The term “rhetoric” can throw a lot of people. Essentially, rhetoric refers to the various strategies of persuasion, as well as effective communication in general. We see persuasion in action all the time. Politicians are always persuading people for or against certain stances, laws, bills, or opponents. Likewise, voters try to persuade their representatives to vote certain ways on important laws. They also campaign for candidates and policies they think will help their state or the nation as a whole.
Persuasion isn’t always political. Advertisers always try to convince us to buy their products. Even your friends try to influence your decisions, and you do the same. Sometimes, people use overt persuasion. Other times, they simply want to engage each other in dialogue to learn more about different perspectives on an issue.
You might not always see persuasion as the ultimate goal. In plenty of situations, you’re just trying to convey information in the most effective way possible. When someone writes or edits an instruction manual, they’re not really persuade anyone so much as they’re trying to help them operate a machine, install software, or learn how to use a complicated application like Photoshop or InDesign.
Rhetoric also operates in the entertainment industry. Comedians and talk show hosts think carefully about their audiences when writing their material. They pay specific attention to their word choice, and usually try to match their material to current events, or common experiences they people will understand and sympathize with. Their humor often involves stories and anecdotes. In this case, the goal is to make someone laugh.
Rhetoric takes many different forms. Sometimes, a person may stand at a podium and address thousands of people at once. That same person might also hold press conferences where they must answer questions and respond to criticism. Anytime you try to communicate your ideas to other people, you’re using rhetoric. It doesn’t matter whether you’re giving a lecture, or sending a tweet. Training in rhetoric can help you achieve your purposes.
Think about the next four years of your life. Not only will you have to write dozens of papers for various classes in different disciplines, but you’ll also apply for internships and jobs that require interviews. You’ll apply for different kinds awards and scholarships that require application letters and personal statements. Hopefully, you’ll join different organizations and clubs on campus that need funds and budgets to operate. You might also become passionate about issues that effect the university and find a need to make people aware of them through fliers, Facebook pages, discussion forums, or letters to administrators.
All of these opportunities involve rhetorical situations that call for effective communication. Here’s a list showing just a handful of the possible ways you might need to communicate with people on important as well as everyday issues:
- Discussion Board
- YouTube Videos
- Presentations
- Op-ed columns in newspapers
- Letters to Editors
- Job Application and Cover Letters
- Professional Development Workshops
- Interviews
- Meetings (Formal and Informal)
- Town Halls
Each of these situations will present opportunities and challenges you’ll have to deal with in order to communicate your ideas and expectations to others.
Most importantly, rhetoric helps us work through and resolve differences without violence. Over the next several years, you’ll have to interact with people you may not agree with, whether they’re a client or a coworker. The ability to discuss your differences is crucial.