Guidelines by Lloyd Bitzer (1968), Essay Example

Rhetoric Situation

Following the guidelines imposed by Lloyd Bitzer (1968), he writes, “rhetoric situation can be defined as a complex or 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 medication of the exigence.” (Bitzer 9) In laymen’s terms, the rhetoric situation consists of the elements of the writer, the topic, purpose, angle, audience, context, and main claim. The rhetoric situation of Sander’s Becoming A Learner develops an essential book that provides guidance and beneficial information to high school seniors and incoming freshmen that often don’t have a clue on what college has to offer. Life after high school is filled with many opportunities and possibilities to expand one’s knowledge in the area of their interest. In writing his book, he utilizes the angle as an educator and advocate, which considers the information that incoming students often overlook that can be helpful in securing a lucrative future after graduating, and overall enriching their learning experience.

Within his book, Matthew Sanders takes a philosophical approach, in being an advocate for education, he is an educator that works in the field of organizational communication, bases his writing and research in the book on the need for student empowerment. In being the author, he doesn’t focus on himself, but as the writer uses his knowledge and experience as an educator to teach social change, interpersonal communication and leadership. In looking at the rhetoric situation of the writer, his work in Becoming A Learner, is a reflection of what he has experience, been taught, and read of what he thinks and sees of the educational environment. In looking at the main topic of his book, Sanders details the importance of learning, in which approaches the subject of the importance of learning. His topics focus on life after high school, what to look forward to when entering college, and the opportunities that are presented after graduating college. Hi main purpose in writing, which is considered the main reasoning for writing, that includes persuading, explain, entertain, or inform, is largely found in the introduction to entail what the audience can gain from reading it. According to Phillips and Bostlan in, The Purposeful Argument: A Practical Guide states, “In brief, argument is a set of tools that lets you negotiate your world with clarity and purpose” (Phillips, Bostlan 3). In Sander’s case, his main purpose is to both inform and persuade his audience in offering a philosophical approach to learn that empowers students with the understanding to make sense of the process of learning in college. In focusing on learning, it requires conscious exertion to make new information notwithstanding instability and disappointment; yet opens the best approach to new, more extensive and deeper experiences that will go beyond the college experience.

His audience in which his book is intended for is largely targeted at high schoolers and incoming freshmen that often have no clue on what to expect from college, and how it can transform their future. The audience that Sander’s chooses is significant to forming his purpose, including what information, the arrangement of the information given, and the supporting detail that are necessary for helping the audience understanding what is presented. The context in which is used in defining the situation for the need for writing is based on his need to inform his audience throughout his book are influenced by the broader historical, cultural, and social factors which impact students and the college experience. Sanders uses a conversational method that consists of the place, time, and medium in forming his arguments, in which he shares personal experiences in order to establish an unmitigated relationship with his audience. His overall claim in Becoming A Leader is to help students in college to have a clear understanding of what they will fundamentally learn inside and outside the classroom.

Generative Argument Techniques

In examining Sander’s context used throughout his book, he utilizes a generative argument technique in which he uses throughout his book. The generative arguments include sharing his past experiences, generating new ideas while discussing the issues of college, and providing an open-ended consensus towards the main claim. Instead of Sanders arguing against his audience, he opts to present arguments in which he involves the audience to work together in order to create a mutual understanding of the information presented. This is evidence in his invitation to participate in a “new kind of conversation” about education in which he argues the aspects of obtaining a college degree,  and what he views, versus what most students thinks of college in order to explain his different views.

In building a sense of identity, Sanders’ opts to share his own experiences with his audience. From his background as not only a college student, but as someone who’s learning experience has propelled him to the echelons of becoming an educator. As an educator and a former student, he understands the perils that go into the thinking process of what incoming students think of college. In using his past experiences in a different context throughout his book, he sets a conversational method in order to communicate with the intended audience. This can be seen in which he discusses the topic of cheating, as an educator he has had to deal with students who have cheated on exams, or papers, in which he saw that it resulted in impacted their ability to learn. Using his own experience, stories, and anecdotes, he can present arguments, and negotiate disagreements by allowing the audience to work together in generating new ideas, and looking towards a collaborative consensus.

Persuasive Argument Techniques

In using the persuasive argument techniques, Sander’s opts to support his claims using the classical appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos. The examples of factual support or logos, “includes verifiable information gathered from your research and experience” (Phillips, Bostlan18). Sanders uses his own experiences as a student and an educator in order to convey reasoning to his audience in regards to giving viewpoints from students that have cheated, their thoughts of college, and life after graduation. He used the example of his professor in senior year that told him that although the profession of journalism is centered towards the careers of a new agency, the director informed him that he typically didn’t hire journalism majors. (Sanders 3)

For ethos, using an ethical appeal, he uses several credible points in including his thoughts on the college experience, as well as advice given to him from his professors while he was in school. For example, he includes conversations from a teaching seminar that instead of hiring computer science majors for his computer company, he hired history majors. A credible point he made in establishing what is really important about college. Lastly, in utilizing pathos, he attempts to persuade his audience by appealing to their emotions. Within his book he shares several experiences, the good and the bad of what he learned throughout college. In doing so he invites the audience in a “conversation” by slightly instilling fear, panic, but overall understanding of why college should be about the process of learning and not being just dependent on obtaining a college degree. His own experience is coupled with his own thoughts on the college experience, to be used as template on relating to appeal to this target audience.

Works Cited

Bitzer, Lloyd. “The Rhetorical Situation.” Philosophy and Rhetoric 1 (1968): 1-14. Print.

Philips, Harry R., Bostlan, Patricia. The Purposeful Argument: A Practical Guide. Boston, Ma: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 2012. Book.

Sanders, Matt. Becoming A Leader:Realizing the Opportunity of Education. Institute for Communication & Leadership; First edition. 2012. Book.