Communication Strengths and Weaknesses Essays
Incorporate some key terms:
Black power movement, co-cultures,connotation ,David Crystal, Denotation,Devil-term,Double bind, The Feminine Mystique, functional meanings, gender styles, general semantics, S.I. Hayakaws, idosyncratic, Alfred Korzybski, George Lakeoff, "Letter from Birmingham Jail", metaphors, paradigm shifts, pejorative, public philosophy, stereotype
In this paper, you will evaluate the effectiveness of any one persuasive artifact that has made an impact within the past year or so. In this case, a persuasive artifact can be a speech (consider the many available Ted Talks), a documentary film, a not-for-profit ad campaign, an article (text), or a movement. You will evaluate this one artifact by using one of the theories or models of communication from chapters 2-5. Certain artifacts will work better with particular theories, please contact me with any questions you may have about your application.
The basic format of such an analysis should do at least the following (more tips are located in the rubric that follows):
- Provide an introduction
- Offer detail and insight in the body
o Give an overview of the theory (citing material from your textbook and any outside material that can inform your analysis)
• What are the important ideas of the theory?
• What is the context of the theory’s application?
• What is the theory’s greatest strength and weakness?
o Explain your artifact succinctly
• What is it? Who created it? When did it occur? How do we know that it made an impact? Why is it significant?
o Explain how your artifact is explained by the theory you’ve selected
• This section is the paper’s most important
• Explain the various ways in which the artifact is connected to the theory (use supporting material to make your case)
- Deliver a conclusion that draws your paper to a close and solidifies the argument/position your paper provides
Paper Rubric
Introduction (10%)
- Absent
o None provided.
- Weak/Poor
o A sentence or two outlining the ‘who’ or ‘what’ to be discussed in the essay.
- Average/Satisfactory
o A few sentences outlining the theme of the essay, including a simple proposition.
- Excellent
o Introductory paragraph comprising some context relevant to the area/topic of the essay, definition of any terms in the question, a proposition/thesis statement and an outline of the narrative/thematic structure of essay.
Factual Content and Evidence used to support statements/argument (20%)
- Absent
o Lacking in factual detail. Very limited use of evidence and the response is mainly a series of generalizations…OR…no supporting evidence, OR all generalizations, OR All evidence is incorrect.
- Average/Satisfactory
o Satisfactory level of factual content. Relevant evidence is used appropriately to back up arguments. Some quotations, statistics etc are used in a coherent fashion.
- Good
o Good level of factual content. Accurate evidence is used throughout the essay to back up and sustain arguments. Quotations, sources, statistics are used as supporting evidence and are cited in a coherent fashion.
- Excellent
o Very detailed essay using of accurate evidence throughout. Quotations, sources, statistics, etc. are used as supporting evidence and cited in a coherent fashion.
Complexity of discussion/argument (30%)
- Absent
o Discussion/argument suggests no understanding of the topic and/or analysis of concepts, motivation, cause, action, impact, change and continuity. No critical insight.
- Weak/Satisfactory
o A simple explanation or narrative with minimal content about concepts, cause, action and reaction. A general lack of insight.
- Good
o Displays a sustained argument throughout the discussion that demonstrates understanding of the interconnectedness of concepts.
- Excellent
o Develops a highly sophisticated, complex and sustained argument throughout the discussion that demonstrates a high degree of analysis and understanding of the interconnectedness of concepts.
Conclusion (10%)
- Absent
o No conclusion given.
- Weak/Satisfactory
o A barely satisfactory conclusion that fails to recap the discussion's main ideas.
- Average/Good
o Very superficial conclusion, or vaguely summarizes with use of clichés such as ‘In conclusion...’ or one that just repeats the proposition stated in the introduction.
- Excellent
o Draws essay’s argument or point of view together.
Communication Skills (15%)
- Absent
o Response is mainly unable to be understood due to issues in clarity, sentence structure, and language.
- Weak/Poor
o Poor writing skills may interfere with the ability of the reader to understand the response (as evidenced by very poor spelling, grammar, failure to use capital letters correctly and poor sentence and paragraph structure).
- Good
o Writing enables the construction of an effective response with well-developed sentences, paragraphs and/or essay.
- Excellent
o A sophisticated, well written and well-constructed argument using appropriate historical and rhetorical terminology as appropriate.
Language: The Code of Persuasion
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Introduction
The art of persuading, convincing and impressing the audience is necessary to have influence, the choice of words, rhetorical strategies being utilized. Using facts alone cannot persuade the audience, highlighting that human communication influences actions and judgment of the audience (Simons & Jones, 2011). Additionally, the credibility of the message affects communication by having all elements been connected together. Speakers and writers may also use emotional language to appeal to their audiences and influence behavior. The Hugh Rank's Intensify/Downplay Model of Persuasion is a model of communication that captures the essential elements to persuasion. The paper will analyze the persuasive strategies of Letter from Birmingham jail using the intensify/downplay schema.
Overview of theory, strength and weakness
The Hugh Rank's Intensify/Downplay Model of Persuasion, which has six components that fall into either intensification or downplaying. In the case of intensification there is repetition, association and composition (Beeson, 2014). On the other hand, downplaying strategies include diversion, omission and confusion. The communicator then frames the message to persuader the listeners and the readers to inform and win them over. The persuaders ought to eliminate noises that may distort meanings while also emphasizing their main points to be more effective communicators. Speakers/ writers highlight more on their strongest points while they downplay the weaker points as they seek to persuade the audience (Beeson, 2014).
The theory is applicable as speakers use repetition to emphasize certain ideas, and in this case the call for civil rights in America and particularly the south during the 19th century. The initiators of communication use positive governing words to persuade by associating their sayings with what the audience identify, which is something that they love or fear (Perloff,2010). The biggest strength of the model is that communicators can intensify the best talking points to influence others. However, the theory assumes that simply downplaying the weaker points strengthens the persuasion, but those with a contrary opinion can point this out to counter an argument. The artifact
The letter from Birmingham jail was written by Dr Martin Luther King highlighting use of non violence tactics and civil disobedience to repeal unjust laws that discriminated against the African Americans. The letter was written in 1963 while he was placed in jail 1963 for civil disobedience. The letter has been cited as having profound impact on the civil rights movement given that some of the Black Power Movements at the time called for violent tactics to achieve equality. The case for non violence in the face of police brutality and the bombing of African American Church highlighted the challenge that civil rights activities faced when confronting injustice in the society. The letter then persuades his critics and skeptics that his strategies would be workable; while there were those who thought he was radical there were those who thought he was a sellout.
Linking the theory to the artifact
The letter from Birmingham highlights the injustices that affected the African American people, pointing out the importance of sit-ins and demonstration in bringing change. Dr King uses repetition using the words Negro citizen, rights and nonviolence. This strategy sets him apart from other civil rights activism who argued that violence was justified as discrimina...