THE RHETORICAL SITUATIONS OF HOBBYIST ISSUES
(assignment for a research- and inquiry-based freshman writing course)
Every hobby has its debates: just ask a Star Wars fan if Han shot first, or a cook about whether copper or clad cookware is the best. Historically, these debates took place in person; now, however, they’re most likely on TikTok, on reddit, or elsewhere online.
For this assignment, you will select an article about an issue within your hobby written by a credible secondary source. For example, a video game player might choose an article published by Jason Schreier (Bloomberg) about hostile work environments at video game developers. Then, you will select one instance of an online community discussing this issue: for example, a reddit comment thread debating video game workplace culture. You will then compare the rhetorical situations of these two pieces of content, using the terminology discussed in class.
This essay should not focus on your own perspective on this issue or the issue itself. Instead, focus on how the sources you’re evaluating approach the issue. How do the different platforms constrain the rhetorical situation? What are the exigencies of the two platforms, and how do they differ? What are the implied or stated audiences, and how do those audiences impact the message written? Who are the authors, and how does that affect our evaluation of the content of this issue?
Draft, revise, and submit a 750-word essay that analyzes the rhetorical situation of the two sources discussing the issue in your chosen hobby, using the questions above and below as a guide.
Project Timeline
- Select your credible secondary source, such as a newspaper or magazine article, using the source evaluation skills learned in class.
- Select your internet-based community discussion of the issue, such as a reddit thread or a YouTube video and comments.
- Read both sources and take notes on their rhetorical situations.
- Write a paper that discusses the following questions for each source:
a. Who are the implied or stated audiences? What assumptions does each author make about the audience they’re speaking to?
b. What is the exigence of both pieces? In other words, what is motivating them to say what they say?
c. What do we know about the author? How does knowing information about the author affect how we comprehend their message?
d. As a final step synthesizing both of these conversations, what are the constraints imposed by the different platforms on these sources? How do they affect the discussion of the issue in each source?
Rubric — 100 points
Content (60 points): The paper addresses the questions discussed above effectively. Exceptional papers will include cited examples from the sources and go beyond cursory analysis of the rhetorical situation by emphasizing how the rhetorical situation shapes the text and our understanding of it.
Execution (20 points): The organization, style, grammar, and spelling of the paper do not distract from the content. An exceptional paper will make especially effective use of these things to actually enrich the delivery of the content and increase comprehension.
Sources (10 points): The author chose two sources (one credible secondary source and one relevant online discussion source) that met the criteria for this assignment.
Formatting (10 points): The paper, the Works Cited page, and the citations themselves conform to MLA formatting guidelines. An exceptional paper will have virtually no formatting errors.
