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Rhetorical Challenges In Cultural History

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Rhetorical Challenges: Complexity & Cultural History Controversial rhetorical evidences have existed as long as humans practiced the art of rhetoric. The ways the audience participates and conceptualizes the content of the topic depends on the complexity, cultural history and other related challenges. Our textbook had interesting incite on some of the challenges that arise from the purpose and subject of a given rhetorical context, which was something that I wasn’t formally educated in. I found it interesting that not only the subject but the purpose of a rhetorical artifact can alter the participation of the audience on a greater scale than I originally thought. I’ve decided to narrow my discussion lead topics to the complexity and cultural …show more content…

If the subject at hand is a cultural norm for a large extent of a given society, then it will be difficult to negatively frame said subject in a negative manner without eroding the overall message. This challenge of subject and focus is relevant to some of todays issues that continue to be debated on the mass media outlets. The Rhetorical Act mentions that there are four obstacles that can arise from cultural history, and I believe that it’s beneficial to analyze two of the more important obstacles (pg. 234). One of the bigger challenges among cultural history is how we responds to issues that we perceive to be a loaded subject. For instance, if an individual was trying to spread the importance gay marriage at a mainly catholic event, it would be difficult for the speaker to have an engaged audience whom is willing to fully participate. The importance of cultural history cannot be overstated, it’s programmed from within all of us as American citizens and is what makes us all rhetorically unique. Conflict that surrounds the individual’s cultural values is another hurdle that is made up of cultural history. This challenge goes deeper than the loaded biases that we can concur, instead it speaks to the very values that we perceive as a society. These could include climate stability, capitalism and other values that …show more content…

With that being said, I decided to use a speech by former President Barack Obama back in 2009 speaking on the topic of religion in the United States. This is a perfect artifact for subject and purpose because Mr. Obama not only ties in the idea of pluralistic society, but also intertwines how religion plays a heavy role in politics here in this day and age. This speech has strong cultural history challenges due to our religious norms of society as a whole, and how we are an ever changing culture made up of multiple, diverse religions. Baracks speech also has complexities that arose from the subject of religion in politics. There are millions of Americans whom are not part of any organized religion, so the messages and influences of these faiths do not persuade these individuals on a political level. These are only a few of the challenges that come out of the subject and purpose of this speech, but complexity and cultural history are the most prominent hurdles for the audience to

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