The Rhetorical Situation
“Rhetoric refers to how texts work to persuade readers. Rhetorical reading refers to a set of practices designed us understand how texts work and to engage more fully in a conversation that extends beyond the boundaries of any particular reading. Rhetorical reading practices ask us to think deliberately about the role and relationship between the writer, reader, and text.” (Rosenberg, 2011). On the other hand, the rhetorical situation refers to any set of circumstances that involves at least one person using some communication to modify the perspective of at least one other person. It is an awareness of the choices of language that individuals make.
Elements of the rhetorical situation include the text, author, audience, purpose, and setting. The audience, in this case, is the reader of the text. Every rhetorical situation happens in a specific setting that is within a particular context. They are all constrained by the time and environment in which they occur. I think as a writer, knowing the audience well is vital in realizing the rhetorical situation.
Audience refers to readers/listeners/viewers/users of a text. Analysis of the audience is possibly the most critical part of understanding the rhetorical situation. Factors such as age, gender, location, ethnicity, culture, religion, politics, peer involvement, education, and personal experience create the assumptions audiences use to see the world. They also determine how the audience interprets a text.
Knowledge of the audience will enable me to tailor the contents of my writing to fit the readers and therefore present the message in a manner that the audience will understand well. This knowledge will ensure that I include relevant content in my work that resonates with the audience so that they get the intended message. The audience is the reason for any writing, and it is therefore critical that any written material considers the identity of their readers.
References
Rosenberg, K. (2011). Reading Games: Strategies for Reading Scholarly Sources. Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, 2, 210-20.