals the author engages with the text. Most often there is an intended, or target, audience for the text. Audiences encounter and in some manner use the text based on their ain experiences, values, and needs that may or may not marshal with the writer's.

Purpose

The purpose is what the author and the text aim to practice. To think rhetorically well-nigh purpose is to think both near 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 engage audiences through writing.

Exigence

The exigence refers to the perceived need for the text, an urgent imperfection a writer identifies and then responds to through writing. To think rhetorically nearly exigence is to think about what writers and texts answer to through writing.

Field of study

The bailiwick refers to the issue at hand, the major topics the writer, text, and audition address.

Context

The context refers to other direct and indirect social, cultural, geographic, political, and institutional factors that probable influence the writer, text, and audition in a particular state of affairs.

Genre

The genre refers to the type of text the writer produces. Some texts are more 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 bones elements of rhetorical analysis?

one. The entreatment to ethos

Literally translated, ethos means "graphic symbol."  In this case, it refers to the character of the writer or speaker, or more specifically, his credibility.  The writer needs to institute credibility so that the audition will trust him and, thus, be more willing to appoint with the argument.  If a writer fails to establish a sufficientethical appeal, and so the audience will not take the writer's argument seriously.

For example, if someone writes an commodity that is published in an academic journal, in a reputable newspaper or mag, or on a apparent website, those places of publication already imply a certain level of brownie.  If the commodity is well-nigh a scientific issue and the author is a scientist or has certain academic or professional credentials that relate to the article's subject, that also will lend credibility to the author. Finally, if that writer shows that he is knowledgeable almost the subject field by providing clear explanations of points and by presenting information in an honest and straightforward way that also helps to establish a writer's brownie.

When evaluating a writer'southwardethical appeal, ask the following questions:

Does the author come beyond as reliable?

• Viewpoint is logically consistent throughout the text
• Does not employ hyperbolic (exaggerated) language
• Has an fifty-fifty, objective tone (not malicious simply as well not sycophantic)
• Does non come up across as subversive or manipulative

Does the author come across 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 understanding of sources used

What kind of credentials or experience does the author accept?

• Expect at byline or biographical info
• Identify whatever personal or professional feel mentioned in the text
• Where has this author's text been published?

two. The appeal to pathos

Literally translated,pathos means "suffering."  In this instance, it refers to emotion, or more than specifically, the writer's appeal to the audience's emotions.  When a writer establishes an effectivepathetic appeal, she makes the audience care about what she is saying.  If the audience does not intendance nearly the message, then they volition not engage with the argument beingness made.

For example, consider this: A author is crafting a speech for a politician who is running for office, and in information technology, the author raises a point about Social Security benefits.  In lodge to brand this point more appealing to the audience so that they will feel more emotionally connected to what the politician says, the writer inserts a story about Mary, an 80-year-old widow who relies on her Social Security benefits to supplement her income.  While visiting Mary the other solar day, sitting at her kitchen table and eating a slice of her succulent bootleg apple pie, the writer recounts how the political leader held Mary's delicate hand and promised that her benefits would be safe if he were elected.  Ideally, the writer wants the audience to feel sympathy or compassion for Mary because then they volition feel more open to because the politician'southward views on Social Security (and peradventure even other problems).

When evaluating a writer'spathetic appeal, ask the following questions:

Does the writer try to engage or connect with the audition by making the discipline thing relatable in some way?

• Does the writer accept an interesting writing style?
• Does the author use sense of humour at any point?
• Does the writer employ narration, such as storytelling or anecdotes, to add together interest or to help humanize a certain issue inside the text?
• Does the author use descriptive or attention-grabbing details?
• Are there hypothetical examples that assistance the audience to imagine themselves in certain scenarios?
•  Does the writer use whatsoever other examples in the text that might emotionally entreatment to the audition?
• Are there any visual appeals to pathos, such as photographs or illustrations?

Recognizing a Manipulative Appeal to Desolation:

Up to a sure betoken, anappeal to desolation tin exist a legitimate part of an argument. For case, a writer or speaker may begin with an anecdote showing the effect of a constabulary on an individual. This anecdote is a way to gain an audience'southward attention for an argument in which bear witness and reason are used to present a case every bit to why the law should or should not be repealed or amended. In such a context, engaging the emotions, values, or beliefs of the audition is a legitimate and effective tool that makes the statement stronger.

An appropriate appeal topathos is different from trying to unfairly play upon the audience'due south feelings and emotions through fallacious, misleading, or excessively emotional appeals. Such amanipulative use of pathos may alienate the audience or cause them to "tune out." An example would be the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)commercials (https://youtu.exist/6eXfvRcllV8, transcripthither) featuring the song "In the Arms of an Angel" and footage of abused animals. Even Sarah McLachlan, the vocalist and spokesperson featured in the commercials, admits that she changes the channel considering they are too depressing (Brekke).

Even if an entreatment to pathos is not manipulative, such an appeal should complement rather than replace reason and evidence-based argument. In add-on to making use of pathos, the author must establish her brownie (ethos) and must supply reasons and evidence (logos) in back up of her position. An author who essentially replaces logos and ethos with pathos alone does non present a strong argument.

3. The appeal to logos

Literally translated,logos means "discussion."  In this case, information technology refers to information, or more specifically, the writer'southward appeal to logic and reason. A successfullogical appeal provides clearly organized information as well as bear witness to support the overall statement.  If ane fails to found a logical appeal, then the statement will lack both sense and substance.

For example, refer to the previous example of the politician's speech writer to empathize the importance of having a solid logical entreatment.  What if the author hadonly included the story about lxxx-yr-old Mary without providing whatsoever statistics, data, or concrete plans for how the politician proposed to protect Social Security benefits? Without whatsoever factual evidence for the proposed program, the audience would not take been as likely to accept his proposal, and rightly then.

When evaluating a writer'slogical appeal, ask the following questions:

Does the writer organize his information clearly?

• Ideas are connected by transition words and phrases
  • Choose the link forexamples of mutual transitions(https://tinyurl.com/oftaj5g).
• Ideas have a clear and purposeful guild

Does the writer provide evidence to back his claims?

• Specific examples
• Relevant source textile

Does the writer utilise sources and data to back his claims rather than base the argument purely on emotion or opinion?

• Does the author use concrete facts and figures, statistics, dates/times, specific names/titles, graphs/charts/tables?
• Are the sources that the writer uses credible?
• Where do the sources come from? (Who wrote/published them?)
• When were the sources published?
• Are the sources well-known, respected, and/or peer-reviewed (if applicable) publications?

Recognizing a Manipulative Appeal to Logos:

Pay item attending to numbers, statistics, findings, and quotes used to back up an argument. Be critical of the source and practise your own investigation of the facts. Call up: What initially looks like a fact may not actually be ane.  Maybe you've heard or read that half of all marriages in America will end in divorce. It is and then oft discussed that nosotros assume it must be true. Careful inquiry will show that the original matrimony written report was flawed, and divorce rates in America have steadily declined since 1985 (Peck, 1993). If there is no scientific testify, why exercise we continue to believe it? Office of the reason might be that information technology supports the mutual worry of the dissolution of the American family unit.

iv. The appeal to Kairos

Literally translated,Kairos means the "supreme moment."  In this example, it refers to appropriate timing, meaningwhen the writer presents certain parts of her argument besides as the overall timing of the subject matter itself.  While not technically part of the Rhetorical Triangle, it is still an of import principle for constructing an effective argument. If the writer fails to plant a strongKairotic appeal, then the audience may get polarized, hostile, or may simply just lose involvement.

If advisable timing is not taken into consideration and a writer introduces a sensitive or important betoken too early or as well late in a text, the touch 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 lot recollect that audition might reply?

In this example, the writer may accept simply lost the power to make any farther appeals to her audience in two means: kickoff, by polarizing them, and 2nd, by possibly elevating what was at beginning merely strong opposition to what would at present exist hostile opposition.  A polarized or hostile audience will non be inclined to listen to the writer's argument with an open heed or even to listen at all.  On the other hand, the writer could have established a stronger appeal to Kairos past building upwardly to that forceful thesis, maybe by providing some neutral points such as background information or by addressing some of the opposition's 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 argument nigh a subject that is currently a non-outcome or has no relevance for the audience, then the audience will fail to engage because whatever the writer's bulletin happens to be, it won't affair to anyone.  For example, if a writer were to put forth the argument that women in the United States should have the right to vote, no i would care; that is a non-issue considering women in the United states already have that right.

When evaluating a author'sKairotic appeal, ask the following questions:

• Where does the author establish her thesis of the argument in the text?  Is it near the start, the center, or the end?  Is this placement of the thesis effective?  Why or why not?
• Where in the text does the writer provide her strongest points of bear witness? Does that location provide the about touch for those points?
• Is the issue that the author raises relevant at this time, or is it something no one really cares about anymore or needs to know well-nigh anymore?

Key Takeaways

Understanding the Rhetorical Situation:

• Identify who the communicator is.
• Identify the event at hand.
• Identify the communicator's purpose.
• Identify the medium or method of communication.
• Identify who the audience is.

Identifying the Rhetorical Appeals:

• Ethos = the writer'south brownie
• Pathos = the writer'south emotional appeal to the audience
• Logos = the writer'due south logical appeal to the audition
• Kairos = appropriate and relevant timing of subject affair
• In sum, effective communication is based on an understanding of the rhetorical situation and on a balance of the rhetorical appeals.

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English language Limerick Ii, Lumen Learning, CC-BY iv.0.

by Elizabeth Browning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution iv.0 International License

VISUAL MODELs OF THE RHETORICAL State of affairs

Additional Resource ON THE RHETORICAL Situation

• "The Rhetorical Situation"—entry published on Wikipedia.com
• "The Rhetorical Situation Poster"—page published bt NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English)

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Source: https://pressbooks.howardcc.edu/essentials/chapter/the-rhetorical-situation/

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