1.3 Understanding the Rhetorical Situation

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Rhetorical Situation

The context of communication; who is talking to whom, about what, how, and why.

Five Components of the Rhetorical Situation

Purpose, Writer, Audience, Message, Context/Culture

Purpose

The reason for writing; what you want the reader to do, think, or decide after reading.

Three General Workplace Purposes

DEFINITION: 1) Create a record, 2) Give/request information, 3) Persuade.

Task Analysis

Identifying what you need to accomplish with the document

Identifying what you need to accomplish with the document

Writer

The person creating the message; includes their role, knowledge, biases, and motivation.

Audience

The people who will read or use the document; their needs, knowledge, expectations, and position.

The people who will read or use the document; their needs, knowledge, expectations, and position.

Primary Audience

The main reader the document is intended for.

The main reader the document is intended for.

Secondary Audience

Additional readers who may see the document later

Additional readers who may see the document later

Internal Audience

Readers inside the organization (e.g., coworkers, managers).

Readers inside the organization (e.g., coworkers, managers).

External Audience

Readers outside the organization (e.g., clients, public, suppliers).

Readers outside the organization (e.g., clients, public, suppliers).

Executives — Audience Purpose

Read documents to make decisions.

Technical Experts — Audience Purpose

Read to implement decisions or provide technical input.

Public/Clients — Audience Purpose

Read to become informed and choose options.

Audience Profile

A set of questions and details used to understand readers' needs and background.

Message

The content of the communication; must be clear, relevant, and aligned with purpose and audience.

Context/Culture

The situation that creates the need for communication, including timing, location, events, and organizational culture.

The situation that creates the need for communication, including timing, location, events, and organizational culture.

Context Example

Course Evaluation Survey vs. RateMyProfessor: same writer, different audience, purpose, and tone.

Why Audience Matters

It determines tone, vocabulary, detail level, and what information to include or remove.

Life-Span of Technical Documents

Life-Span of Technical Documents

Irrelevant Information

TERM: Purpose Question

DEFINITION: "What do I want the reader to do or understand after reading?"

Content that wastes the reader's time and should be removed.

Appropriate Tone

Depends on audience, purpose, and context; usually clear, respectful, and professional in technical writing.

"Time is money" in writing

Keep documents concise; audiences read quickly and selectively.

Purpose Question

"What do I want the reader to do or understand after reading?"

the rhetorical situation helps writers mainly to

communicate efficiently to the right reader

Asking "What do I want my reader to do after reading this?" helps define the:

purpose

Which element of the rhetorical situation is MOST critical in technical writing?

audience

An internal, upstream audience would most likely be:

Your supervisor or manager

A document written to request funding would fall under which general purpose?

Persuade

Which factor belongs to CONTEXT rather than AUDIENCE?

Organizational culture

Cutting unnecessary information from a document relates MOST closely to:

Message

Which audience is most likely to IMPLEMENT decisions?

Technical experts

A document that may be read months or years later requires special attention to:

Long-term audience needs

Which situation best demonstrates a change in rhetorical situation?

Writing the same message to two different audiences

The rhetorical situation applies only to written communication.

False

Audience analysis includes considering cultural differences.

True

A writer's role within an organization can affect tone and content.

True

Message and purpose always mean the same thing.

false

Ignoring context can lead to ineffective or offensive communication

True

List the five components of the rhetorical situation.

Purpose

Writer

Audience

Message

Context / Culture

What are the three general purposes of workplace communication?

Create a record

Give or request information

Persuade

Why is audience analysis considered the MOST important step in technical writing?

Because it determines what information to include, how technical the content should be, and what tone and format will be most effective for the reader.

Give ONE example of how a message might change when writing to:

a) an executive

b) a lay audience

Executive: High-level summary, key impacts, recommendations

Lay audience: Simple language, definitions, visuals, minimal jargon

You are writing a report about rising sea levels.

Answer briefly:

a) Who would be the primary audience if the report is sent to city council?

b) What would the purpose most likely be?

c) How would the message differ if the audience were the general public instead?

a) Primary audience: City council / decision makers

b) Purpose: To inform and persuade decision-makers to take action or approve funding

c) Message difference for general public:

Less technical language

More explanations and visuals

Focus on impacts on daily life rather than policy details