Blog 3 Jan. 27

In Jenny Edbauer’s article titled “Unframing Models of Public Distribution: From Rhetorical Situations to Rhetorical Ecologies”, Edbauer writes this article to student. In the article, Edbauer tells her readers that previous definitions of rhetorical situations are not as complex as older definitions. She argues that these older models are a static view while the more recent models take a variable view of rhetoric. This article is meant to persuade and inform her audience of the difference between the new and old definitions. Edbauer splits her article into sections with the most important section being the first section titled “Elemental Framework”. Within this section Edbauer mentions the sender receiver model. She describes the sender receiver model as a homeostatic relationship of public communication. Later she says that definition of a sender receiver model is too fixed and therefore not complex. Towards the end of the section Edbauer talks about the difference between Craig Smith and Lloyd Bitzer’s models of rhetoric. Lloyd Bitzer’s model of rhetoric can be defined as rhetoric relates to external social circumstances and conditions of material. Edbauer states that this model has been recently disproved by Craig Smith. Craig Smith argues that rhetorical situation relates to the complex relations between interest and the audience that rhetoric pertains to. This is another example that the author gives to strengthen her claim. In the song section of her article, Edbauer explores the etymological tropes within popular theories. She describes the latin roots of the word situation which resonate with our current definitions of location and place. The author then relates this to rhetorical situations by stating “the latin word situs is closely tied to the originary position of objects…the concept of rhetorical situation id appropriately named insofar as the models of rhetorical situation describe the scene of rhetorical action as located around the exigence that generates a response”. This quote shows the connection between models and place or location. In conclusion Edbauer writes this article to inform students about the difference between older more complex models and newer models of rhetorical situations.