Lecture on The Rhetorical Situation

Overview

• This lecture discusses the rhetorical situation as presented in "Everyone's an Author" by Andrea Lunsford and others.
• It does not cover Lloyd Bitzer’s concept from the 1960s, though a future video may address this.
• Rhetorical situation components: genre, audience, purpose, stance, context, medium/design.
• Designed as a set of guided questions to ask when developing a paper.

Genre

• Definition: Types or categories of writing, e.g., narrative, proposal, opinion piece.
• Key Considerations:
  • What is the genre/type of writing?
  • Organizational needs specific to the genre?
  • Tone characteristic of the genre?
  • Design features typical of the genre?

Audience

• Identifying Audience:
  • Who is the audience? Real or imagined?
  • Writing for one person or many?
• Audience Relationship:
  • How are you like or unlike your audience?
  • Relationship dynamics: existing, new, hostile, etc.
  • Audience’s knowledge and interest in the topic.

Purpose

• Internal Motivation:
  • Beyond getting a good grade, what motivates you?
  • What is your intrinsic reason for writing this?
• Goals in Writing:
  • Aims such as changing opinions, inciting action.
  • Personal goals like engaging the teacher or gaining respect.

Stance

• Components of Stance:
  • Toward the topic: care, indifference, excitement.
  • Toward the audience: respect, goodwill, engagement.
  • Stance mediated by tone, aiming for professionalism.

Context

• Contextual Considerations:
  • Existing discourse on the topic.
  • Constraints like word count, format (MLA), deadline, etc.
  • Independence in choosing topic within constraints.

Medium and Design

• Medium Constraints:
  • Often predetermined, e.g., electronic submission via Canvas.
  • Restrictions on format, e.g., PDF or Word, not Apple Pages.
• Design and Conventions:
  • Professional look: standard college paper format.
  • Conventions: full sentences, grammar, MLA formatting.
  • Inclusion of references usually encouraged.

Conclusion

• Summarizes the rhetorical situation as outlined in "Everyone's an Author."
• Provides a framework for evaluating and understanding the rhetorical situation in writing tasks.
• Encourages a thoughtful approach to writing by considering multiple aspects of the rhetorical situation.