Analyzing My Audience

In this post I will be analyzing my audience for my rhetorical analysis of "How legalizing pot could save America's economy".

Incase, "bagdad theatre magwai film premier." 9/10/2010 via Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic

• Who am I writing for? What are the audience's values/ beliefs/ assumptions?

I am writing for new students who have also expressed an interest in my field of study, which is business. The audience would value credible information provided by a trustworthy author. The readers of my analysis, knowing that it pertains to business, would assume that it contains interesting and thought provoking business and economic content.

• What position might they take on this issue? / How will I need to respond to this position?

I would assume that most true supporters of business would side with the legalization of marijuana because of the plethora of economic benefits of legalization that the author provides. However, some people may still be hesitant to support legalization, due to moral reasons. I would respond to this apposing position by not only including the business minded benefits of legalization, but by also discussing how the author claims that moral opposition to marijuana is a somewhat outdated belief, especially since drugs like alcohol and tobacco are legal in America, in my analysis. This way I could appeal to both positions on this issue.

• What will they want to know?

Typically the way to win over business people is with convincing facts and statistics. I will definitely be including statistics mentioned by the author of my text, because she utilizes them to appeal to her audience's logic and emotion. The audience will also want to know where the chosen text for the analysis is coming from, and how they can be sure that the information within the text is factual. I will address these concerns in my analysis when I discuss the reliability of the author and her claims when I discuss the text's appeal to credibility within its rhetorical strategies.

• How might they react to my argument?

I feel that my peers will react positively to my argument. I think that my rhetorical analysis of the text will provide enough reasoning to prove that this text is argumentative and effective. My audience, after reading my example of a rhetorical analysis, feel confident that they too can deconstruct a text within the business field.

• How am I trying to relate or connect with my audience?

I am trying to relate to my audience by showing them that I am a business major just like them, not a professional who has been performing analyses like this one for many years. I will provide my audience with adequate background knowledge and confidence to know that they too can deconstruct a text. I want to relate to my audience and give them adequate background knowledge of what a rhetorical analysis is and how one executes such a task.

• Are there any specific words, ideas, or modes of presentation that will help me relate to them in this way?

Yes, in order to connect and relate to my audience in this way, I will need to present my argument and analysis in a believable and trustworthy manner. Much like the author of my text, I won't be overly formal or aggressive with my ideas so that my audience can formulate their own opinions on the use of rhetorical strategies within the argument over marijuana legalization.

Reflection:

It was very rewarding to read and reflect on Lauren's and Sam's posts, in which they analyze their audiences. All three of us acknowledged that it won't be too hard to relate to our audiences because practically all of them will be the same ages as us, the authors. Therefore, they will most likely have gone through similar experiences and have been exposed to the controversies addressed in our chosen texts. After looking at my peers' posts I am confident that I have a good grasp on who my audience is and what they expect from my rhetorical analysis, as students and future businessmen and women.