CONCEPTIONS OF AUDIENCE:

Implications upon the Writer and the Writing

By Mary Otieno

5170 > homesite > repurposing

You must keep in mind the concerns and values of the people you want to reach; you should have some knowledge of their educational and social backgrounds, how old they are, what kind of work they do and whether they are on the whole, liberal or conservative about religion, sex and politics...You will have to analyze your audience consciously, specify its traits, and decide what conclusions you can legitimately make about an audience with those traits.

-Maxine Hairstons

Two Major Concepts Of Audience

The Role Playing Audience

• Casting the Audience: The writer may cast his audience to play a role by use of cues that will help persuade the audience

The Demographic Audience:

The writer analyzes his audience according to the cultural population. He may consider his audience identification in various groups but the most common are:

• Age: Using generation interests to choose your topic since different generations are moved by different appeals.

• Group Affiliation: The group identity is highly salient since they draw on common experiences and shared beliefs and values. Group members may share their occupations, interests, experiences or hobbies

• Gender: The cluster of traits culturally labeled as masculine, feminine and androgynous (containing both masculine and feminine characters)

• Ethnicity: This refers to a group’s common heritage and cultural traditions that usually stem from national and religious heritage.

• Region: The shared geographical region climate, history, language, economic base, politics and other features may influence their interest and perception

Should writing students be taught to mind their audience?

• Audience and the Teaching of writing

next>>

Home

Casting the Audience

Age

Group Affiliation

Gender

Ethnicity

Region

Audience & the teaching of writing

Preface