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Title of paper

Karoline M. Karlsen

Antioch University, Santa Barbara

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1 out of 4 women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime (2014,para, 4).
Domestic Violence is a huge global issue and has horrible consequences. People dont
have enough information about this problem, and organizations around the country are
trying to change that. The main organization addressing this issue locally is the Domestic
Violence Solution for Santa Barbara Countya nonprofit organization that is working to
end the intergeneration cycle of domestic violence. Looking more deeply into the
writing of the organization, I will explain how they use rhetorical strategies in their
artifacts to persuade the audience by creating awareness, educate, and show that they
are trustworthy.

DVS provides a 24-hour shelter service for battered women and their children, they also
works to prevent domestic violence through teen outreachas you will see in the
brochureand education programs. The organization is providing prevention and
intervention services as well as challenging societys attitudes, beliefs and behaviors to
effect social change. The informant in this paper is Marsha Marcoe. She is the Associate
Executive Director for the Domestic Violence Solution organization. M.Marcoe works
with the board of Directors to expand the giving program for DVS and facilitates the
Board Development Committee and the Executive Collaborative team. Her development
experience includes more than 19 years at C.A.L.M and UC Santa Barbara. M.Marcoe
has several non-profit boards and has experience in board development (Personal
communication, November 17, 2014).

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The selected organization is using rhetorical technics like Pathos, Logos, Ethos and
Kairos in everything the organization is providing. By looking into some artifacts from
the organization, I will explain these technics in one of the organizations brochuresfor
the teen dating abuse prevention program. In one of the organizations videos: Strong
Field Project-Domestic Violence Solution of Santa Barbara, the Job postings on their web
page and on their facebook page.

One of the methods that the DVS organization uses to reach the youth in Santa Barbara
is by giving out brochures. Brochure is one of the best ways to intimately describe an
organization, by giving out these the domestic violence solution reveal just enough
information to make the teenagers interested and most likely a wish for more material.
Throughout the whole brochure they are writing to every teenone that knows a lot
about domestic violence to someone that has no clue what it is all about. The writing is
very organized and they use a good amount of writing to explain what this program is
doing, how they are doing it and what you can do as an individual. Everything is
structured and it is easy to find what you want to read about. Since this is a brochure for
teenagers they are using a casual writing style and chose words that are common and
understandable. This way the teenagers will not stop reading because they are confused
or dont understand what is being mentioned.

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The use of quotes from other teenagers is a good use of pathos. Pathos is a rhetorical
concept; it is the use of emotion in debate or argument (Alexander, 2013,p44). By
showing the name and age of the person stating the quote you get a more personal
relationship to the topic and it makes it more honest. This will help people determine
that this actually is happening to people around you, people that are just like everyone
else, no matter the color of skin, religion or economical situation. Passion place a big
role in developing, [it is important to know that it is a balance] so people dont feel
overwhelmed (Personal communication, November 17, 2014). If the organization
would use too much of the rhetorical strategy, pathos, the audience would maybe put
the brochure down because it would actually be too hard to read.

The cover page of the brochure is an important part, you want people to pick it up and
open it. In it they use a lot of the color red, which stands for meanings of love,
leadership, anger and courage. These are all worlds that can be linked to domestic
violence. This is a great way to get out their important message, and people will
response more strongly to what is writing. The first page has the sentence: You are not
alone, relationship violence happens to teenagers too. Then they have several facts of
how serious and normal this problem is. The use of Logical appeals is called Pathos.
Audience respond well to the use of reasons and evidenceto the presentation of
facts, statistic, credible testimony or cogent examples [is an effective way to support an
argument](Lundsform, Ruszkiewicz, Walters, 2012, p27). By using Logos it is hard for

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the audience to ignore the problem. The sentence in the beginning--that was an
example of the use of pathoswould be easy for the audience to dismiss the mission
and point. But by having the facts and statistics at the same page, in colors, would easily
change the readers focus and reach out to the teenagers better. Academic arguments,
like legal arguments, need evidence to make a persuasive case (Alexander, 2013,p.154).
This is exactly what the organization is doing in their brochures. They are supporting a
claim, by using facts and statistic used to help support the argument. The picture of the
cycle of violence in the brochure sticks out from the crowd, the rest of the writing, it is
an easy explanation for people that maybe dont like to read, but then will take their
time to look at the cycle.

Strong Field Project-Domestic Violence Solution of Santa Barbara is one of the

organizations video. By using this type of genreany category of literature or other
forms of art or entertainment(2014, par1)will help reach out to people and make
them aware of the social justice problem. The video has good quality, lasts for about 2
minutes and covers the mission and the goal of the organization. The Executive Director
for the domestic violence solution, Richard Kravetz, is used throughout the whole video;
this is a way for the organization to show the use of Ethos in that particular genre. They
are telling the audience that the speaker is an authority on the topic. He is speaking
knowledgeable about the subject matter. Ethos is often the first thing we notice, it
creates the first impression that influences how the targets perceive the rest of the

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video. Aristotle says that: If we believe that the speaker has a good sense, good moral
character, and goodwill, we are inclined to believe what the speaker says. According to
the university of Ohio: We tend to trust people who have college degrees, certifications
and are members of organizations that support a good case.(Henning, 1998)

This is how Kravetz is presented in the video, and when you hear what he is saying: By
having a job where you can actually see that you are making a real difference in
someones life is very, very satisfying(Kravetz,2011). We then know for sure that this
man is doing everything he can to succeed in what he is doing, something that will make
people pay closer attention to what he is saying in the rest of the video. The structure
and good quality makes the video more professional and accurate. The video has calm
music and happy moments, and by doing this they: Give people hope, it is a solution
and you can be a part of that solution.(Marcoe) The audience will most likely take
action and feel invested in the cause. The video ends with the metaphor It is a
marathon and not a sprint. And then the sentence we are stronger together. Using a
metaphor as Kravetz was doing here enhances and makes the video described as more
creative and interesting.

When looking around the organizations webpage, you will se structure and good
organization everywhere. It is easy to find the Job posting since it is a big symbol in

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orange on the left side of the webpage. It is easy to find, easy to click on and easy to
read. Instead of having the description in one confusing paragraphwhich can be
normal in organizations like thesethey have a good structure with numbers, summary,
responsibilities etc. This way the people who want to look at the opportunities to get a
job, will easily know that this is professional. In that way the people applying for the job
will most likely be as structured and organized as the organization. The better the job
candidates are, the easier it is to find the best possible match for the job. This is a good
circle, and the organization will build the organization to be even more up from there.

M.Marcoe also added that: 3 of the survivors are working at the board now. This tells
us that the organization really have success, and the victims have come a long way from
being in an abusive relationship, getting help from the organization, succeeds and then
bring their bad experience into something extremely important. They are an extreme
motivation for other people who are in the same situation they where in when they
where at the bottom. The organizations facebook page is a huge way of connection with
people and access much bigger amounts of audience then trough broachers and
speeches. As written in crafting brief messages: Social network provide a variety of
communication tools, user comments and personal profiles to support brief
messages.(WICH BOOK IS THIS?) When using social media you have to change and
create content a new way. It is important to stay involved and get involved. This is
exactly what the Domestic Violence Solution organizations do.

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Looking trough their facebook page you can see that they are updated with their
posting. They use facebook in sharing videos, pictures, promoting for their causes,
volunteer programs and statuses. Social media is especially big among teenagers, and
the facebook page is automatically considered trustworthy when the posts come
regularly. It is important to be transparent and honest, M.Marcoe illustrates that the
organization is doing this: Sometimes we highlight something that is happening in the
news, but we are very careful about making someone guilty, we dont know, nobody
know. By also sprinkle this with solution, graphic and thankful stories they get some
variety in what is posted on their page. Kairosseizing the opportune moment for
arguments (Lundsform, Ruszkiewicz, Walters, 2012, pp. 27) is used on their
facebook page. Using the suitable time and place for making an argument and the most
opportune ways to make it (Lundsform, Ruszkiewicz, Walters, 2012, pp. 27) The
organization are taking advantage of shifting circumstances and choose the best and
most timely proofs and evidence for the particular place (facebook), situation, and
audience (mostly teenagers). More importantly, social media can give a voice to the
victims. It is nice for people to read something else then just the awfulness of the
problem; they need something positive, something that will give them hope.

However, according to a research project that the Nation Network to End domestic
violence had: To set up a project to look at how technology and social media were
creating more problems and further harming victims of domestic violence, but also how

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they were helping. Because, the truth is: Social media has opened the door for a whole
new ways for abusers to keep control over the victims. This way the victims will be in
even more danger if their computer is tracked and the person cannot look for help
without being spotted of the victim. But, as said earlier in the paper, we need to talk
about the problem, the problem is occurring and in todays world that means both
offline and online. And the advocates for DV victims will need to keep working to ensure
that the Internet can be as safe as possible.

As a conclusion those rhetorical strategies is a really important part off all types of
genres. Everything written by the organizationor from everyone elseis dynamic,
which all elements are affection on another. How the organization is looking at their
audience and what they want to get out of the reading to change the way they are using
Pathos, Ethos, Logos, and Kairos. The Organization is thinking rhetorical by keeping all
these elements in mind. As a result of this hard work, the organization get their words
out in a persuasive way in everything they providewebpage, videos, broachers,
facebookto women, men and teenagers in a trustworthy and excellent way.

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References
Safe Horizone(2014). Domestic Violence: Statestics & Facts. Retrieved December 2,
2014, from http://www.safehorizon.org/page/domestic-violence-statistics--facts52.html
Lunsford, Ruszkiewicz, Walters.(2012) Everything it an argument
Wikipedia(2014) Genre. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genre
Henning. Friendly persuasion: Classic RhetoricNow!(1998) A general Summary of
Aritstotles AppealsRetrieved August 1993
http://courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
Strong Field project- Domestic Violence Solution of Santa Barbara(2011)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpWoBFmZ87w