Consider a recent issue of public conflict such as immigration reform or health care access or any other issue which you are familiar. Explain how social position impacts those who speak on that issue

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Answer 1

Answers will vary but should include a general overview of the concept of social position. Related to the concept of ethos is the social position from which a rhetor speaks.
Aristotle noted that those who came from noble families were better positioned as rhetors. Yet social position refers to more than the prestige of one's family. One's social position comes from the way society is structured. Everyone is located in more than one position in the social structure as she or he speaksâ€"as a student, a customer, a friend, a voter, and so on. As a receiver of public communication, you should always consider the position or positions from which the rhetor is speaking. We expect certain people to speak in certain situations, such as family members at a funeral or the governor after a natural disaster. In these cases, the rhetor's authority comes from a combination of her or his position and the audience members' expectations. Yet these social positions are also hierarchical, meaning that some positions have more power than others. For example, if you, as a student, were to speak out about U.S. immigration policies, you would be less influential than the president when he speaks about the same topic. Even if you spoke well, you could not make up for the difference in social positions between a student and a president. Social positions and positions of power are deeply intertwined because social positions gain their power from the society that supports the structure. This power structure allows certain rhetors to be more effective than others in promoting a message. Social institutions, also considered rhetors according to our definition, have distinct social positions that contribute to the effectiveness or persuasiveness of their public messages. For example, when the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling, it sends a public message thatâ€"coming from its position of power within our social structureâ€" has tremendous implications for the ways we live. Other social institutions, including those involved in medicine, religion, the military, and education, also exercise their power through rhetoric.