Running head: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS 1

Rhetorical Analysis:

The Economics of Poverty and Discrimination

Bradley R. Schiller

Daniela Quiroz

The University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1301

Dr. Vierra

October 10, 2018

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Abstract

The paper presents a study on the use of rhetorical analysis. It is stated on how people use

human interaction and many other sets of principles. It helps us as we research different topics,

for example, The Economics of Poverty and Discrimination (1976) book. Schiller talks about

how poverty is a big problem and it is frequently ignored by people. The use of rhetoric and

ethos, pathos, and logos have helped communicate with the audience of our research topic.
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Rhetorical Analysis:

Poverty and Discrimination

According to Downs (2013), rhetoric is a set of principles for human interaction that most

people know but do not really think about (p. 458). Rhetoric has so many meanings to it that we

do not really know to what it refers to. Some examples would be how rhetorical principles

organize and explain human interaction, communication, and experience (p. 458). Through these

set of principles, people apply them to their set of research and reach out to the people’s

audience. The author effectively uses rhetoric in his monograph as he applies the rhetorical

principles to his research to inform the audience about the struggles and facts about poverty.

The Economics of Poverty and Discrimination is about the study of poverty and how it is

a worldwide problem. According to Bradley R. Schiller (1976), only after a moment of hesitation

do people deny the existence of poverty or discrimination in the United States and offer solutions

to help out (p. ix). Schiller also claims that people give very little consideration to the nature of

these social ills. In order to help and do something about poverty and discrimination, one must

know something about them. Schiller emphasized that elimination of poverty or discrimination

does not imply the elimination of the other (p. x). These two subjects attract attention of students,

policy makers, and taxpayers alike. This book is a monograph to a broader audience as it is not

set to a specific group of people but to everyone, as poverty is an economic problem in today’s

society.

According to Vierra (2018), there are many types of genres, two including monograph

and compilation. A monograph is a scholarly book that makes one argument written as a whole.

A compilation, is the opposite, having many arguments and many authors. According to Janine

Ungvarsky (2017), monographs are usually published by a small group of presses that specialize

in academic works. They usually have a discussion of a single topic written by one. On the
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contrary, an example of a compilation would be our RWS book, Writing about Writing as it has

many different books all in one.

Discussion

Audience

The audience is a group of people to whom the author writes to (Dr.Paul Vierra). The

author of this book is taking an interdisciplinary approach to take on a broader audience. It is

considered a boarder audience because Shiller is talking about a subject that informs everyone

rather than a group of specific people. Schiller (1976) is a professor of economics at the

University of Nevada-Reno and American University and is the author of The Economy Today.

He focuses on world problems that are worldwide and in his book of Poverty and

Discrimination, his audience is recognized to Americans who, for example, no longer accept the

existence of poverty (p. 3). According to Ede and Lunsford (1984) those who envision audience

as addressed emphasize the concrete reality of the writer’s audience and share assumption that

knowledge of this audiences’ attitudes, beliefs, and expectations is essential (p. 156). This

connects with Schillers claim as the audience’s beliefs about poverty is essential to the world.

Ethos

Ethos is the authors ability to convince the audience with his beliefs and expertise

(Wardle and Downs). In his monograph, instead of taking about himself, Schiller gives great

appreciation to all those who were a big part in creating this research book. For example, he

gives thanks to Dudley Dillard who provided flexibility at the University of Maryland, and his

two research assistants, Tom Anderson and Sheldon Gnatt (p. xi). Schiller also gave gratitude to

those who suggested improvements to many universities, some which included the University of

California, Harvard, University of Wisconsin, and the University of Kansas. The last person who
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he was grateful for was his wife, thanking her for patience, sacrifice, and hard work. This just

goes to show how humble he is and how much he truly cares.

Pathos

Pathos is an appeal or an emotion that has been written by the author (Dr.Paul Vierra).

Schiller uses pathos in mentioning how many Americans no longer accept the existence of

poverty as inevitable (p. 3). Many view the poor as something normal as it has become so

widespread that very little is done to help the poor become self-sufficient or even help with their

suffering. For example, in India you would not have trouble uncovering the poor as they are

everywhere while in the Unites States, the poor is a minority, and many are unheard of (p. 27).

As a result of thinking they are a minority, we depend on gross generalities and unfound

stereotypes and not even being interested in their characteristics that might be affecting them (p.

28).

Logos

Logos is a claim or thesis supported by evidence in the book (Dr.Paul Vierra). Schiller

claims that we have not yet agreed to what we mean by the term poverty (p. 6). Many people

might refer to it as a lack of money, but a lack of money can mean many things. For example, it

can mean no money, no income, no assets, and no credit, but the word poverty goes beyond that.

Schiller describes to us that there are two basic economic approaches to the concept of poverty.

The first being that those who do not possess the ability to obtain goods and services are

considered poor (p. 7). This means that the poor don’t have the ability of the minimum caloric

intake needed for humans. This leads to the people showing bare bones, now leading them to

being titled as poor.

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Conclusion

As we applied the set of principles to our audience and our set of research, we now have

a better understanding of what rhetorical is. Examples of how to use rhetorical principles are

organize and explain human interaction, communication, and experience. We can learn the

meanings through these set of principles. And, according to Downs (2013), rhetoric is a set of

principles for human interaction that most people know but don’t really think about.
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References

Downs, D. (2013). Rhetoric: Making Sense of Human Interaction and Meaning-Making. Writing

about Writing: A college reader (3rd ed., pp. 457-483). Boston, New York: Bedford/St.

Martin’s

Schiller, B.R. (1976). Economics of Poverty and Discrimination. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice

Hall

Ungvarsky, J. (2017). Monograph Salem Press Encyclopedia of Literature. Retrieved from

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=3f89c7c9-90d7-412e-bc88-

148f94ba1831%40sessionmgr102&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0

ZQ%3d%3d#AN=121773087&db=erssubject matter.

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