Chapter 8: Accommodating Your Audience: Treating Differing Views
Thinking Piece II


Thinking Piece #2: Examining Strategies for Reaching Resistant Audiences

Background Information

Some arguments make a serious effort to address the possible objections of dissenting readers; others appear to want to shock readers into a new awareness of an issue but may not devote much thought to treating their audience's views. In Writing Arguments, read the two short arguments written by students for fairly general audiences: Kathy Sullivan's "Oncore, Obscenity, and the Liquor Control Board" (Chapter 10) and Daeha Ko's "The Monster That Is High School" (Chapter 11). As you read, jot down notes where you see the writers summarizing, conceding to, or refuting opposing views.

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Writing Task

Using your understanding of the strategies for accommodating resistant audiences (summarizing alternative views fairly, conceding to opposing views, using rebuttal strategies for denying or challenging evidence in arguments), write a thinking piece in which you explore how effective these arguments are at pushing readers toward their perspective. Do you think that Sullivan or Ko does a better job of treating alternative views? Which writer makes better use of accommodation and rebuttal strategies?

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