If a writer does not carefully consider these areas, they will not achieve their . Although the concept of the rhetorical situation has been . How do People Learn About the Genres in a Particular Setting? More broadly, Bitzer (2009) defines a rhetorical situation as "a complex of persons, events, objects, and relations presenting an actual or potential exigence which can be completely or partially removed if discourse, introduced into the situation, can so constrain human decision or action as to bring about the significant modification of the ex. The American voting public was a second rhetorical audience insofar as the messages conveyed in the Senate were meant to convince voters to turn out for the November 2020 election. The author of the rhetoric is responsible for the veracity of its content, as well as the intent—whether positive or negative—of the outcome he or she is attempting to achieve. Language is directly affected by both historical influence and the assumptions brought to bear by the current culture in which it exists. The news is reporting that a severe winter storm bringing 50 centimetres of snow is about to reach our area. Let’s consider “writing an assignment” in terms of the situation and ecology models of rhetoric. However, if the public’s perception of an emergency depends on the speaker, a real, material reality may be at odds with other “emergencies” that a speaker brings to the public’s attention as distractions. While some rhetoric is certainly far from fact-based, the rhetoric itself is not the issue. Because each of us has been informed by a unique set of life circumstances, no two people see things in exactly the same way. What is a Rhetorical Situation? “In any rhetorical situation, there will be at least one controlling exigence which functions as an organizing principle.” This “organizing exigence” defines the audience to be addressed and the change to be effected. While the most commonly accepted definition of a text is a written document, when it comes to rhetorical situations, a text can take on any form of communication a person intentionally creates. As a running example of the difference between context and situation, let’s consider the 2020 presidential impeachment hearings. Conversation, which most often refers to a dialog between a limited number of people takes on a much broader meaning to and refers to a collective conversation which encompasses a broad understanding, belief system, or assumptions that are held by the community at large. In other words, an exigence is a pressing problem in the world, something to which people must attend. Constraints: Definition and Examples in Rhetoric, Audience Analysis in Speech and Composition, Definition and Examples of Rhetorical Stance, Definition and Examples of Paragraphing in Essays, Writer Purpose in Rhetoric and Composition, Definition and Examples of Ethos in Classical Rhetoric, Rhetorical Analysis Definition and Examples, Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia, M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester, B.A., English, State University of New York, "Exigence has to do with what prompts the author to write in the first place, a sense of urgency, a problem that requires attention right now, a need that must be met, a concept that must be understood before the audience can move to a next step." The following year, in April 2015, protests erupted in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray, who was brutally assaulted as he was arrested, fell into a coma, and died. Reagan did not just respond to this situation, but sought to actively redefine what it meant. (2020, August 28). Stewart’s explanation is a contextual reconstruction because reframed the event, putting it in a new light. On the other hand, even the most eloquent speaker can fail to move an audience that is firmly set in a belief system that directly contradicts the goal the author hopes to achieve and is unwilling to entertain another point of view. What You Should Know about Design Choices and Elements, How You Can Apply These Design Principles, Fannie Lou Hamer: Stand Up | Mississippi public broadcasting, Let’s get to the root of racial injustice | Megan Ming Francis, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho, The Binary Code of Racism | Tracey Benson, What if white people led the charge to end racism? They were the ones who would be ultimately voting on the Impeachment. This criterion might seem obvious, but it reminds us of the importance of finding a way for our audience to solve, or at least mitigate, the problem we’ve identified, or of finding an audience that has the power to do so. III. Thus, Bitzer (2009) asserts that “the rhetor alters reality by bringing into existence a discourse of such a character that the audience, in thought and action, is so engaged that [they] become the mediator of change” (p. 19). There are as many reasons to communicate messages as there are authors creating them and audiences who may or may not wish to receive them, however, authors and audiences bring their own individual purposes to any given rhetorical situation. ThoughtCo. Beyond Black on White: Document Design and Formatting in the Writing Classroom, 156. Edbauer’s version of a rhetorical situation suggests that it isn’t fixed; it does not happen once or in isolation. The final example of the rhetorical situation is Ronald Reagan’s Challenger Address Speech. Factors such as these ultimately govern whether or not the audience understands, accepts, or appreciates the author’s text. "Exigence in Rhetoric." As with exigence though, it is important to distinguish between an audience and a rhetorical audience because they are not the same thing. Oxford University Press. situation. A historical context is one in which any message can occur. 161. In that sense, they are “responses” to the rhetorical situation. Let’s return to the exigence we considered earlier in the chapter: idling vehicles contribute significantly to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is responsible for climate change. | Nita Mosby Tyler, Deconstructing White Privilege with Dr. Robin DiAngelo, The Dangers of Whitewashing Black History | David Ikard, No. The rhetorical situation is a framework for rhetorical analysis designed for individual speeches and assessing their reception by an audience. Now it's time to craft your message. Cengage, 2016), "An exigence, [Lloyd] Bitzer (1968) asserted, is 'an imperfection marked by urgency; it is a defect, an obstacle, something waiting to be done, a thing which is other than it should be' (p. 6). : Reagan clearly identified the exigence: “the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger… is truly a national loss” that made it a day “for mourning and remembering,” but the march of progress and the call for exploration gave meaning to that loss of life. However, this speech may be heard by the younger members of the crowd or people whose naturalization status prevents them from voting. As rhetorics and their companion counter-rhetorics move between situations, they respond to, resist, and transform the message. Audience Analysis in Speech and Composition, Rhetorical Analysis Definition and Examples, Writer Purpose in Rhetoric and Composition, The Writer's Voice in Literature and Rhetoric, Definition and Examples of Senders in Communication, AP English Language Score and College Credit Information, Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia, M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester, B.A., English, State University of New York. Introduction to Social/Community Change Writing, 65. Consider the video below as an illustration of the larger context for Obama’s 10/31/2015 speech. Why does the rhetor need to make this point? Introduction to Addressing Bias and Stakeholder Concerns, 78. Vatz argues that rhetoric arises not because of a situation, but because of the speaker. Pathos: Appeals to emotion and imagination, When writers misuse logos, pathos, or ethos, arguments suffer, Dash that Oxford Comma! Gradually over time, more and more large businesses started entering Austin, including Urban Outfitters, Barnes and Noble, and Baja Grille, each of which is (or was) a national chain. The rhetorical audience here isn’t just who can be influenced by the message. As a Situs, writing would be a very linear process. Appearing on T-shirts and bumper stickers throughout Austin, there is the ‘Make Austin Normal’ campaign, by a University of Texas business student who wanted to make a point of – and profit from – the ironic popularity of the “Weird” slogan. The rhetorical audience is defined as only those capable of being influenced by discourse and of being mediators of change. IT is not as clearly related to the larger context of mass incarceration. For instance, you get a high grade on an exam you thought you blew, and you want to tell someone. Pack Snacks: Use The “Quotation Sandwich”, 74. Your Hero’s Journey: Telling Stories that Matter, 30. As you think about potential or current problems you’d like your audience to solve, think carefully whether the exigence exists among your audience, and whether the action you’ve identified will actually solve the exigence. I. Exigency: What issue needs to be addressed? As you consider whether to use this exigence and action for your speech, you would first need to consider whether your audience, that is, your classmates, actually fall into this demographic; otherwise you may end up simply attempting to persuade them to commit to an action they already engage in regularly. It was popularized in rhetorical studies by Lloyd Bitzer in "The Rhetorical Situation" ("Philosophy and Rhetoric," 1968). Viewers who might react against this message are also a rhetorical audience. What information goes inside in-text citations (MLA)? However, even in situations of non-rhetorical exigences, one can find many potentially rhetorical exigences since people can be persuaded to behave in ways that minimize the harm done by such phenomena. Prove a claim with Reasoning and Evidence, Persuasive introductions should move from context to thesis, Use P-E-A-S or M-E-A-L to support your claim, Use “they say / i say” strategies for Counterarguments and rebuttals, When concluding, address the “so what?” challenge, The entire essay should use rhetorical appeals strategically, Problem/Solution Persuasive Argument Essay, Prior Knowledge, Metacognition, and Reflective Writing, Example of the Driscoll Cycle of reflection, Sample Assignment: “Ceasefire Reflective Essay”, Research Writing K-W-L: The I-Search Essay, Assignment Example: Reflective Cover Letter, Foundation to Writing with Sources: MEA(L) paragraphs and “Quote Sandwiches”, Transitional Words and Phrases for University Writing, Pack Snacks: Using the “Quotation Sandwich”, THE ETHICS AND IMPORTANCE OF ARGUMENTS ACROSS MORAL TRIBES, Establishing Lines of Communication with the Opposition’s Traditional Allies, Publication Formats and the Information Lifecycle, COMMUNITY DESTRUCTION IN NORTH DAKOTA OIL BOOMTOWNS, UNDERSTANDING MASS INCARCERATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN, RECOGNIZING PTSD’S EFFECTS ON HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, interviewing & Thank you Note writing activity. As John Mauk and John Metz explain in “Inventing Arguments: An exigence may be something as direct and intense as a power outage, which might prompt an official to persuade everyone to ‘stay calm’ or to ‘assist those in need.’ An exigence may be more subtle or complex, like the discovery of a new virus, which might prompt medical officials to persuade the public how to change its behavior. These constraints are what limits a rhetor’s effectiveness in persuading their rhetorical audience. Now What? What makes for a rhetorical exigence is when speech provides the remedy to the imperfection by urgency. Every rhetorical situation happens in a specific setting within a specific context, and are all constrained by the time and environment in which they occur. Cicero and Quintilian, two of the most famous Roman teachers of rhetoric, often relied on elements culled from Aristotle’s precepts in their own work. The rhetorical situation is one of the most fundamental and useful concepts we offer our students in ENGL 015 or ENGL 202. Effective Professional Communication: A Rhetorical Approach by Rebekah Bennetch; Corey Owen; and Zachary Keesey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. As distribution, writing doesn’t happen in one moment or even because of one person. Rhetoric and Genre: You’ve Got This! Bitzer describes a natural disaster as a “non-rhetorical exigence” – a well-delivered speech, traditionally conceived, might not be the best immediate response. As mentioned in the introduction, a rhetorical situation is merely the context, or setting, of a rhetorical act. Introduction to Argumentative Writing, 54. One pledge pitch for a local public radio station told listeners, “You too can work toward keeping Austin Weird by pledging to keep KOOP 917 FM on the air.”. Exigence is a rhetorical concept that can help writers and readers think about why texts exist. An exigence may be more subtle or complex, like the discovery of a new virus, which might prompt medical officials to persuade the public how to change its behavior. As with purpose, the attitude of both the author and the audience can have a direct impact on the outcome of any rhetorical situation. . Potential debates like these show that while you may feel your problem has a clear rhetorical exigence, others may not agree with you. An exigence is rhetorical when it is capable of positive modification and when positive modification, "Racism is an example of the first type of exigence, one where discourse is required to remove the problem... As an example of the second type—an exigence that can be modified by the assistance of rhetorical discourse—Bitzer offered the case of air pollution." You can use the concept to analyze what others’ texts are responding to and to more effectively identify the reasons why you might produce your own. Text Author The author is the individual who creates the text. Annoying Ways People Use Sources by Kyle D. Stedman, 153. It is a problem we live with that has become acute; it is an emergency that is other than it should be. For example, you have probably walked by the dozens of bulletin boards on campus that advertise different presentations that you can attend for free. It is the critical component that makes people ask the hard questions: What is it? Alternatively, people could be convinced stock up on supplies ahead of time like water and non-perishable foods. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. As a result, constraints cannot be simply acknowledged by the rhetor and then subsequently ignored. These elements are: the rhetorical exigence the rhetorical audience To think rhetorically about exigence is to think about what writers and texts respond to through writing. In the last few centuries, the definition of “rhetoric” has shifted to encompass pretty much any situation in which people exchange ideas. Most definitely! These parts are the rhetor (or author), exigence, purpose, audience, constraint and affordance. The rhetorical situation is a framework for rhetorical analysis designed for individual speeches and assessing their reception by an audience. Reagan provided an explanation not of the accident but of exploration. 11. Defining and understanding the roles these . In the style of forensic rhetoric, the Senators and possibly Roberts in the event of a tie were charged with discovering whether or not the President had committed an impeachable offense. Novelists, poets, copywriters, speechwriters, singer/songwriters, and graffiti artists are all authors. Figure 1.3.1 The Rhetorical Situation. Reading Rhetorically, or How to Read Like a Writer, 23. Instead, Edbauer argues that exigences are always a series of events. The same question can be made for rhetoric: in what contexts does rhetorical discourse become possible? These purposes may be conflicting or complementary. However, the potential loss of power and access to grocery stores could be examples of rhetorical exigences in the situation. In many of those cases, the presenter is talking about their research. This is, first of all, because every message occurs in a context, and not all contexts are rhetorical. The rhetorical situation for Presidential impeachment hearings in 2020 would instead be the circumstances and consequences surrounding a 2019 phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump. Almost a year later, nearly sixty thousand stickers had been distributed. This conversation is the rhetorical exigence: it generated a public emergency for which speech was deemed to be a fitting response. They must be capable of making some change that would adjust the exigence due to hearing the speech. In the case referenced earlier, the recorded conversation between Zelensky and Trump documented a request to investigate Joe Biden in exchange for an already-promised military defense system. reasons. As an example, the death of a ruler is not a rhetorical issue because it can't be undone by discussion.
