carl wright assignment two

7/28/2019 Carl Wright Assignment Two

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CarlWright , ID 13121117

230.100 Assignment Two

Jane Marshall 19/05/2013


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Rhetorical Analysis of

The Influence of Gangs on One Middle School Environment

By

Carl Wright

For most people, the impact gangs have on the school environment is a social issue that falls

outside their realm of experience. In their article, The Influence of Gang Presence on

Victimisation in One Middle School EnvironmentAnjali Forber-Pratt, StevenAragon and

Dorothy Espelade attempt to define and quantify this phenomenon. The article was first

published online in the Psychology of Violence Journal, a multidisciplinary journal devoted

to extreme aggression.As indicated by the title, the dissertation explores the experience of

both the perpetrators and victims of gang- related bullying, in a school plagued by the

problem. Forber-Pratt,Aragon, and Espelade indirectly define the audience within the text as,

teachers...school officials, policy and lawmakers, government officials, law enforcement

personnel and more broadly, anyone invested in education and well being for today's

youth(2013, p.3). With this wide-ranging audience in mind, Forber- Pratt et al. employ a

number of rhetorical strategies to capture their interest. The authors have crafted a carefully

constructed, persuasive thesis that combines statistics, secondary sources and narrative.

Appealing to both the minds and hearts of the audience, Forber- Pratt et al. highlight and

elaborate on an issue worthy of attention.


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The article has a clear structure, with the information categorised and revealed in a specific

sequence. Subtitles such as, Gang Activity in Schools, identify summaries of secondary

information. When the authors present an explanation of their research method, the

information is defined by subtitles including, Design, Data Collection, and Data

Analysis.The categories double as a chronological account of the research process. They also

enable the reader to move easily through the text, and peruse specific areas of interest as

required. The results of the research are also clearly classified, and the discussion of the

results is separated and defined. This systematic approach ensures that the authors' argument

is easily followed and clearly understood; it also guides the reader toward the desired

conclusion.

Using statistics obtained from secondary sources, the authors introduce and quantify data

relevant to their research. Their statement, 20% of students...reported the presence of gangs

in their schools (Forber-Pratt et al., 2013, p. 2), introduces the reader to the extent of the

problem. Later in the article, statistics such as, Thompson Middle School had 80% of

students eligible for free...lunch (Forber-Pratt et al.,2013, p. 4), allude to the socioeconomic

climate of the school. Consequently, the audience is able to form a general understanding of

the specific environment in which the research took place. The statistics serve as an elegant

method of presenting salient information, and begin to shape the perspective of the audience.

Furthermore, they allow the reader to easily grasp and appraise the concepts presented .The

simplicity of the statistics appeals to the logical nature of the reader; this adds an element of

rationality to the researchers' ethos and lends credence to their thesis.

By referring extensively to secondary sources, the authors establish a foundation upon which

they build their argument. Forber-Pratt et al. use their references to reinforce their own


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Right from the onset, emotive language is used throughout the article. The title itself contains

emotionally charged words. The two key words within the title, gangs,and victimisation,

invoke strong associations for the audience and engage them on a visceral level. There are

frequent references to fear throughout the article, as well as recurrent references to

powerlessness and not feeling safe. Indeed, the subtitles of the categorisations the authors use

contain language such as, Feeling Trapped,and Feeling Unsafe. Phrases like these capture

the attention of the empathetic reader and lend an element of poignancy to the text. The

awareness that these terms refer to the everyday experience of school children, serves to

further involve the audience emotionally .This use of rhetoric on the part of the authors

contains elements of both logos and pathos. It is an organised and structured appeal to the

heart of the reader, that consisely conveys the despair of the research subjects.

Perhaps the most effective rhetorical strategy the authors utilise, are the verbatim accounts

they present to the audience. These stories are predominantly the tales of bullying victims.

Their narratives are laden with emotive language. They paint a clear and disturbing picture of

the environment the children inhabit. Declarations from the research subjects including, But

like yesterday...this boy hit me in the head ,and I told the teacher and she told me to be

quiet...I just wanted to sit there and cry (Forber-Pratt et al., 2013, p. 7), clearly portray the

children's experience. The authors' statement, Peter expressed frustration that by not

defending himself, he was afraid of being killed (Forber-Prattt et al.,2013, p. 6), consisely

illustrates the extreme danger the children face. Another layer of perspective is added when

an unnamed researcher shares her experience of the research process, adding further emotion

to the mixture. Her declaration, it saddens me as a researcher(Forber-Pratt et al.,2013, p.

8), validates the reader's emotional engagement; her perspective is, like the audiences', that of

an observer. The established ethos of the authors adds further confirmation to the audiences'


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involvement. Evidently, sharing these stories was an intentional strategy, designed to draw the

reader into the research subjects' environment and add weight to the authors' argument. The

authors intend that the audience will do more than just read their work. Their statement, As

educators and responsible citizens, it is our duty to attempt to address the problem of

bullying(Forber-Pratt et al., 2013, p. 10), indicates that they expect the audience to act on

their findings. While that statement is fairly vague, the article concludes with specific

practical recommendations for the audience. These direct requests on the part of the authors

are given substance and meaning by their entire article. Their call to action is the culmination

of all previous rhetoric, and encapsulates the ultimate aim of their dissertation. In conclusion,

The Influence of Gang Presence on Victimisation in One Middle School is a concise

explanation of a complex social problem, designed to appeal to a broad audience. The use of

statistics and secondary sources establishes the credibility of the authors and shapes the

perspective of the audience. It also sets the scene for the presentation of the research, and

apppeals to the intellect. The research methods are clearly defined and validated. The

researchers then craft an overture to the emotional nature of the audience. Their strategy

incorporates both emotive language scattered throughout the text, and moving verbatim

accounts from subjects and researchers. The emotional nature of the authors' work is

strengthened and validated by previous and current research. This method captures the

attention of the reader , and inspires them to act on the practical recommendations with which

the thesis concludes. Ultimately, the article is a powerful piece of writing in which the authors

seek to inform and engage the audience intellectually and emotionally. Their skillful use of

logos, ethos and pathos, ensures that they succeed.

References:


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Forber-Pratt,A., Aragon, S. R, & Espelade, D. L. (2013). The Influence of Gang Presence in

One Middle School Environment. Psychology of Violence, April 1, 2013. doi:

10.1037/a0031835

Psychology of Violence. (2013). Retrieved 20 April 2013,

from http://www.apa.org.pubs.journals.vio


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Rhe torical Analysis of

The Influence of Gangs in One Middle School Environment

By

Carl Wright

For most of us, t The impact gangs have on the school environment is a social issue that falls out of

the realm of experience for most of us. In their The scholarly article, The Influence of Gang

Presence on Victimisation in One Middle School Environment, by Anjali Forber Pratt, Steven Aragon

and Dorothy Espelade, highlights this problem. Through a combination of appeals to both to the

intellect and the human nature of the reader, utilising statistics, secondary sources and narrative, the

authors have created a powerfully persuasive thesis, designed to invoke emotion in the reader and ,

consequently , provoke them to action.

The authors directly define the audience within the text as, school officials, policy and lawmakers,

government officials, law enforcement personnel and more broadly, anyone invested in in education

and well being for todays youth. The article was published in the Psychology of Violence Journal, a

multidisciplinary journal devoted to extreme aggression. Having defined the audience, they then tell

the audience why their findings have relevance to them with statements such as, these findings

have implications not only for theteachers themselvesbecause it covers a topic not often on these

stakeholdersradar. (p?) Effectively they are saying, if youre not aware of this issue, you should be

(p?) .


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The authors begin their appeal to the reader Bby using statistics obtained from secondary sources ,

the authors.... . It could be argued that the statistics themselves appeal on two levels. They are a

rational presentation of problems that inspire an emotional reaction in the reader-bullying, and

gangs. The statistics are, however , kept to a minimum, and really just serve as an introduction to the

broader topic of bullying. The use of statistics appeals to the logical rational nature of a scientific

reader, and allow the reader to form a general perspective of the problem. The authors use this

information to shape the audiences perception of the topic.

. By initially citing statistics, then referring extensively to previous studies, ,the authors y are

establishing a foundation of knowledge that in order to shape the begins to shape the audiences

thoughts. They are leading the audience towards a desired end. Simultaneously, the authors are

shaping the audiences perception of the authors as being informed and knowledgeable. The authors

have gone to great lengths to investigate their topic, and they want the audience to know that. There

is no refuting of the information presented from their sources. This indicates that the authors are

using their sources to reinforce their own perspective. Having drawn upon relevant information from

secondary sources, they then point out that their research is unique and the subject matter lies in

unexplored territory.

There is a relative lack of jargon throughout the article , and ,. iIf they refer to technical terms, they

succinctly define them for the reader. What is also notable is the absence of graphs and

mathematical symbols that are found in other articles in the same journal. This makes for easy

reading and is an attempt to appeal to a wide audience.

The researchers provide the audience with an overall background of the school environment and its


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socio-economic climate . They mention the financial and social challenges the majority of the

students face , and bring attention to the scholastic struggles of the school. This allows the reader to

form an overall view of the environment in which the research took place, and sets the scene for the

presentation of the researchers findings.

The method is clearly defined over a number of pages. Interestingly, the explanation of their method

is a story itself. It iss a narrative about narratives. The choice of the qualitative model for data

collection and presentation is obviously no accident. By sharing the stories of their subjects, tThey

intend to appeal to the emotional, empathetic human qualities of the reader. It appears they expect

some scientific scepticism, and consequently they inform the audience of the stringency of their

method, portraying a scientific approach. They point out the shortcomings of the qualitative

method, but they also defend it. It appears they are keen to establish the validity of their methods, to

the audience. They elaborate on the interview process and the use of open- ended questions, thus

showing that the subjects were allowed freedom in their responses and that there was no subtle

manipulation of their responses. In this way they seek to reassure the reader . They also refer to

unstructured observation as another means of gathering data. Having defined this for the reader,

they then point out its benefits , with quotes from other academics alluding to the efficacy of that

approach. However, they also point out the potential shortcomings of their method. Then, to

reassure the reader, they elaborate on the means they employed to avoid these pitfalls. This

indicates to the audience that not only are they informed about their research topic, but they are

also informed about their research methods.

Right from the onset, e Emotive language is used throughout the article,right from the onset. The title

contains emotionally charged words, which inspire a reaction within the readers. The two key words


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in the title, gangs and victimisation hit the reader on a visceral level. There are frequent

references to fear throughout the text, as well as recurrent references to powerlessness and not

feeling safe. Even the titles of the categorisations the researchers use ,contain language such as

feeling trapped ,,and feeling unsafe. These words inspire certain reactions, and highlight the

plight the students are in.

Perhaps the most powerful rhetorical strategy means of persuasion the authors employ are is the

verbatim quotes from the subjects themselves. The narratives are laden with emotive language, and

paint a clear and disturbing picture of the environment the subjects inhabit. . These stories are

predominantly the stories of victims, and the reader gets a glimpse into a dangerous and frightening

world ; it is a world that they the reader can no t help but get be drawn into. Another layer of

perspective is added when one of the researchers shares her experience of the research process,

adding further emotion to the mix. Her expression of emotion validates the audience s emotional

engagement, as her perspective is, like the audience s, that of an observer. Evidently, sharing these

stories was an intentional strategy of the researchers, designed to draw the reader into the world

these children inhabit and engage them emotionally.

Having engaged the reader on an emotional level, the authors present their conclusions, utilising a

combination of definitive and tentative language. They clearly define the emotional undercurrents of

the school environment. Interestingly, when they mention possible reasons for their obes e rvations ,

they employ tentative language. Phrases , such as, it is plausible ,, and, it appears ,, begin to

appear. This indicates to the audience that the researchers are aware that they can no t possibly

define the underlying causes of complex social behaviour, and again indicates the authors are aware

of the shortcomings of their approach. At this point the authors draw extensively on previous


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research to reinforce their findings.

The article has a clear structure, with the information revealed in a specific sequence. The sequence

is broken down and categorised. Headings , such as Gang Activity in Schools ,, serve to identify

summaries of secondary information. When the authors present their own method, the information

is defined by categories such as, Design, Data Collection and Data Analysis . .Not only do these

categories identify specific groups of information, they also allow the reader to navigate the article

with ease and move to specific areas of interest as required. The simplistic presentation is appealing.

In conclusion , this article is a concise explanation of a complex social problem, designed to appeal to

a broad, multidisciplinary audience. The use of statistics and previous research establishes the

authors as credible authority of the authors, shapes the perspective of the audience, sets the scene

for the presentation of the research and appeals to the intellect. The research methods are clearly

defined and validated. The researchers then craft an appeal to the emotion of the audience, through

the use of verbatim accounts from both subjects and researchers and emotive language scattered

throughout the text. This use of pathos serves to engage the reader emotionally and inspire them to

act on the practical recommendations of the researchers, and is strengthened and validated by

previous and current research. This is a powerful piece of writing, in which the authors seek to inform

and engage the audience, both intellectually and emotionally, and use every available rhetorical

strategy to so.

Carl,


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This is a good start to a very difficult assignment. Your introduction and conclusion demonstrate that

you understand which rhetorical strategies are being employed in the article; however, your analysis

of HOW they aide in the construction of a persuasive argument needs further work. You need to go

back to the PIE structure and rework your paragraphs in terms of point (which rhetorical strategy

you will be discussing) illustration/example (examples of the strategy at work) explanation

(explain how the strategy is functioning to aide in the construction of the argument). Please see my

comments throughout and please dont hesitate to contact me for further clarification.

Well done on a solid first draft

Jane

carl wright assignment two

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