Page 180 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 6 Adapting to Your Audience 147

impoverished backgrounds as well as students from affl uent families. Although
you can sometimes make inferences regarding the social status of your audi-
ence, these are not always reliable. For example, one of us once suggested to his
class that a proposed tuition increase might lead to fewer minority students at-
tending California universities. One minority student objected, pointing out that
one cannot assume that all minority students are necessarily too poor to afford
higher tuition.
There is a strong relationship between socioeconomic background and the
opinions audience members hold about topics ranging from who should be the
next president to tax reform. Knowing the socioeconomic background of an au-
dience, therefore, can inform us of other audience characteristics important to
the preparation and delivery of our speeches.

Occupation
Demographic diversity is also refl ected by the kind of work people do. On a
residential campus, occupational roles are generally expressed in terms of ma-
jor. At many schools, however, students are already involved in an occupation
and pursuing a degree for purposes of advancement or career change. This is
especially true of urban and metropolitan schools in or near major cities. One
cannot always assume from outward appearances what a person’s occupation or
former occupation might be. For example, we recall one female student, barely
fi ve feet tall, who revealed in one of her speeches that she had been a truck
driver for several years. Obviously, her perspective on many issues was affected
by that experience. To assume she was uninformed about diesel technology, for
example, would have been a clear mistake.
Occupations and coworkers infl uence how people see the world. Self-
employed people, for example, probably see things differently than do people
working in the public sector, at a large corporation, or in the home. Just as it
is important for speakers to analyze age and social diversity, so it is important
to respect the full range of occupations represented in audiences. As you get to
know your classmates, you may be able to incorporate references to their majors
or jobs when it fi ts your speech. For example, one student in our classes was
a DJ. Other students often mentioned this when it fi t with their speech topic,
such as how to organize a special event. Audience members appreciate posi-
tive references to their occupations, and they can be offended by negative ones.
For example, had a student made a derogatory remark about DJs, it could have
alienated the audience member who earned his livelihood that way.

Religion
You need to consider religious diversity as a sensitive feature of your audience.
At public colleges and universities, you can assume that almost every type of
religious belief is represented. Even at universities like Notre Dame, which is
affi liated with the Catholic Church, you will fi nd diversity in the religious be-
liefs of groups of students. In some cases, a person’s religion can be identifi ed
on the basis of apparel and appearance. Such cases include the Amish, Hasidic
Jews, some Muslims, and Hindu Sikhs. Usually, religious affi liations will not
be easily visible. You cannot tell a devout Catholic from an atheist by outward
appearances.