When asking oneself what exactly a “rhetorical situation” is, what tends to come to your curious mind? I didn`t know either. But an easier way to understand, and grasp the concept is to first look at rhetorical analysis. A simplistic way of putting it is by giving an example, first impressions. Have you ever walked into any of your classes the very first day of classes and as you look at your professor, you analyze them from head to toe and make an unconscious judgment as to whether they`ll be “cool” and “lenient” or “mean” and “tough”? I know I have, countless times. It has been previously argued by Laura Bolin Carrol in her article “Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Step Toward Rhetorical Analysis,” that this is normal and quite common. Instead of writing your own questions to ask yourself about that professor, you made a somewhat accurate decision about them. By doing so, you`ve made a snap judgment, thus meaning you`ve analyzed. When looking at a rhetorical situation, the rhetorical analysis that you make without noticing comes together when applying this to outside texts. I will do so by analyzing the Face It Foundation by identifying the exigence, audience, and constraints stated as the three parts to a rhetorical situation by Lloyd F. Bitzer, and apply through using artistic proofs, particularly ethos.
Those elements begin to intermingle and determine which type of argument will serve be the most efficient way to attract a specific audience, and under certain circumstances. As Aristotle also described it, the rhetorical situation. When researching organizations and their rhetorical situation. The Face It Foundation caught my eye. Granted I lost my cousin in August of 2015 who suffer from depression and committed suicide. The Face It Foundation is an organization that was founded in 2009 with the goal of helping men understand and overcome mental illnesses and reduce suicide rates amongst men. Through support groups, one-on-one peer support, outreach events, public education, and training for health professionals in mental health; this foundation appeals to ethos as its persuasive tool. In analyzing the Face It Foundation's approach, it becomes evident that their persuasive strategies extend beyond ethos alone that effectively convey their message and resonate with their target audience.
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The exigence in this organization is the lack of knowledge our nation has when it comes to men`s mental health in contrast to women`s mental health. The organization was founded by two men who have experienced first-hand this lack of knowledge. Reaching out to an audience of men who either have or know someone who has a mental illness shows their dedication to the cause that they are advocating for it. The main message that the Face It Foundation sends is that men who are battling mental illnesses are not alone and do not have to battle it by their lonely.
The audience that this organization can influence by disclosure is those who have loved ones, or who are mentally ill themselves. By including success stories on their website, Face It allows men to read and see that they are not the only ones who can be affected by mental illnesses and learn to cope and not let it determine where they end up in life. By offering support groups from mental health professionals and peer support, Face It, helps to break down the illusion of aloneness. In an informal setting that feels more like a hangout than a therapy session, the support from those who understand and not anyone who is being “paid to hear your problems” allows these men to become comfortable and want to put an end to these gender roles and norms that were placed upon them from the beginning of time.
Bitzer stated that “standard sources of constraints include beliefs, attitudes, documents, facts, traditions, images, interests, motives, and likes, “The constraints that the Face It Foundation places are these many success stories, peer support, continuity, free-of-charge services, and reassurance. Knowing that by placing these many stories, it allows the author to gain the power to try and constrain the decisions and actions that these men and families make. Having peer support allows the waned audience to know that there are many other men who have and are going through the same adjustments to their mental health disorders and there is no need to be ashamed in any fashion. Having continuity helps bring an abundance of light to their organization because of the credibility that it also brings. Being a credible organization would be able to draw the attention of men worldwide and hopefully enlighten those who are not mentally ill in any sort, to want to go out and further their education on this silent crisis instead of continuing the cycle of ignorance.
A recent study by Crespo et al. (2014) found that education reduces the likeliness of certain mental disorders and improves memory. Also, using information from European countries, it was found that additional seeking of knowledge has positive effects on the mental health of men, which is the goal. Those who are mentally ill are typically based in a box that they cannot escape from. These stereotypes and labels are so discriminatory that they define the person and deny them individuality. The consequences of these discriminatory comments and slurs can typically stigmatize people further, leading to self-stigmatization; internalizing these negative stereotypes makes them scared to seek the needed medical attention and even their sense of belongingness.
In conclusion, Bitzer`s contribution to the rhetorical situation has proven to be effective through many organizations and how they appeal to the outside world. Having provided the three main components; exigence, audience, and constraints allowed him to brand an active host of change, utilitarian and very compelling. To support his initial claims that rhetoric is situational, Bitzer would go into a voice seen as a primitive language that sprung from tangible needs within that specific situation text. The Face It Foundation took notes from Bitzer when making the content withheld on their organization`s website by using those main three components of the rhetorical situation by clearly stating and identifying its exigence, audience, and constraints. Also, using the artistic roofs that as students we have analyzed, used, and identified; in the Face It Foundation specifically, their usage of ethos.
Works Cited
- Speaking Engagements. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.faceitfoundation.org/supportofferings/speaking-engagements/.
- Education: Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mhanational.org/education.
- Mental Health Stigma | Articles. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bap.org.uk/articles/mentalhealth-stigma/
- Sutton, G. (2013). Rhetorical Analysis: Lloyd F. Bitzer’s The Rhetorical Situation. Munich, Germany: GRIN Verlag.
- Carroll, Laura. “Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps toward Rhetorical Analysis.” Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing. Lowe, Charles and Pavel Zemliansky. Parlor Press 45-58. Print.
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