Chapter 5: Audience-Focused Speaking: Mastering the Rhetorical Situation
Many researchers believe that speaking comes about as a result of a rhetorical situation (i.e., "a natural context of persons, events, objects, relations, and an exigence [goal] which strongly invites utterance." The rhetorical situation contains an exigence, an audience, and a set of constraints. You must carefully analyze each of these elements in order to speak successfully. Only through a process in which you carefully analyze your audience can you make the most of rhetorical responses; therefore, audience diversity must be considered when giving a speech. Audience diversity refers to the cultural, demographic, and individual characteristic that differ among audience members. The beliefs, attitudes, and values of the audience must also be consider before giving a speech.
The rhetorical situation includes various constraints on the speech, such as factual, legal, ethical, nature of the occasion, traditions, time, and resources. These factors can limit the speaker’s choices as well as the likelihood that the speaker will achieve his or her goal. With careful audience analysis and adaptation, speakers can match their speeches to the rhetorical situation.
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