Post-positivists assume that any attempt to ground knowledge outside human consciousness is futile. While post-positivists do not, of course, deny the existence of a physical world, they argue that all knowledge about that world is constructed by human consciousness through language. Related Concepts: Epistemology Why Does Post-Positivism Matter? Post-positivism is an important philosophical perspective that ...
Definition A Methodological Community, which may also be referred to as a Research Community. Related Concepts Audience Awareness; Discourse Community; Epistemology; Research; Rhetorical Analysis Why are Research Communities Important? Just as people with similar religious beliefs, political loyalties, or cultural practices can be said to make up a community—even though they have never met—those who ...
What is Positivism? Positivism is a philosophical and scientific approach that emphasizes the use of empirical evidence and observable facts to develop and evaluate knowledge. Positivists assume Positivists conduct observational studies to uncover these regular, nonrandom patterns and the relationships among the patterns. Working collaboratively and inductively, positivists sort through a multitude of relationships, seeking ...
What is a Discourse Community? A discourse community refers to a group of people who are in conversation with one another. Members of a discourse community share interests, goals, or fields of study. They share language practices, employing jargon, genres, rhetorical appeals, rhetorical moves, and discourse conventions. For instance, the field of medicine serves as ...
What is Audience Awareness? Audience Audience refers to What Does It Mean When Someone Says Your Communications Aren’t Audience Sensitive or Lack Audience Awareness? Audience Awareness refers to Synonyms Audience may refer to readers, listeners, users and other recipients of a message sent by a Sender (e.g., an author, writer, speaker, or knowledge worker) Audience ...
The sign in this image reads, “WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE AVAILABLE, PLEASE ASK INSIDE FOR ASSISTANCE.” Obviously, this picture was taken and turned into a meme because someone thought it was funny, which it is. But is it just funny, or does it reveal a deeper message about the way our society thinks about people with ...
It is important to consider your audience when writing a technical communication document. Categories like race, class, and gender, also known as demographics, can contribute to the way a person perceives a particular issue or document. Other important audience traits to consider are level of familiarity with the subject matter, knowledge of terminology, and educational background. These factors can help you determine what information your audience needs, what questions you should ask them, and how much jargon (field-specific language) you should use.
Learning Outcomes
Writers must have a clear sense of to whom they are writing (the audience) and what the audience’s values and/or opinions related to the topic are. Imagine a history professor who opens her lecture on the Victorian era by asking her undergraduate students, “Did you see the Victorian-era furniture on Antiques Roadshow last night?” Can ...
