Introduction
The phenomenon of sex-based discrimination has been an issue for centuries, preventing women from gaining a voice in society and being viewed as fully human. Even with the recent progress, the phenomenon of sex-based discrimination persists. “Speaking While Female,” an article by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant, highlights the problem of gender stereotypes and discrimination against women in the academic setting. By incorporating a style that allows targeting general audiences and communicating the core ideas in a clear yet emotionally appealing manner, Sandberg and Grant have contributed to further managing the issue.
Analysis
Structure and Purpose
The article is structured in a very natural way, the flow being consistent and easy to follow. The specified approach to building an argument is particularly important when addressing a broad range of audiences, which Sandberg and Grant intend to do. Specifically, the authors seek to maintain consistency in the flow of their discourse, starting with a general description of the situation, providing further context and examples, analyzing the issue, and offering a solution (Sandberg and Grant 1-4). The specified strategy allows both informing the target population and creating a powerful call to action. In turn, the purpose of the article is to shed light on the problem of sex-based discrimination in the academic setting.
Audience and Author
While Sandberg and Grant’s article has multiple strengths, the first quality to commend concerns the proper grasp of its audience. The authors make it evident that they seek to shed some light on the issue and expose its unfairness to general audiences by choosing straightforward and unambiguous language: “Obviously, businesses need to interrupt this type of gender bias” (Sandberg and Grant 2).
Though the specified approach to communicating the main ideas might seem simplistic, it allows embracing as many people as possible. In turn, the authors of the article are represented as well-being and intending to bring justice to the specified unfairness: “One of us, Adam, as dismayed to find similar patterns when studying a health care company” (Sandberg and Grant 2). By adopting the described stance on the issue, Sandberg and Grant manage to convey the urgency of the issue while maintaining credibility.
Rhetorical Appeals
The rhetorical appeals of the paper are also quite evident in the article. Specifically, the ethos, particularly the authors’ appeal to the ethical concerns created by the observed situation, is voiced in the emphasis on the recurrence of the problem and the drastic toll that it has on women: “Sadly, their experience is not unusual;” “When a woman speaks in a professional setting, she walks a tightrope” (Sandberg and Grant 1).
Similarly, the pathos of Sandberg and Grant’s piece is quite visible in the article: “Speaking while female is still quite difficult” (Sandberg and Grant 3). The statement above is emotionally charged, thus pointing to the glaring injustice and the need to confront it. Finally, the logos of the article enhance the argument and convince the reader to take action: “This speaking-up double bind harms organizations (Sandberg and Grant 2). Therefore, the core components of the rhetorical statement are present and effectively interwoven into the narrative.
Conclusion
Due to their creative use of ethos, logos, and pathos and integration of stylistic choices aimed at capturing the attention of general audiences, Sandberg and Grant have amplified women’s voices. Specifically, the authors have managed to balance the emotional and logical components of the argument, therefore creating a context where the plight of women to be heard in the academic setting is seen as legitimate and worthy of support. Furthermore, the authors’ approach to discussing the issue and analyzing the available solutions establishes the purpose clearly and communicates their essential goals and values, namely equality and fairness. Therefore, the article provides a robust and compelling argument regarding women’s rights and the importance of pursuing them.
Work Cited
Sandberg, Sheryl, and Adam Grant. “Speaking While Female.” New York Times, Web.