Exigency
Essentials
What is exigence? "An exigence is “an imperfection marked by urgency; it is a defect, an obstacle, something waiting to be done, a thing which is other than it should be,” according to Bitzer (1968) explained, (6). In other words, an exigency is a need, problem, or urgency to which a writer directs the audience’s attention.
How does a writer establish exigency? Audience awareness and rhetorical appeals, students need to consider how to “hook” Audience members with respect to their topics. Presenting a lack, need, problem, or source of concern invites audience members to “care” about their topics.
Why is exigency an important concept in writing? As a writer, your work begins early in the paper. Once you have caught your audience’s attention, raise the reason your audience members will keep reading your argument. If you show them that there is something they should give their attention, they are more likely to understand the benefits of your argument.
Examples
Problem:
For instance, in a research paper about the widespread issue of poverty and potential solutions, you could cite Anup Shah”s article, “Causes of Poverty” from the website: “Global Issues: Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Issues That Affect Us All,” Sept. 28, 2014. Shah states these statistics:
Almost half the world — over 3 billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. 1 billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 children in the world). 640 million live without adequate shelter, 400 million have no access to safe water, 270 million have no access to health services. 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (or roughly 29,000 children per day).
By citing these statistics, you raise the exigency of a serious problem of poverty in the United States. Your audience is likely to take notice as no one wants poverty to exist. Statistics, especially those from a primary source, are an important way to capture audience’s attention and set the tone for the problem.
Lack:
“Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents and Adults: Change in Affect. Emotion. Vol. 10 (6): 831-841. Dec., 2010. Talbot, et al.
Lack of studies on the subject of sleep deprivation in adolescents and resulting emotions.
Previous research has tended to examine affect broadly, with little attention paid to the impact on specific, discreet emotions. The affective consequences in adolescence, and particularly across development in adolescence, have not been extensively examined. The dearth of experimental research is a critical gap.
By citing these facts, you are establishing a “lack” of studies regarding a topic of high interest from an audience of teachers and parents who seek more information on the emotional effects from sleep deprivation on their students and adolescents.
Need
For instance, in the article, “What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades” by Maria Konnikova, JUNE 2, 2014, the exigency is a need to reconsider the diminishing practice of writing
Does handwriting matter? Not very much, according to many educators.
The Common Core standards, which have been adopted in most states, call
for teaching legible writing, but only in kindergarten and first grade. After
that, the emphasis quickly shifts to proficiency on the keyboard. But
psychologists and neuroscientists say it is far too soon to declare
handwriting a relic of the past. New evidence suggests that the links
between handwriting and broader educational development run deep.
Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write
by hand, but they also remain better able to generate ideas and retain
information. In other words, it’s not just what we write that matters — but how.
When we write, a unique neural circuit is automatically activated,’ said Stanislas Dehaene, a psychologist at the Collège de France in Paris. ‘…this circuit is contributing in unique ways we didn’t realize…learning is made easier.’
By citing this fact, you raise the exigency of a need to reconsider the diminishing practice of handwriting. An audience of young and older adults will likely “tune in” because they learned handwriting in school. They will be interested in lingering benefits from this practice that may bring back memories.
(c) All Rights Reserved
