Lindsey Schrock
English 3 AP
Mr. Soeth, per. 2
REHUGO Analysis: Extra Credit Essay
A. “The New Community” by Amitai Etzioni
B. While there are differing aspects of a society and a community, it is essential for America to attain characteristics of both in order to achieve a comprehensive, successful, and effective sense of belonging and familiarity. Etzioni argues that due to urbanization and a shift from rural areas, regions nationwide began lacking such a sense of community. As a call to action, he challenges Americans to combine a society and community in order to create an entity where people know their neighbors and where diversity and unity are equally balanced. He supports his argument by providing examples of how areas in America are already exhibiting signs of budding interests in social relationships and communities based off of relations and bondage.
C. Evidence
1. Ethos: Multiple resources contribute greatly to the content of the article, and serve as a rather large piece of rhetorical evidence that therefore strengthens the author’s argument. Etzioni efficaciously develops credibility by referring to research and opinions expressed by reputable sources such as Herbert Gans, a Columbia University sociologist; Ray Oldenburg, a well-known and respectable author; and several other works created by numerous experts and researchers. These resources act as foundations for Etzioni’s chief arguments, thus emphasizing the amount of reliable research that supports his statements and effectively persuading readers to adhere to his perspective.
2. Logos: In paragraph seventeen, Etzioni utilizes data gathered from research in order to further enforce his opinions. He states, “On average…the whole country moves about once every five years…in recent years Americans seem to move somewhat less often…One explanation is a growing desire to maintain the bonds of friendship and local social roots.” This is used to further solidify his argument that America is attempting to develop a community that is a balance of diversity and unity; one that exhibits a sense of familiarity. This is achieved, as stated in the data, by planting one’s ‘roots’ in a town or society. In paragraphs twelve through eighteen, Etzioni also appeals to logos by answering a series of rhetorical questions addressed in paragraph eleven. By thoroughly answering each question to its full extent through the indicative process of attacking one issue at a time, the audience is exposed to a sense of logic, thus making Etzioni’s position and point of view more ckear and stable.
D. Rhetorical Strategies
1. Exemplification: The author provides a series of examples in order to reinforce his accounts of American communities. In paragraph nineteen, Etzioni illustrates the burgeoning sense of community instituting itself in college and high school campuses and law firms. In doing so, he substantiates that communities are strengthened by merely spending time daily with other members of that society.
2. Comparison and Contrast: The juxtaposition of multiple terms throughout the selection serves as a key feature of Etzioni’s argumentative style. In the beginning of the passage, he defines the opposing German terms “gemeinschaft” and “gesellschaft” in order to show the differences between a society and a community. The article comes to a full circle as Etzioni revisits this juxtaposition in the concluding paragraph of his work, thus emphasizing how having just one of these characteristics does not ensure a close-knit community, but a balance between the two creates an ideal ‘system.’ In describing the history and ‘evolution’ of American communities, Etzioni also compares societal trends present in the eighties, and those practiced in the nineties. He characterizes these eras through the use and juxtaposition of the terms “me-ism” and “we-ness” in paragraphs eight and nine. The provided description of the eighties suggests a time period in which self-concern governed any other prospective community needs. The nineties, however, signifies a time of unity and ‘togetherness’ practiced by members of society and politics alike. These comparisons build up to Etzioni’s argument that new communities can be modern, not fashioned after the past, and can exhibit characteristics of both community and society.
Etzioni, Amitai. "The New Community." The Language of Composition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 289-94. Print.
