Rhetorical Strategies

Recognizing rhetorical strategies of persuasion taught me to recognize the three " artistic proof" or "persuasive appeal". Ethos is the character of the author, the credibility behind the argument. If I was delivering a proposal on helping my son's school get more funding  and I was not part of any kind of school comity or the PTA  I would expect not to be taken seriously by my audience. Credibility is very important because it is the foundation of the argument. How can you get someone to listen to you if they can't trust you? If I was a member of the PTA involved in the many fundraisers that the school does every year then I could present a better argument . I could talk about how hard each child works to get their fundraisers finished . I could testify on behalf of the teachers about how fast supplies run out. I remember when my son was in kindergarten and Mrs. Foster, his teacher at the time, would send home a list of supplies every month that she needed. Many times she would have to purchase these supplies herself since  the school was not able to provide all of what she needed. This is the kind of evidence that I could provide to back up my argument. Examples of shared values that I would mention would be the students, children of the audience that I am delivering my proposal to. Having similar backgrounds and  experiences as parents of school age children would help me to connect better to my audience. All of these things combined would ensure the successful deliverance and reception of my message.

Kairos

Kairos means the right moment in ancient Greek. When writing a speech or proposal it is not only important to take note of who your message is being delivered to but to also make sure that the timing is correct. I think that the right moment and circumstances adds power to the message being delivered. Abraham Lincoln's  Gettysburg Address is perhaps the most powerful speech written in American history. The speech is only a little over a two minutes long, short and to the point. I think that one of the reasons why it is so powerful is because of when it was delivered, during the Civil War. As we all know one of the biggest reasons that fueled the Civil war was the issue of slavery. The Gettysburg Address was delivered four months after the battle of Gettysburg on the day that the Soldier's National cemetery was dedicated. Those two events alone were so significant in our history that when the speech was delivered it was exactly what the country needed to hear from its leader.

Chap 15

Chapter 15 Blog

In chapter 15 we learn about proposal arguments. It seems to me that if you want to get anything done now days it has to be done in the form of a proposal argument. Using practical and policy proposal arguments laws are changed, policies put in place and rules changed. Proposal arguments can be used in all kinds of different scenarios, from the school rooms to the corporate world to the political arena. The making of a successful proposal lies in creating a supported structure. A practical proposal is on a smaller scale, say if you want to convince your family to switch from white bread to whole wheat. A political proposal is for issues on a greater scale, issues that can impact  the population of a community like a town, city or country. Both proposals need to be backed by facts in order to be successful and the audience to whom the argument is being presented should be carefully considered.

Best Proposal Argument

                                               
       I would have to say that one of the biggest proposal arguments I have had is to stay in Oklahoma, and I have had this argument at  different times in the last 6 years with different people.  The first time I had to argue my point was after I divorced 2005. I come from a military family that moved and lived all over the world. It is very normal for my parents to   pick up and pack up their house every few years and move to a completely new place. My parents love me very much and wanted the best for me so offered for me to come back home and live rent free while I finished school and got back on my feet. The problem? They live in Alabama! They moved there from Germany and even bought a house with a guest house so that I could have my privacy. I am an only child and my parents have always been very over protective of me.

       I did not want to live in Oklahoma for ever but I also did not want to move to Alabama. My mother even offered to purchased the house next to theirs for me to live in, which is huge, just to try to bribe me into moving there. I had to sit down and write my father a long letter. In hindsight I see that my mother was just lonely and wanted her only daughter and grandchild closer to her. My parents would argue that I could use the time to save money and to clean up my credit. They would somehow always mention how they were only two hours away from the beach in Panama City Florida, something that would always get my son exited. They would even make me feel bad about how they never got to see their grandchild because we lived so far away.

       This was probably the first time I really stood up to my parents. I had to sit down and write my parents a letter since they were not listening to my words. I told them my reasons for not wanting to move to Alabama and more importantly, for wanting to stay in Oklahoma. First of all my son needed to be close to his father. My father would always comment how easy it would be for my son to just hop on an airplane to go see his dad, like it was no small feat. I told them how children had to be at least seven years old to travel alone on a one connection flight and 8 years old on a two connection flight, not to mention that I thought the risk was too great. I also explained that I was tired of moving, and I was. I also told them that although the offer to purchase me a house was tempting, it was not something I could do because I was an adult and needed to be treated as one. Finally I told them that they needed to stop bribing me and making me feel bad. The only reason why they never saw their grandchild was because they were not done traveling and moving from place to place. That I may not like Oklahoma as much as I have liked living in other places, but that this was now my home.

       Recently I had to argue the same point with my ex-husband. we have reconciled but he wants to uproot us in search of better opportunities. My argument now is that I do not wish for y son to be away from his family. I do not want him away from the only grandparent, his nana, who has been a very important person in his life from the day he was born. This Summer we traveled to South America and he wants to move there and start a business. I would love to, believe me. But I can't. This is an argument I had to have with myself. I do not wish to move son to a new country even though I know he would adjust and prosper. I want him to have a normal American childhood with summers going to white Water and Frontier City and trips to Dallas. I want him to grow up with American traditions like Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas with his cousins. I want him to have the normal American high school experience with homecoming games and prom and graduation. I have had so many things pulling me away from Oklahoma and have had to convince many people of the reasons why Oklahoma is good for us, but the one person I have had to battle most with is myself.  My life may have been easier had I taken my parents up on their offer years ago.  My son's father is probably right about our success in a different country. But not at the risk of leaving the only home I have ever known in my crazy army brat upbringing that moved me half way around the world and back. Nope, this is an argument I am not loosing.

ethos, pathos, logos and a funeral

Ethos, Pathos, Logos are words that are new to me, but don't think that I will soon forget them in my day to day life as I am challenged and challenge those with different views of mine. These words form a triangle. Each equally important to the other and achieving a balance in the structure of an argument. We start with the beginning of an argument, the topic and reason behind any argument or the logos. Ethos is represented by the ethos of the argument, the person that drives and represents the argument to the audience  and in turn represent the audience. I was at a funeral this weekend and my brother in law did the eulogy . It was such a beautifully written piece and no it was not anywhere related to an argument but he was delivering a topic to an audience that was receptive of his thoughts. He voiced the loss we all felt but tried to convince us to be joyful and to celebrate in this person's life. This is what pathos is I think, I might be wrong, but the way he delivered the message and touched his audience in order to soothed the pain was amazing. He is a great speaker and he was able to tie in all our memories and feelings about  the deceased that made everyone reminisce about the wonderful life she led and rejoice in knowing she is in a better place. He changed our way of thought.

Arguing for argument's sake.

     I think that as parents we all experience arguing at least once a day . I have an 8 year old son who is developing a personality, much like his father ( a great thing)and has to have the last word (not so great). It leads to great frustrations for all three of us. We want to instill a sense of respect in our child but also nurture the part of him that drives him to defend his point, without getting into trouble. Every night we have the same struggles with bath time and bed time and snacks. Those are the small, minor things where arguing is really not an option. But as my son gets older he is developing his own opinions on things. He has a new friend he wants to ride his bike to visit and feels he is old enough to go alone. He wants to play a video game that we will not approve of but argues that he knows that it is violent but he also knows it is just a game. He wants to watch a movie with some adult language and asks us to trust him , he knows not to repeat those words. Instead of throwing a tantrum he is learning to argue his point to get what he wants, and we in turn have to learn to teach him to do this logically and not emotionally. Easier said than done.
     This unit has really helped me out in this difficult task. The key is to teach our son to argue with his mind not his emotions. To think rationally and to use an argument as a way to discuss his point without letting his anger drive him. I have to admit that as a parent it is hard to follow that same rule. There have been some times that his father and I have driven an argument with manipulation and anger. It is not healthy nor is it fruitful. How can you get your point across with angry words?
     It is hard to teach an 8 year old what logic is. It might be easier to show him by our actions. To teach him how to logically have an argument without turning it into a shouting match we as parents have to set the standard. Arguing for the sake of arguing does no one any good and leads to negative behavior. At his age he might be a little confused by the notion of having a structured argument, but he might follow our example easier. After all , children are our mirrors. If my son grows up learning to argue and back talk in a way that is negative and destructive to our relationship it will be our fault. I also do not want a young man that grows up with a bully mentality learning to run over people with his words. We have all heard the old " sticks and stones" but the harsh reality is that words, delivered in an angry and manipulative way, can and do hurt.