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07118: Communication:
Rhetoric and Reasoning L
Weeks 7 and 8
Persuasion: analysing texts
 Reading
Discussion/research
topics
Core reading
CR&R Readings
- Cockcroft, R and Cockcroft, S (1992). Persuading
people: an introduction to rhetoric. London:
Macmillan.
- Chapter 3 ‘Reason: the resources of
argument’, pages 58-77.
- Cockcroft, R and Cockcroft, S (1992). Persuading
people: an introduction to rhetoric. London:
Macmillan.
- Chapter 4 ‘Reason: choice and
judgement’, pages 78-94.
Extension reading
CR&R Readings
- Coleman, E and Rowan, M (1993). Criticising
texts: an informal logic. Adelaide:
University of South Australia.
- Chapter 1, ‘Identifying and displaying
arguments’, pages 10-19.
Skills reading
[Most of the Skills readings listed here deal with
oral presentation skills, which as an external student
you will have little opportunity to practice. However,
the information is valuable for its application to other
aspects of your professional and academic life.)
CR&R Resource material
- ‘Outline of formal debating practice’.
Language notes
- Section 3.0, ‘Formal skills’, pages
22-26.
- Section 6.3, ‘Formal speech’, pages
55-57.
- Section 6.4, ‘Listening skills’, page
57.
Do Task 3 and at least one other task listed this
fortnight.
Task 1
Can you think of a typical setting where
‘logic’ (or, perhaps, ‘common sense’)
is the main strategy used to persuade people to a
particular point of view? Can there be a conflict of
interest between logic and common sense, or are they
always the same thing?
Task 2
Carry out a COMMA or e-mail discussion on the
following scenario, and either summarise the findings in
your Journal, or make printouts of the relevant
postings/messages and include them in the Journal.
A child approaches a parent regarding his/her
curfew. What emotional strategies might be employed to
achieve both the child’s and the adult’s
desired outcomes? Consider:
- the age of the child/parent
- the gender of the child/parent
How and why might the emotional strategies which
are used vary according to these factors? What sorts of
appeals to reason might be made by both parties, and how
might these vary according to the factors of age and
gender?
Task 3
Effective writing involves the ability to stand back
from one’s own work and judge its effectiveness from
the perspective of the intended audience and in terms of
the purpose for which it is written. Therefore the skills
of editing and redrafting are of enormous importance and
are the main object of the feedback you will have
received, or will be receiving, from your tutor on your
draft contents page and abstract/proposal.
The comments on your draft address two main areas of
concern:
- The macro—the ‘big
picture’—the ways in which your
proposed report coheres as a document, with a
sense of organisation, unity and purpose;
- The micro—the ‘small
details’—your spelling, grammar,
punctuation, sentence and paragraph construction.
It is essential to be aware that these two areas do
not exist independently of each other: both work together
in the process of positioning you the writer as a
competent professional, and making the reader confident
in your ability to find, assess and recommend within a
given task or context.
You will now be able to concentrate on those areas in
your research, organisation and writing which need
particular attention. As your report comes together keep
an eye on both the ‘macro’ and
‘micro’ aspects, asking yourself questions such
as:
- Is this document of a professional standard?
- Do all of its parts contribute to the effective
communication of the whole?
- Does it address the requirements of the subject
matter and its proposed audience?
- As you complete sections of your report get
others to read and comment on the standard and
effectiveness where you might have doubts. And,
most importantly, consult the relevant reading
material or the campus Study advisers to help you
in areas where you may have particular problems
in writing and organisation.
For assistance contact: paul.skrebels@unisa.edu.au
Copyright ©1997 University of South Australia
Prepared by the Flexible Learning Centre, University of
South Australia
Prepared: 28 January 1997
Revised: December 1997
URL: http://www.roma.unisa.edu.au/07118/wk7-8.htm
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