rhetorical situation

Rhetorical

Situation

What is it?

Shaped by language or communication

Tries to get people to DO something.

REMEMBER THIS GUY?

As you read Grant-Davie…

Think about how he defines the concept of rhetorical situation, and how other people (Bitzer; Vatz) have defined the term.

Try to come up with your own definition of rhetorical situations (hint hint!)

Check out pg. 104-105

What’s the situation? Who does it involve? What is it trying to DO?

The Components

Exigence (starting on pg. 106)

Rhetors (starting on pg. 108)

Audience (starting on pg. 109)

Constraints (starting on pg. 111)

Can you come up with examples of each based on your own experiences? (Hint hint!)

Exigence

The problem or need—the reason

Calls for discourse (action)

Rhetors

The people who generate the rhetorical situation. You could think of them as the authors or writers

Rhetors have purposes, needs, values, and expectations. They want to get the reader to DO something

Purposes, needs, values, expectations?

Audience

The people with whom rhetors negotiate through discourse.

Who the discourse is for—the people (or person) targetted.

Constraints

Factors that may affect the achievement of the objectives.

Factors that have the power to CONSTRAIN the decision and action needed to modify the exigence (purpose)

Remember this kid?

What kept this commercial from being effective? Why was it banned in the US? How does it conflict with our values?

Time as a constraint?

Your homework

Read WaW pgs. 101-118: Grant-Davie

Be prepared for a quiz in class:

-define rhetorical situations according to Grant-Davie, and think of how you can define the term in your own words

-identify and explain the elements of a rhetorical situation discussed by Grant-Davie (rhetors,exigence, audience, constraint)

You’re good with pics, but what do you have to say about texts?

More from you…

What evidence can you gather?

Using your notes, “fill in the blanks”

Marc Parry argues that (or quotes _____ who argues that) _________. He states, (or quotes) “_________,” which shows _________.

EX: Marc Parry quotes David Harrington, a professor of economics at Kenyon College, who argues that Turnitin.com may cause teachers to become lazy. Harrington states, “A store clerk may think it unnecessary to watch out for shoplifters because antitheft technology does the job for them. Now that the plagiarism-detection software Turnitin is ubiquitous in higher education, professors could adopt the same mentality when it comes to actively fighting cheating,” which shows that students are like “shoplifters” who need to be caught when they steal.