Difficulty: Introductory | Prerequisites: Persuasive Thesis Statements (CM 220 Unit 4, Part I).
Before you write a single paragraph of your argument essay, you need to understand who you are writing for, why you are writing, and where the argument lives. That is the rhetorical situation. In CM 220, the rhetorical situation is not abstract: you are writing about a real problem in a real community with real stakeholders who have competing interests. Getting this analysis right determines whether your essay speaks to the people who can actually implement your solution or whether it talks past them.
The rhetorical situation is the combination of purpose (why you are arguing), audience (who you need to persuade, including resistant stakeholders) and setting (the specific community context, its demographics, economics and social dynamics). Analysing all three before drafting ensures your argument is aimed at the right people in the right way.
Rhetorical situation
The context surrounding any act of communication: who is speaking, who is listening, what the purpose is, and where and when it happens. Think of it as the "scene" your argument performs in. Every choice you make in the essay (tone, evidence, structure) should fit this scene.
Purpose
The reason you are writing. In a persuasive essay, the purpose is to convince a specific audience to accept a claim and, ideally, to take action. In simple terms, it answers: "What do I want to change, and why am I the one writing about it?"
Audience
The people you are trying to reach with your argument. In CM 220 this is not "the general public." It is a defined community with identifiable stakeholders: residents, business owners, taxpayers, local government and underrepresented groups. Each stakeholder has different concerns, and your argument must account for that.
Stakeholder
Any person or group affected by the problem or the proposed solution. Stakeholders can be direct (the homeless population) or indirect (businesses near encampments, taxpayers funding services). Think of it as: anyone who would show up to a town hall meeting on this topic.
Underrepresented stakeholder
A group whose voice is typically absent from the conversation, even though they are directly affected. In homelessness arguments, this is often the homeless population themselves. Identifying who is missing from the table is a key part of rhetorical analysis.
Setting
The physical, social, economic and political context in which the problem exists and the solution would be implemented. This includes geography, demographics, racial and economic dynamics, and institutional structures. A solution that works in one setting may fail in another.
Your purpose in a CM 220 argument essay goes beyond "raising awareness." You are proposing a specific change and giving reasons for it
A strong purpose statement names the problem, gives a concrete example and connects it to your own experience or observation
Example: "My purpose is to highlight the increase in homelessness in Charlotte and show how small changes, such as converting vacant motels into supportive housing, can help"
Personal experience strengthens purpose when it is specific. "I saw people living in makeshift tents without clean water" is stronger than "Homelessness is everywhere"
Your audience is not "everyone." Name the community: citizens of Charlotte, local business owners, city council members
Map how the issue touches each stakeholder differently:
Businesses: reduced foot traffic, declining revenue in affected areas
Residents: quality-of-life concerns (sanitation, pest problems, safety perceptions)
Taxpayers: increased law enforcement and emergency service costs
Homeless individuals: lack of shelter, healthcare, sanitation, and legal barriers from eviction records
Identify who is underrepresented. The people most affected by homelessness are often the least visible in policy conversations
Ask: who has the power to implement the solution? If it is the city government, your argument must speak to what motivates elected officials and budget committees
The setting is not just a location. It is the web of conditions that make the problem what it is in this particular place
For Charlotte, NC, the relevant setting factors include:
Rapid population growth and sunbelt migration driving up housing costs
Gentrification displacing long-term residents from affordable neighbourhoods
Racial and economic segregation shaping which areas are most affected
The specific proposed solution: city-purchased motels retrofitted as clinics with job training and mental health services
The setting determines which solutions are feasible. A solution that requires state legislation has a different rhetorical situation than one that requires a city council vote
Students often write "my audience is everyone" or "the general public." In CM 220, the audience must be a specific, named community with identifiable stakeholders
Listing stakeholders is not the same as analysing them. You need to explain how each group is affected differently and what their likely objections are
Students sometimes confuse setting with location. Setting includes economics, demographics, racial dynamics and political structures, not just the city name
Underrepresented stakeholders are not an afterthought. Identifying who is missing from the conversation is a core analytical step, not a box to tick
Expect prompts that ask you to "describe your rhetorical situation" or "identify your audience and their concerns." This means all three elements: purpose, audience and setting
A common exam question asks you to identify underrepresented stakeholders and explain why their perspective matters. Have a ready example
You may be asked how the setting shapes the problem. The answer should reference specific local conditions (economics, demographics, policy), not generic statements
Understanding stakeholder mapping is tested indirectly: when a prompt asks "Who might resist your solution and why?", it is asking about stakeholder analysis
True or false: "The general public" is an acceptable audience definition for a CM 220 argument. (False)
Fill in the blank: The three components of the rhetorical situation are ______, ______ and ______. (purpose, audience, setting)
True or false: Setting refers only to the geographic location of the problem. (False, it also includes economic, social, racial and political factors)
Fill in the blank: A stakeholder who is directly affected by the problem but whose voice is typically absent from the discussion is called an ______ stakeholder. (underrepresented)
True or false: Your purpose in CM 220 is simply to inform the audience about a problem. (False, you must also propose a solution and persuade)
Q: Name two stakeholders who might resist a proposal to fund homeless services through local business taxes, and explain their likely objection.
A: Business owners may object because the tax directly reduces their revenue. Taxpayers without businesses may resist if they believe the cost will be passed on to them through higher prices or if they question the effectiveness of the programme.
Q: Why is it important to identify underrepresented stakeholders in your rhetorical situation analysis?
A: Underrepresented stakeholders (often the homeless population themselves) are the most directly affected by both the problem and the solution. Leaving them out weakens the argument's credibility and can lead to solutions that do not address actual needs.
Q: How does the setting of Charlotte, NC, specifically shape the homelessness problem described in this unit?
A: Charlotte's rapid growth and sunbelt migration have driven up housing costs. Gentrification has displaced residents from formerly affordable areas. Racial and economic segregation concentrates the problem in specific neighbourhoods. These local conditions make a locally administered solution (city-purchased motels) more relevant than a generic national policy.
Q: What is the difference between purpose and thesis?
A: Purpose is the broader reason you are writing (to highlight the problem and persuade the audience to act). The thesis is the specific, arguable claim that delivers on that purpose. Purpose is the "why"; the thesis is the "what."
The rhetorical situation feeds directly into the three appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) covered in Part III. Your audience analysis determines which appeal to lead with: a financially minded audience responds to logos (data on costs), while a community audience may respond more to pathos (stories of affected families). The setting analysis also connects to research methods: knowing your local context tells you which sources (city reports, housing data) will carry weight with your specific audience.
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