Overview of rhetorical context in academic readings

1. Alexis McMillan-Clifton
Tacoma Community College

2. ●All Writing, from grocery lists to lengthy
books, is constrained by the factors
surrounding it.
●These factors are known as the Rhetorical
Context.
oWho the author is
oWho the intended audience is
oWhat purpose it’s written for
Alexis McMillan-Clifton
Tacoma Community College

3. Author
Audience Purpose
Written
Text
Alexis McMillan-Clifton
Tacoma Community College

4. Author
Audience Purpose
Written
Text
●Personal attributes of the author
that are apparent from the text itself
matter
●Could include
oAge
oEducation level
oPersonal background &
experience with the subject
oRace, religion, ethnicity
oNative language
oLocation of home, travel, or work
oAgain—this is only what’s
apparent within the text itself.Alexis McMillan-Clifton
Tacoma Community College

5. Author
Audience Purpose
Written
Text
Authors usually have a specific group, or
TARGET AUDIENCE, in mind as they write.
This does not mean that other groups cannot
understand the text, or benefit from reading it.
The TARGET AUDIENCE is the
group that is going to be most
directly affected by the text’s thesis,
or purpose.
Examples: mothers of toddlers; teenagers interested
in martial arts; your grandfather, yourself…
Alexis McMillan-Clifton
Tacoma Community College

6. ●THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A “GENERAL
AUDIENCE” !
●All audiences are constrained by certain elements:
oLanguage the text is written in (only people who can
understand the language can read it)
oEducation level demanded by vocabulary (differences
between what a 4th grader can understand, vs. someone in
high school, vs. someone with higher degrees in Physics)
oExamples or references made in the text (someone in
Wisconsin would have no idea what “Bumbershoot” is, for
instance) Alexis McMillan-Clifton
Tacoma Community College

7. ●Knowing who the intended audience for a piece
of writing is can be useful.
●If you don’t like a particular essay out of a
textbook, for instance, stop and ask yourself—
was this written with me in mind?
oIf the answer is no, then the author isn’t trying to please
you…and so, there’s good reason for you not liking the work.
(Doesn’t mean you can’t learn something by reading it anyway,
though, right?)
Alexis McMillan-Clifton
Tacoma Community College

8. Author
Audience
Purpose
Written
Text
What is the reason the text has
been written down?
Is it for personal use, private
communication, or publishing for a
bigger audience?
This purpose will dictate what form
the text takes (text message on a
cell phone vs. MLA formatting for
publication in a scholarly journal, for
instance)
Alexis McMillan-Clifton
Tacoma Community College

9. ●Consider these issues for each piece of
writing you come across in the near future.
oWho wrote it? What can we tell about the author,
just from what he or she has written down?
oWho is intended to read this? Is it written with you,
specifically, in mind, or are you an unintended
audience member?
oWhy was it written down? What benefit will this
writing serve?
Alexis McMillan-Clifton
Tacoma Community College