Article: US Child Labor Violations in the Retail and Service Industires: Findings From a National Survey of Working Adolescents.
Authors: Rauscher, Kimberly
Runyan, Carol W.
Schulman, Michael D.
Bowling, J. Michael
When reading the first few paragraphs of the document, I noted that this article immediately used all three rhetorical appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos. In general, the article involves the research and practice of individuals who went to go look at the working conditions of children in the labor workforce. Because of the fact that the article uses research, the article uses the logos appeal to attract it's readers. Logos appeals use factual data and statistics. The article therefore mentions various percentages of the numbers of children who work past the latest hours allowed on a school night, along with the percentage of how many researchers reported work permit violations. Using this type of appeal is effective, in that, the authors have informed opinions and evidence that come from the scientific research of experts and authorities. The knowledge of the topic captivates the audience and convinces them that the information is significant.
The second appeal used in this article is the ethos appeal. The ethos appeal gives extensive credibility to the author as well. The authors have developed their ethos in this article by being extremely formal. In that, remarkable vocabulary is used when explaining the demography of adolescents in various age groups that are employed. The authors also manage to bold certain words in order to emphasize the importance and embed the idea in the audience's mind. Writing in this manner allows the intended audience to truly believe what the authors are saying. It allows them to respect what the writer has to say and take it into consideration.
Lastly, the pathos appeal is also used. The pathos appeal uses vivid language and descriptions in order to evoke an emotional response from the audience. In this article, the writers explain the hazardous conditions that children in the work force have to work in. The article states the children work too many hours which lead them to a deprivation of a decent education. Along with this, the document emphasizes that the injuries acquired in their work accounts for the death in adolescents. This information given makes the audience sympathetic towards the child labor issue. It convinces the reader that change has to happen and there must be a resolution to the problem.
As a result of the reading, I have determined that the intended audience of this piece are those who regulate working conditions and those who make laws involving child labor and children's rights.
1 comment:
This article was clearly an anti-child labor report, utilizing the logos, ethos and pathos. I would just have to wonder that if the author is using pathos then the intended audience isn't only the ones who create labor laws and regulate working conditions, but also advocates of no child labor or reformation, as a rally to the public.
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