How We’re Priming Some Kids for College, Essay Example

Introduction

The below review of two discourses about social inequality and the impact of different socialization patterns will be analyzed and compared. The first discourse reviewed will be a scholarly research paper by Han et al. (2012), and this will be compared with an online video published on the TED website (Goffman, 2015).

Similarities

The author of the current analysis found that both of the texts use rhetorical tools to convince the audience, however, the ethos and pathos is more prevalent in the TED (Goffman, 2015) video, while the research article mainly utilizes logos as a rhetorical tool.

Differences in Emotional Setting

Goffman’s speech is based on utilizing pathos through contrasting the two paths of American teenagers: prison and college. While she uses logos to describe the cost of college education and prison sentences, she appeals to the emotions of the audience. As a contrast, the scholarly research focuses on proving a clearly stated point, namely the impact of socialization on life outcomes. The utilization of Logos is clearly visible within the Abstract, asking a question to be answered: “How do individuals perceive and experience inequalities, and how do these perceptions relate to civic participation, tolerance, trust and other outcomes relevant for social cohesion?” (Han et al. 2012, p. 3).

Communication Effectiveness and Argument Structure

The argument of Han et al. (2012) is built up gradually, examining the question from different perspectives. It is based on the analysis of figures, statistics, and theories. Goffman’s argument also uses statistics, when comparing incarceration rate in the US with other countries’.

While Goffman’s (2015) speech is supposed to reveal some facts about inequalities in the society, it is more of an emotional appeal than a logical argument. The speaker can be seen as biased and relies on pathos when delivering her speech. In contrast, the scientific research of Han et al. (2012) lacks pathos, and only uses descriptive, analytical language.

Conclusion

Overall, it is found that the speech delivered by Goffman strongly relies on pathos and emotions, while the research study is built on a logical argument, utilizing the rhetorical tool of logos more. It is clear that speaking on a popular TV show, Goffman utilizes body language interacting with the audience, while the scholarly article (Han et al. 2012) uses modern research methods required by today’s academic society.

References

Han, C., Janmaat, J.G., Hoskins, B. and Green, A. (2012) Perceptions of Inequalities: implications for social cohesion, published by the Centre for Learning and Life Chances in Knowledge Economies and Societies. Retrieved from  http://www.llakes.org

Goffman, A. (2015) How we’re priming some kids for college — and others for prison. Ted Talks.2015. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/alice_goffman_college_or_prison_two_destinies_one_blatant_injustice#t-117123