Persuasive texts do not merely convey information — they work to position the audience: to orient readers toward a particular way of seeing an issue and, ultimately, toward accepting the author’s contention. Understanding how positioning works is the intellectual core of VCE Unit 4 Analysing Argument.
Positioning refers to the process by which authors attempt to align the reader’s perspective with their own. A positioned reader:
- Shares the author’s values and assumptions
- Accepts the framing of the issue that the author has constructed
- Feels what the author wants them to feel (sympathy, outrage, urgency)
- Is more likely to accept the contention
Positioning is not always overt. Much of it happens through choices the reader does not consciously notice — the framing of a headline, the vocabulary used to describe opponents, the implicit assumptions embedded in rhetorical questions.
Framing refers to the conceptual frame within which an issue is presented. The frame determines what is included, what is excluded, what is foregrounded and what is treated as background.
‘The debate over immigration policy’ positions immigration as a problem requiring policy response.
‘Contributions of immigrant communities to Australian society’ positions immigrants as assets.
The frame is often established before a single explicit argument is made.
Authors construct an implied reader — the ideal reader who shares their values and will respond as intended. This implied reader may be:
- Defined by shared identity: ‘As Australians, we believe…’ — the reader is invited to identify with ‘us’
- Defined by shared values: ‘Anyone who cares about fairness…’ — the reader who does not agree is implicitly excluded from the moral community
- Defined by self-interest: ‘This affects every taxpayer’ — the reader is invited to see the issue as personally relevant
| Appeal | Description | Positioning Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Ethos | Credibility of the author (expertise, experience, fairness) | Positions the reader to trust and defer to the author |
| Logos | Logic, evidence, rational argument | Positions the reader as a rational agent who will follow the evidence |
| Pathos | Emotional appeal (fear, sympathy, anger, pride) | Bypasses rational analysis; creates visceral alignment |
| Kairos | Urgency, timeliness | Positions the issue as requiring immediate response |
Sophisticated persuasion blends all four.
Much positioning happens through what is assumed rather than argued. A question like ‘How much longer can we afford to ignore this crisis?’ presupposes that there is a crisis, that we are currently ignoring it, and that this is a moral failing. The reader accepts these presuppositions in the act of engaging with the question.
High modality (must, will, need to) positions the reader as someone for whom the conclusion is not a matter of opinion but necessity. Low modality (might, could, perhaps) positions the reader as a rational agent being invited to consider possibilities.
Authors tailor positioning strategies to their intended audience — the specific readership they are trying to persuade. Analysing intended audience requires considering:
- The publication in which the text appears (its readership demographics and values)
- The vocabulary level and cultural references deployed
- The assumptions made about shared experience and belief
- The particular emotional appeals made (what the author thinks the audience fears or values)
In your analytical response:
- Identify the specific technique used to position the audience
- Explain the intended effect on the specific intended audience
- Use language of positioning: ‘positions the reader to’, ‘invites the reader to’, ‘constructs the audience as’, ‘attempts to align the reader with’
Avoid stating only that a technique is persuasive — explain how it positions this particular audience.
REMEMBER: VCAA Analysing Argument responses are not about whether the argument is correct — they are about how the argument works. Your job is to be a dispassionate analyst of persuasive technique, not to agree or disagree with the author’s position.
