How to use your rhetorical imagination to change a community through writing

By John-Creig Coogan

Lesson 2: How to use your rhetorical imagination to change a community through writing

Introduction and Definitions

In this lesson you will be responding to one of two public exigences by creating pieces of writing and materials that will be used to help change a community for the better. An exigence here may be defined as the circumstances that give rise to the change within the community. The exigence can be seen an urgent problem that gives rise to a solution to correct it. The two exigences to choose from are given in the “your assignment” section below. One exigence is related to the arts and the other involves the sciences. Again, you may choose which of the two you wish to respond to.

In this lesson, you will be using the writing and materials that you create to persuade others to join you in your cause. You will be inventing your public, or those who are affected by the exigence and are able to take action to correct the problem. More on how to do this will follow later. Your intervention is what you will be creating and then using to persuade your public. In order to be able to do something about the issue that you have identified, you will have to have a very clear idea of what needs changing, who is affected, how you will persuade them to join you, and how you hope to see the community changed.

How To Instructions

For this assignment, you will need to accomplish three things:

1) You will first need to create a plan. In the plan, you will explain what the exigence is and how you are going to respond to it. You will need to describe the exact pieces of writing and materials that you will create (such as fliers, brochures, a website, etc) and how you will use them to bring those affected on board. Additionally, in the plan you will briefly describe your audience. Think first about who is affected. Then, divide your audience up into three groups: those who will be easy to persuade, those who are in the middle, and those who are difficult to persuade. Explain why you believe each group falls under their specific category. Explain why you think your writing will be effective, what kind of information you will need to gather to put on it, and how you will get that info.

2) You will then conduct the research necessary to be able to put your plan into action. You may use as many sources as you wish, but the main goal is to collect enough information and become as familiar as possible with the types of writing and materials that you will be creating. For this you will need to find one template or example of a preexisting material out there for every material you wish to create. For example, if you wish to write a piece of legislation, you will need to find a template or example of a piece of legislation similar to yours that has been drafted.

3) Finally, you will be creating your writing and materials. Create all the materials that you have described within your plan. Remember, be sure to make them effective to all three types of groups that you have outlined in your plan. Try to bring as many people on board with your cause as you can.

How I used my rhetorical imagination to change a community through writing

I chose to respond to the exigence of car pollution within the state of Colorado. I believe that the current levels of pollution that are allowed to be emitted into the air are too lenient, and so I proposed to draft a piece of legislation that would set the limits at more stringent standards. In my plan, I addressed the problem and proposed to create a bill to send to the state legislature to alter the pollution limits through the initiative process. To bring people on board with my bill, I proposed to create flyers, signs, and a website where people could come together in support of my cause.

I divided my audience into the three groups. Those easier to persuade are the ones who are already concerned about the environment already. I would simply have to let them know about my proposed legislation, and they would right away be on board with my plan. These people typically would be Democrats. In the middle were those who had no opinion either way on the issue. These people would require some persuasion to get on board, but I wouldn’t have to argue against any long-held beliefs. These people might be independent or moderate Democrats or Republicans. Those difficult to persuade, however, do have long standing beliefs contrary to helping the environment and will not see any reason to support my cause. To them, it is simply a waste of time. These people may roughly be considered right-wing Republicans.

I set out conducting the research and familiarizing myself with the issue, and finding websites and flyers/signs that had already been created in support of an environmental cause. I also found an example piece of legislation that I used to help me draft my bill and use the proper diction. Finally, I created my own flyers and ads and website, as well as the bill to lower car pollution in Colorado by 75%. I called my cause Clean Air Colorado.

Your Assignment

For your assignment, I will be giving you the community to improve: Denver, Colorado. You will choose one of the two exigences below to respond to:

1) Homelessness in Denver is a pervasive problem. Many of the homeless in the city do not have access to dental or health care, and are not able to properly take care of themselves. They have limited access to education, and so many are not able to find jobs and are without a steady source of income. Additionally, many homeless have mental or physical disorders, which prevent them from acquiring a job. A significant number of homeless shelters are full, and have been turning the homeless away. Those turned away must resort to sleeping on the streets or underneath trees in the city, and do not have adequate shelter when harsh weather strikes.

2) Recycling in Denver is available to the public, but the services are limited. Many people do not take advantage of the recycling opportunities, but rather throw away all of their garbage into the trash. Additionally, the recycling bins in Denver are smaller than the trashcans, and in many cases homeowners are unsure of what types of materials are acceptable to recycle. The landfills are filling fast, and within a few years will be full. The question as to what to do with the trash in later years has not been solved. Landfills smell and are unpleasant to look at, and decrease the value of nearby land.

Now begin on your plan and then research in response to the exigence. From there, create the writing and materials that you will need to put your plan into action. Good luck!