EWM as compound discourse: hortatory and persuasive

Please read this piece; it's important. (ed 29)

I consider EWM as compound discourse: it is hortatory and contains elements of persuasive discourse. Hortatory discourse is a subtype of behavioral discourse, which refers to how people should behave (Longacre, 1983; 1992).

Hortatory discourse aims at influencing conduct, that is, getting the receivers of the text to do something they are not currently doing, to discontinue doing something they are doing, to continue doing something they are already doing, to expend greater effort in an activity already embarked on, to modify the nature of their efforts, and so on (Longacre, 1992:109).

EWM function as hortatory discourse in the sense that editors attempt to influence readers’ conduct, more specifically to turn the pages of the magazine and read the features highlighted in the EWM. Indirectly, EWM also aim at influencing conduct in relation to different social roles they should adopt, such as being good jugglers, partners, wives, mothers, and knowing how to deal with sexual, affective, health and family problems.

EWM also aim at keeping readers’ trust in the magazine, thus they also instigate readers to continue reading the magazine they buy every week or month.

The superstructure or schema of a hortatory discourse is comprised of four components:

1. establishment of the authority/ credibility of the text producer;

2. presentation of a problem/situation;

3. issuing of one or more commands, which can be mitigated to suggestions of varying urgency; and

4. resort to motivation (essentially threats with predictions of undesirable results, and promises along with predictions of desirable results) (Longacre, 1992:110-1)

Longacre explains that move 3 is basic and necessary in the sense that commands/

suggestions are characteristic of hortatory discourse. The other components may not appear explicitly stated but may be implied.

Writers of EWM posses the credibility and the authority as text producers, especially due to the semiotic sign formed by the verbal and visual elements, the editors’ full names and/or signatures, the magazines’ logotype, as well as the list of contents, other colorful elements and the names of the complete editorial staff placed on the same page where EWM are (cf The layout of the EWM and the appendix for a clearer view of this aspect).

The authority is, thus, established by accredited journalists, writers of EWM, who are the editors of the magazine and by the publishing company. The salutations such as Dear readers or titles to the sections, such as: Our Cosmo World and All About SHE, all add to the trustworthiness of the texts. The weekly and/or monthly periodicity of the text constitutes another factor which gives credibility to the magazines, as readers know and can count on their publication. In this respect, Beetham (1996:14) points out,

As readers, we recognize the feeling that, however disappointing this number of our favourite magazine may be, it holds out the promise of future satisfaction. There will be another number, next week or next month.

All these elements together provide evidence that text producers of EWM have credibility to influence readers’ conduct, thus fulfilling the first requirement of a hortatory text.

Concerning the second component of Longacre’s schema, EWM present a problem, either related to men/women relationship, to diets, or juggling home and work, or still other domestic or personal affairs. More specific lexis related to problems have already been exemplified and include items as ‘housing dilemma’, ‘nightmare’, ‘difficult to make ends meet’, all of which refer to worries and doubts women may have.

The issuing of commands/suggestions, the third generic component of hortatory texts, can also be observed in EWM, as I discussed on Section 4.7. As Longacre points out, behavioral discourse of the hortatory kind ‘has imperatives or some socially mitigated substitute for an imperative’ (Longacre, 1983:7). Some instances of commands, which may

also be indirect speech acts, disguising the authoritative character, specially with the use of modalizers include:

How? read the article on page 31 and you'll be as convinced as we are here... (ed 110) Do read their story and, I need hardly say, write to tell us what you think. (ed 19) If you're in the throes of the greatest love affair of the century turn to page 65. (ed 29) On p64, meet six people with more than just hair colour to contend with. (ed 115)

In my corpus there were 22 occurrences of the verb turn, 60 of the verb see and 60 of read, exemplifying that commands are present in EWM, together with other verbs in the imperative, therefore contributing to fulfill the hortatory schematic structure.

The last component, resort to motivation, is seen in EWM either in the advantages or benefits to be derived from following what is prescribed in the magazines, or in the allusions to undesirable circumstances in case the prescription is not followed. Women will become more elegant, sexier, happier and/or better prepared to face life’s difficulties if they comply with the suggestions or proposals put forward in the features of the magazines and signaled in the editorials. Implicitly, the opposite undesirable results will likely occur in case readers do not follow the advice given. For example:

What else gets better? Sex. You think it's great now? Just you wait till after you're 30. (I promise you this is true.) See Sex -- the best is yet to come by Susan Jacoby on page 105. (ed 21)

Plus, spring fashion essentials - the definitive guide to what's worth buying this spring. With advice on lengths, looks and accessories, this is the guide that acknowledges you won't be rushing out to buy ten spring outfits simply because the new season has arrived. (ed 115)

Completing the hortatory schema, the motivation attempts to ‘convince the hearers of the soundness of the advice and to launch them on the course of conduct advocated or to discourage them from a course of conduct which is being proscribed’ (Longacre, 1983:39).

EWM also characterize as hortatory discourse according to Martin (1989), who explains that hortatory exposition is intended to persuade people to do something, and is usually found in editorials, letters to the editor, sermons, political speeches and debates. By comparing linguistic aspects of texts concerning the same issue, but having opposing ideology, Martin is able to show that hortatory texts are usually associated with feelings and attitudes, with spoken language, with the domain of ‘the private life’. This author also explains that in hortatory exposition the first person is commonly used, as it ‘is often addressed to a specific rather than a general audience (I talking to you)’ (Martin, 1989:25).

EWM also fit into Martin’s category of hortatory exposition, for they concern feelings and attitudes (Ex: I love Christmas, (ed 33) or I love men. I really do. For loads of reasons (ed 50)); the first person pronoun I is frequently used (507 times in my corpus); the topics usually concern aspects of private life, as will be seen throughout this work, and they are addressed to a specific audience.

EWM not only influence readers’ conduct but they also contain elements of persuasive discourse, whose purpose is to influence beliefs and values. Persuasive discourse is, therefore, embedded in the hortatory schema of EWM. According to Longacre, persuasive discourse also contains four components, namely,

1. problem/question;

2. proposed solution/answer;

3. supporting argumentation (logic, experimentation, authority)

4. appeal (often very subtle) to give credence, or to adopt certain values (Longacre, 1992:109).

Whereas in hortatory discourse commands/suggestions are obligatory, in persuasive discourse it is the appeal (Component 4) which is minimally necessary. EWM display the first component, which is also present in the hortatory schema (Component 2). The proposed solutions (Component 2) to different problems in women’s lives are mentioned in EWM when editors ask readers to read certain features, suggesting that readers’

problems will be solved by following the advice given in the features. For instance:

This Wednesday (11 March) is National No Smoking Day. If, like me, you're desperately trying to kick the habit, you'll be fascinated by our report on which methods work -- or didn't work -- for us here at CHAT...(ed 78)

In relation to the supporting argumentation component, the categories of logic or experimentation are not self-evident in EWM. However, the authority of the editors is an argumentative feature. The authority in EWM is not depicted as hierarchically superior to readers, but as someone who faces similar problems and wishes as readers, as someone on whom readers can trust. Using positive evaluative lexis to characterize either the features shown in the issue or desirable situations in women’s lives, EWM are regarded as advertising, also a form of argumentation.

The fourth component of the persuasive schema, appeal, is one of the most salient characteristics of EWM. The appeals to better living and health thus serve as motivation in the hortatory schema.

Hortatory and persuasive discourses, therefore, co-exist in EWM, with the former being foregrounded and basic and the latter used to give support to the ultimate command.