Chapter 2: Rhetorical Situation
Verbal modality
by mouth or through written word
Context
circumstances of communication
modality
the basic sensory means by which communication happens
Generic characteristics
the characteristics of a genre that make it unique from other genres
historical context
the historical time period in which a rhetorical action occurs or which influences the rhetorical action
citational context
the location within a medium of a rhetorical action
Kairos
the most timely moment for the rhetorical action (NOT an appeal)
geographical context
the physical location of a rhetorical action
Circulation
the physical means by which a message gets distributed
sociocultural context
the public energy or perspective in which a rhetorical action happens, is not limited to a particular time
medium
the technical means by which communication is disseminated
auditory modality
through hearing (words, song, sound)
visual modality
through seeing
haptic modality
through touch and the position of the body
Purpose
what the communicator hopes to achieve with this particular rhetorical action
exigence
whatever prompted the rhetorical action, whatever the rhetorical action is responding to
Means of communication
Modality, medium, genre, and circulation
Genre
a flexible type that has common, identifiable characteristics
